That White Girl

by JLove Calderón

Book Overview

That White Girl is a fresh and hard-edged novel chronicling a young woman's quest for self-discovery while straddling two worlds, that of her middle-class Irish Catholic upbringing and her new family -- the Crips, America's notorious street gang.

What happens when a white girl flirts with the color lines and crosses the border into gang territory, where the bullets are in part real and the rules cannot be broken? JLove tells...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743287819
• ISBN13: 9780743287814
• Release Date: August 2007
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

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.

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

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