Breaking Rank is a story about a boy who meets a girl. Thomas Fairbairne is a member of a pseudo-gang called the Clan. Clan members dress in all black, they don't speak during school, and don't apply themselves in classes at all. The Clan, however, is not involved in any crime. Some school teachers were concerned about the Clan, and when Thomas Fairbairn shows some promise, they put him in Honors classes and give him a tutor. Thomas's tutor is a girl named Casey. I bet you can predict what's going to happen. A lot of the time I found myself questioning the Clan's motives, but Randle actually does explain it. There are certain plot holes in the book too, but if you put those aside this is a pretty engaging book. I think it would do well with students who are reluctant readers and boys, as it is fairly reminiscent of The Outsiders. ( )

I read Breaking Rank By Kristen D. Randle. I chose this book because it seemed interesting. The titled seemed like there would be violenece. But the book was different than i thought by reading the title. The book was boring at the beginging but then it got interesting. It was about a boy named Thomas who was in a clan. He was the only one of the clan that did his school work. So they gave him a tutor. He had to make sure his brother or the clan didnt find out. His tutor is name Casey she ends up liking him. He ends up liking her also. But then Thomas gets beat up he tells his brother the whole thing. His brother kicks him out of the clan. His brother and the clan end up fighting the Bullies and they all got arrested and most of them quit the clan. But they had to do community service. Thomas dosent have to hide about being in tutoring. The book kind of met my expecations it was not bad. I would reccomened it. ( )

In the novel Breaking Rank, author Kristen D. Randle attempts to show how an exclusive gang, the Clan, demonstrates its displeasure at one of its own who unknowingly tries to better his position in life while trying to define his own self. This character, Baby, does so with the help of Casey, another high school student put to the task of tutoring him after he's been placed in high school honor classes. The pairing of Baby with this girl isn't lost on those who have axes to grind, whether as members of the Clan or other students finding distaste in Baby entering their inner circles. The writing in Breaking Rank appears sketchy early on in a scene where we meet Baby's cohorts at a gang beer call after school. The meaning of their conversations is cloudy with a good dose of slang thrown in to keep the reader guessing. A term used early on, "Aps," is only explained much later in the book as meaning "apprentice." This leaves the reader to have to go back and reread the passage for a better understanding of the workings and hierarchy of the Clan. This is rather clumsily juxtaposed against a rosey description of Casey's homelife she brings Baby home to for study sessions. It's a wonder he doesn't get up and bolt at these moments, but his staying paves the way for the curiously stunted version of a romance that follows. By staying, Baby allows Randle to inject a late appearing but story intensifying conflict with another male student that adequately sets up a final judgement of him by his gang brothers. This novel can be used in a high school library to instruct the skill of tolerance towards all segments of the high school population. ( )

A tough guy called "Baby" (he'd better be really tough!) and a smart girl called Casey come from very different lives, but they fall in love and try desperately to sumount dangerous obstacles. ( )