Book reviews:
"Gates and Keel make their YA debuts with a tale that's part West Side Story, part supernatural mystery. . . . The overall effect is that of a summer action flick, with all the expected over-the-top situations, sequences, and dialogue."
- Publishers Weekly
"Gangs, martial arts, super powers and a mystical quest. Sounds like a fabulous summer read. And the cover is pretty sweet."
- Readergirls
"Combining the class struggle of The Outsiders with the star-crossed lovers of Romeo and Juliet, The Tracks: Dark Territory packs a modern kung fu punch sure to please lovers of suspense and adventure."
- Cynthia A. Walker, J.R. Arnold High School, Teacher of the Year 2010-2011
"This is one of the best books I've ever read. It made me think, cry, laugh and smile. It relates to me and people in my age group. [I want] to see Dark Territory in the library along with other books from The Tracks series."
- Jen, Age 14
Discussion Questions:
1. What parallels do you see between events in Middleburg and what's happening in the United States today?
2. Which character in Dark Territory do you most identify with and why? Who do you least identify with and why?
3. The Flatliners and the Toppers live by the Wu-de, a code of conduct. If you had to come up with a code of conduct for yourself, what would the number-one rule be and why?
4. Is the fighting between the Flatliners and the Toppers justified? Why or why not?
5. What did you learn from Dark Territory that you didn't know before?
AUTHOR CALL-IN INFORMATION: J. Gabriel Gates is happy to Skype with your book club. To arrange a visit, see the contact page on his website and write "Kidsbookclubbing" in the subject line.