Promises to Keep by Paul Langan

Tyray Hobbs is a bully. But when his newest target, Darrell, stands up to Tyray, breaking Tyray's wrist in front of everyone in Bluford’s cafeteria. Tyray buys a gun and waits for Darrell one night. When Night has comes, Tyray can't kill Darrell & turns the gun on himself. Darrell prevents Tyray from killing himself by knocking the gun away. Now Tyray has to deal with the fallout. He is a joke at school. His parents have grounded him for life, and his dad doesn't care how he is physically harming Tyray. The only thing standing between Tyray and prison is the fact that Darrell hasn't speak to anyone what really happened that terrifying night. Sometimes Tyray keep wishing Darrell had not knocked the gun away that night however life begin to become change when he understand why his brother, Warren who is in prison, is telling Tyray that living to fast will end him in jail or even worst, dead. After Warren prison visit Tyray began to focus more in school by graduating and believe that he will make it successful in his life. My personal reaction is Tyray has been hurt through past experience and just looking for guidance or help from someone who will listen to him and not judge him by what he did. The author intended to share that even though you may have a bad past, learn and grow from it into a better person. The pattern organization I observe is cause and effect.

Secrets on the Shadows by Anne Schraff

Secrets on the Shadows is about a boy name Roylin Bailey and he started to attend Bluford High School. Roylin moved from his old neighborhood because his younger brother Tray was shot and killed for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Roylin was depressed and started to have it sweet until things start to become different for him when Korie Archer comes to Bluford. She is the most beautiful girl in the world and she likes Roylin; Roylin likes Korie. But when Roylin tries to impress her with a luxurious birthday gift, his life starts heading down a slippery slope. First he steals money from a dear old friend, Mr. Miller, and then his Landlord, Tuttle, finds out that he caused that friend to have a heart attack and die. Tuttle is making Roylin pay for his mistake, big time by blackmailing him to do his dirty work. The guilt is eating away at Roylin and even worse Korie is pulling away. Roylin is left feeling guilty, used, frustrated, and sad and all the emotions in between. As Roylin began to figure out something doubtful about Tuttle knowing about Roylin causing Mr. Miller death. Roylin comes to find out Tuttle sent Mr. Miller away to a nursing and was cashing Mr. Miller retirement check. My personal reaction to this book is very interested because it’s almost like a puzzle and once you put the pieces together you get the big picture. The pattern of orgination is cause and effect because Roylin stole money from Mr.Miller and the effwct was to work for Tuttle or he will go to jail for stealing.