Reviews with content warning for Addiction - Last Summer on State Street

Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe

23 reviews

enthusiasticsamantha's review

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challenging emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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midnightmarauder's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Last Summer on State Street is told from the perspective of Felicia Stevens, often called Fe Fe by her friends and other people in the neighborhood. She lives in the South Side of Chicago in the Robert Taylor Homes projects. She has two best friends: church-girl Precious Brown, and Stacia Buchanan, who comes from a gang-affiliated background.

Though the girls come from different walks of life, they lean on each other for support and friendship. Tonya, a new girl in their building, appears, and Felicia invites her over and she joins their friend group. But, Tonya comes with her own set of problems that don't show themselves until later.

Tonya flinches a lot at loud sounds like gunshots or yelling, which makes me believe that she was a victim of

physical abuse

, even though it's never explicitly stated. However, it is revealed that she is a victim of

sexual abuse at the hands of drug dealers in their neighborhood.

Her mother is also a

drug addict, so it's possible that she could've been pimping Tonya out to the dealers in exchange for drugs

.

Fe Fe, who is naive but also very curious, grows up quickly during her time on State Street, witnessing both her building,

which is slated for demolition

, and her friends fall apart around her. Although so much changes around her, she uses the issues as vitriol to

get an education and move out of Chicago altogether

, making something of herself.

I enjoyed reading this book so much, that it was always hard to put down. It reminded me a lot of my own childhood back when I lived in the projects; how I had a mother who sheltered me the best she could from the dangers of life in public housing, and how I had friends who, more often than not, had worse living situations than I had.

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combepherre's review

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dark emotional informative reflective sad 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

4.75

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etulsk54's review

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emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

baileyk123's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective 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

Sad & beautiful coming-of-age story about intergenerational trauma and kids who have to grow up too fast in order to survive. Felicia’s voice and POV are so strong. Wonderful audiobook narrator.

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serendipitysbooks's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Last Summer on State Street is a very impactful coming of age story, centred on four girls who live in the Robert Taylor Homes, a public housing project in Chicago, during the eventful summer of 1999. Twelve year old FeFe and Precious are long term friends. Along with Stacia and newcomer Tonya they spend a lot of time outside playing games and jumping rope together. The contrast between their childhood innocence and the environment in which they live - one where their homes are being torn down and they worry about where they might end up living, where their friends slowly disappear as apartment buildings are demolished, where drugs and gang violence are rife and sheltering from gunfire a commonplace occurrence - was striking and a highlight of the book for me. Apart from the forthcoming loss of their homes, other events of this summer will change their lives forever, robbing them of any remaining childhood. I felt for the girls, but also their brothers and other boys, who are relentlessly targeted by gangs and police, and of course the mothers who try against the odds to keep their children safe. The storytelling and writing were fabulous. The essence of twelve year old girlhood was beautifully captured and the sense of place was strong. Despite never having lived anywhere remotely like the Robert Taylor Homes Wolfe’s writing had me feeling I was right there. Highly recommend this fabulous debut.

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