Baron is a computer whiz with a passion for hacking. When the girl of his dreams starts taking an interest in him, he all but short circuits, but when he sees her on a date with another guy, he hacks her school and social media accounts.

As jealousy fades and reality sets in, Baron realizes the seriousness of his action and races against the clock to fix his mess. This novel is about the life of a Black youth in Canada, the intensity of first love and learning to live with the consequences of your actions.

This delightful, fast-paced read embraces the fine balance between first love, jealousy, the desire for revenge and how to work through and correct one’s mistakes when the revenge-taking doesn’t exactly work out. Even better, it promotes slam poetry, dancing and Black culture in a contemporary high school setting, with Guyanese and Jamaican flavor. So yes, it’s about falling too hard for a girl, and ethics around social media, but it’s really just about the complicated everyday life and temptations of teens, especially boys.

At age fifteen, Baron has his eyes fixed on Keyanna, a girl he figures is out of his league. Astoundingly, however, she makes clear she’s interested in him. That has him thinking the relationship is way more than it is, which is both sweet and asking for trouble. Baron’s best friend Kendall, a slam poet, is always around for advice, but can’t always control his impetuous, lovestruck friend’s actions.

The characters are entirely believable and fun to follow. But it’s the dialogue that makes this novel a five-star read; it’s infused with humor and rich in culture. So what if it’s also occasionally hard to decipher?

“You been eyeing that gyal for weeks. Livin rent-free in your head. You nah gwan talk to her?”
“Yo, Ken. I ain’t eyeballin that hard.”
“Fam, you doin it right now!

Indeed, all aspects of the writing are strong from start to finish, more than making up for a vaguely predictable plot.

As she backed away her body began to glow; angelic-like. I was a moth captivated by her light in the middle of the night.

I had flashbacks of her kissing me with the same passion. My vision blurred like looking through a window during the rain… Nausea hit me like a bag of frozen soda cans. Everything in front of me turned red. My nostrils were stinging, my hands and ears were burning.

One scene stumbles in telling rather than showing readers what’s happening. Strange that we don’t get to hear the actual words here:
Then Wordz came out to close the show. I had no idea that he was that good. From the start he had the whole room engaged. His delivery was booming and powerful. His flow was silky smooth. He didn’t trip on his words even once.

But for the most part, the story is captivating and a page turner. The temptation Baron faces to use his hacking skills for evil intent is neatly introduced, and will get techies’ attention:
School cybersecurity, for the most part, is like using cling wrap for a condom. I can see plaintext passwords in log files, passwords on sticky notes, grade books, door locks, credit info, even faculty salary information. You name it, I can access it.

The middle of the novel sags just a little as we transition from seeing Baron fall way too hard and fast in love, to establishing that Keyanna isn’t on the same trip yet, and watching the jealousy and revenge factors emerge. Once everything hits the fan, things speed up again. We see Baron step up and take responsibility for his actions, while yearning for forgiveness and getting back together with Keyanna, knowing it’s unlikely to happen. Then there’s the final scene, where Baron’s mother (an otherwise minor character) over-neatly helps him reflect, analyze and move forward.

Of course, it’s rewarding that Baron does own up and learn from his mistakes, but in his own lingo and realistically for his age.
“I guess I could treat girls with more respect… Realize that a relationship isn’t all about how I feel or how she makes me feel but more about being selfless. Aaaand I don’t need to sabotage things if it ain’t going my way… I was so caught up with making Keyanna my girl that I neglected to think about what she wanted. That maybe she wanted the same thing I did and I didn’t have to force it.”

Words of wisdom, hard-earned, in a drama highly recommended for teen boys.

– Pam Withers