The El

Van Alst’s vivid debut chronicles a momentous day in the life of a Chicago gang in 1979. The narrative follows the Simon City Royals’ crosstown trek to a meeting where they plan to strike a treaty with rival gangs. Teddy, a Native teen and warlord for the Royals, guides the gang from their usual haunts to the meeting at Roosevelt High School on the El train, advising them to scatter if they see the cops and claim to live at a local address if they’re stopped. After getting off the train, they encounter a few members of a rival gang, but the Royals’ number advantage makes the fight an easy win for them. They meet up with the Central Park and Wilson crew and hang out with them before the big meeting, reveling in both the similarities and differences of their gangs from opposite ends of Chicago. Meanwhile, one of Teddy’s fellow gang members secretly angles to wrest control from him. The author conjures a gritty and colorful view of late-1970s Chicago with realistic dialogue and well-rounded characters. Readers looking for slow-burn action will devour this. Agent: Ron Eckel, CookeMcDermid. (Aug.)