Because It Is My Blood (Birthright Book 2)

School Library JournalGr 8 Up—In this sequel to All These Things I've Done (Farrar, 2010), Anya Balanchine's life becomes very complicated not long after she is released from a prison located near a future Manhattan. In her continued attempts to protect her siblings, manage her family's standing in the mafiya world of black-market chocolate, and plan her future, the teen finds herself in Mexico where she sees the cacao business from a different angle. Here she learns about the healing powers of chocolate and its rich folkloric tradition, causing her to wonder why it was outlawed and if it were possible that chocolate isn't dangerous, or even unhealthy. Anya's on-again, off-again romance with Win Delacroix persists in spite of numerous obstacles, including her rocky relationship with his District Attorney father.