Reviews with content warning for Drug abuse - Last Summer on State Street

I loved this story, it’s a tough one but it’s emotional (in a good way - not manipulative) and eye-opening. What brought this down for me was the unnecessary, almost awkward foreshadowing and explaining the author did. I think she could have given her readers more credit. I do want to read more about the Robert Taylor Homes after reading this book, though, and will be looking for a non-fiction book on the topic.

Content Warnings

znvisser's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Fiction that reads like a memoir. Coming of age story with children in heartbreaking circumstances and adults that influence their environments by the choices they had to make for themselves. Interesting characters and beautiful writing. Main character was a bit eager to save everyone and heavy on religion to me personally but I can appreciate how it tied into the story.

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3littlewordz's review

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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leahgustafson's review

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is a beautiful, raw, and haunting coming of age story set in Chicago during the summer of 1999. Fe Fe has lived in the Robert Taylor Homes her whole life. Now they are set to be torn down, and its residents will (hopefully) be relocated.

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I love how this story is told from twelve-year-old Fe Fe’s perspective. She and her friends jump double dutch as they navigate this looming change and seek refuge from the gang violence and drug trade that plagues their community. I think that while a child’s perspective can be unreliable at times, children are also very observant and they see the world in a unique way. Eventually the perspective shifts and we get Fe Fe as an adult narrator, reflecting back on her time in the Robert Taylor Homes. This is an interesting shift because as a child, this housing complex has been her whole life, but as an adult, this is just a piece of her life. I think this is really impactful because it shows how life in the Robert Taylor Homes (and the relationships/experiences that came with it) shaped her, but they are not her only identity. Finally, we get Stacia’s perspective at the end of the book. At first I thought this was an odd choice, but it lets the reader into some things that Fe Fe didn’t fully know or understand as a child.

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Something I find myself coming back to time and again is Fe Fe’s love for Meechie. It is so real and genuine. Her reflections on/how she grabbles with his choices are a powerful insight and commentary on black boys’ options for achieving safety, security, and ultimately survival.

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This is Toya Wolfe’s debut novel, and I will definitely read anything else she writes! Wolfe herself grew up in the Robert Taylor Homes, and I’d like to think she’s added a bit of herself to this story and its characters.

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🚨 This book has some heavy content warnings so please make sure you check that out before you dive into this one!

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