Cruisin'

So I started Cruisers in Plano and finished it in Pittsburgh, six months later.  I had to go back and reread the first part because I couldn't remember too much.  That was a bad sign.  Usually I can remember EVERYTHING about a Walter Dean Myers book because they captivate me so much.  I still quote Dope Sick and probably always will.  The second book in the series I liked about as much as this one, but didn't love either one.  But like I said in my review of Checkmate, I think that is because I expect so much from Myers, because he is just an incredible writer.
We meet Zander and his fellow prep school classmates in this book and learn that they are smart and cool and now they are disliked by their Vice Principal for just "cruising" through school and not taking it serious.  Mr. Cullpepper gives them the  task of trying to prevent the Civil War during the school's study of the War Between the States.  The book does a wonderful job of talking about race relations and it made me think about the Confederate flag, Stone Mountain and other things still around today that really, probably shouldn't be lauded as they still are.  We've come a long way, but not far enough.  My problem with the series probably is just that I don't know the characters well enough yet.  I like the books well enough though to keep on reading.