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There Goes the Neighborhood
A raised fist against the destructive forces of gentrification and a love letter to communities of color everywhere, Jade Adia's unforgettable debut tells the darkly hilarious story of three best friends willing to do whatever it takes to stay together. The gang is fake, but the fear is real. Rhea's neighborhood is fading away—the mom-and-pop shops of her childhood forced out to make space for an artisanal kombucha brewery here, a hot yoga studio there. And everywhere, the feeling that this place is no longer meant for her. Because while their little corner of South L.A. isn't perfect, to Rhea and her two best friends, it's something even more important—it's home. And it's worth protecting. But as more white people flock to their latest edgy, urban paradise for its cheap rent and sparkling new Whole Foods, more of Rhea's friends and family are pushed out. Until Rhea decides it's time to push back. Armed with their cellphones and a bag of firecrackers, the friends manipulate social media to create the illusion of gang violence in their neighborhood. All Rhea wanted to do was protect her community. Her friends. Herself. No one was supposed to get hurt. No one was supposed to die. But is anyone ever really safe when you're fighting power with fear?
390 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 7, 2023
47 people are currently reading
3851 people want to read
About the author
Jade Adia
3 books124 followersBorn and raised in Los Angeles, Jade Adia writes stories about Black nerds, anti-capitalism, and home. She is an English teacher at a middle and high school where her students graciously keep her grounded. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Ethnicity, Race & Migration as well as a law degree with a specialization in Critical Race Studies. Her debut novel, There Goes The Neighborhood, won the 2024 Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe Award for New Talent. Her other novels include Our Shouts Echo and Batgirl: Possession.
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March 7, 2023Along with the synopsis, this is such a good cover. For some reason it's giving me those 90s teen-sitcoms even though it's set in present day.
March 16, 2023
Dude, Jade Adia has a TALENTTT, her writing is such a breath of fresh air :') this is her debut book and I am going to eat up whatever she writes next!!
Rhea is 15 and she's in a friend trio with Zeke and Malachi. They have noticed that small "trendy" businesses in their LA neighborhood have been taking over their local favorite spots, closing down the businesses that have been around forever. It's pretty obvious that their neighborhood is slowly being gentrified, and there's nothing they can do.
Until Zeke's disabled mother gets the noticed that they'll be evicted soon, as their apartment building will be sold and turned into a more luxury living space. The kids have finally been pushed to their breaking point, as they don't want to be split up, especially Rhea. She doesn't feel confident that the three of them can survive splitting up - she's the only girl, and Zeke's into nerdy stuff, and Malachi has guys he balls with, and Rhea really just has those two. So she scrambles to come up with an idea, any idea, to save Zeke and his family and keep them in their apartment.
Rhea's idea is SO absurd. I really feel like Jade Adia took that tweet that says "every few months I shoot out my apartment window to keep my rent low" and ran with it lol. Which is a total compliment!!! The idea is soooo creative for a book and I'm so excited about the concept.
Rhea decides to stage a fake gang's formation in order to scare gentrifiers out of the area. She and the guys come up with a graffiti tag, spend hours filming fake gang sightings and shootings, and post both digital and physical media stirring the community up.
In the midst of orchestrating their plan, the kids meet Lou and Marley, a brother-sister duo that are new to the neighborhood. Lou and Zeke hit it off pretty quickly, and Malachi shows a little interest in Marley. Malachi has shown interest in Rhea previously, but she shut him down because she's afraid of their friend group changing. Both jealousy and more fear of change keeps her from accepting Marley and Lou, and she actually ends up being kind of mean to them. It's sad but I also soooo get being standoffish at first until you get to know someone lol. I would be interested in Rhea's sign because she has to be a fire sign lol
The gang, which the kids have named SOSI, really starts to take off, and stressfully, people start claiming to be affiliated with the gang. It's wild, because there's not actually a gang to be affiliated with, but the kids can't tell anyone the newcomers are lying, and they also can't all agree on how far is too far to take SOSI.
But it takes itself far enough when SOSI is accused of killing a man that turns up dead late one night. Things escalate pretty quickly, and in order to save their own asses, they start working to solve the man's murder to absolve SOSI of the blame.
This book highlights the sense of community that Rhea's neighborhood displays, and it also brings attention to the lack of community that other social classes can have. There's plenty of people in the community who take care of Rhea, especially since her mom is very absent in her life. There's an Auntie who is super supportive of everyone in the neighborhood, and she's also trans, and tries her best to make all the queer kids in the neighborhood especially feel that they have a safe adult in their lives. Lou has autism, and his preference for wearing noise-cancelling headphones and liking firm contact (and hating soft brushes of touch) are just a few of his characteristics that are shown in the book. The inclusivity in this book is so great :')
Rhea has such different relationships with everyone in her life, and it's conveyed so well. Her desire to further things with Malachi and her hesitance to "ruin" their friendship is the kind of mixed feeling so many people can relate to. And the way she comes around and warms up to Marley is so sweet; she never knew how much she was missing having a girl friend until she found one.
This is TOTALLY worth the read, the thriller-ish storyline is really fun to follow, but the authentic characterization and setting, alongside Rhea's realistic feelings about everything, is where the book totally shines.
Rhea is 15 and she's in a friend trio with Zeke and Malachi. They have noticed that small "trendy" businesses in their LA neighborhood have been taking over their local favorite spots, closing down the businesses that have been around forever. It's pretty obvious that their neighborhood is slowly being gentrified, and there's nothing they can do.
Until Zeke's disabled mother gets the noticed that they'll be evicted soon, as their apartment building will be sold and turned into a more luxury living space. The kids have finally been pushed to their breaking point, as they don't want to be split up, especially Rhea. She doesn't feel confident that the three of them can survive splitting up - she's the only girl, and Zeke's into nerdy stuff, and Malachi has guys he balls with, and Rhea really just has those two. So she scrambles to come up with an idea, any idea, to save Zeke and his family and keep them in their apartment.
Rhea's idea is SO absurd. I really feel like Jade Adia took that tweet that says "every few months I shoot out my apartment window to keep my rent low" and ran with it lol. Which is a total compliment!!! The idea is soooo creative for a book and I'm so excited about the concept.
Rhea decides to stage a fake gang's formation in order to scare gentrifiers out of the area. She and the guys come up with a graffiti tag, spend hours filming fake gang sightings and shootings, and post both digital and physical media stirring the community up.
In the midst of orchestrating their plan, the kids meet Lou and Marley, a brother-sister duo that are new to the neighborhood. Lou and Zeke hit it off pretty quickly, and Malachi shows a little interest in Marley. Malachi has shown interest in Rhea previously, but she shut him down because she's afraid of their friend group changing. Both jealousy and more fear of change keeps her from accepting Marley and Lou, and she actually ends up being kind of mean to them. It's sad but I also soooo get being standoffish at first until you get to know someone lol. I would be interested in Rhea's sign because she has to be a fire sign lol
The gang, which the kids have named SOSI, really starts to take off, and stressfully, people start claiming to be affiliated with the gang. It's wild, because there's not actually a gang to be affiliated with, but the kids can't tell anyone the newcomers are lying, and they also can't all agree on how far is too far to take SOSI.
But it takes itself far enough when SOSI is accused of killing a man that turns up dead late one night. Things escalate pretty quickly, and in order to save their own asses, they start working to solve the man's murder to absolve SOSI of the blame.
This book highlights the sense of community that Rhea's neighborhood displays, and it also brings attention to the lack of community that other social classes can have. There's plenty of people in the community who take care of Rhea, especially since her mom is very absent in her life. There's an Auntie who is super supportive of everyone in the neighborhood, and she's also trans, and tries her best to make all the queer kids in the neighborhood especially feel that they have a safe adult in their lives. Lou has autism, and his preference for wearing noise-cancelling headphones and liking firm contact (and hating soft brushes of touch) are just a few of his characteristics that are shown in the book. The inclusivity in this book is so great :')
Rhea has such different relationships with everyone in her life, and it's conveyed so well. Her desire to further things with Malachi and her hesitance to "ruin" their friendship is the kind of mixed feeling so many people can relate to. And the way she comes around and warms up to Marley is so sweet; she never knew how much she was missing having a girl friend until she found one.
This is TOTALLY worth the read, the thriller-ish storyline is really fun to follow, but the authentic characterization and setting, alongside Rhea's realistic feelings about everything, is where the book totally shines.
November 4, 2023
There Goes the Neighborhood is a YA novel about a young Black girl from Los Angeles who starts a fake gang in order to scare away all the rich white real estate developers trying to gentrify her neighborhood. Because she's fifteen and only remembers gang violence as something that "used to happen" when she was a child, when life was simpler anyway, she doesn't see any problem with summoning that particular demon as long as it can "save the neighborhood" and keep her family and friends from getting evicted.
This is a really clever premise for a YA novel, because it's taking a teenager with a realistically narrow and limited viewpoint/experience and allowing them to make a huge mistake based on that limited information. So the question then becomes, how far will the author allow the character to go with this? How badly will they let them get "burned" by playing with fire?
I think for the most part, the book lives up to the promise of its premise here. The author allows Rhea, our MC, to take her scheme too far and experience some harsh, realistic consequences from her choices. Their fake gang gets accused of murder, one of her friends gets arrested, etc. So the stakes were definitely high, and I found it pretty engaging!! At times, though, I felt the narrative was shielding Rhea from some of the broader consequences she would probably have experienced from this whole gang business. For example, one very real risk of starting a fake gang (and working to convince everyone it's real) is threatening or provoking the not-at-all-fake gangs in the surrounding neighborhoods, right? And yeah, there's ONE scene where some honest to goodness gangbangers show up to threaten Rhea's friend Zeke (because they've pinned him as the one leading the gang), but all they do is push him around a little tiny bit... they don't even rough him up, and then they just leave? And never come back?? It reminded me of the scene in A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles where the Bolsheviks are like "yeah, we're sentencing you to a lifetime of house arrest in your favorite hotel." C'mon, that's not what happened. They murked that guy. You KNOW they murked that guy.
I did like that Rhea's thinking and perspective were very believable for a fifteen-year-old; I liked that the author let her BE fifteen instead of aging her up as is fashionable for YA protagonists. She's in the throes of teenage hormones and all that, sure, but deep down, she's still a child afraid of losing the only friends she's ever known, and clinging to her (deeply flawed) scheme for protecting those friends with a child's sheer bloody-minded stubbornness.
Overall, a pretty well-handled coming of age story, and one I'll remember for a while.
This is a really clever premise for a YA novel, because it's taking a teenager with a realistically narrow and limited viewpoint/experience and allowing them to make a huge mistake based on that limited information. So the question then becomes, how far will the author allow the character to go with this? How badly will they let them get "burned" by playing with fire?
I think for the most part, the book lives up to the promise of its premise here. The author allows Rhea, our MC, to take her scheme too far and experience some harsh, realistic consequences from her choices. Their fake gang gets accused of murder, one of her friends gets arrested, etc. So the stakes were definitely high, and I found it pretty engaging!! At times, though, I felt the narrative was shielding Rhea from some of the broader consequences she would probably have experienced from this whole gang business. For example, one very real risk of starting a fake gang (and working to convince everyone it's real) is threatening or provoking the not-at-all-fake gangs in the surrounding neighborhoods, right? And yeah, there's ONE scene where some honest to goodness gangbangers show up to threaten Rhea's friend Zeke (because they've pinned him as the one leading the gang), but all they do is push him around a little tiny bit... they don't even rough him up, and then they just leave? And never come back?? It reminded me of the scene in A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles where the Bolsheviks are like "yeah, we're sentencing you to a lifetime of house arrest in your favorite hotel." C'mon, that's not what happened. They murked that guy. You KNOW they murked that guy.
I did like that Rhea's thinking and perspective were very believable for a fifteen-year-old; I liked that the author let her BE fifteen instead of aging her up as is fashionable for YA protagonists. She's in the throes of teenage hormones and all that, sure, but deep down, she's still a child afraid of losing the only friends she's ever known, and clinging to her (deeply flawed) scheme for protecting those friends with a child's sheer bloody-minded stubbornness.
Overall, a pretty well-handled coming of age story, and one I'll remember for a while.
April 8, 2023
There Goes the Neighborhood was not what I expected at all. I was expecting a light hearted read about a friend group not wanting to break up.
What I got was a book about a fake gang, gentrification, LGBT and Trans issues and a teen sugar dater, a murder and for-profit schools. I forgot over policing and detainment of Black and brown youth. There were too many weighty issuses and it was impossible to process all of these issues in one book.
I really enjoyed Rhea's relationship with her two besties, Malachi and Zeke. Rhea got on my nerves for 80% of the book and was so immature in some ways. I get many of her issues were do to her nonexistent relationship with her mother when she needed her the most. I couldn't believe how Rhea'smother never showed up for her!
This book went on way too long and the way the book was wrapped up at the end gave after-school special vibes. I was so exhausted after reading this book.
What I got was a book about a fake gang, gentrification, LGBT and Trans issues and a teen sugar dater, a murder and for-profit schools. I forgot over policing and detainment of Black and brown youth. There were too many weighty issuses and it was impossible to process all of these issues in one book.
I really enjoyed Rhea's relationship with her two besties, Malachi and Zeke. Rhea got on my nerves for 80% of the book and was so immature in some ways. I get many of her issues were do to her nonexistent relationship with her mother when she needed her the most. I couldn't believe how Rhea'smother never showed up for her!
This book went on way too long and the way the book was wrapped up at the end gave after-school special vibes. I was so exhausted after reading this book.
May 19, 2023
What a book! This takes the primary subject of gentrification and turns it into a well thought out, modern day story filled with characters that have their own unique styles and quirks. This is a debut novel as well? I need more from Jade Adia! ASAP!
January 7, 2024
Heck yeah, you know it's gonna be good when the first read of the year is a 5 star!!
I started recommending this to students halfway through the book, that's how good this is. I didn't even need the ending, I just knew it was going to hit. And it did. I loved our lead character. As a teacher of 10th graders, this is one of the most sophomore-y sophomores to ever sophomore. She loves fiercely and passionately and contains zero ability to critically think very far in to the future in any way other than the most awful thing but she still fights for what she knows the be right and the right thing for her is saving the town she grew up in from the tide of gentrification and the looming threat of eviction for one of her best friends. Oh, and now she has a crush on one of the other ones...
I seriously loved this. It's like, YA Finlay Donovan but socially and politically conscious. There is serious weight to what happens here and even though theoretically it gets cleaned up nicely, there is a time when you genuinely believe it won't be. The characters had genuine love for one another and acted like friends/family, including plenty of fights and disagreements. A great new read to add to a collection and DEFINITELY one to add to a classroom library.
I started recommending this to students halfway through the book, that's how good this is. I didn't even need the ending, I just knew it was going to hit. And it did. I loved our lead character. As a teacher of 10th graders, this is one of the most sophomore-y sophomores to ever sophomore. She loves fiercely and passionately and contains zero ability to critically think very far in to the future in any way other than the most awful thing but she still fights for what she knows the be right and the right thing for her is saving the town she grew up in from the tide of gentrification and the looming threat of eviction for one of her best friends. Oh, and now she has a crush on one of the other ones...
I seriously loved this. It's like, YA Finlay Donovan but socially and politically conscious. There is serious weight to what happens here and even though theoretically it gets cleaned up nicely, there is a time when you genuinely believe it won't be. The characters had genuine love for one another and acted like friends/family, including plenty of fights and disagreements. A great new read to add to a collection and DEFINITELY one to add to a classroom library.
February 23, 2023
3.5/5⭐️
- Literally gasped multiple times while reading this book!! There was so much depth to this book and I loved every minute of it! I love how the author used humor to share the struggles that is gentrification while still keeping the reader engaged with the plot.
- Absolutely fell in love with the characters! This was one of the best representations of found family that I’ve read in awhile and it was beautiful to see! There was so much diversity within the characters and love that disney books has so many books with this much depth.
- Went into this book without knowing it was more of a mystery than a romance so the book felt long at times because I was waiting for the romance to pick back up. If you go into it knowing that it’s more of a mystery type book, you’ll love it! The characters truly come alive and you’ll feel like you’re solving a mystery with scooby doo & the gang!!
- Literally gasped multiple times while reading this book!! There was so much depth to this book and I loved every minute of it! I love how the author used humor to share the struggles that is gentrification while still keeping the reader engaged with the plot.
- Absolutely fell in love with the characters! This was one of the best representations of found family that I’ve read in awhile and it was beautiful to see! There was so much diversity within the characters and love that disney books has so many books with this much depth.
- Went into this book without knowing it was more of a mystery than a romance so the book felt long at times because I was waiting for the romance to pick back up. If you go into it knowing that it’s more of a mystery type book, you’ll love it! The characters truly come alive and you’ll feel like you’re solving a mystery with scooby doo & the gang!!
January 5, 2022
So excited for Jade Adia's debut YA novel! 2023 can't come any sooner??!
January 5, 2022
Can't wait to read this book - it looks like an incredible and exciting perspective on South LA!
December 12, 2022
soo good. about the effect of gentrification with a lil bit of romance and drama. representation was top tier in this book.
March 26, 2024
This one was a cute YA read. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I could've did without the love story between Rhea and Malachi. I did however enjoy Lou and Zeke. I think what really drew me in was the underlying theme of loyalty. Rhea had her moments where she was doing a tad too much for me, but regardless her friends had her back. Also, hearing what happened to the group and how they get through hardship, together, was inspiring and heart warming.
I like how the book ended on an advocacy tip. Gentrification is real and effecting many neighborhoods. As a social worker by day, I am all for advocacy and empowering the community. SOCI was born from a gentle & sensitive place in the heart called passion.
I think about the community work I am doing here in Houston and how so may individuals don't even realize how powerful their voice CAN be. We have to be willing to put ourselves out there and stand up to those seemingly more powerful.
I like how the book ended on an advocacy tip. Gentrification is real and effecting many neighborhoods. As a social worker by day, I am all for advocacy and empowering the community. SOCI was born from a gentle & sensitive place in the heart called passion.
I think about the community work I am doing here in Houston and how so may individuals don't even realize how powerful their voice CAN be. We have to be willing to put ourselves out there and stand up to those seemingly more powerful.
December 2, 2023
YESSS. Let this book be on my staff picks for ever and EVER.
Rhea's tight group of friends--herself, Malachi, and Zeke--are being threatened by gentrification. Zeke's family is being pushed out and Rhea will do anything to stop it. Her plan? Create a fake gang, scare off some gentrifiers, and keep Zeke's family in the picture. Except...the gang is fake, and the fear is real. And when the owner of Zeke's building turns up dead, it's the gang who's blamed.
This was just absolutely incredible. Do you want half-baked teenage ideas that take on a life of their own? Do you want lessons learned? Do you want representation? Pining? Big fights? Community organizing? Stubbornness? New friends? Then this is the book for you.
It's been on my TBR forever, and I'm almost ashamed it took me this long to read it. It's clear that Jade Adia is going somewhere in the literary world--you're not going to want to miss her debut.
Rhea's tight group of friends--herself, Malachi, and Zeke--are being threatened by gentrification. Zeke's family is being pushed out and Rhea will do anything to stop it. Her plan? Create a fake gang, scare off some gentrifiers, and keep Zeke's family in the picture. Except...the gang is fake, and the fear is real. And when the owner of Zeke's building turns up dead, it's the gang who's blamed.
This was just absolutely incredible. Do you want half-baked teenage ideas that take on a life of their own? Do you want lessons learned? Do you want representation? Pining? Big fights? Community organizing? Stubbornness? New friends? Then this is the book for you.
It's been on my TBR forever, and I'm almost ashamed it took me this long to read it. It's clear that Jade Adia is going somewhere in the literary world--you're not going to want to miss her debut.
June 2, 2023
3.5/5
I really enjoyed this. It reminded me of the Netflix originals On My Block and Vampires vs the Bronx , both of which I absolutely love! The characters are diverse and so adorable and even amidst something as heavy and traumatic as displacement and gentrification, joy is still centered. What didn't wholly work for me was the over-explaining in some places and how purely evil the "villains" were. The bad guys were so simple, overtly dramatic, and easily identifiable which isn't how the real world works most of the time. But I get why these tropes exist in a book like this that is geared toward a much younger audience. Anyways, I will always jump at a story where the Black and Brown kids save themselves. This is definitely that!
I really enjoyed this. It reminded me of the Netflix originals On My Block and Vampires vs the Bronx , both of which I absolutely love! The characters are diverse and so adorable and even amidst something as heavy and traumatic as displacement and gentrification, joy is still centered. What didn't wholly work for me was the over-explaining in some places and how purely evil the "villains" were. The bad guys were so simple, overtly dramatic, and easily identifiable which isn't how the real world works most of the time. But I get why these tropes exist in a book like this that is geared toward a much younger audience. Anyways, I will always jump at a story where the Black and Brown kids save themselves. This is definitely that!
December 16, 2022
This book is incredibly vibrant and alive. The teens and the community just come alive as they rally to try and save their neighborhood from gentrification and eviction. Rhea and her best friends, come up with a plan, that's kind of brilliant, to scare away the new comers, until a real murder happens and the fake gang is accused. Rhea and her friends are so vividly drawn as they deal with love and loss and one can't help but root for the community to rise.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
December 31, 2022
Fun yet insightful. This reminded me of if Scooby Doo and the gang had to solve a mystery in a neighborhood dealing with gentrification. I loved the initiative shown by the characters to do everything in their power to stay together.
November 29, 2021
I can't wait to read Jade Adia's much anticipated debut. Inner city kids concoct a scheme to battle the evils of gentrification? Hell yeah! I am there!
January 5, 2022
Counting down the days until March 7, 2023
April 19, 2023
A good story that wrapped up a little too neatly at the end.
June 25, 2023
There Goes the Neighborhood has some of the most well-developed teenage characters I’ve ever read! Jade Adia gave each character such a distinct voice from the first few pages which made me want to read more about them immediately (I basically read this book straight through the day after I bought it)!
In my opinion, the best YA authors I’ve read don’t judge their teenage characters or mold them into the “dumb” or “difficult” teenagers trope to get a message across or just to add more plot points/tension, but instead, write them as authentic, distinctive and intelligent young adult characters trying to formulate their own opinions about themselves, the people around them, and the world while also finding solutions to difficult situations in their lives which the author of There Goes the Neighborhood did in such an amazing way!
The author also sprinkled some 1990’s slang into the dialogue which was so fun to read even though this story takes place in modern day.
Since There Goes the Neighborhood has lots of 1990’s vibes and slang, this is the perfect book to read with an Orange Crush soda from a can while just laughing along with the characters and enjoying their journey (even though they do face some challenging issues which I’ve listed below).
Also, shout out to the cover artist, Shane Ramos! I appreciated his use of collage as a way of piecing these teens' lives and personalities together on the cover which I feel like represented the story inside so well!
I truly loved everything about this book and I can’t wait to read whatever Jade Aida writes next! :)
Issues Tackled and People Represented:
Transgender woman (Auntie)
LBGTQ+ relationship (with two side characters)
POC (specifically, Black and Hispanic characters)
A mother confined to a wheelchair
Neurodiversity (autism)
Gentrification
The “white savior” complex
Cultural appropriation (Black slang and Mexican cuisine)
Parental abandonment and detachment
Selling of drugs as a minor
Mental health issues: panic attacks
Grief over the loss of a close childhood friend
In my opinion, the best YA authors I’ve read don’t judge their teenage characters or mold them into the “dumb” or “difficult” teenagers trope to get a message across or just to add more plot points/tension, but instead, write them as authentic, distinctive and intelligent young adult characters trying to formulate their own opinions about themselves, the people around them, and the world while also finding solutions to difficult situations in their lives which the author of There Goes the Neighborhood did in such an amazing way!
The author also sprinkled some 1990’s slang into the dialogue which was so fun to read even though this story takes place in modern day.
Since There Goes the Neighborhood has lots of 1990’s vibes and slang, this is the perfect book to read with an Orange Crush soda from a can while just laughing along with the characters and enjoying their journey (even though they do face some challenging issues which I’ve listed below).
Also, shout out to the cover artist, Shane Ramos! I appreciated his use of collage as a way of piecing these teens' lives and personalities together on the cover which I feel like represented the story inside so well!
I truly loved everything about this book and I can’t wait to read whatever Jade Aida writes next! :)
Issues Tackled and People Represented:
Transgender woman (Auntie)
LBGTQ+ relationship (with two side characters)
POC (specifically, Black and Hispanic characters)
A mother confined to a wheelchair
Neurodiversity (autism)
Gentrification
The “white savior” complex
Cultural appropriation (Black slang and Mexican cuisine)
Parental abandonment and detachment
Selling of drugs as a minor
Mental health issues: panic attacks
Grief over the loss of a close childhood friend
March 7, 2023
I give THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!
In-your-face and edgy, THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD, truly represents BIPOC voices loud and clear. Rhea, the main character, is witty and courageous. Her friends Malachi and Zeke are optimal counter partners in this adventure to save their neighborhood.
This was an easy read and I feel it will be a book that will resonate with many teens. My only dislike is the overuse of the "N" word, which felt a little overdone and cliche. My favorite thing about the book is the descriptions of the neighborhood and food. I could taste, smell, and visualize South LA perfectly.
Overall, this is a classic and I believe this will become a favorite book for many teen readers.
Be sure to enter the giveaway, which ends April 7, 2023: https://www.kimsbookreviewsandwriting...
In-your-face and edgy, THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD, truly represents BIPOC voices loud and clear. Rhea, the main character, is witty and courageous. Her friends Malachi and Zeke are optimal counter partners in this adventure to save their neighborhood.
This was an easy read and I feel it will be a book that will resonate with many teens. My only dislike is the overuse of the "N" word, which felt a little overdone and cliche. My favorite thing about the book is the descriptions of the neighborhood and food. I could taste, smell, and visualize South LA perfectly.
Overall, this is a classic and I believe this will become a favorite book for many teen readers.
Be sure to enter the giveaway, which ends April 7, 2023: https://www.kimsbookreviewsandwriting...
March 11, 2024
Super clever (so many witty one-liners, and excellent use of satire), very fun (I laughed out loud multiple times), and really heartwarming (loved the representation of female friendships in particular, autism, and a trans adult looking out for youth in a beautiful way). The combo of classic coming of age (e.g., romance in a friend group, parent-child conflict) and sharp social criticism (e.g., gentrification, performative wokeness) lines kept this really dynamic and layered.
I listened to this on audiobook. Great narration, but/and this ended up feeling really slow for me at times? I ended up speeding the book up a great deal. The mystery element was good in that it kept a lot of the novel's themes; but, it ends up being a big info-dump sort of reveal (which is less fun for me).
I recommend this and will definitely read this author's next books!
I listened to this on audiobook. Great narration, but/and this ended up feeling really slow for me at times? I ended up speeding the book up a great deal. The mystery element was good in that it kept a lot of the novel's themes; but, it ends up being a big info-dump sort of reveal (which is less fun for me).
I recommend this and will definitely read this author's next books!
March 6, 2023
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This is a timely debut novel that deals with gentrification, racism, and other issues in a way that is incredibly obvious and over-the-top (as other reviewers have pointed out), but I don't think the plot is unbelievable based on reality. It also helps that Jade Adia introduces humor to make it feel even more readable and realistic. Our three teen protagonists are realistically flawed and have conviction in their goal to protect their neighborhood from changing and becoming overpriced, and I also enjoyed the aspects of sexuality and neurodiversity Adia introduces--I think the target audience will really identify with these characters and appreciate reading about the neighborhood.
This is a timely debut novel that deals with gentrification, racism, and other issues in a way that is incredibly obvious and over-the-top (as other reviewers have pointed out), but I don't think the plot is unbelievable based on reality. It also helps that Jade Adia introduces humor to make it feel even more readable and realistic. Our three teen protagonists are realistically flawed and have conviction in their goal to protect their neighborhood from changing and becoming overpriced, and I also enjoyed the aspects of sexuality and neurodiversity Adia introduces--I think the target audience will really identify with these characters and appreciate reading about the neighborhood.
October 4, 2025
An diesem Buch habe ich ganz schön lange gelesen- umso glücklicher bin ich jetzt, es beendet zu haben. Zu allererst fand ich das Genre wirklich spannend, denn eigentlich geht es um die Lösung eines Kriminalfalls, das ganze geschieht jedoch auf Basis des Themas der Gentrifikation, die droht eine Schwarze Gemeinde zu vertreiben, in der die Hauptpersonen auch aufgewachsen sind. Ich mochte die Umgangssprachlichkeit der Dialoge, als auch die Charaktere selbst, wobei ich zu Beginn ganz schön mit Rhea gestrugglet habe, die andere junge Frauen in ihrem Alter eher in Gefahr gebracht als das sie sie supportet hat.
Was die Auflösung des Falls gibt war ich sehr überrascht, da ich keine Anzeichen dafür wahrnehmen konnte- werte das aber als eher gutes Zeichen und kann das Buch als englische Lektüre durchaus weiterempfehlen.
Was die Auflösung des Falls gibt war ich sehr überrascht, da ich keine Anzeichen dafür wahrnehmen konnte- werte das aber als eher gutes Zeichen und kann das Buch als englische Lektüre durchaus weiterempfehlen.
March 26, 2024
This is clearly a very personal book from the author, who writes from experience about gentrification. Since I'm white and an adult, this book wasn't written for me, so I can only talk about the writing itself. There was a lot of hitting the reader over the head with the message, with characters constantly explaining why gentrification is bad and I think young adult readers are smart enough to understand based on the actions of the characters without having to over explain everything. I appreciated that the main characters were complex and messy and made a lot of mistakes because they are teenagers.
January 7, 2026
I liked this a lot! It was a highly anticipated read for me, so I'm glad I finally got to it. Gentrification is obviously a topic that the author is really passionate about, and her heart came through in this book. Having the main characters be teenagers was the perfect choice, and I loved how they came across as authentic: messy, but full of life. It wasn't always the easiest read, sometimes the politics took precedent over the plot and it started to read more like an essay. As it's quite a long book, there was definitely room for lots of different social issues and topics to be touched on, I just wish it had been incorporated better into the story to read less like a lecture. The romance between Rhea and Zeke was sweet, and I LOVED the found family shared with the wider group. The secondary characters could have used some nuance, but the mystery element was well executed. I think this is a good one for older teens who are interested in this topic, and also for any fans of the tv show On My Block! Happy Reading :)
March 13, 2024
This was such a well written book! The kind that you want to keep reading to find out what happens next.
The theme of gentrification is done so well and it takes you on so many twists and turns where you think you know where it’s going to end until it ends and it completely different than you may have expected.
The love story in friendships and hometowns is done so well also, it feels familiar. Like something you may have experienced on your own.
Overall I am very pleased with this book!
The theme of gentrification is done so well and it takes you on so many twists and turns where you think you know where it’s going to end until it ends and it completely different than you may have expected.
The love story in friendships and hometowns is done so well also, it feels familiar. Like something you may have experienced on your own.
Overall I am very pleased with this book!
July 28, 2024
I gave this book a solid 3.8 stars. It was youthful. It was lively. It was an entertaining read,that made no secret of its underlying message about gentrification. It was not over politicized and the plot was light enough that the message gets across without being too offensive. Speaking of offensive, if the message in this book and the way it was delivered offended you, you are properly the exact audience that needed to read it.
June 14, 2024
This needs to be a movie ASAP.
July 9, 2024
I loved this book and the storyline. It kept me engaged since I started.
Teenagers, gangs & gentrification.. whew some heavy hitting topics
Teenagers, gangs & gentrification.. whew some heavy hitting topics
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