Sister Souljah

Gripping from the get go, The Coldest Winter Ever, tells the story of a spoiled, materialistic young women who cares more about fashion, money, and good dick, then she does anything else. Her father is a big time drug dealer and everyone in her Brooklyn neighborhood respects her family and Winter can't wait to grow up to be a bad bitch like her momma. She rolls tight with her crew of fellow delinquents (school? who gives a crap about that?) and they love shopping and sucking their teeth at show more all the hot young men around. Things start to shift though when her father moves the family out to Long Island to get away from the scene for a while. Things slowly start to spiral out of her control. Just how far will Winter go to prove that she's the baddest bitch around? The answer is... pretty damn far! She has no qualms about shoplifting, carrying a boxcutter for protection, and sucking dick to get what she wants. She's got hustle and she wants you to know it. Winter is the most unlikable heroine who you still end up rooting for. A stunning book that makes you sit back and think when you get to the end. show less

The Coldest Winter Ever is the debut novel by hip-hop rap artist Sister Souljah and tells the story of Winter Santiaga, the teenage daughter of Brooklyn’s top drug dealer. Winter has grown up living like a princess, she lost her virginity at 12 and now her main focus in life is all about sex and boys, clothes, getting her own way and being seen as “being on top”. School is treated as an after thought, her life revolves around her friends and her own pleasures but everything comes to an show more abrupt change when her father is arrested, her family separated and her things seized.

Now Winter is on her own having to rely on her own wits and beauty to carry her through but make no mistake, Winter is not a nice person, she is only out for herself and only cares about the comfort and betterment of Winter. She will lie, cheat and steal to get what she wants.

Originally published in 1999, The Coldest Winter Ever has gained a cult like following. Here I am, an elderly white Canadian lady totally enthralled by the life young, black and street smart Winter lives. Of course, I wanted to take her over my knee a number of times but the author has created an authentic, antagonistic main character who provokes yet draws the reader along in this urban contemporary piece of literature. Be warned however the book contains graphic sex scenes and explicit language. The Coldest Winter Ever was a wild ride but one I fear is shockingly real. show less

Winter Santiaga has it made: she's rich, practically queen of Brooklyn, while her drug lord father runs a successful business. But then her family moves out Long Island, her father is arrested, and things begin going downhill from there.

This is my first introduction to urban or street fiction, and considered to be a classic of the genre. Winter is a tough young woman, and while she didn't grow up in poverty she's used to the violence and drugs on the street. Brooklyn is her home, and she's a show more strong character with her own goals.Sister Souljah herself is a character in the book, introduced right away with Winter complaining that she can't stand Souljah, which I found a really intriguing choice. I wasn't sure what to expect, and I found myself both rooting for and angry with Winter as a character and with some of the choices she makes, yet understanding why she feels this is the "right" thing to do all at the same time. There is violence and sex, and though I'm not one who could talk about the authenticity of the culture, it certainly felt authentic. show less

The world first met Midnight in The Coldest Winter Ever, where his strong and honorable character made women of all ages fall in love with him. Readers waited years to finally get to know Midnight and to learn what made him so special. In Midnight: A Gangster Love Story and Midnight and the Meaning of Love, books 1 & 2 of the series, we learn about Midnight’s Sudanese heritage, his early years in the projects of New York, and finally his international travels to secure the hearts and hands show more of his two young wives.

The third installment of the Midnight series, A Moment of Silence, is a journey into American prisons and even further into the psyche of young black men. Early in the book Midnight finds himself in the midst of a murder and then on the run from the police. He is eventually imprisoned and it is immediately evident that even though Midnight is a part of the system, he is not of it. For a while, he is able to influence some of the men to make positive changes in their lives, but that comes to an end quickly.

In this book, Souljah continues to address some of the major issues we deal with in the black community, including religious and cultural differences, institutionalized racism and love & relationships. She skillfully unpacks the many sides of these issues and lets the reader come to their own conclusions.

One of the more interesting issues Souljah explores is the father-son relationship between black men. Midnight is an amazing young man, and by now it is easy to see how he becomes the man we meet in The Coldest Winter Ever. In his past stories, we’ve learned how his early years with his father and grandfather make him into an honorable man. In this story, we see how his teenage years, influenced by several other black men, make him a warrior. We even get to see more of his relationship with Ricky Santiaga.

If you plan to read A Moment of Silence to finally get all the answers you had from Coldest Winter, you will be disappointed. This book answers some questions and raises others. What is clear, is that we have a lot more to learn about Midnight. However, this is an excellent book. Sister Souljah continues to craft a remarkable story about a black man in America that covers a myriad of perspectives. She is an excellent writer and Midnight is a captivating character. This is definitely one to read. show less