3 out of 4 stars
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“You are the salt of the earth...and the light of the world.” Matthew 5:13-14
Joel Somers is a sixteen-year-old ex-gang member who is struggling with his newfound Christian faith. Brooklyn Salt is a young adult novel by James Scorzelli following Joel's journey as he wrestles between good and evil from some unlikely sources including a gentle homeless man and a smooth-talking stranger. Can Joel learn to be salt and light in the midst of the turmoil he is facing?
After spending several years with the street gang, the Blades, Joel is unsure of himself when it came to Christianity. He believes God wants him to share his faith, but since his attempt with his mother only angered her, inwardly he hopes God has an easier task for him. His friend, Beth Thompson, and her brother, Nate, seem to have a handle on this Christian stuff. When they confront Joel about his recent altercation with the school bully, Vernon, he feels conflicted about how to defend himself while practicing his beliefs and fears he will never measure up. When a mysterious stranger, Seth, offers him a job in Manhattan that seems too good to be true, Joel prays for guidance. Trying to continue on the path he believes God set before him, Joel visits his father in prison and tells him about Jesus. When his father laughs in his face, Joel is frustrated and saddened. After he leaves the prison, Vernon picks another fight, and this time, Joel tries to turn the other cheek, but the bully won't back down. Badly beaten and angrier than ever, Joel and his new friend Grub, who has also been bullied by Vernon, run away to Manhattan to take Seth up on his job offer. The boys' whereabouts are unknown when Joel's mother is in a serious car accident. Meanwhile, they are beginning to realize that though the job with Seth has some dangerous strings attached to it, they are not alone.
This character-building novel was an enjoyable read that moved at a fast pace. I found the characters Joel and Grub to be genuine and relatable to young adults. On the other hand, the Thompson family came across a little too perfect and therefore, were less relatable. While the plot was somewhat predictable, I appreciated the age-appropriate themes it represented including faith, family, friendship, bullying, good conquering evil, and dealing with conflict. As a parent, I valued the positive message conveyed through the pages.
What I enjoyed most about this book was the creativity of using the supporting characters, Abner and Seth, to represent good and evil to the young adult audience. However, I would have liked to have seen more depth displayed by Abner's character, which would be consistent with the good conquering evil theme. The reader was left with no doubts regarding Seth's sleazy character, and I felt that altruistic Abner deserved equal attention, if not more.
What I was missing from this story was a more realistic picture of the struggle Joel would face as an ex-gang member. While there weren't any noticeable gaps in the plot, the few times that Joel's previous gang involvement was mentioned were not adequate to lend credibility. Including a few more details from the prequel, Double-Edged Blade, would have added an element of authenticity and helped the book to stand on its own. Additionally, the fewer instances of interaction with the supporting character, Abner, were unbalanced in contrast to Seth's role in the plot. Having not read the first book, I got the impression that it gave Abner's character a larger role, and this book would have benefitted from doing the same.
The book appears to have been professionally edited, as I didn't note any grammatical errors. However, there were formatting issues resulting in numerous random spaces in words, which was distracting. Combined with the previously mentioned issues, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to young adults and readers who enjoy Christian fiction. It would also be a good book study for church youth groups.
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Brooklyn Salt
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when I get a little money I buy books; and if I have any left l buy food and clothes
