Tap Out is a young adult realistic fiction book written by Eric Devine. Tony is a teen, probably used to represent many in his condition, who lives in a trailer park and witnesses his mother, a waitress, get physically abused boyfriend after boyfriend. More than once he refers to himself as a white trash.

Tony, like any other kid from a troubled household, acts out in class and does nothing to indicate that he has much of a future, except for the fact that he does exceptionally well on standardized tests. His principal knows that a mind is a terrible thing to waste and encourages him to start Martial Arts, after all, it will keep him off the streets and he’ll get to hang out with his best friend, Rob.

However, he still finds himself in a downward spiral. Soon, he is the one at the front door selling drugs for the top man.

Tap Out offers a lot of insight into the cycle of abuse, poverty, how drugs play a role in all of this. In the end, will Tony become the type of person he can respect, or the type of person he’s hated all his life?

Since we are tapping into the mind of a teenage boy, the language is crude. He swears a lot. However, don't let this discourage you, Eric Devine's writing style makes the character that much more real. Tony is flawed and grows, which make a perfect protagonist.

At times you will find yourself hating him for the decisions he makes, but you will always want for him to persevere.