8 Ball Chicks Review

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(More customer reviews)A lot of people ask me about women in gangs. After reading Sikes book, I am able to fill in a lot of the blanks concerning women as "gang-bangers." It was tough to read about how some of these beautiful young girls were treated. You have to get back out there and write a sequel, please. Thank you Ms. Sikes, good job.

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White Lines Review

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(More customer reviews)In WHITE LINES, Jada Ford's life is turned upside down due to her mother's indifference towards the cruelty her boyfriends inflict on her children. One of Jada's mother's boyfriends is an alcoholic whose verbal, physical and attempted sexual abuse is the impetus for Jada's sister attempting suicide. Mr. Charlie, Edna's next boyfriend, seems nicer, but his ultimate goal is more malicious, as he feeds Jada's addiction to crack and turns her into a crack whore before she is 21 years of age.
When Jada regains control of her life and her sobriety, she meets Marquis Graham known on the streets as "Born". Born's early years are similar to Jada's, without the addiction. All he knows is the streets. His father was a notorious original gangster, who is now an invalid due to a stroke caused by his addiction to crack, which has torn their once close relationship apart. Born and Jada are immediately drawn to each other and begin a fairy tale relationship. However, fairy tales don't last forever; Jada's action at a party drastically alters her life.
WHITE LINES is a blunt, evocative, explosive urban epic by Tracy Brown. I was very impressed by the manner in which Brown developed the characters. Instead of being angry at Jada, I understood her pain based on the thoroughness in which the character was developed. While Born is not your average Prince Charming, in WHITE LINES, he suited the purpose. The strength of this novel lies in believable characters living amazing lives. At 516 pages, the book seemed a bit excessive, but once I began reading, I was not able to put it down. WHITE LINES is definitely one of the best books of 2007.
Reviewed by Katrina
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers


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Jadaleft home at the age of sixteen, running from her own demons and the horrors of physical abuse inflicted by her mother's boyfriend.She partied hard,and life seemed good when she was with Born, the neighborhood kingpin whose name was synonymous with money, power, and respect.But all his love couldn't save her from a crack addiction.Jada goesfromcrack addict and prostitute to survivor and back again before she finds the strength to live for herself and come out on top.And her stormyromance with one of the fiercest hustlers on the streets makesWhite Linesone of themost unforgettable urban loves stories of the year.

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Report from Engine Co. 82 Review

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(More customer reviews)I was in seventh grade in 1978 when I first read Report From Engine Co. 82, and no book I've read since has ever had as profound an effect on me. Dennis Smith and his brother firefighters on Intervale Ave. inspired me and, I'm sure, many others to become firefighters. The book is gripping and "in-your-face", taking you into some of the most dangerous and frustrating working conditions imaginable.
I just re-read the book, and doing so rekindled the respect and admiration for the heroes of the FDNY that it originally instilled in me 22 years ago. Recently a friend and I visited "The Big House" in the South Bronx, talked with the firemen, took pictures of the neighborhood, and brought Smith's book to life. The pull box at Charlotte St. & East 170th St. made infamous by Smith's book has been replaced by an ERS box; the crumbling, burning tenaments replaced by suburban looking homes. All that remains of the horrors that took place there in the seventies is the memories of daily heroism performed by the men of Engines 82, 85, Ladder 31 and 712 perpetuated by Smith's book.
Now a teacher, I'll be sharing Report From Engine Co. 82 with my class this year. I hope that with the use of this book, I can inspire the same respect, compassion, and concern for human life in my students that Smith inspired in me so long ago.
You don't have to be a firefighter or a "wanna-be" to love Report From Engine Co. 82. Treat yourself to it as soon as you can.

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From his bawdy and brave fellow firefighters to the hopeful, hateful, beautiful and beleaguered residents of the poverty-stricken district where he works, Dennis Smith tells the story of a brutalising yet rewarding profession.

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