How does Emako’s murder shape not only individual characters, but the larger community within the text? What message does the novel communicate about the effects of gang and gun violence on a community?

Emako is arguably the main character of the text, and yet readers never read the narrative from her perspective. Why do you think the author made this narrative choice, and how does it shape the text?

Music is an important part of the characters’ lives and an important symbol in the text. What does music symbolize in the text and for each character?