Thirteen-year-old Sonny may be small for his age but having grown up on the streets of Medellin, Colombia, he is streetwise and tough. But he and his best friend Alberto have big dreams. They both want to escape poverty and live in a world where their biggest worry is who will win the next soccer match (for which they will, of course, have great seats). Alberto shows up one day with a gun and tells Sonny he has been hired by drug lords to work as an assassin, and it seems that perhaps their dreams will come true: the gun brings Alberto both power and money. When Alberto suddenly disappears, Sonny decides to take his place as an assassin. The grim, uncompromising world of poverty, violence and the international drug trade are brought to life in this gripping novel with an unusual plot and setting. (Age 14 and older)

Sometimes guns speak louder than words

That's what Shorty and Alberto think at least. To them, it seems like the only people in their town who command respect are the drug dealers.

The drug dealers are rich. They're powerful. They're not afraid of anybody.

So when Alberto gets a job as a hit man for a drug dealer, he's happy. His family won't starve. He'll be a big shot.

He thinks his life has finally begun.

But in this tough South American town, twelve-year-old assassins are disposable. And it won't be long before Alberto and Shorty find this out.