White Flight: A Novel in Verse

By Christopher Paslay

When 16-year-old Daryl Kerns (black) witnesses a shooting on the basketball courts one summer evening in Philadelphia, he vows to keep silent. It isn't until Daryl's best friend Alex Murphy (white) persuades him to cooperate with authorities does Daryl come forward and agree to testify. But when Daryl is killed in front of Alex several weeks later in retaliation for talking to police, the tables quickly turn: Now Alex must decide if he will be strong enough to take his own advice and speak to detectives about Daryl's murder. White Flight is young adult novel in verse. Through 82 interconnected open form poems, Alex tells the story of his slowly deteriorating neighborhood, and of his struggle with his crushing secret: the brutal shooting death of his best friend, Daryl. Alex also reflects on the issues of white flight, urban police, sexual harassment, and the no-snitch culture.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1549803247
• ISBN13: 9781549803246
• Release Date: September 2017
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 260 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.7" x 6.0"