Eastside

by Caleb Alexander and Caleb Alexander

Book Overview

Eastside is a coming-of-age tale set among the backdrop of inner-city gang violence in the early '90s.

Eastside is about mothers struggling and supporting one another as they match in a seemingly endless procession to the cemetery to bury their children. After his brother's death, Travon "Tre" Robinson tries keep his brother's dying wish to stay straight and narrow as he struggles to distance his life from deeper...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1593091206
• ISBN13: 9781593091200
• Release Date: July 2007
• Publisher: Strebor Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Powerful!

EASTSIDE opens and closes with violence. Violence plays an integral role in this story of self-discovery and redemption. It's a deeply felt story of a boy, Travon, who grew up in Wheatley Courts, a neighborhood plagued by violent, ruthless and brutal gangs. Choose a gang or a gang will choose you! Caleb Alexander has crafted an incredibly well-written novel. This book is emotionally difficult to read, but well worth the trouble. The action is intense and the story even stronger. Alexander brings readers fully into the Eastside. EASTSIDE is an adrenaline and emotionally fueled masterpiece. It positions good and evil as two sides of the same coin. I highly recommend EASTSIDE. It should be mandatory reading for our youth. As the author so poignantly states, "I chose to tell a story so that we could hopefully examine ourselves, our conditions, and if not find solutions, then at least begin to ask the questions that would eventually lead to the solutions. Again, I wrote this novel to scream...If this book changes one child, just one, then it has done its job." I hope it did, Caleb. I really hope it did.

Wow! What a ride!

Having worked in corrections for 18 years, the subject of this book caught my attention and the reviews prompted me to buy this it. Eastside is a book rich in its characters and storyline, and in its upfront portrayal of gangs and their neighborhoods. This book was very hard to put down. I have passed this book on to a few others, and they all have came back to me with "WOW!" responses.

A Classic!!!!!!!!!

Eastside is without a doubt, the GREATEST BOOK I'VE EVER READ!!!! The book is real. It's like I was watching a movie. It's almost like I was sitting on a porch in the hood and watching these things happen. Every young person needs to read this book. The book contained many powerful messages. It should be used as a teaching tool in our schools. The book is also a healing tool for families who have lost loved ones to inner city violence. I can't count the number of times I broke down into tears while reading this book. I highly recommend this book to everyone. Eastside is truly a CLASSIC!!!!!!

Simply Amazing

I have to say, that this story held my attention to the very end. Travon was one of those characters that you just love from the moment as you are learning his story. Caleb you did a wonderful job with this book. You have loads of talent and I wish you well. and I am so proud of you, and thank you for allowing me to read your masterpiece.

On The Hood

Travon "Tre" Robinson lives in the Wheatley Courts projects in Texas. He's the younger brother of reputed gang banger, drug dealing, assassin, "Too Low." After his brother is gunned down, Tre is caught at a major fork in the road. Should he join the WCG's (Wheatley Courts Gangstas), representing for the hood? Elmira has already had to bury one of her sons. While she allowed Too-Low to find his own path, she has refused to lose Tre to the same foolish violence. Unbeknownst to Elmira, Tre is being tested daily. While Too Low was able to keep Tre away from the streets and his affiliations, the vultures are now circling. Confused and deeply pained, Tre doesn't know what to do. His older brother died for it, he and his best friend fell out due to it, and all of his cousins are down with it, can Tre continue to avoid it? Or will he chose sides? In EASTSIDE readers get to ride shot gun through the ferocious streets of Texas as Tre's innocence is stripped from him replacing it with a vicious drug dealing, gang banger that is involved in daily shoot outs and car chases, while having to watch his back from rival gang bangers, racist crooked cops as well as some of the people affiliated in his own gang. EASTSIDE is one of the greatest books, although distressing, I've ever read! While you can't help but to sympathize for the mothers who have to bury their young sons, the anger rises as you see the young boys throw their lives away on colors. Are you serious, a color? Can you imagine being that mother learning that your son lost his life because he would rather hold down a color? Is that all that we're teaching our children? Is this the best they can hope for? It's a sad truth, but this is an overwhelming cycle that is plaguing African American males. Drugs, death, gangs, jails and absentee fathers add to the obliteration of the African American male. As a mother I cried out incessantly, and not just for my children, but for everyone else's as well. EASTSIDE is a coming of age story that attacked me with a vice like grip tugging at my heart, soul and spirit. Is there hope for the future? Reviewed by: Crystal