I just finished reading THE STAIRCASE OF FIRE by Ben Woodard over the weekend. It's a YA historical novel set in the 1920's about a boy coming of age. It's suspenseful and at times heartbreaking, dealing with the racial tensions of the times. The MC Tom is trying to outrun his demons (at a younger age he had accidentally caused his baby sister's death) and, in the process, makes some poor choices.
I thought it was well-done, although my husband didn't like that at the end, the reader is left to envision what comes next. The book deals with some tough ethical dilemmas, such as what you do when the needs of different people you love call you to different courses of action.
This is the third book in a trilogy, but I thought it stood by itself okay. If you're looking for something for YA boys I would especially recommend it.
Edited to correct my stupid error in the title. Duh!