Dirty Little Angels by Chris Tusa

Dirty Little Angels is told through the view point of Hailey Trosclair - a 16 year old teen living in the slums of New Orleans. Through Hailey we learn of her family, friends and what life is like for a teen who hasn't been dealt the best hand in life.

We also meet an assortment of characters: Cyrus - the over-protective older brother who knows just when to use his set of brass knuckles. Her parents - her father is a jobless, adulterous, alchoholic and her mother - who is suffering from depression due to a miscarriage. We also meet Verma - witty family friend, and then there is Moses Watkins - an ex-con, ex-preacher who is trying to start a drive-through church.

There is so much going on in this short book (drugs, sex and violence). But in the end, it is a book about family - love for one's family; and it will test you and ask you, what would you do to keep and protect your family? To what lengths would you go?

Chris Tusa’s prose is chillingly effective at maintaining a sense of dread, along with a palpable tension amongst his characters. I liked that he is economical in his choice of words to evoke scenes and emotions.

A good story--a little off-beat--but I really liked Hailey, even though there were moments when she wasn't so likable. To be honest, I liked that all the characters were jaded and imperfect - they were real.

I found it to be an absolutely enthralling, exciting, depressing, uplifting, tear inducing, story-telling book.