When We Ride by Ogle, Rex

Diego Benevides works hard. His single mother encourages him to stay focused on school, on getting into college, on getting out of their crumbling neighborhood. That's why she gave him her car.

Diego's best friend, Lawson, needs a ride--because Lawson is dealing. As long as Diego's not carrying, not selling, it's cool. It's just weed.

But when Lawson starts carrying powder and pills and worse, their friendship is tested and their lives are threatened. As the lines between dealer and driver blur, everything Diego has worked for is jeopardized, and he faces a deadly reckoning with the choices he and his best friend have made.

Award-winning memoirist and poet Rex Ogle's searing first novel-in-verse is an unforgettable story of the power and price of loyalty.

Author: Rex Ogle
Publisher: Norton Young Readers
Published: 08/04/2026
Pages: 352
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.50w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9781324125518
Age Range: 14-18

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.2
Point Value: 3
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 556894 / When We Ride