In "Star Food," Dade works in his father's grocery store, Star Food. When a middle-aged woman starts shoplifting, he must figure out what he wants to do with his life and what kind of person he wants to be. In the end, he allows the shoplifter to go free.
Answer: The word because is a linking word and the semicolon isn't appropriate where there is a link So no the semicolon won't work :)
Explanation:
he remains optimistic about making friends at his new school
Anxious (dark descriptions and overwhelming settings help to portray this mood)