Sellout

by Ebony Joy Wilkins

Book Overview

Being nearly the only African American in her suburban school doesn't bother NaTasha, but it sure bothers Tilly, her spitfire grandmother from Harlem. When Tilly decides NaTasha needs to get back to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0545109302
• ISBN13: 9780545109307
• Release Date: January 2012
• Publisher: Scholastic Press
• Length: 267 Pages
• Weight: 0.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.3" x 7.9"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

NaTasha is nearly the only girl of color in her mainly white, middle-class suburban school, but that isn't such a big deal to her. She has a best friend, Heather, and she does ballet with her, which is a weak attempt at trying to be popular. NaTasha would rather be on the volleyball court anyway, but Heather's such a good friend, and fitting in is something she wants to do. Everyone in her family - even her grandmother, Tilly - comes to her latest recital, where something as simple as trying to fit in turns into an event of pure humiliation for NaTasha. If there's one thing Tilly's tired of, it's seeing her granddaughter trying to be something she's not. She proposes that NaTasha come and live with her for a few weeks in New York - to get a feel for where her family came from before they lived in the squeaky clean suburbs. NaTasha would also have to help out at the local help center for girls that Tilly volunteers at every day. It isn't the best thing - she'll have to leave behind Heather, the chances of impressing the local hottie, and deal with homesickness - but NaTasha feels like she needs some time away. Maybe it'll do her good. What happens to NaTasha is reminiscent of the best stories about someone finding who they are and learning about their roots. She comes to understand that the girls at the home are different, but strong in their resolve. She doesn't fit in so well there, either. How's a girl from the suburbs supposed to compare to a group of girls who have been in and out of juvenile hall, fights, pregnancies, abusive relationships, and bleaching their skin to forget about the names they are called day after day? NaTasha realizes everyone has their problems - and that spending time at the home with these girls may be more helpful than she thought. Ebony Joy Wilkins has a wonderful debut novel in SELL-OUT that speaks to a tougher generation about their origins and about that equality we all share - whether we like it or not. Before I started reading, I was worried I wouldn't like NaTasha. I mean, the spelling alone is a little odd. Usually weird spellings of names can be weird. The PoC cliche of being constantly abused because of one's color was also a worry - not that it doesn't happen or that it isn't serious, but that it happens constantly from every single source. SELL-OUT manages to avoid cliches and focus on a story that's modern yet timeless. NaTasha's journey is different. She's not made fun of at her school in the suburbs. They don't torture her or make fun of her skin color, or even show much care for it. It's all about the underlying differences. NaTasha and her friend, Heather, try to make her like everyone else - and the fitting in suffocates who NaTasha really is. She tries to change her hair, and doesn't do the sport she likes just to be like the popular white girls. What's interesting is that NaTasha, on some level, knows that what she's doing isn't great from the beginning, which is realistic

Sellout is Solid

At times this story runs predictable and Tash started off as a hard character to like. I understood her desire to fit in at any costs since she stuck out so much, but I had a hard time dealing with her naive attitude towards people she meets in Harlem (like Rex). However, Tash does slowly change in a genuine way. It was obvious that the tough-girls who gave Tash such a hard time would have hard lives that she would never even consider. Tash's parents also annoyed me. I wanted a better explanation as to why they were so oblivious to the effects on Tash as a result of living in a mostly white neighborhood; I really didn't get how her mother changed. Her mom is Tilly's daughter, born and raised in Harlem and yet she's completely changed. I would have liked for Tash to discover why her mother went through such a drastic change. I was puzzled by Heather (Tash's best friend) sudden change of attitude towards the "mean girl" Stephanie, it came out of nowhere and it wasn't explained very well. Ultimately, I had a problem with the lack of explanation behind the character's actions. The most shocking part was the story of Shauna and how the writer introduces bleaching. I don't want to give too much away but, I'm sure that many white readers won't know that so many young people of color consider or actually do bleach their skin. It touches on the saying that "if you're light, you're alright." The whole story was heart wrenching to read about, but not a surprise. "They hated me. My hair, my skin, my body, my voice they hated everything I hated about myself. I was just like them after all, because I hated me too." (Tash, pg. 101). When Tash is at such a low point that she utters that statement, I understood completely where she was coming from and I was angry (not angry at her) that she felt that way. I was surprised by how the romance played out, but I really liked how the author showed that seemingly nice guys can turn out to be real jerks. Initially I wanted to meet Amir and Khalik because they sounded like great guys. Tilly is a wonderful character, she's a spitfire grandmother and I love that she gives it to you straight. Watching Tash grow is a rewarding experience, sometimes I really doubted if she would make progress and I love that the author made me doubt that. Sellout is an important story, it addresses a topic that most people of color have gone through (or sadly may go through in the future) but many white people don't know what being a sellout means. This story will open many reader's eyes. If the author did more showing or telling when it comes to the character's actions, it would be a more satisfactory read. While the story may seem like a depressing one about a girl with low self-esteem, it ends on a hopeful note. I wouldn't mind seeing a sequel because I'm curious to see how Tash's growth will affect her relationships with people back home in New Jersey. I look forward to reading more by Ebony Joy Wilkins.

Just Be Yourself

NaTasha Jennings is the only person of color in an entire school district and her grandmother, Tillithia Mae Evans (Tilly), doesn't like it. She believes her granddaughter is isolated and she wants her to get out into the world and experience things for herself. NaTasha's parents agree to let her spend the summer with Tilly in the Bronx. Will NaTasha be able to handle life in a place so different from what she's used to or will she go back home before the summer is over? I know this book is about NaTasha but I really have to start with Tilly: I liked this godly woman , who was full of wisdom and could cook up a storm. I enjoyed her humor and it was nice how everyone loved her and I really loved how much she loved NaTasha. For the most part she was a positive influence on her granddaughter, but I didn't see why she thought that putting NaTasha amongst a bunch of angry, lost girls would help her to learn about who she is. With all the hurt Miss Tilly experienced in her life, I can't understand why she felt it'd be beneficial to put NaTasha in a place where she could experience the same hurts. In the predominantly white world she lived in, NaTasha had no peers who looked like her. She made certain choices to try to fit in and to be liked by the guys. At Amber's Place there may have been girls of color but she was bullied (verbally and physically abused) by those girls because they felt she was nothing like them. She seemed to be an outcast no matter where she was. It saddened me that she was placed in such a hostile environment to `find herself'. NaTasha's dad and mom were concerned about her, as they should have been, and so was I. NaTasha was a good girl with a good heart and lots of common sense. At one point, she had the opportunity to get back at one of the girl's who had harmed her, but she took the high road and when a certain guy turned out to be totally different than what she thought, she didn't allow herself to be pressured into doing something she knew she'd regret. She was placed in a hostile environment to `find herself', which, again, I did not think was necessary, but she did find new friends, even though they'd probably never be best friends and she was able to get help styling her natural hair. She also learned a very important lesson from a rough summer in the Bronx: There's always going to be someone who wouldn't like her for whatever reason, so it was easier for her to just be herself. Quiana: Trouble maker and instigator. I figured she was striking out because she was hurting. People who are hurting can be the cruelest people, always ready to project their anger and disappointment. She was the way she was for a reason; what happened to her was a shame. I didn't like her in the beginning and I liked her just a bit in the end. She was hard on the outside, but the girl had a good heart. Maria was in a situation that, unfortunately, many of today's teenage girls end up in. Monique wasn't very good at choosing her boyfriends.