The Coldest Winter Ever

Sister Souljah has written an urban "morality play" -- or a hip-hop Greek Tragedy -- and cleverly packaged it in an explosive, street-smart, "rags to riches" plot.

"The Coldest Winter Ever" is written in African-American vernacular, reminiscent of Alice Walker's "Color Purple", but with a more modern NY flavor:
"A live nigga needs a bitch who's so bad that other bitches know when they see her to just lay the fuck down."

Yet while "The Coldest Winter Ever" is not an intellectually challenging read (it won't have you reaching for a dictionary, unless its the Urban Dictionary), the narrative is still incredibly compelling -- with vivid imagery, colorful characters, cultural insights and sharp dialog.

A fantastic story-teller, Sister Souljah show more has us rooting for Winter Santiaga -- despite the fact that she's a cold, self-proclaimed "bad bitch" -- all the while sensing that her family is doomed.

Through this book, Sister Souljah manages to warn without preaching (to show, without telling).
By the end of the book I felt as if I'd lived through several lifetimes: a rich life, a street life, a life in shelters, a prison life.
And I could clearly see the moral issues within the story, the errors that had brought the characters to this point.

It isn't difficult to imagine that this book, and Sister Souljah personally, have probably managed to save quite a few real Winter Santiagas from making the same mistakes. But even outside of the social-awareness context, this book is simply a fantastic read; I couldn't put it down, finishing it cover to cover in what must have been a single breath! show less

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 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 show more 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 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 show more 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 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 show more 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

Graphic, raw and honest, Souljah's book is often thought of as one of the most important pieces of urban literature.

Winter Santiaga is a spoiled princess (with a little bit of sociopath thrown into the mix). Her father is one of the top Brooklyn kingpins and she is used to the finest things in life. When her father gets busted and the family's possessions are taken away, Winter fights to regain what she has lost by any means necessary.

Souljah does a great job in connecting the reader to this world full of sex, violence and money. However, she also inserts herself as a character into the book, to which I had difficulty adjusting.

I would've liked the book more had she based the character on herself but given her a different name. show more Inserting herself smacks of self-promotion and pulls the reader out of the story. show less

Winter Santiaga is the teenage daughter of a drug lord. Though she grew up in a run-down area of Brooklyn, her life has always been privileged. The family moves to a wealthy suburb in Long Island, but when her father is arrested, sisters are taken into child welfare, and mother becomes a drug addict, she must fend for herself. Author Sister Souljah is one of the characters, serving the role of a celebrity motivational speaker who tries to help people improve their lives. Winter does not like Souljah but bonds with her sister. It is a story of a teenage girl who believes material wealth is the end-goal of life, and uses sex, violence, lies, betrayal, and crime to try to achieve the lifestyle she feels she deserves.

This is the first time show more I have read street fiction, and it contains subject matter that I usually try to avoid (explicit language, graphic sex, gang violence), but I found it oddly compelling, almost like watching the proverbial train wreck. Readers will know this story cannot end well unless Winter changes her values and starts making better decisions, but she has been pampered all her life and is obsessed with money, which of course, she has learned from her father’s life of crime.

In the end, I have mixed feelings. I wanted to find out what would happen. We spend time in Winter’s head, so we understand why she makes questionable decisions, but she is also a frustrating character since she does not seem to grow or develop or learn from her mistakes. I think it is a little strange that the author plays a savior figure by including herself as a character in the book. It is ultimately a message about what happens when people get involved in drugs, either by using or selling, and how many lives can be ruined by it. show less

The story is fun to read and compelling. You never know what Winter will do next as surprise after surprise hits her and her family, but she shows how tough and resilient she is, gotta admire her for that. I honestly enjoyed listening to her narration and reading her tale. There's quite a few twists you don't anticipate, and a rather bittersweet ending.

Yes, Winter comes across as a real bitch/brat sometimes but it's not surprising, given her upbringing and the fact that she's a literal teenager.

Edit as of May 2025 - I read this book as a teenager and since then two sequels to this book have come out. The second one was not very good, and I have yet to read the third one. The second book is set 15 years after the first, but Winter showed show more no real character growth, she's still a bitch and a brat so that kind of tarnished my enjoyment of the first book. Nonetheless this book on its own gets a solid 4 stars. show less