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williamsdebbied's review against another edition
5.0
Gayle is a fourteen year old girl who lives in New York with her mother, her brother, and her baby boy. Gayle is tough and street smart, but ignorant about life outside of her neighborhood. When she gets pregnant a second time, her mother takes her to a clinic for an abortion and then ships her off to Georgia to live with her Uncle Luther (a preacher) and his family. Gayle, who thinks she already knows everything, might just discover that she has a few more lessons to learn about life and family.
Excellent. Gayle's voice is fresh and strong.
Excellent. Gayle's voice is fresh and strong.
reniareads's review against another edition
2.0
The person to blame for Gayle's behavior is her mother. Shes written as a woman who clearly shows more affection to her son than her own daughter. This book just wasnt it for me.
I guess im just tired of people (more specifically black creators) thinking religion is thw only way to help or "save" black people more specifically black girls.
Gayle was also a honestly an annoying character despite her growth at the end.
I rated it 2 stars solely because even though i despise this book i do find the story to actually be good but i would personally change some things but thats just me.
I guess im just tired of people (more specifically black creators) thinking religion is thw only way to help or "save" black people more specifically black girls.
Gayle was also a honestly an annoying character despite her growth at the end.
I rated it 2 stars solely because even though i despise this book i do find the story to actually be good but i would personally change some things but thats just me.
robintheherrera's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
thisgrrlreads's review
4.0
Gayle is the kind of character I wished I could have introduced to the girls I used to teach on the west side of Chicago. She is mad, the world doesn't care about her and she cares about little except boys and her homegirls. Maybe her baby Jose, too. And she is just as mad and impossible when she gets sent down to live with her uncle, Pastor Luther Gates. Does she come around? Enough. In a scant 163 pages, Williams-Garcia manages to write a whole story, one that doesn't feel truncated or rushed. Gayle grows as much as could be expected in an organic way.
The original cover of this book just goes to show what book covers looked like in 1996 (and why I probably didn't read it then even though it was on the shelves of my hometown public library). The paperback cover is better. Maybe I should buy a copy and trade my library.
The original cover of this book just goes to show what book covers looked like in 1996 (and why I probably didn't read it then even though it was on the shelves of my hometown public library). The paperback cover is better. Maybe I should buy a copy and trade my library.
msreadmoore's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this story, and this might be a first for me, but I love the ending of this book. It was such a powerful affirmation of love, family, belonging, and hope.
effy's review against another edition
3.5
3.5 Stars
A really compelling and quick read but the ending lacked a bit of punch.
A really compelling and quick read but the ending lacked a bit of punch.
kellyhager's review against another edition
The first thing you should know is that parts of this book (specifically Gayle's speech and her narration---it switches from her thoughts to third person) are in dialect. It made it better for me because I could really hear Gayle in my head, but I know some people really hate it. If that's you, probably avoid this book.
And Gayle isn't an easy person to like, at least at first. She doesn't seem very into being a mom (it's clear she loves Jose, but she loses her temper a lot) and she doesn't seem to like anyone but her friends and guys. (To be fair, I don't blame her for not liking her mom all that much.)
When she goes south to be with the bulk of her family (and is essentially told that she isn't going home until her mom says it's OK), she goes out of her way to make sure everyone knows how much she hates it. She's rude and compares her chores to being a slave (but it does seem like she's doing a lot, so I don't necessarily blame her for being upset. I hate cleaning too, so Team Gayle there).
She changes slowly, which I find realistic. And it's not like A Christmas Carol where she becomes a completely different person. She stays herself, just maybe a little friendlier and a lot more attached to her family.
I definitely want to read more by this author. She does a lot with a few words and her characters jump off the page.
And Gayle isn't an easy person to like, at least at first. She doesn't seem very into being a mom (it's clear she loves Jose, but she loses her temper a lot) and she doesn't seem to like anyone but her friends and guys. (To be fair, I don't blame her for not liking her mom all that much.)
When she goes south to be with the bulk of her family (and is essentially told that she isn't going home until her mom says it's OK), she goes out of her way to make sure everyone knows how much she hates it. She's rude and compares her chores to being a slave (but it does seem like she's doing a lot, so I don't necessarily blame her for being upset. I hate cleaning too, so Team Gayle there).
She changes slowly, which I find realistic. And it's not like A Christmas Carol where she becomes a completely different person. She stays herself, just maybe a little friendlier and a lot more attached to her family.
I definitely want to read more by this author. She does a lot with a few words and her characters jump off the page.
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