Crusader by Edward Bloor

When Roberta was a little girl, her mother was murdered and no one ever caught the culprit. It isn't something she thinks about a lot, it's the past and it can't be changed. She spends her time working with her father at his video game arcade in a run-down mall. When a number of hate crimes occur at the mall and fingers start to point, particularly at the violent and frequently racist games, Roberta decides to try and help keep her family and friends from getting caught in the cross-hairs. But is it possible these crimes are somehow connected to her mother's death?

From the back of this book I was afraid I was going to get a Nancy Drew-ish "kid-detective" story. I was very glad that it wasn't. Instead it is an almost introspective book, there is a lot more time spent on how things affect people and their livelihoods than on clues and mystery.The characters felt realistic and solid, with a good number of flaws and issues of their own. The plot is well-paced until the end, which was a bit rushed. The writing was a bit flat now and then, but for the majority of the book it is well-done.

4 Stars
 
Emme