Asphalt Angels

by Ineke Holtwijk

A raw, poignant story of a band of Brazilian street kids who survive -- if they can -- by their wits alone. Asphalt Angels centers around a boy named Alex, a street child of 13 in Brazil who has been kicked onto the city streets by his stepfather after his mother dies. He is alone and scared. This is the story of how he adapts to life in the streets with a group of other children. Hazards are drug-dealing, theft, glue-sniffing, harassment, brutality, even murder. It is not easy steering clear of them, yet Alex manages to survive, eventually making a home with 14 other boys in a house, working in an office, and attending evening school. This story grew from the real-life drama the author observed while on assignment. In an afterword, she reports that some 10,000 children sleep in Rio's streets, and many more roam them by day, victims of inadequate nutrition, education, and shelter, and prey to drugs and violence. Alex does exist, but under another name.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Teen, Realistic Fiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1999

About the author

Based in Rio de Janeiro, Ineke Holtwijk was Latin America correspondent for over 15 years for, among others, de Volkskrant and national television news. In 1995 she published Cannibals in Rio about life in Brazil, which won her the Golden Donkey Ear (a prize for the best-selling literary debut of the year). That same year her children’s book Asphalt Angels appeared, about a street child in Rio. In 1999 she published Nostalgia for the Horizon, a collection of travel stories about Latin America.

Reviews

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review


Asphalt Angles, written by Ineke Holtwijk is set in the belligerent streets of Rio. The entire book is based around a 13 year old boy named Alex. Alex was kicked out of his house by his stepfather after his mother died from illness. At the start of Alex's time on the street he feels very alone and unwanted. As you read on you will meet a kid named Robinson who would become best friends with Alex, but this wouldn't last long because Robinson would later be adopted and never really talk to Alex again leaving Alex back where he started. This book goes through the hardship that Alex endures adjusting to the brutal streets of Brazil. This adjustment breeze he will have to overcome dangerous hazards such as theft, glue sniffing, brutality, drug dealing, and murder. The pear-pressure of the group of adolescences he associates himself with doesn't make this task any easy. This book explores the hard reality of how some children in Brazil have to go through the harsh society of the street life. This story came from a real life experience that the author witness first had as she was on a trip in Brazil. Ms Ineke felt so much apathy for the kids that she wrote a book about to bring forth the problem that is going on the Brazil, she reports that 10,000 kids live on the streets of Rio and that's just on part of Brazil. I recommend people in high school or older to read this book, there is a lot of harsh and mature language and wouldn't be the best to read at a young age. Overall Asphalt Angels is a wonderful read and has great mental and visual effects on people as they get more connect to each character and further understand the struggles they go through.
Literary merit rating =2
Interest merit rating=5

Reviewed by Jordan Lester, December 2018

[Kiana Morreels · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het boek gaat over Alex, een 13- jarige jongen dat woont in Brazilië die na de dood van zijn moeder uit huis wordt gezet door zijn stiefvader. De jongen heeft geen dak meer boven zijn hoofd. Nu moet hij leren overleven op straat zonder enige hulp van anderen en zonder eten, in een wereld vol met drugskoeriers, straatdieven en lijmsnuivers. De toekomst van Alex ziet er steeds maar grauwer uit, tot het moment dat hij in contact komt met andere straatkinderen net zoals hij. Wat mij is opgevallen aan dit verhaal is dat men op de hoogte wordt gebracht van de strijd dat deze kinderen dagelijks leveren om te kunnen overleven, maar dat de auteur geen onderwerpen beschrijft over het leven op straat, waarvan men kan denken daar wist ik nog niets over of dat het gruwelijk was om te lezen. het boek geeft je wel een glimp over het leven van een straatkind, maar dan eerder langs de goede kanten. Wat dan wel weer goed is over dit verhaal is dat de auteur een hele tijd heeft doorgebracht met straatkinderen, waardoor de onderwerpen die worden beschreven in dit boek wel degelijk kloppen.

[Chrissieleest · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een jeugdroman over zwerfkinderen in Rio de Janeiro.
Puur. Rauw. En toch met liefde. Hoe ongeluk in een klein hoekje zit. En hoe achterstand in het leven je steeds verder naar beneden duwt. En hoe harteloos de arrogantie van mensen met 'een betere huidskleur' over komt. En ook hoe gemakkelijk je afglijdt als het om simpel overleven gaat. En dat alles met compassie en inlevingsvermogen geschreven.

[Kara Danielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex (Crusoe) recently lost his foster mother to death and his step father kicked him out of his house in Japeri. Alex is trying to make it on the streets on his own without sniffing glue and without stealing. He faces the struggles of the community wanting everyone off the streets but if he goes to the homes, he would be confined and if he gets in trouble with the law, even if he didn't do it, he would most likely be beat.
characters:
Alex who is the main character tells everyone his name is Crusoe. He is trying to make it on his own, and as a black child with bad teeth, it is not easy.
Robson is the first homeless boy that Alex befriends. He shows him the dos and donts.
the entire crew of the Asphalt Angels become Alex's family and tries to conform Alex.
key words:
homeless, street children
interesting fact:
this is a true story, even everything in it except for Alex's name. Alex is currently living in a homeless shelter in Rio de Janeiro

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly written. Unlikable, uninteresting one dimensional characters. Especially the main character, Alex, who just so happens to be mostly innocent and doesn't partake in most of the gang's delinquent activities and the author goes out of her way to impress upon the leader how different Alex is from the rest of the Asphalt Angels. The only character that is remotely interesting is Duda, but even she isn't explored and is absent for most of the book.

[Mara · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is the story of Alex, a young boy who after his mothers death moves to the streets in order to avoid living with his step father. Alex finds himself in many difficult situations trying to survive living on the streets. This is a good read for students who may be struggling with tough living situations or even those who don't understand the struggles some people go through.

[Mckinley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Life on the streets in Brazil.

See: Pulga by Iterson; Child of the Dark by Carolina Maria de Jesus

[Allie Braun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for second time cause shit’s crazy. Anyone who reads this book needs to look up “waste land” documentary. I hate environmental art but it’s pretty cool.