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A review by cocoonofbooks
Tyrell by Coe Booth
4.0
Dang, talk about a complex character! Tyrell was dealt a challenging hand — homeless, father in prison, mother not interested in working, younger brother depending on him — and he's trying to do his best to take care of his brother, stay out of jail himself, respect his girlfriend's wishes to wait until marriage, and make enough money to get out of the roach-filled hotel where the city's stuck them. He's far from squeaky clean, though; he refuses to sell weed but he still smokes it with his friends, and he doesn't want to get mixed up with drugs or prostitution like his dad but he makes most of his money illegally selling MetroCard swipes. And when an attractive young woman in the same hotel invites him to her room, he's not above indulging in some kisses. He's dropped out of school but only so that he can make enough money for his brother to stay in it.
There's no straightforward redemption arc or moral to this story. It's the kind of book that works best as a mirror or window — allowing teens like Tyrell to see their own moral dilemmas reflected on the page, and allowing those far from Tyrell's world to get a glimpse into the complex pressures he's living under. It's not tragedy porn, and it's not a didactic read about how you too can pull yourself out of poverty if you work hard and stay out of trouble, and because of that some readers are going to find it unsatisfying. There are no good or evil characters, just a lot of people drawing their line in the moral sand in different places from one another. Even Tyrell's mother, who jeopardizes nearly everything Tyrell tries to do for the family, elicits some sympathy as Tyrell admits that she's never known anything but dependence on others and that he wouldn't like the limited options she has for honest work either. I was reminded frequently of [b:Gang Leader for a Day|1491906|Gang Leader for a Day A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets|Sudhir Venkatesh|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347568042l/1491906._SY75_.jpg|1483174], the real-life look at an inner-city community where everyone's hustling in one way or another and no one's "good" or "bad."
Personally I would have like less glorification of violence here, particularly violence toward women but also violence in defense of women. Tyrell solves multiple problems with his fists, and he even talks wistfully about how his mom acted like a mother when his dad was around because of the two times his dad had hit her, and that viewpoint is never really challenged. I also didn't like howhe breaks up with his girlfriend because she was sexually active before him and didn't tell him . Maybe those elements were realistic, but they make me hesitate more than I otherwise would about handing this book to teens.
On the whole I found this very readable and a good reminder that no one's life is straightforward when you get past the surface.
There's no straightforward redemption arc or moral to this story. It's the kind of book that works best as a mirror or window — allowing teens like Tyrell to see their own moral dilemmas reflected on the page, and allowing those far from Tyrell's world to get a glimpse into the complex pressures he's living under. It's not tragedy porn, and it's not a didactic read about how you too can pull yourself out of poverty if you work hard and stay out of trouble, and because of that some readers are going to find it unsatisfying. There are no good or evil characters, just a lot of people drawing their line in the moral sand in different places from one another. Even Tyrell's mother, who jeopardizes nearly everything Tyrell tries to do for the family, elicits some sympathy as Tyrell admits that she's never known anything but dependence on others and that he wouldn't like the limited options she has for honest work either. I was reminded frequently of [b:Gang Leader for a Day|1491906|Gang Leader for a Day A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets|Sudhir Venkatesh|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347568042l/1491906._SY75_.jpg|1483174], the real-life look at an inner-city community where everyone's hustling in one way or another and no one's "good" or "bad."
Personally I would have like less glorification of violence here, particularly violence toward women but also violence in defense of women. Tyrell solves multiple problems with his fists, and he even talks wistfully about how his mom acted like a mother when his dad was around because of the two times his dad had hit her, and that viewpoint is never really challenged. I also didn't like how
On the whole I found this very readable and a good reminder that no one's life is straightforward when you get past the surface.