That White Girl: A Novel

Who Am I?:
That White Girl By JLove Reviewed by Shavon Williams APOOO Rating 4.5 Who Am I? Most of us struggled to find our identity during high school. We hung out with people who we may not have had a lot in common with just to feel like we belonged to something. In That White Girl, we are introduced to Amber, who has the same problem. Amber, like most teenagers, is trying to figure out who she is. She is a young, white girl growing up during the late 80's when hip-hop started to reign supreme. She has a love for all things hip-hop. Her school is a mix of African American, Latinos, Asians, and Whites. She really likes Juan, who is Hispanic, and enjoys spending time with him. She has been friends with him since middle school and he takes her into his world of hip-hop, gangs, and graffiti. It is a world very different from her own middle-class upbringing. Amber, who is intrigued by Juan's life, wants to be a part of all that he does, including his gang, the Crips and his graffiti crew, RTS. As Amber dances between the color lines, her life soon begins to spiral out of control. She cannot keep her home and alternate life from crossing into each other. Eventually she gets caught up with the gang life and has to make a decision. Not only is Amber searching for a "family" she can belong to, she is also searching for love. Someone who can love her for who she is. Someone who can see past her color, her gang affiliations, her family issues and just love her. During her journey to self discovery, she meets many people who will influence her life, both good and bad. She has many choices to make regarding the company she keeps and lifestyle she is willing to lead. She tries to live in the world in which she was born where she has white privilege and the world that speaks to her very soul. Can she live in both worlds? I absolutely loved this book. There were so many issues addressed in this book such as race relations, self worth, lifestyle, and family. I recommend this book to anyone with a teenage daughter. Shavon APOOO BookClub

a tale of a hip-hop life:
Jlove seamlessly weaves together urban lingo, rap lyrics and the joys and dangers of street life. Amber is a middle class 'white girl' who loves hip-hop and gets along with everybody. Soon though, she is drawn into the drama of gang life, and graffiti. As she navigates through her life experiences, the color of her skin is constantly at issue as she becomes more and more involved in the world of hip-hop. It's an exciting ride, no doubt

Experience a Different World:
Many times we read books to get away for a little while from our own reality, live in another characters shoes for a bit. If you've grown up in the city all your life like I have, taking the journey with Amber in That White Girl let's you take an inside look at her life as she evolves from a young teenager, lover of Hip Hop, to a mature young adult finding her way with the help of Hip Hop. I loved experiencing a world I had no clue about. Being Latina in New York, it was a trip to go to a white world, in colorado, and experience gang life and graffiti life but at the same time following someone so vividly as they tried to find themselves and survived. Ultimately she is a survivor. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

Diversions:
That White Girl is an interesting foray into the mind of a young white girl who is fascinated by black gang and graffiti culture. The main character, Amber, takes readers on a journey through the sporadic thoughts of a hormonal teen being pulled in several different directions with no true sense of self. Her thought process is, at times, disturbing, and her chameleon-like behavior as she dashes in and out of her multiple lifestyles will set you on edge. The book also chronicles how a young white girl can be racially discriminated against by both blacks and whites because of the company that she chooses to keep and the choices that she makes in love. That White Girl reads like a teenaged diary and, not unlike an unpredictable teen, the book tends to leave out some details that may make the story a little easier to follow. It is a good read for adolescents who are confused about where they fit in society; however the subtle lessons in the book are not powerful enough to impact the reader because we never actually see Amber's transition from rebel to contributing member of society. That part of her journey has been left out, leading the reader to rejoice for the character's change while wondering how she got there. All in all, it was entertaining and I would recommend this book to young ladies aged 16-20. Reviewed by - Sisters Sippin' Tea Literary Group, Inc. - Tulsa Chapter