A review by sc104906
Diamond Boy by Michael Williams

4.0

Patson and his family move to live with the stepmother's brother, who is a diamond lord. Patson believes that mining for diamonds will make his family richer beyond anything they could imagine. However, diamond mining is very dangerous. Miners must appease government officials, and the diamond gang lords. Consequences for upsetting these people can be deadly, as Patson learns when he crosses the wrong people. With his sister kidnapped, his father missing and probably dead, his stepmother living with a new man, Patson begins the perilous journey to reunite his family and find diamonds that could change everything.

This is very similar to blood diamond.