The “Hated Ones” referred to in the title of Mike Fiorito's seventh book are members of a gang who appear on various occasions in its 20 episodes, but the title also refers to the protagonists of these stories, youngsters on the margins of society. Before the stories even begin, the concept of hate is presented in the epigraph from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: “Here's much to do with hate, but more with love.” We may be forgiven for seeing this as an attempt to influence our interpretation of what will follow, a vision of life in which love is apparently scarce and is at best ambiguous: “In our neighborhood, some people's protestations of love are a little frightening. As if they would announce their devotion and love just before they stab you to death with a rusty nail” (67). This ambiguity is echoed in the style of Fiorito's prose,...

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