Riding Dirty on 1-95

That's the title of Nikki Turner's new book. I read a galley and I enjoyed it (yes even after Nick Chiles scathing indictment.) I hadn't read any of her stuff because, well quite frankly the othter street lit books that I did read/tried to read were too much/not enough for me. Have we had this conversaation before?

Not this one. It's being published by One World and Melody Guy may have put her magical editing touch on it. Turner is telling a great story here--that isn't thrown together sloppily. It's about a young girl that gets caught up in the streets (I sound like my mother), although that may be over done (think Winter Santiago), it is done well here. Mercy, the main character is pretty three-dimensional and you become invested in her and her pressured environment, but she rises...Of course there are some mentalities in the book that make you cringe --like the goldigging best friend, the murderous boyfriend, etc but Turner reminds us that it's real in the field.

It's like a Ghostface Killah (one of my favorites) track, grimey but smart. What a combination! Just because it's street don't mean it has to be sloppy (you can add that to my street lit rant a few days ago.)