Reviewed by Sonia

A story of racial hatred, that transcends geographical boundaries because we have all experienced hatred based on who we are, what gender we are or where we are from.

The story creates a vivid picture of hatred - which can be felt, of religious identity and familial love. The moral is obvious, and the message of strength through love heard.

The dialogue between the boys is snappy and believable. The central character�s presence seemingly changes after the confrontation in the story, from that of an adult to that of the child he is; this is an effective way of reinforcing the transformation hatred can make in a person.

The dialogue from the father and the policeman at the hospital come across as a bit stilted and �preachy�, this could be a cultural interpretation, but I think the policeman�s dialogue could be tightened a bit.

I also think �m.f� should be written out in full. It is as if the author does not want to offend here, but hatred is �in your face�, it is a strong and offensive emotion, and if the reader is offended by reading �kike mother fucker�, or �mother fucking kike� - well they should be.

The only other thing that nagged at me as I read was the way the �accident� was glossed over. The action is manslaughter, I know it is not dealt with because it is unneeded for the point of the story, but I think an injury to Katisha would achieve the same purpose - without raising a lot of unanswered questions.

A solid piece of writing, which could become great.