Hakeem Randall, already upset by his father's illness, and his family's move to Detroit, finds his anger reaching a boiling point when he is forced to share a bedroom with his moody and secretive cousin Savon, a childhood friend who soon becomes an enemy.

Martin Luna is in deep trouble. Just months ago, a horrible tragedy took his little brother, and now it threatens to take him too. On one side are his desperate mother, a friendly teacher at Bluford High School, and a pretty girl named Vicky. On the other are his old neighborhood and his hunger for revenge. Torn between the two, Martin stands at a crossroad, with his life hanging in the balance. Which way will he go?

Teenager Darcy Wills must deal with painful secrets from her past in order to save her family and her friendships.

"Roylin Bailey is living a nightmare--and it's all his fault. It started when the new student, Korie Archer, arrived in his history class. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, and unlike most people at Bluford High, she seemed to like him. But when Roylin tried to impress her, he made a terrible mistake. Now one of his friends is gone, and someone is out to destroy him. Caught in a tightening web of lies and threats, Roylin is desperate...

"In grade school, Darcy Wills and Brisana Meeks were friends. But all that changed at Bluford High when Darcy started hanging with "the zeros"--a group of students Brisana despises. Now the former friends are bitter rivals, and the tension between them is getting worse. For a while, Darcy tries to stay calm, ignoring her old friend's daily taunts. But when she learns that Brisana is after her boyfriend, Hakeem Randall, Darcy knows she must do something....