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A review by sjj169
Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri
4.0
This graphic novel was based on the true story of Robert Sandifer aka Yummy (nicknamed for his love of candy bars and cookies) He was 11 years old.
Told from the point of view of a neighborhood boy this book was heartbreaking. It made it even worse because I knew it was a true story.
Yummy wanted to belong, his dad was in prison and his mom in and out of jail for drugs and prostitution. She lost custody of her kids and Yummy's grandmother was raising him. Along with most of the rest of her grandchildren. Yummy slipped out a whole lot and wanted to be in the local gang. They took him in because at 11 he wouldn't be charged as a felon for his crimes.
One day Yummy pulls his gun on a rival gang, but one of the neighborhood girls is killed instead. She wasn't doing anything wrong. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
This book doesn't take sides. Yummy's bad is shown along with his good. Then the victim Shavon is treated with respect also.
I had never heard of this book before now, it's a powerful one. The black and white artwork makes the story come alive and the words break you as you know what's coming but hope to somehow make it change.
Told from the point of view of a neighborhood boy this book was heartbreaking. It made it even worse because I knew it was a true story.
Yummy wanted to belong, his dad was in prison and his mom in and out of jail for drugs and prostitution. She lost custody of her kids and Yummy's grandmother was raising him. Along with most of the rest of her grandchildren. Yummy slipped out a whole lot and wanted to be in the local gang. They took him in because at 11 he wouldn't be charged as a felon for his crimes.
One day Yummy pulls his gun on a rival gang, but one of the neighborhood girls is killed instead. She wasn't doing anything wrong. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
This book doesn't take sides. Yummy's bad is shown along with his good. Then the victim Shavon is treated with respect also.
I had never heard of this book before now, it's a powerful one. The black and white artwork makes the story come alive and the words break you as you know what's coming but hope to somehow make it change.