Written for young adults, this set of Urban Underground novels takes place in a Latino neighborhood surrounding Cesar Chavez High School and confronts issues that are of great importance to teens, such as friendship, loyalty, drugs, gangs, abuse, urban blight, bullies, and self-esteem to name a few. More than entertainment, these books can be a powerful learning and coping tool when a struggling reader connects with credible characters and a compelling storyline. The highly readable style and mature topics will appeal to young adult readers and encourage them to finish each novel. Paperback books look and feel like a trade edition and are complete in just under 200 pages.