Brothers, Boyfriends and Other Criminal Minds    by April Lurie Order:  USA  Can Laurel Leaf, 2009 (2007) Hardcover, Paperback, e-Book      Reviewed by Lyn Seippel Fourteen-year-old April Lundquist lives in a nice Brooklyn neighborhood that is home to a number of well know mobsters. Three hit men live on her street alone although you'd never know they were dangerous. They go to work each day in Armani suits and Gucci loafers. April has a taste for horror. She spends most of her summer reading books by Edgar Alan Poe, Stephen King and Alfred Hitchcock. Ninth grade gets off to a dubious beginning when Soft Sol, their neighbor across the street, requests a favor. He wants April and her friend Brandi to walk his son Larry, who is mentally handicapped, to school. They can't say no and wouldn't want to. They grew up with Larry and are used to looking out for him. Meanwhile April's brother falls in love with a mafia princess which April is afraid will end up getting him whacked. Italian crime bosses are very protective of their daughters and Matt is neither Catholic or Italian. To protect him April must has a favor of her own. Will Soft Sal come through for her? Matt and his friends give her own boyfriends a hard time every chance they get. April falls for a bad boy musician whose long hair and Grateful Dead T-shirts put him on her parents' 'no dating list.' This funny coming-of-age story set in the seventies is full of colorful characters, tricky choices and ever changing friendships. I was hooked from the first line. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews