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Sharon > Books: gang-life‎ (8)

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Safe Passage

title

author

Neri, G. *

isbn

164379034X

isbn13

9781643790343

asin

164379034X

num pages

224 pp

avg rating

4.23

num ratings

71

date pub

unknown

date pub edition

Mar 26, 2024

Sharon's rating

it was amazing

my rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

add to shelves

review

Safe Passage by G. Neri & David Brame put me through the wringer. It's a middle graphic novel set in Chicago about three kids who ditch school to try Safe Passage by G. Neri & David Brame put me through the wringer. It's a middle graphic novel set in Chicago about three kids who ditch school to try to get money from an overturned Brinks truck in hopes of saving their family from the impoverished conditions and violence of their city. Darius and Cissy already lost their mom to gun violence, and Booger seems to have lost hope and has a death wish with all his poor decisions. Darius was also hurt due to being shot. This graphic novel depicts the dangers of life in Chicago for today's youth. Much of the rise in violence was due to over 50 schools being closed and kids being forced to travel farther through territory to get to school. The public schools that remained open enacted the Safe Passage Program, where adults, many veterans undertake the job of ensuring students make it to school safely. There are signs posted delineating safe zones, and the adults coordinate safe passage and try to be informed about where violence is escalating. Reading this one had me so emotional, sad and heartbroken because there are so many inner city children losing their lives due to the consequences of the rising cost of living due to gentrification, police brutality, poverty, lack of resources, lack of strict gun laws and racism. There were times I didn't realize that I was holding my breath because I felt waves of tears coming uncontrollably. Overall, it was a really thought-provoking read & the illustrations bring the story to life. I highly recommend this one and it will be a great conversation starter for many about the harsh realities that Black youth face in the inner city. Take care of yourself while reading because this one will seep deep underneath your skin & make you uncomfortable.

Here are some additional books that would pair well with this one:
...more

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# times read

1

date started

Mar 27, 2024

date read

Mar 27, 2024

date added

Jan 30, 2024

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Chulito

title

author

Rice-González, Charles

isbn

1593501722

isbn13

9781593501723

asin

1593501722

num pages

280 pp

avg rating

3.98

num ratings

656

date pub

May 01, 2010

date pub edition

Jan 01, 2010

Sharon's rating

really liked it

my rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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review

"But for us, love is tough because at every turn somebody is gonna try to shut your love down. So until the world changes, we gotta fight for our love "But for us, love is tough because at every turn somebody is gonna try to shut your love down. So until the world changes, we gotta fight for our love."

Chulito by Charles Rice Gonzalez is a queer, coming of age Nuyorican story set in the Bronx. Chulito is the tough, pretty boy hanging out with the wrong crowd and Carlos is the smart, openly gay boy trying to get away from the hood through college. They both know their childhood friendship has grown into an undeniable attraction but only one is truly unafraid to defy societal standards.

Rice Gonzalez brings the Bronx to life with an array of larger than life neighborhood characters who all have something to say about street life, poverty, masculinity, queerness, sex, feminism and parenthood. Chulito's coming of age journey was compelling because he's growing up fatherless and the only role models he has are fueling toxic masculinity, homophobia, violence and repeating the same vicious cycles from their own families. Chulito grapples with his sexuality and disentangling it from the mixed messages he receives about what it means to be macho. In his neighborhood, the LGBTQIA community is met violence, ignorance and exclusion. Chulito also lives with the fear of repurcussion if anyone finds out he's gay as he's also trying to leave the street life behind him. Carlos, his best friend and love interest, lives his life unapologetically & owns his sexuality even if met by hate.

Rice Gonzalez offers such a rich, layered narrative with plenty of commentary on what it means to be a man, a Nuyorican hip hop head, being gay & trying to navigate coming out safely while trying to find support in a community riddled with so many problems of its own. The author highlights the strength of women, shows the spectrum of queerness & masculinity, the power of community to either spread hate or enact change, and also takes a look at how poverty shapes the types of choices people are forced to make. The young romance is sweet, honest, realistic & full of angst. The author also gives space to the process of coming out & illuminates how it is not an easy process. For some it may never happen at all because nothing happens in a vacuum.

What also makes this one such a beautiful story is what Rice Gonzalez has to say about how poor communities care for each other, navigate difficult conversations and deal with the bad apples, who are also flawed and human and come with lots of poor messaging from history with racism, colonialism, patriarchy, misogyny and homophobia. Rice Gonzalez gave names to the people from The Bronx and he showed them in their full humanity and potential. He gave us some back stories that peeled back some layers of tough exteriors and he planted seeds of hope for change in the future. Overall, this story kept me engaged, felt like hime due to the interplay with language, hip hop and salsa music and Puerto Rican culture. He created characters that reminded me of people I know and made me nostalgic about places and events that have so much historical value. If you love mature coming of age stories about young, queer love with the backdrop of NYC life during the golden age of hip hop, then do yourself a favor and add this one to your personal library. I'm brimming with excitement waiting on the next stories to be published about this lively and vibrant Bronx neighborhood that Rice Gonzalez brought to life. ...more

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# times read

1

date started

Aug 14, 2023

date read

Aug 19, 2023

date added

Jul 05, 2023

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The Devil Takes You Home

title

The Devil Takes You Home

author

Iglesias, Gabino *

isbn

0316426911

isbn13

9780316426916

asin

0316426911

num pages

320 pp

avg rating

3.67

num ratings

10,870

date pub

Aug 02, 2022

date pub edition

Aug 02, 2022

Sharon's rating

it was amazing

my rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

add to shelves

review

"Being in the presence of monsters is okay as long as you don't think too much about they're capable of. The scarier thing is when you realize what yo "Being in the presence of monsters is okay as long as you don't think too much about they're capable of. The scarier thing is when you realize what you're capable of yourself."

It's Day 16 of #prheritagemonthtour and today I'm sharing a horror rec that I still can't get out my mind. The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias is a work of art like none I've ever experienced before. Iglesias manages to twist you all up in knots with gore and violence while at the same time stripping humanity down to the core with his beautiful sentences and insightful thoughts. Through his characters, he shows you that life is about decisions and no one person is either all good or all bad. He challenges you to rethink what a "villain" looks like. Is it actually people or is it the systems of oppression that force people to make extreme choices in order to survive?

Iglesia's ability to blend genres and play with reality adds to heightened anxiety. He brings the barrio and border to life and flips the stereotypes about them on their heads. He gives you layered, complicated characters with flaws. He challenges you to take a look at what is behind their decisions and who is responsible. He holds nothing back and puts everything on the page. You feel all the raw emotions and you experience all the graphic violence. You want to look away but his storytelling makes it almost impossible.

Horror that reflects the reality of life is my favorite. Iglesias shines in this area. He shows you who the real monsters are: capitalism, racism, broken for profit medical system, U.S. complicity in "drug wars" and collapsing economies, medical bias, poverty, religious radicalism, white supremacy, and gun violence. People are portrayed as the bad guys, but hiding behind the scenes are the real world issues that have played puppeteer and orchestrated some of the decisions made. Iglesias plays clever literary tricks with the mind through his interplay with folklore and the supernatural. Language is an added bonus. Iglesias mixes Mexican and Puerto Rican Spanish and dialect seamlessly. Every word resonated and felt familiar. Iglesias has solidified himself as a voice to be reckoned with.

I want to warn you that this one is not for the faint of heart. This one is horror at its grittiest and goriest. This is the blend of horror that bites back because the writing is so sharp. The storytelling is vivid and masterful. Iglesias has earned his place in my list of auto-buy authors. If you're looking for a deep look into the morally gray areas of life and humanity, look no further than this one. I highly recommend you pick this one up and prepare for the darkest, wildest ride of your life. ...more

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votes

6

# times read

1

date started

Oct 23, 2022

date read

Oct 30, 2022

date added

Aug 02, 2022

owned

format

Hardcover

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On the Hook

title

author

Stork, Francisco X. *

isbn

1338692151

isbn13

9781338692150

asin

1338692151

num pages

304 pp

avg rating

3.77

num ratings

249

date pub

May 18, 2021

date pub edition

May 18, 2021

Sharon's rating

really liked it

my rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

add to shelves

review

Thanks to @scholasticinc and @coloredpagesblogtours for the gifted copy. Happy pub day to "On the Hook" by @francisco_stork!

QOTD: What book had a plot Thanks to @scholasticinc and @coloredpagesblogtours for the gifted copy. Happy pub day to "On the Hook" by @francisco_stork!

QOTD: What book had a plot twist that completely left you speechless?

"Courage was more than willingness to take risks. It was a quality of mind that allowed a player to face imminent danger, even an inescapable trap, with self control. Courage did not panic, did not give up. It was composure under pressure, the ability to keep the mind alert and focused no matter what. It was doing what needed to be done even when you're afraid."

"On the Hook" is about Hector, a promising high school who is doing all the right things to get into a great college and make his family proud. He's a talented chess player with killer grades. One day he is threatened and attacked by a local gang member and freezes up. This eventually leads to a tragic incident which threatens to derail his entire future and changes his family forever.

I really enjoyed the pacing of the author's writing. The beginning really focuses on the back story and then "Bam" you get hit right in the face with the plot turn right in the middle of the book. The emotions conveyed are so honest and raw that you instantly feel Hector's pain. You almost want to intervene but you know you can't because it all feels so real. I had to close the book and take a break immediately because I was completely immersed in the story.

This story really moved me deeply even though I'm not the intended audience. It is a great one to read with youth and discuss closely. This is definitely one to add to your middle grade and older classroom libraries.

What really sticks out about this one are the core questions it poses:

♟How do you gain the courage to fight for your own life despite your circumstances?
♟How do you move past anger and revenge and not get lost in it?
♟How do you find your voice in an uber masculine world that dictates that men have to get physical in order to prove bravery?
♟How do you maintain your faith in the face of so much tragedy?
♟How do you separate duty and love?
♟Is revenge ever greater than the consequences?
♟How do you overcome crippling fear?

Bookdragon rating 4.25 ...more

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votes

2

# times read

1

date started

May 15, 2021

date read

May 20, 2021

date added

May 04, 2021

owned

format

Hardcover

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Unforgetting: A Memoir of Family, Migration, Gangs, and the Revolution in the Americas

title

Unforgetting: A Memoir of Family, Migration, Gangs, and the Revolution in the Americas

author

Lovato, Roberto *

isbn

0062938479

isbn13

9780062938473

asin

0062938479

num pages

325 pp

avg rating

4.28

num ratings

775

date pub

Sep 01, 2020

date pub edition

Sep 01, 2020

Sharon's rating

my rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

add to shelves

review

None

notes

Notes are private!

comments

0

votes

0

# times read

0

date started

not set

date read

not set

date added

Sep 30, 2020

owned

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Hardcover

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Once a King, Always a King : My Attempts to Leave Gang Life

title

Once a King, Always a King : My Attempts to Leave Gang Life

author

Sánchez, Reymundo

isbn

1904132448

isbn13

9781904132448

asin

1904132448

num pages

275 pp

avg rating

4.27

num ratings

2,332

date pub

unknown

date pub edition

Jan 01, 2004

Sharon's rating

it was amazing

my rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

add to shelves

review

None

notes

Notes are private!

comments

0

votes

0

# times read

1

date started

not set

date read

not set

date added

Oct 01, 2017

owned

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Paperback

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My Bloody Life: The Making of a Latin King

title

My Bloody Life: The Making of a Latin King

author

Sánchez, Reymundo

isbn

1556524277

isbn13

9781556524271

asin

1556524277

num pages

299 pp

avg rating

4.25

num ratings

5,555

date pub

Jan 01, 2000

date pub edition

Jul 01, 2000

Sharon's rating

it was amazing

my rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

add to shelves

review

None

notes

Notes are private!

comments

0

votes

0

# times read

1

date started

not set

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not set

date added

Sep 30, 2017

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The Plot Against Hip Hop

title

The Plot Against Hip Hop

author

isbn

1617750247

isbn13

9781617750243

asin

1617750247

num pages

220 pp

avg rating

3.26

num ratings

167

date pub

Aug 12, 2011

date pub edition

Nov 01, 2011

Sharon's rating

liked it

my rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

add to shelves

review

The book had a great plot and it boldly expressed ideas that true hip hop fans have been expressing for many years. However, I wish the storyline was The book had a great plot and it boldly expressed ideas that true hip hop fans have been expressing for many years. However, I wish the storyline was more developed. It is my first D Hunter book and I wish I knew more about the character. ...more

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votes

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# times read

1

date started

Nov 26, 2017

date read

Nov 30, 2017

date added

Sep 21, 2017

owned

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