This young adult story starts in chaos as Viviana gets beaten up by a gang of girls and two of her supposed friends Maya and Keysha get a cell phone call from her and can't decide if they hate her or want to help her. WAY TOO MUCH DRAMA seems like a good title. Misalo and another boy Carlo were fighting at the time, and later Misalo comes around to ask Viviana if she's okay.

Unfortunately when Misalo decides to console Viviana by making love to her for the first time concealed on a building site, he murmurs that he loves... Maya. The moment is ruined and Viviana storms away. The girls discuss the matter in school and can't decide whose version to believe.

During the tale, girls get called slut, hood chick and the Antichrist, mainly by other girls, and exchange brief messages by text. Maybe I'm not the right age, but I found it hard to get into the tale. The characters have many issues to deal with such as parents who are in jail or hooked on prescription drugs, living rough and juvenile detention when they're caught begging; and when the local drug dealers find out who called the police on them, they deal with the nosey neighbour. Products of their environment, the kids still try to grow up and cope, attend school and take tests. The final straw for Viviana comes when Maya shows an adult a video clip of Viviana pickpocketing a phone. The aunt with whom she's living tells her she has disrespected the house for the last time - but then asks her why she did it. Another girl turns out to be in physical danger from her foster father.

WAY TOO MUCH DRAMA is not a book for the tender, nor for the younger end of the teen age range. Earl Sewell has given us a counterpoint to the tales of privileged kids whose only worries are popularity and sports success. WAY TOO MUCH DRAMA will appeal to those young adults wanting a slice of reality and yes, way too much drama for any kids to have to cope with.