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trishabee2000's review
4.0
I'm trying to read more graphic novels so this is one of the ones I have picked up recently. It puts a human face on the infamous Yummy. Several of my students have read this and have said it's a really good book . Since most juniors this year don't like anything that has to do with reading that's not required or posted on social media, I'd say that's a glowing recommendation.
bookswithcori_'s review
4.0
What a gut-wrenching graphic novel; from the haunting black and white illustrations to the horrific subject matter to the fact that Yummy was only a fifth-grader when all of this occurred made this out to be a melancholic yet gripping story from beginning to end. It saddens me deeply to remember that this story does not exist in a vacuum, but that it’s a true story that left an entire community grieving. I think that the black and white art style worked perfectly for this story, not only due to the historical lens it places onto the setting but because it harshly outlines the pure anger, fear, and sadness of all the characters. My only issue with this book is how the author chose to tie the themes of the story together. At the end of the book, the fictitious main character Roger says that although the answers as to what lead Yummy’s life down the path it went are complicated, as long as the community tries to stick together then things might be okay. I acknowledge that this is a middle grade novel and these topics can be tricky to discuss with children, but to completely disregard the effect redlining and systemic racism has on Black communities and the children living in them is not the best way to tackle this subject matter. If the power of family and community is supposedly the driving force away from these systems of corruption, how are children like Yummy who have no support system at home supposed to progress through society? Other than that, this was an incredibly visceral depiction of a historic American tragedy.
inkyyy's review
5.0
I remember when I first saw that Time magazine cover. I was probably 14 or 15. I had just become suddenly fascinated with murders, serial killers, gang killing, mafias, etc. I was obsessed with the show Gangland and I loved all the books about police officers and detectives solving cold cases. I wanted to be one of those criminal profilers, catching murders and killers and understanding their MO's. In my usual placed, I found the Time cover of Robert 'Yummy' Sandifer. When I saw it, I stared at it. I stared at his hard face. He wasn't smiling, why would he? It was a mugshot. I've seen those Manson mugshots, or Ted Bundy, or John Wayne Gacy. Those sinister stares. This one...I was just transfixed.
I saw the eyes of a child, I learned about the Yummy case and still then I was still hypnotized by his cold gaze staring at me. People considered him a hardened criminal, incapable of change and someone who is just born evil (a la Michael Meyers or something out of a horror movie). All I saw was a kid who had no reason care about anything--society had failed him.
I don't know how true this graphic novel is. I was only 1 year old when this case happened and I admit I don't consider myself an expert. I just know the basic background. In this graphic novel it talks about the main character coming to terms about Yummy Sandifer and his accidental murder of a fourteen year old girl and then his own murder by the Black Disciples. The novel humanized the boy, and asked the question 'Who is to blame for the untimely demise of two young people?'
I believe Robert slipped through the cracks. People stopped trying and Robert clung on to any one who could give him attention. He was a child, his death and the death of Shavon is incredibly tragic. While I cannot comprehend why someone would do the things Robert did, I can understand. It was all he had.
This graphic novel did a very good job at describing that.
I saw the eyes of a child, I learned about the Yummy case and still then I was still hypnotized by his cold gaze staring at me. People considered him a hardened criminal, incapable of change and someone who is just born evil (a la Michael Meyers or something out of a horror movie). All I saw was a kid who had no reason care about anything--society had failed him.
I don't know how true this graphic novel is. I was only 1 year old when this case happened and I admit I don't consider myself an expert. I just know the basic background. In this graphic novel it talks about the main character coming to terms about Yummy Sandifer and his accidental murder of a fourteen year old girl and then his own murder by the Black Disciples. The novel humanized the boy, and asked the question 'Who is to blame for the untimely demise of two young people?'
I believe Robert slipped through the cracks. People stopped trying and Robert clung on to any one who could give him attention. He was a child, his death and the death of Shavon is incredibly tragic. While I cannot comprehend why someone would do the things Robert did, I can understand. It was all he had.
This graphic novel did a very good job at describing that.
corncobwebs's review
Stark black-and-white illustrations tell the story of Robert “Yummy” Sandifer, an 11-year-old gang member. Yummy thinks he’ll gain favor with the higher-ups if he does something to defend the gang’s honor. He pulls a gun on a group of rivals who are trespassing on his gang’s territory, but accidentally shoots a 14-year-old girl instead. Yummy is able to escape the scene, and is harbored by various gang members and allies. But when hiding Yummy becomes too much of a liability, two teenage members of his gang take him to a secluded part of town and shoot him at point-blank range.
This is an incredibly bleak story. Readers learn about how Yummy loved candy, and some scenes show him with a favorite teddy bear. He was just a little boy - how did this happen? I’m glad I’m aware of this story now, but it left a lot of questions hanging in the air. I wanted to know more about Yummy and his family, but maybe that information just wasn’t accessible to put into the story. I was also interested in learning about the race and class debates that must have ensued after the two murders, but maybe the point of the book is to leave the discussion up to readers.
There’s a TIME article that came out after Yummy’s murder which I’m anxious to read, but I have no idea if it gives a fair and balanced account of what happened. I just checked my library system, and a keyword search on “Robert Sandifer” only brought up G. Neri’s book. I didn’t see any other titles on Goodreads or Amazon, either. Seems like someone would have written a more comprehensive treatment of the event, but I haven’t located it yet. Guess I’ll just have to track down that TIME article for now.
This is an incredibly bleak story. Readers learn about how Yummy loved candy, and some scenes show him with a favorite teddy bear. He was just a little boy - how did this happen? I’m glad I’m aware of this story now, but it left a lot of questions hanging in the air. I wanted to know more about Yummy and his family, but maybe that information just wasn’t accessible to put into the story. I was also interested in learning about the race and class debates that must have ensued after the two murders, but maybe the point of the book is to leave the discussion up to readers.
There’s a TIME article that came out after Yummy’s murder which I’m anxious to read, but I have no idea if it gives a fair and balanced account of what happened. I just checked my library system, and a keyword search on “Robert Sandifer” only brought up G. Neri’s book. I didn’t see any other titles on Goodreads or Amazon, either. Seems like someone would have written a more comprehensive treatment of the event, but I haven’t located it yet. Guess I’ll just have to track down that TIME article for now.
sunbear98's review
5.0
This is a very quick read, but will leave the reader with some deep thoughts. Yummy was a boy raised and killed on the streets of Chicago. He was only 11 years old, all ganged up and then murdered by the gang he thought "had his back." Very good and should be particularly appealing to some of our hi/lo readers.
katieckb's review
4.0
A graphic novel depicting the murder of an innocent 14 year old girl in Chicago in the 1990s. It details the childhood experiences of her murderer and the circumstances of his life and environment prior to the murder and following.
jeniecegoellner's review
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Child death, Murder, Gun violence, and Violence
greenlivingaudioworm's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Grief, and Child death
Moderate: Violence, Abandonment, Death, Murder, Blood, and Addiction