He treated you like a gangbanger. I thought that’s what you wanted, says DeShawn early on in the book. This conflation of fear and respect is central to DeShawn’s life in a housing project ruled by the Douglass Disciples, a gang in constant battle with the nearby Gentry Gangstas. DeShawn is 12 when the book begins; he is 28 when it ends, and the time shift between each section dramatically illustrates how quickly things can go wrong—a caring mother becomes a prostitute, a promising student becomes a drug pusher, and so on. Despite the lure of money and power, the sensitive DeShawn has no intention of joining the Disciples, instead focusing on his schoolwork while watching his best friend, Terrell, work his way up the hierarchy. But in Strasser’s tough, authentic, and only occasionally preachy work, tragedy is always just a gunshot away, and temptation all too often upsets the best-laid plans. Strasser loads the book with startling true statistics, and the final pages are both hopeful and heartbreaking.
-Booklist-
1 comment:
When I read this book I was constantly hoping Deshawn wouldn't end up a gang banger. But I knew something was up when he is getting "special treatment" from the owner of the Douglass Disciples. But then once he joined the gang I got used to the idea. He wasn't like the rest of them. And that was good. Until the rival gang decides to join forces after Douglass Disciples loses two of their leaders. I was very upset that Deshawn ended up in jail and that he lost his family. At least he still has his best friend.
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