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No Matter What by Jeff Rivera is a young adult fiction short novel that tells the story of a young hispanic man that gets a rough start in life with an abusive alcoholic mother and a school system that does not want him to thrive as a student or individual. Dio, the main character in the novel, is in a prison boot camp with an advancement system through levels to help teach discipline, self-empowerment, respect, and a hard-worker mentality because he was in possession of a firearm when his girlfriend, and love of his life, is shot in a drive-by. The writing style is profoundly emotional and inspiring because it shows that you can have bad people in your life, make bad choices, and still come out ahead.

Personally, I believe that this book should be mandatory reading for all high schools, especially ones with an issue of gang activity among students. I cried, cheered, and was heartbroken by this book and it will always stay with me emotionally. I highly recommend this book for people that love an underdog story and that have teenagers.