Janet McDonald (1954–2007)

Like many young aspiring rappers, Hustle dreams of making it big in the music industry. In the meantime, he gets by with his "retail business" (selling stolen clothing). There is a pathos to Hustle's impassioned determination especially when he is unwittingly gamed twice by music execs. But his dicey ways take a turn for the more productive when his girlfriend's mother gives him a book of black poetry and he returns to school at an alternative setting. McDonald is clearly down with the show more 'hood, authentically portraying its voices and culture. There is humor here, too, in Hustle and Ride's friendship, and the clash of social classes. show less

It was nice to go back to the olden days of YA before it was expected for Black leads to explain what racism or microaggressions are. I kid, I kid, but here we just have black characters and they’re not teaching anything. You could say this was written for the Black Gaze.

Twists in Turns is set in the projects of New York. Since this book came out in 2003, it shows with its references, the slang, and the slight ignorance of the time. Unfortunately, the writing feels choppy, and the show more characters are too flat. I mean there are some genuine tries to add nuance and backstory to some of the characters, but it wasn’t very effective to me.

The story opens with a party. We meet the main characters before being bombarded with the party-goers. All those characters in a span of a few pages without really establishing the main characters, the Washington sisters, was super disorienting. Even as the story continues, the pov might go to a random character at any time. While the dialogue is authentic (it’s filled with AAVE and early 2000’s and/or NY slang), with it being on paper as opposed to video, it could appear stereotypical.

Maybe it’s because I’m looking at this from 2021 eyes, but the dialogue and story felt very tired and messy a la reality show though I did snicker when that girl was about to get the beatdown for dumping the Kool-Aid down the sink. I liked the music references from Missy Elliot to Ashanti to Usher. In addition, I liked how Skye, the librarian, tried to encourage the neighborhood young adults, the focus on gentrification, the salon, and the overall community aspect. For what the story tries to do, it’s okay but definitely not a must-read. show less

Raven is 17 and dropped out of school when she had a baby; now she lives at home with her mom with no fun, no hope for the future, and no company except her friend Aisha--until her bossy sister Dell shows her a chance to get to college.

Janet McDonald does not shy away from anything in this book. She gives a full picture of what Raven's life is like, from wishing Raven's daddy will come back, to her mother working overtime at the post office to support the 3 of them, and deep into the painful show more class prejudice she faces from middle class black people and the racism that pervades her whole life. And yet, the book is laugh-out-loud funny without sacrificing the weight or severity of Raven's struggle. And it gives no false hopes of a happily-ever-after, but doesn't cheat the readers--or the characters-- of a happy-for-now. Highly recommended for all libraries that serve high schoolers. show less

This book is by turns hilarious and poignant, bleak & optimistic. Raven faces the grim realities of her life: she is a 16 yr.old single mom living in the Brooklyn projects, a high school dropout, poor, and unemployable. But she's not a quitter, and she's not willing to give up hope for a better life for her and her baby. So when an opportunity comes along in the form of a spelling bee contest in which the prize is enrollment in a college prep school with a full scholarship, Raven seizes show more it... even though she can't spell worth a lick!
Its strengths are in achieving a good balance between funny and dramatic; and good character development, notably in Raven's less-than-ambitious best friend Aisha. Aisha could have been painted as a 2-dimensional cliche , a (stereo)typical projects denizen, perfectly content to sponge off the system. But author McDonald avoids this pitfall and instead makes her characters more than just "types," she makes them real. The book is not without its flaws, however, including some uneven pacing, some dialogue that feels contrived, and some rather predictable plot points. But overall, this is a good, satisfying read. Recommended for girls in grades 8 through 12. show less