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A review by claudiaswisher
Tyrell by Coe Booth
4.0
I read Tyrell's books out of order, and I'm sad about that. This book really does give us a young man struggling to balance so many threads of his life. It adds to my understanding of the Tyrell I first met in BRONXWOOD. The two books take place within a year...this one in the winter, and the next one the following summer. That one young boy with Tyrell's promise has had to survive this year shows his strength.
Tyrell's father is in jail...again. Every time he gets out of jail, he goes right back to the same illegal behavior, the chasing of the quick buck, the easy way. But this time, he's left his family, Tyrell, his little brother Troy, and his wife without any resources.
We see all kinds of relationships in this book -- Ty's parents have been married for 17 years, Novisha, Ty's girlfriend, lives with her divorced mother who still sets a place for her 'husband'. Cal, Tyrell's friend, becomes a father...at the age of 15...Jasmine, a girl Tyrell meets at the roach-infested shelter, regularly trades her body for favors. THere isn't a healthy relationship in the book...even tho Tyrell THINKS his relationship with Novisha is. She's holding a secret close to her heart that bursts his.
Tyrell's mother is a useless human being. She makes no attempt to take care of her boys, she blames her 15-year-old for not providing for her. She has absolutely no confidence in herself, willing to stay with an abusive husband, or sell herself to a friend who will provide her with money to go to the beauty parlor. She's been raised to be completely helpless and powerless. I get that. But when she abandons her sons to go with her new boyfriend, I can't muster much sympathy.
Coe's portrayal of the down-and-out in NYC is fierce and angry, without becoming maudlin. She shows us, as good writers do, the filth, the bugs, the piss-puddles in the lobby. She lets her characters speak in their own voices, and struggle with their challenges.
Her bio says she's worked with families at the NYC Housing Department. I know she's met Tyrells and Troys and Jasmines. She knows these kids and she has given them a voice here.
I love Tyrell's romanticism, his decency. I love his loyalty to his brother, and his belief in true love. I hope he finds what he's looking for.
Tyrell's father is in jail...again. Every time he gets out of jail, he goes right back to the same illegal behavior, the chasing of the quick buck, the easy way. But this time, he's left his family, Tyrell, his little brother Troy, and his wife without any resources.
We see all kinds of relationships in this book -- Ty's parents have been married for 17 years, Novisha, Ty's girlfriend, lives with her divorced mother who still sets a place for her 'husband'. Cal, Tyrell's friend, becomes a father...at the age of 15...Jasmine, a girl Tyrell meets at the roach-infested shelter, regularly trades her body for favors. THere isn't a healthy relationship in the book...even tho Tyrell THINKS his relationship with Novisha is. She's holding a secret close to her heart that bursts his.
Tyrell's mother is a useless human being. She makes no attempt to take care of her boys, she blames her 15-year-old for not providing for her. She has absolutely no confidence in herself, willing to stay with an abusive husband, or sell herself to a friend who will provide her with money to go to the beauty parlor. She's been raised to be completely helpless and powerless. I get that. But when she abandons her sons to go with her new boyfriend, I can't muster much sympathy.
Coe's portrayal of the down-and-out in NYC is fierce and angry, without becoming maudlin. She shows us, as good writers do, the filth, the bugs, the piss-puddles in the lobby. She lets her characters speak in their own voices, and struggle with their challenges.
Her bio says she's worked with families at the NYC Housing Department. I know she's met Tyrells and Troys and Jasmines. She knows these kids and she has given them a voice here.
I love Tyrell's romanticism, his decency. I love his loyalty to his brother, and his belief in true love. I hope he finds what he's looking for.