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Inner City Girl
Martina does the unthinkable: a poor girl from the inner city gains entry into one of the most prestigious high schools in the country. Milverton High, situated on a hill with its picturesque surroundings, students from the upper echelons of society and teachers who do not neccessarily understand, contrasts with the poverty, hunger and family problems which Martina encounters. But Martina is not about to succumb to ridicule, rejection, and poverty. Milverton High! Here she comes - defying all the odds!
272 pages, Paperback
First published May 29, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 8, 2024
Inner City Girl was easy to read and quite literal in illustrating the difficulties and prejudices that people from the inner city suffer throughout their lives.
Class and poverty are two major themes that are intertwined in this story. The rich and the poor are juxtaposed on several occasions with the systems and prejudices within society keeping the rich wealthy and the poor impoverished. The cycle of poverty is illustrated with the protagonist, Martina Fuller striving to escape it due to her mother's warnings and her neighbour's advice.
Shimron, Martina's brother best exemplifies how the cycle of poverty works. He has known only poverty, hunger and suffering in his life as his father is nowhere to be seen and his mother struggles to support her three children. He desires to get rich, believing that it will solve all his problems, which need immediate attention. You cannot wait for high school to finish to get money to buy food, after all. Easy and fast money comes his way via drugs which he takes and drops off in exchange for money. His mother, Miss Fuller does this at times too because she too is caught in the cycle of poverty. Many get rich off of the drug trade and can afford nice things but continue to exploit young men like Shim and others in order to maintain their wealth. They target boys like Shim knowing that they want instant cash and they know that the prejudices of the wider society make these young men seem like they are worth little and are expendable.
Mrs Fuller, like many girls, are victims of teenage pregnancy. Martina, herself, is targeted by adult males that Miss Fuller attempt to drive off. Martina's sister, Yvette is raped by her father, a businessman, and Martina is abducted and almost raped. The women are targeted by men but also seduced by them as they hope to get fast money from these men who promise to make their lives better. Sadly, this never works as the men use and discard them upon learning of their pregnancies which further trap them in poverty as now the women are saddled with children to also care for with what low-paying jobs they can get. It should be noted that the fathers of Martina and Yvette are wealthy married men.
Gender and misogyny is rampant in the novel. The upper class high school that Martina passes for, much to the lane's shock, Milverton High, always seems to hold the girls to a higher standard of behaviour than boys: fighting is not something girls do and carrying a knife is not something girls do. Miss Fuller has to work to get money with her one day job, drug trafficking and likely prostitution yet Yvette's father criticizes her for not being home with her children because it is women's duties. His stereotypical and reductive views of gender roles are seen in him believing that providing a little money to Miss Fuller is enough as a father. He then also thinks that he has the right to use his daughter in anyway he wishes, in this case, sexually. These businessmen are not the only ones as men in the lane are always eyeing Martina. Women also express internalized misogyny as some women disbelieve Martina's story about being abducted and instead think that she was asking for it. Miss Fuller, herself, doubts her daughter's character when Martina does not return home and thinks that she ran off with a man, because eventually all poor girls do those things. Even the inner city has internalized the wider societal prejudiced view of themselves. This makes it especially difficult to change things.
Trauma is dealt with in the novel and left somewhat open. Yvette, a spirited girl, is terribly traumatized and not herself after being raped by her father. Her mother and Miss Turner swear it is a ghost haunting her and while this is literal in the novel, it can be read as a metaphor for trauma. They are right that she will not be herself until the ghost is exorcised, that is until the trauma that haunts her is worked out. This only happens once she is no longer silenced and the truth is spoken. Her father is confronted but escapes due to his wealth that allows him to leave the country. Evidence of Yvette's rape is also lost as it happened long before the report to the police thus making conviction difficult. This is realistic and along with the mistrust of the police and the attitude towards inner city women is why rapes are not often reported. Yvette begins to heal but it takes time and is slow. What has happened cannot be erased and her rapist remains at large. Colleen Smith-Dennis therefore leaves things somewhat realistic rather than giving a romantic story where everyone gets happiness and makes it out of poverty.
While things do improve with Martina's father taking responsibility after Miss Fuller dies of cervical cancer, the family still suffers. If anything, the odds of Martina's father taking up the responsibility is romantic enough and frequently such fathers do not return to help out, which means that Martina never gets to pay her exam fees, write CSEC and earn the qualifications that can get her out of poverty. For this reason, the rich get the best education and maintain their wealth while the poor remains poor. Martina's hard work and brilliance is essential to her success but without her father coming in to save the day this would be impossible.
However, Martina beats the cycle of poverty as she tries her very best and performs well in her exams. Her bildungsroman is complete as she succeeds and fits into her society while being a catalyst to improve it. A sense of community is seen when the crisis of her abduction occurs and the community rallies behind her to aid her success. Both the rich and the poor come together and Martina even learns who her father is as a result of it. There is very much a breakdown of the class barriers in some way there and Martina breaks it further by excelling in academics and swimming. She even seems to gain a love interest who is a very respectful boy that is age appropriate for her.
Class and poverty are two major themes that are intertwined in this story. The rich and the poor are juxtaposed on several occasions with the systems and prejudices within society keeping the rich wealthy and the poor impoverished. The cycle of poverty is illustrated with the protagonist, Martina Fuller striving to escape it due to her mother's warnings and her neighbour's advice.
Shimron, Martina's brother best exemplifies how the cycle of poverty works. He has known only poverty, hunger and suffering in his life as his father is nowhere to be seen and his mother struggles to support her three children. He desires to get rich, believing that it will solve all his problems, which need immediate attention. You cannot wait for high school to finish to get money to buy food, after all. Easy and fast money comes his way via drugs which he takes and drops off in exchange for money. His mother, Miss Fuller does this at times too because she too is caught in the cycle of poverty. Many get rich off of the drug trade and can afford nice things but continue to exploit young men like Shim and others in order to maintain their wealth. They target boys like Shim knowing that they want instant cash and they know that the prejudices of the wider society make these young men seem like they are worth little and are expendable.
Mrs Fuller, like many girls, are victims of teenage pregnancy. Martina, herself, is targeted by adult males that Miss Fuller attempt to drive off. Martina's sister, Yvette is raped by her father, a businessman, and Martina is abducted and almost raped. The women are targeted by men but also seduced by them as they hope to get fast money from these men who promise to make their lives better. Sadly, this never works as the men use and discard them upon learning of their pregnancies which further trap them in poverty as now the women are saddled with children to also care for with what low-paying jobs they can get. It should be noted that the fathers of Martina and Yvette are wealthy married men.
Gender and misogyny is rampant in the novel. The upper class high school that Martina passes for, much to the lane's shock, Milverton High, always seems to hold the girls to a higher standard of behaviour than boys: fighting is not something girls do and carrying a knife is not something girls do. Miss Fuller has to work to get money with her one day job, drug trafficking and likely prostitution yet Yvette's father criticizes her for not being home with her children because it is women's duties. His stereotypical and reductive views of gender roles are seen in him believing that providing a little money to Miss Fuller is enough as a father. He then also thinks that he has the right to use his daughter in anyway he wishes, in this case, sexually. These businessmen are not the only ones as men in the lane are always eyeing Martina. Women also express internalized misogyny as some women disbelieve Martina's story about being abducted and instead think that she was asking for it. Miss Fuller, herself, doubts her daughter's character when Martina does not return home and thinks that she ran off with a man, because eventually all poor girls do those things. Even the inner city has internalized the wider societal prejudiced view of themselves. This makes it especially difficult to change things.
Trauma is dealt with in the novel and left somewhat open. Yvette, a spirited girl, is terribly traumatized and not herself after being raped by her father. Her mother and Miss Turner swear it is a ghost haunting her and while this is literal in the novel, it can be read as a metaphor for trauma. They are right that she will not be herself until the ghost is exorcised, that is until the trauma that haunts her is worked out. This only happens once she is no longer silenced and the truth is spoken. Her father is confronted but escapes due to his wealth that allows him to leave the country. Evidence of Yvette's rape is also lost as it happened long before the report to the police thus making conviction difficult. This is realistic and along with the mistrust of the police and the attitude towards inner city women is why rapes are not often reported. Yvette begins to heal but it takes time and is slow. What has happened cannot be erased and her rapist remains at large. Colleen Smith-Dennis therefore leaves things somewhat realistic rather than giving a romantic story where everyone gets happiness and makes it out of poverty.
While things do improve with Martina's father taking responsibility after Miss Fuller dies of cervical cancer, the family still suffers. If anything, the odds of Martina's father taking up the responsibility is romantic enough and frequently such fathers do not return to help out, which means that Martina never gets to pay her exam fees, write CSEC and earn the qualifications that can get her out of poverty. For this reason, the rich get the best education and maintain their wealth while the poor remains poor. Martina's hard work and brilliance is essential to her success but without her father coming in to save the day this would be impossible.
However, Martina beats the cycle of poverty as she tries her very best and performs well in her exams. Her bildungsroman is complete as she succeeds and fits into her society while being a catalyst to improve it. A sense of community is seen when the crisis of her abduction occurs and the community rallies behind her to aid her success. Both the rich and the poor come together and Martina even learns who her father is as a result of it. There is very much a breakdown of the class barriers in some way there and Martina breaks it further by excelling in academics and swimming. She even seems to gain a love interest who is a very respectful boy that is age appropriate for her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2018
I enjoyed reading this book. Couldn't give it a 5 star rating because the ending was a bit weak. Hated the ending.
I however admired the strength and resilience of Martina. Goes to show that no matter how hard your life is, you can still choose a better way out, always be a pessimist. Martina used the confidence of persons around her to pull strength. Always pushing hard, even in adversaries, to be the best she can be and so that persons around her would always be proud.
Thank God for Ms. Turner, her other mother, who was always there to guide her and her mother for driving home her high expectations for Martina.
It is true..... "A lie travels around the world while truth is putting on its boot". Words
I however admired the strength and resilience of Martina. Goes to show that no matter how hard your life is, you can still choose a better way out, always be a pessimist. Martina used the confidence of persons around her to pull strength. Always pushing hard, even in adversaries, to be the best she can be and so that persons around her would always be proud.
Thank God for Ms. Turner, her other mother, who was always there to guide her and her mother for driving home her high expectations for Martina.
It is true..... "A lie travels around the world while truth is putting on its boot". Words
March 11, 2022
Even 5 years later, all the twists and turns still take me by surprise. I may be a bit biased, but the intimacy of the book's cultural themes to me will always make it a household favourite.
August 10, 2024
Inner City Girl book review.
Author : Colleen Smith- Dennis.
Martina, who people in the lane call 'Reada' because of her love for books, is a girl from the Inner City. She lives with her single mother, Miss. Fuller and two other siblings, her brother Shimron and her sister Yvette all of which have different fathers. Miss Fuller was a victim of teen pregnancy and was very protective of her children, especially her girls as she made them wear only modest clothing and threatened any boy in the lane who would come their way. Her son Shimron followed in her footsteps as he wanted to make some easy money selling drugs, which her mother also did on various occasions. The story begins as Martina is accepted into Milverton High School a "big school" which her mother could not afford, but still sent her to as their next door neighbour, Miss Turner convinced her too.
Martina is introverted, quiet, intelligent, witty , brave and industrious and not afraid to stand up for herself and her family! During her time at Milverton High school she : makes friends, tries out for the swim team which she has been longing to , stands up against her bullies and excels academically. She does this despite her home trauma and poverty, often going hungry. Martina had some depression as she was abducted and faced a near death experience where she was nearly raped. Martina's mother had also been fighting an illness for a while, eventually causing her demise, which was later revealed to be cervical cancer. Shimron was shot and Yvette's personality changed when her father raped her whom, Martina confronted. When Martina's mother died her father stepped up and helped provide some money for her and she and Yvette moved in with Miss Turner. She also discovers she has other family on her father's side. Her half sister Sanjay her cousin Tavon and even an uncle.
Martina wrote CXC and despite her trials and tribulations got outstanding results. I think the moral of the story is no matter how much struggles you have in life you can be successful by working hard and being honest. As Martina ended the book, " As you take your place in life, remember the struggles and challenges you have gone through. Don't forget they are what make life worth living."
Author : Colleen Smith- Dennis.
Martina, who people in the lane call 'Reada' because of her love for books, is a girl from the Inner City. She lives with her single mother, Miss. Fuller and two other siblings, her brother Shimron and her sister Yvette all of which have different fathers. Miss Fuller was a victim of teen pregnancy and was very protective of her children, especially her girls as she made them wear only modest clothing and threatened any boy in the lane who would come their way. Her son Shimron followed in her footsteps as he wanted to make some easy money selling drugs, which her mother also did on various occasions. The story begins as Martina is accepted into Milverton High School a "big school" which her mother could not afford, but still sent her to as their next door neighbour, Miss Turner convinced her too.
Martina is introverted, quiet, intelligent, witty , brave and industrious and not afraid to stand up for herself and her family! During her time at Milverton High school she : makes friends, tries out for the swim team which she has been longing to , stands up against her bullies and excels academically. She does this despite her home trauma and poverty, often going hungry. Martina had some depression as she was abducted and faced a near death experience where she was nearly raped. Martina's mother had also been fighting an illness for a while, eventually causing her demise, which was later revealed to be cervical cancer. Shimron was shot and Yvette's personality changed when her father raped her whom, Martina confronted. When Martina's mother died her father stepped up and helped provide some money for her and she and Yvette moved in with Miss Turner. She also discovers she has other family on her father's side. Her half sister Sanjay her cousin Tavon and even an uncle.
Martina wrote CXC and despite her trials and tribulations got outstanding results. I think the moral of the story is no matter how much struggles you have in life you can be successful by working hard and being honest. As Martina ended the book, " As you take your place in life, remember the struggles and challenges you have gone through. Don't forget they are what make life worth living."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
February 2, 2019this book was absolutely AMAZING. I loved each and every concept of it. I think that the author took long time to get down to the juicy, revealing of secrets, part of the story so it was a little boring through out. however when it got to the juicy part I found my self wanting more and more. I think that the details was too little but all together brilliant; sad, but brilliant. It was a lovely combination.
May 16, 2022
This book is very telling, in it's truest form the story of Martina resounds with a tale as old as time, life in the inner city. It captures the reader's attention from the very beginning and holds it right through to the end. Hang on to your seat as this book is filled with thrilling events, sadness and triumphs, sickness and pain but the steadfastness of hard work and valour are like a musical refrain.
Book 2 please!!
Book 2 please!!
May 5, 2023
I really enjoyed the book I give it a solid 9/10. I wish I had more information on what happened throughout the chapters. I felt like other characters didn’t really have much of a voice except for the main character. I felt like I was left on a cliffhanger, who craved more, wondering what had happened? Will I ever know? The writers descriptive writing is impeccable. The story is well put together I enjoyed every bit of it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2017
I will always laud a writer for their ability to write an entire novel. However, I cannot speak of anything extraordinary about this book. The story was typical and predictable and the writing style left much to be desired. A lot could have been edited to create a shorter, and perhaps spicier, story.
July 29, 2022
I have read this book back in high and is one of the main reasons I downloaded this app to read it again
Currently reading
November 13, 2024Any Jamaicans here
September 27, 2019
An excellent book!
So good, so inspiring. I raced through the book wanting to know what happened to Martina and her family. Some very good lessons in here about the assumptions we make about people, and the power of determination.
So good, so inspiring. I raced through the book wanting to know what happened to Martina and her family. Some very good lessons in here about the assumptions we make about people, and the power of determination.
July 12, 2016
Book for a younger audience but enjoyed reading it- sometimes it felt like author was trying too hard to get the point across but overall good.
April 5, 2015
This book was such a good read. A few good twists to the story that wasn't expected.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews