Urban Underground Books in Order

Kevin Walker hopes to stay unnoticed at Tubman High and conceal the secret behind his move from Texas. Running offers relief, but success on the track team attracts exactly the attention he wants to avoid.

Naomi and Clay appear to be a happy couple at school, but his jealousy and cruelty tell another story. Their relationship raises troubling questions about why Naomi stays and what secrets lie behind her family’s outward appearance.

A job at a frozen yogurt shop and an unexpected raise put Naomi’s dream car within reach. Yet her employer’s intense attention unsettles her, while Clay continues stalking her in an effort to revive their relationship.

New student Destini is delighted when Tyron brings her into his circle at Tubman High. As he belittles her friendships and schoolwork, she keeps defending him, even as his increasingly aggressive behavior threatens her well-being.

A wave of thefts makes Sereeta a suspect at Tubman High just as her home life falls apart. Overwhelmed by accusations and family rejection, she withdraws from the people who might otherwise help her.

Derrick witnesses a murder on his way home from work and promises the killer silence to save himself. Knowing the victim was a decent college student leaves him struggling with fear, guilt and the consequences of speaking out.

Jaris Spain hides his discouragement behind the demands of school and family life. Struggling for good grades, failing at sports and facing Sereeta’s scorn, he finds little comfort between his father’s pessimism and his mother’s forced cheer.

Gunfire outside a popular teen gathering place leaves students wondering whether DeWayne was the intended target. Jaris investigates the claim that DeWayne anticipated the shooting, fearing that his secrets could endanger Sereeta and their friends.

A school contest intended to honor Harriet Tubman’s qualities becomes a battle for popularity. As ambitious students compete for the Princess of the Fair title, Jasmine Benson’s determination threatens to undermine the event’s original purpose.

Carmen is excited when Paul Morales asks her out, but his connections to gang members alarm her family. As she tries to defend him, she must decide whether his appealing exterior conceals reasons not to trust him.

Minor vandalism escalates into a campaign against the distant, demanding science teacher Mr. Buckingham. Oliver asks Alonee to trust his instincts about what is happening, but she remains uncertain as the incidents grow more serious.

Ernesto resents returning to the barrio and starting over at Cesar Chavez High after years in Los Angeles. Meeting Naomi Martinez transforms his outlook, even as he struggles with leaving familiar friendships and a girlfriend behind.

Carmen’s father challenges a corrupt city council incumbent who is also Naomi’s cousin. Ernesto believes the neighborhood needs change, but fear of upsetting Naomi’s family keeps him silent when taking a position could matter.

Trevor secretly dates Vanessa despite warnings from his mother and brother. Convinced he is old enough to make his own decisions, he dismisses their concerns about the school dropout and the influence she may have on him.

Chelsea rebels against her father’s strict rules and eagerly accepts the risks encouraged by her friends. Her desire for independence collides with her lack of judgment, raising the question of how far her impulsiveness will carry her.

A series of robberies unsettles Ernesto’s neighborhood, and he thinks he recognizes someone fleeing a crime scene. Before accusing Cruz, he must consider whether familiar clothes and tattoos are enough to justify his suspicion.

As junior year ends, Ernesto and his classmates begin imagining life beyond Chavez High. Their hopes for fulfilling work and opportunity collide with uncertainty about whether they can escape the limited prospects surrounding them.

A shooting injures Roxie Torres and brings neighborhood violence close to Ernesto’s circle. Police arrest a homeless man, but Ernesto doubts Roxie’s account and questions whether the investigation has identified the right suspect.

Lydell Nelson spends lunchtime writing alone in a journal and remains largely unknown to his classmates. Even when other students reach out, he rejects their friendship, leaving them uncertain about what lies behind his isolation.

Abel Ruiz has supportive friends, career plans and a girlfriend he loves. When Claudia leaves him for someone else, heartbreak unsettles his confidence, forcing him to reconsider his sense of worth and the future ahead.

Trevor has returned to Vanessa despite their dangerous history together. As her influence deepens, fears grow that she will draw him back into crime, with consequences he may not be able to escape this time.

An argument on Grant Street ends in gunfire and a boy lying motionless on the sidewalk. When Tubman students discuss the shooting, the apparent involvement of an innocent bystander makes the neighborhood’s violence feel newly immediate.

Marko is attacked with a baseball bat while training alone for a track meet. Suspicion spreads through Tubman High, focusing on Kevin’s open hostility and Trevor’s reported presence at the scene of the assault.

Volunteering at an animal shelter helps Chelsea and her friends discover the value of caring for others. Around them, Jaris tries to help Sereeta’s mother while Maurice faces the possibility of keeping Athena out of trouble.

Released after two years in prison, David Morales wants to rebuild his life through honest work. A new job and growing attraction to a coworker offer hope, but he fears what revealing his past could cost.

Bullying at Chavez High reaches students and teachers alike, spreading through cruel online messages and escalating into vandalism. As the hostility damages their school, members of the community must confront the harm being done around them.

Rod Garcia cannot accept Ernesto Sandoval’s victory in the senior class election. Already resentful of the newcomer’s success, he carries their rivalry onto the track and sets out to make Ernesto’s life increasingly difficult.

Jaris and Marko discover Sereeta and an injured older woman bound inside a house, with two frightened children nearby. What they witness exposes an immediate danger and puts people they care about at risk.

Oliver agrees to sing with friends’ band and discovers he enjoys performing more than expected. As attention from fans grows, his new role unsettles both Marko and his girlfriend Alonee, putting pressure on familiar relationships.

Jaris hires Amberlynn because he believes she is the best candidate, but Trevor questions his motives. The accusation that attraction influenced his choice feeds Jaris’s doubts about himself and threatens his confidence in his loyalty to Sereeta.

Denique thinks she might like Trevor but fears a relationship would end badly. Focused on finishing school and earning money, she puts her family’s need for safer housing ahead of college and the possibility of romance.

The Martinez family struggles under Felix’s harsh authority, with the two eldest children forced out to build lives elsewhere. Naomi wants to heal the divisions, but bringing her volatile relatives together proves a difficult undertaking.