Heart or Mind

Unbarred

By: Patrick Jones

Narrated by: Book Buddy Digital Media

Do the crime, do the time behind bars. But once you've been in, it can be tough to stay out.

Tension between African Americans and Somalis at Rodney's high school erupts into a food fight that turns into a riot. In the midst of the violence, Rodney helps a Somali classmate to safety. Soon Rodney and Jawahir fall for each other. Against the pleas of their families and friends, they can't help but follow their hearts.

As groups on both sides of the fight harbor lingering resentment, Rodney and Jawahir are caught in the middle. Rodney is determined to avoid trouble, having served a previous stint at the County Home School. But in a world where hate seems to rule, can Rodney and Jawahir keep their flame of love alive? Or will their relationship ignite a fire that destroys all in its path?

This modern twist on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet explores the themes of love vs loyalty and societal clashes.

©2016 Patrick Jones (P)2018 Lerner Digital ™

Critic reviews

"In Heart or Mind, a fight erupts in the lunchroom one day. Rodney finds himself defending a Somalian girl. Soon he cannot stop thinking about her. Unfortunately, African Americans and Somalians do not interact in their community. That does not stop Rodney and Jawahir from falling for each other, but their feelings might destroy everything - including themselves. Staying away from each other now that they have met is not an option in this Romeo and Juliet retelling. Jones pens a series of modern-day, gritty Shakespearean plays. With four books in the series so far, the longest comes in at 120 pages. This high-interest/low-pages series is ideal for reluctant readers or any reader who does not understand Shakespeare. The diversity of characters, the situations of high drama, and the shortness of the books makes this series ideal for young adult collections." (VOYA)

"Rodney falls for a Somali classmate, Jawahir, while protecting her during a riot between Somali and African American students at their Minneapolis high school. Their tragic love affair echoes that of Romeo and Juliet in one of four titles kicking off the Unbarred series of modern-day Shakespeare adaptations, written at a fourth-grade reading level and featuring kids who have served time in juvenile detention systems. Jones effectively characterizes real-life tensions to ratchet up the drama and danger as battle lines between ethnic and religious groups are drawn, and hate and violence seethe. Available simultaneously: Duty or Desire, Fight or Flee, and Friend or Foe." (Publishers Weekly)

"Rodney, an African American teen just returned from juvenile detention, wants no part of the food fight-turned-riot that breaks out in the high-school cafeteria. The fight is between African American and Somali students, and instead of getting involved, he chooses to protect a Somali girl from harm, even though he still gets beaten up. Her name is Jawahir, and Rodney is in love. Thus begins Jones' high/low take on Romeo and Juliet, complete with the tragic ending, although the other deaths that occur in Shakespeare's play are depicted here as serious injuries. The title is part of the Unbarred series, with each title based on a Shakespeare play and set in modern times. The present-tense, plot-driven narrative is compelling, although some of the elements seem forced to fit. Characterization, while evident, does take a back seat, but there is enough to make at least the main characters stand out. While it is written with the high/low reader in mind, this will likely have appeal for readers at any reading level." (Booklist)