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The Fix #1
The Fix
What would you do if you felt like you were dying and the only thing that could save you was the very thing that was killing you?
Persia Chandler doesn't know the meaning of the world struggle. After the arrest of her notorious father, she is whisked away from Harlem, the only place she has ever called home, to be raised in an affluent neighborhood in Long Island City. Her mother and stepfather shower her with the best that life has to offer. During her senior year in high school, she convinces her parents to let her transfer from Catholic school to attend public school. That is the start of her problems—but it's hardly the end.
In her new school, Persia is reunited with the friends she was forced to move away from, and starts to drift further and further from the life her mother and stepfather have built for her. To the sheltered Persia, the Harlem underworld is like one big adventure. Things promise to get even more interesting when she starts dating a dealer named Chucky. He introduces her to his world of sex, money, and drugs, dragging Persia along with him on a long and bitter ride into the bowels of addiction.
Persia Chandler doesn't know the meaning of the world struggle. After the arrest of her notorious father, she is whisked away from Harlem, the only place she has ever called home, to be raised in an affluent neighborhood in Long Island City. Her mother and stepfather shower her with the best that life has to offer. During her senior year in high school, she convinces her parents to let her transfer from Catholic school to attend public school. That is the start of her problems—but it's hardly the end.
In her new school, Persia is reunited with the friends she was forced to move away from, and starts to drift further and further from the life her mother and stepfather have built for her. To the sheltered Persia, the Harlem underworld is like one big adventure. Things promise to get even more interesting when she starts dating a dealer named Chucky. He introduces her to his world of sex, money, and drugs, dragging Persia along with him on a long and bitter ride into the bowels of addiction.
233 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 25, 2014
78 people are currently reading
692 people want to read
About the author
K'wan
84 books1,521 followersIn 2002 K'wan hit the scene with his debut novel Gangsta, under Triple Crown Publications. It was the first novel released by the budding house and would eventually become the building block for what is now a multimillion dollar company. What started as a therapeutic release went on to become a part of urban-lit history and an Essence bestseller, as well as drawing rave reviews overseas.
After penning his second novel, Road Dawgz (2003), K'wan drew the attention of St. Martins press. The literary powerhouse quickly signed K'wan to a multi-book deal, the first of which being Street Dreams (2004). In 2008 he received the Black Author of the year award from Black Press Radio for the novella Blow.
Since his insertion into the publishing world K'wan has been featured in Vibe, Pages, King, Felon, Big News, The Library Journal, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Press, Clutch and most notably Time Magazine, to name a few. He was also interviewed by MTV News for a feature on Hip-Hop fiction, and a guest on Power 105s morning show as well as NPR (national public radio). In addition to being an accomplished author, K'wan is also a motivational speaker, mentor to at risk children and the C.E.O of Black Dawn, Inc.
K'wan currently resides in New Jersey where he is working on his next novel.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/kwan
After penning his second novel, Road Dawgz (2003), K'wan drew the attention of St. Martins press. The literary powerhouse quickly signed K'wan to a multi-book deal, the first of which being Street Dreams (2004). In 2008 he received the Black Author of the year award from Black Press Radio for the novella Blow.
Since his insertion into the publishing world K'wan has been featured in Vibe, Pages, King, Felon, Big News, The Library Journal, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Press, Clutch and most notably Time Magazine, to name a few. He was also interviewed by MTV News for a feature on Hip-Hop fiction, and a guest on Power 105s morning show as well as NPR (national public radio). In addition to being an accomplished author, K'wan is also a motivational speaker, mentor to at risk children and the C.E.O of Black Dawn, Inc.
K'wan currently resides in New Jersey where he is working on his next novel.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/kwan
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
March 2, 2014
So. I have been a K'wan fan for years. Read everything he's seen fit to publish and as a member of his book club I've had the pleasure of reading snippets of work he has yet to release. The Fix is a story of a young girls spiral- no plummet into drug addiction. This story is absent of the usual cliche's...the creep step father with grabby hands, the hard knock life. Persia has lost her father to prison but she and her mother were not thrust back into the belly of the ghetto streets. They maintained and her mother even married a decent man who cared for Persia as well as any father would. This forces the reader to take a realistic hard look at drug addiction and acknowledge that it is not just a lost urban kid problem. It is a wealthy White kid problem, it is a suburban private school educated kid problem, it is a problem for those who you think should have no problems.
Now, to the main reason behind my review. Lil Monk! With Animal, we didn't see him coming, he just flashed his gold grill, and slipped out the shadows to snatch our hearts and loyalty. With Lil Monk- we see him coming. We glimpsed him as a child and we understand his motivations in his young adult hood. We see his struggle and we see his heart and take no s*** attitude and we respect it. He is characterized as a dog on a leash but what those around him don't know is that he alone holds his leash and the last character to yank his own chain consequences be damned turned into a street literature movement. I like how he manages himself, I like his maturity, I like how he handles his lil homegirl Sophie (love her!) and I hope to see more!
If you are trying to decide if you are going to read this book. Totally do it! It is not cliche. The baller drug dealers do not always stay that way. The far reaching, sharp tentacles of hard drug addiction are shown through the various characters who succumb to the beast and also through the characters who see the effects of addiction and through whose eyes we can see a clear picture of what it means to be an addict.
Loved it. Read it. You won't be sorry! :-)
Now, to the main reason behind my review. Lil Monk! With Animal, we didn't see him coming, he just flashed his gold grill, and slipped out the shadows to snatch our hearts and loyalty. With Lil Monk- we see him coming. We glimpsed him as a child and we understand his motivations in his young adult hood. We see his struggle and we see his heart and take no s*** attitude and we respect it. He is characterized as a dog on a leash but what those around him don't know is that he alone holds his leash and the last character to yank his own chain consequences be damned turned into a street literature movement. I like how he manages himself, I like his maturity, I like how he handles his lil homegirl Sophie (love her!) and I hope to see more!
If you are trying to decide if you are going to read this book. Totally do it! It is not cliche. The baller drug dealers do not always stay that way. The far reaching, sharp tentacles of hard drug addiction are shown through the various characters who succumb to the beast and also through the characters who see the effects of addiction and through whose eyes we can see a clear picture of what it means to be an addict.
Loved it. Read it. You won't be sorry! :-)
January 24, 2023
I have a shaky lil relationship with K'wan books. This one reminded me of Moth to a Flame by Ashley Antionette, just with the grimy dude that the clueless daughter of a street legend ended up getting bamboozled by, as well as a lot of K'wan's other books as far as the characters. Probably because his characters all exist in the same world. I liked this book as a set up for book 2. The pacing was slow, but not boring. It ended on a cliffhanger and we can clearly see it's about to be some shit.
April 12, 2018
Classic K'wan. Cant stand Persia and absolutely hate Chucky. Not my favorite, but still a decent book. definitely will continue with the series.
December 28, 2022
The story was predictable but I still enjoyed it. Persia was not likable at all. She really let a man she just met, that was with her friend first turn her into a crack head 😬 I’m only reading part 2 for lil Monk….he was honestly the only likable character.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2025
Buddy read this one. Plenty of typos and errors and the writing style is not really for me. A lot of the characters felt flat to me and I especially don’t like how the author writes teenage girls. I wish we got more of Lil Monk’s story because I felt like it was interesting and better written. Definitely something you read for the drama of the story.
September 5, 2020
Great story telling. The complexities of the relationships in this book is so relatable and genuine especially between parent and child. The storyline is familiar, good girl living a sheltered life attracted to the bad boy. A child of the ghetto falling prey to the streets because of an age old need that was never theirs to begin with. It’s really not helpful to hold on to grudges but a cold world breeds hard men.
March 11, 2014
A cold world breeds hard men…
Chucky is a man with an agenda and that agenda is revenge, revenge against the man responsible for the death of both of his older brothers. Their killer has proven himself to be formidable but his daughter however is ripe for the picking. Persia Chandler is tired of being referred to as Princess P, the sheltered girl whose parents whisked her away from the hood. Persia’s first taste of freedom occurred when her mother allowed her to transfer out of Catholic school into public school for her final year of high school. But her real true taste will be had when she gets charmed by Chucky. Persia’s descent into the dark side is swift and brutal especially with Chucky acting as her tour guide.
K’wan has penned a cautionary tale once again using Harlem as the backdrop. What’s also familiar is his ability to introduce his readers to memorable characters that they’ll undoubtedly be clamoring to hear from again. Fans of K’wan will not be disappointed because as with all of his novels he has supplied his readers with their fix.
Delonya Conyers
ARC Book Club Inc.
Final Rating 4.5 Stars
Chucky is a man with an agenda and that agenda is revenge, revenge against the man responsible for the death of both of his older brothers. Their killer has proven himself to be formidable but his daughter however is ripe for the picking. Persia Chandler is tired of being referred to as Princess P, the sheltered girl whose parents whisked her away from the hood. Persia’s first taste of freedom occurred when her mother allowed her to transfer out of Catholic school into public school for her final year of high school. But her real true taste will be had when she gets charmed by Chucky. Persia’s descent into the dark side is swift and brutal especially with Chucky acting as her tour guide.
K’wan has penned a cautionary tale once again using Harlem as the backdrop. What’s also familiar is his ability to introduce his readers to memorable characters that they’ll undoubtedly be clamoring to hear from again. Fans of K’wan will not be disappointed because as with all of his novels he has supplied his readers with their fix.
Delonya Conyers
ARC Book Club Inc.
Final Rating 4.5 Stars
April 9, 2015
Like ugh bruh. Presia or whatever her name is . Is so freaking stupid. Like instead of listening to her mom, step dad and lil monk she being stupid and dumb. Lord this chick is naïve like ugh chucky Dusty ass don't even want her with his junky self. I'm praying whenever I get a chance and buy the fix to lil monk blow chucky top off frfr and somebody tell Persia ass who chucky really is. Cause she made me hot throu this whole book.
March 2, 2014
K'wan did it again,could not put this book down.
March 27, 2014
I thought this was a pretty good read. Not my favorite Kwan book tho. Then again everything after Animal will probably pale in comparison
March 16, 2025
Love Kwan but this is better adapted for a movie. Too many names (and not cool ones at that like Face and Chucky, Persia, Charlie, Tim, etc.) I prefer when he writes female characters like in Promise Broken. They have more emotional dimension and smarts. Selling coke and boosting are of interest but when it’s guys just hot-head killing each other quick and careless, I find it too commonplace.
The element of more lil kids is interesting but I like a smaller cast to keep track of. The fashion is also good, and the phrases even if not totally original “his heart fell into his ass,” “same shit, different toilet,” shop talk, etc.
Pharaoh is a great name for a dealer. I’d like to hear more about the white club kid crack scene since that’s seldom brought up. Though the ironically named Monk is like a schoolyard bully to keep the young in line before they come to him for business, he is as unlikable as sometimes funny. I’d rather he be a less centeral character minus like the basketball punk out scene.
The element of more lil kids is interesting but I like a smaller cast to keep track of. The fashion is also good, and the phrases even if not totally original “his heart fell into his ass,” “same shit, different toilet,” shop talk, etc.
Pharaoh is a great name for a dealer. I’d like to hear more about the white club kid crack scene since that’s seldom brought up. Though the ironically named Monk is like a schoolyard bully to keep the young in line before they come to him for business, he is as unlikable as sometimes funny. I’d rather he be a less centeral character minus like the basketball punk out scene.
January 26, 2023
Out of all the main characters in K’Wan’s books, Persia is my least favorite. Persia is an idiot. I understand she’s supposed to be a rebellious teenager but she has a great life and wants the gutter. She barely knew her neighborhood friends, she left Harlem when she was five but still wanted to be around them always. Then getting caught up with a drug dealer, like her dad isn’t currently doing time for living that life, and to make matters worse she becomes a drug addict too? I don’t know. I want to see how bad it’s going to get so I’ll read the fix 2 but I really don’t like Persia. And bad blood is still out here being mega creeps and abusers, first Yoshi now Persia’s best friend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
April 14, 2023After falling heavily in like with the ANIMAL series, ESPECIALLY THE "GHETTO BASTARD/ANIMAL: THE BEGINNING" Book, I decided to see what else the author had in his catalogue that may grab my attention. So, I gave "THE FIX" series a listen & read annnnnnnnnnnnnnddddd, it wasn't as good as the ANIMAL series, BUT, I did like the character Lil Monk though.
Like another reader who had offered their review on the book, I also got a hint of "MOTH TO A FLAME" while listening to the book. BUT, UNLIKE RAVEN ATKINS in "MTTA"book, "PERSIA" wasn't a character most readers liked very much.
Like another reader who had offered their review on the book, I also got a hint of "MOTH TO A FLAME" while listening to the book. BUT, UNLIKE RAVEN ATKINS in "MTTA"book, "PERSIA" wasn't a character most readers liked very much.
April 1, 2020
What do I think hmm mm. Who am I kidding!!! Another book I enjoyed even though I tried taking my time with it and take breaks..I still manage to devour K'wan's book. The drama drama. Let's see what he has in store for the second one of Fix 2. I see murder In store for some people in fix 2. The navie characters of some who will get into more trouble. Romance for others. More addiction for for others. And betrayal.....
February 24, 2019
I enjoyed this urban novel. It was page turning and very exciting. On to the next chapter in this intriguing saga. One thing kept it out of five star contention, too many unedited grammatical errors.
April 2, 2022
Uh-Uh…. This story made me mad!! These characters are something else! Still a good book but K’wan I spent most of the time with my lips twisted to the side!! Momma always said a hard head leaves a soft ass! The trifling nature of these characters are something else!!! … now on to The Fix Part 2…
March 27, 2017
Good book, shows a hard struggle of a teen who thought one night of excitement was better than been kept safe under her mothers roof. She later learns her mom was right the hard way.
June 2, 2017
Good read
July 11, 2017
Loved from book one to the last one
April 12, 2018
Fix
I’m eager to read Fix 2,3 . It was easy to read with a good story line. I would recommend this series to all my reader buddies
I’m eager to read Fix 2,3 . It was easy to read with a good story line. I would recommend this series to all my reader buddies
September 15, 2018
So far so good, although, it took more time than usual to get used to the characters. On to the next...The Fix 2.
April 12, 2020
Must Read
One of the best books I’ve read this year, it grabs you with all its twist and turns and keep you reading wanting more
One of the best books I’ve read this year, it grabs you with all its twist and turns and keep you reading wanting more
August 1, 2020
Great book!
Fast pace reading....the plot and story line is predictable, but I enjoyed it just as much. I’m ready to read Fix2
Fast pace reading....the plot and story line is predictable, but I enjoyed it just as much. I’m ready to read Fix2
May 16, 2023
Can't wait to read the second book.
January 8, 2025
this book wasn’t hard to put down, and like the way I felt when reading it made me realize when your parents tell you something it’s for your own good and you should listen to them.
April 10, 2015
Content warnings: drug use/abuse/addiction, rape, suicide, violence, murder
So, even though I am most definitely NOT the target audience for K'wan's books, I always enjoy reading them. For a few reasons. The first and most important is that he is an EXCELLENT writer. I first got hooked when I initially read Animal. Because it happened to be on a display at the library and caught my eye enough to read the blurb and looked interesting enough to try to read. I've been hooked ever since. And buy his books every time I see one and have the money for it (unfortunately this has led to me only having Animal and Animal II: The Omen). He's one of those that is descriptive enough that even though I have never and will never experience the things he writes about, I can still put myself enough in the character's shoes and minds that while I'm reading it becomes an alternate reality for myself. And whether I'm reading about drug dealing in Harlem or some alternate fantasy world with aliens (decidedly NOT K'wan) I LOVE being able to jump into that alternate reality world. The second reason being that because of the first I get to second handedly get to experience things that I would never get to.
Spoilers ahoy!
I have some hunches as to what happens in the next book. And I have a feeling I'm right about it. I REALLY hope I'm right about it. But I need to get some more books done and read before I check that one out from the library.
This was a fantastic book that I would definitely recommend people to read as long as it isn't something that would cause them problems (with any of the content warnings at the top of this review)
Buy it here:
Amazon|Barnes & Noble
So, even though I am most definitely NOT the target audience for K'wan's books, I always enjoy reading them. For a few reasons. The first and most important is that he is an EXCELLENT writer. I first got hooked when I initially read Animal. Because it happened to be on a display at the library and caught my eye enough to read the blurb and looked interesting enough to try to read. I've been hooked ever since. And buy his books every time I see one and have the money for it (unfortunately this has led to me only having Animal and Animal II: The Omen). He's one of those that is descriptive enough that even though I have never and will never experience the things he writes about, I can still put myself enough in the character's shoes and minds that while I'm reading it becomes an alternate reality for myself. And whether I'm reading about drug dealing in Harlem or some alternate fantasy world with aliens (decidedly NOT K'wan) I LOVE being able to jump into that alternate reality world. The second reason being that because of the first I get to second handedly get to experience things that I would never get to.
Spoilers ahoy!
I have some hunches as to what happens in the next book. And I have a feeling I'm right about it. I REALLY hope I'm right about it. But I need to get some more books done and read before I check that one out from the library.
This was a fantastic book that I would definitely recommend people to read as long as it isn't something that would cause them problems (with any of the content warnings at the top of this review)
Buy it here:
Amazon|Barnes & Noble
August 21, 2015
I liked it . It was pretty interesting and this is the first book that I read by k'wan .
The thing I can say that I kinda disliked was all the characters that were introduced ., like it was so many of them .
Persia ended up having too learn things the hard way & she become friends with an enemy .. How could she not know or think that revenge was going to be on their mind . I hate how naive she was ugh !!
She had and has a good life but she constantly let people come in and out that had no business being in in the first place.
Face & big monk were the top dogs and conceived children.
Persia & lil monk.
Michelle and Charlene we're the not mothers.
Charlene ended up getting killed at her boutique and Michelle ended up getting married. Face is currently serving time in prison for the murder of Tim. One of chucky big brothers .. Tim wanted to murder face because he and big monk were An accessory and murdered his big brother Sonny while trying to get to the top and in the end it all comes out
Ramses was the top dog and he basically was in charge of all the drug deals & members of the Pharaoh . Whatever he said goes
Charlie and lil monk were really cool but soon would grow apart when lil monk decided to make money a different way .
His father big monk use to be popular and about the money until all the drama went down with his babymoma and he just fell off started robbing and stuff for his high
Benny and chucky: best of the friends chucky ended up doing some shady shit to dude which got him murdered . But he wasn't too damn innocent his self . They were on the low robbing and stealing from Ramses & he just happened to get the hit
Chucky was the shiesty type . I mean he basically set his best friend up to save his own ass . And murdered a few in the mean time. He ended up getting Persia on that shit too . He ended up killing Ramses best friend which put him on the map to be found & dugged
Detective wolf . I don't even think he was part of the law enforcement . He is still a mystery to me but supposedly chucky owed him some money to keep on the low of the fact that chucky was lowkey snitching and handing out names .
Huck & boo. We're part of Ramses group/ crew . And boo ended up getting murdered by chucky.
lil monk & omega : they become real cool . Partners . Lil monk came up and I can honestly say that they made a good crew together . And lil monk was hired at the end to get chucky and . It was a fail but everyone else got killed .,
I'm excited to read the second part of it . And see who is left and what happens
The thing I can say that I kinda disliked was all the characters that were introduced ., like it was so many of them .
Persia ended up having too learn things the hard way & she become friends with an enemy .. How could she not know or think that revenge was going to be on their mind . I hate how naive she was ugh !!
She had and has a good life but she constantly let people come in and out that had no business being in in the first place.
Face & big monk were the top dogs and conceived children.
Persia & lil monk.
Michelle and Charlene we're the not mothers.
Charlene ended up getting killed at her boutique and Michelle ended up getting married. Face is currently serving time in prison for the murder of Tim. One of chucky big brothers .. Tim wanted to murder face because he and big monk were An accessory and murdered his big brother Sonny while trying to get to the top and in the end it all comes out
Ramses was the top dog and he basically was in charge of all the drug deals & members of the Pharaoh . Whatever he said goes
Charlie and lil monk were really cool but soon would grow apart when lil monk decided to make money a different way .
His father big monk use to be popular and about the money until all the drama went down with his babymoma and he just fell off started robbing and stuff for his high
Benny and chucky: best of the friends chucky ended up doing some shady shit to dude which got him murdered . But he wasn't too damn innocent his self . They were on the low robbing and stealing from Ramses & he just happened to get the hit
Chucky was the shiesty type . I mean he basically set his best friend up to save his own ass . And murdered a few in the mean time. He ended up getting Persia on that shit too . He ended up killing Ramses best friend which put him on the map to be found & dugged
Detective wolf . I don't even think he was part of the law enforcement . He is still a mystery to me but supposedly chucky owed him some money to keep on the low of the fact that chucky was lowkey snitching and handing out names .
Huck & boo. We're part of Ramses group/ crew . And boo ended up getting murdered by chucky.
lil monk & omega : they become real cool . Partners . Lil monk came up and I can honestly say that they made a good crew together . And lil monk was hired at the end to get chucky and . It was a fail but everyone else got killed .,
I'm excited to read the second part of it . And see who is left and what happens
March 8, 2015
Great book. Persia is so naive. The daughter of a street king was not taught the real truth of the streets. That is why It was so easy for her to not really know her true identity. That is why she was so easily suckered by Chucky. Her mother warned her about the company she keeper but failed to school her. Michelle thought class and privilege was above poverty. She thought it better for Persia to associate with friends in the new neighborhood versus friends from Harlem. Yet they were all one in the same. Just one was privileged and the other was not. Persia didn't know her value and therefore was not able yo be a leader amongst her friends she was a follower. The daughter of a street king was easily influenced. Lil Monk had nothing. Yet he was taught the real truth of the streets. Monk did not keep him sheltered. Even though his example was not the best he still made sure his s on new the game. Persia is very weak and that made her susceptible to the Chucky' s and Karen's of the world. "A cold world breeds hard men".....that was the sentiment throughout this book. Words of wisdom given to the young and not adhered to. It did nothing for Benny because he was on his way out. Persia thought she understood but it's clear that she doesn't by the way she let Chucky back into her life at the end of the book. Lil Monk got it. "the circumstances you grow up plays a big role in who you turn out to be. People who have been handed everything in life don't know how to fight, and the people who have always had to struggle, all they know how to do is fight."
By the way, Richard is Pharoah. I peeped that the minute he was painted to look like a square. All he does all day is look at his laptop. LOL....we'll see hopefully in book 2.
By the way, Richard is Pharoah. I peeped that the minute he was painted to look like a square. All he does all day is look at his laptop. LOL....we'll see hopefully in book 2.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews