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A Hood Chick's Story
Drama is no stranger to Tiara James. When it felt like the world had finally changed the hand that she d been dealt, reality continued to creep up on her. With a mom on the verge of becoming an alcoholic and an alcoholic crack-addicted father who use to beat her mom in front of her, who could blame Tiara for finding a family on the streets. Tiara s loyalty to her friends was undeniable. The crew consisted of, Tiara, Tamika, Shavon, Renee, Ke Ke and Karen. They jumped, robbed and fought other girls who stood in their way. When trouble surfaced, the crew had no problems with getting their hands dirty. Tiara was faithful to her crew handling any drama that presented itself. But when jealousy get s the best of friends, things continued to get ugly. With an older brother Tre James wrapped deeply into the streets becoming a drug dealer at 13, their younger brother Sharod had no choice but to admire both Tre and Tiara s lifestyle. Tragedy continued to hit home and Tiara s life continued to go down hill. She lost people who she loved and trusted the most to death, jail or betrayal. From welfare, section 8, jail, drugs, abusive relationships and lies, Tiara s future seems uncertain. Will she finally rise above the drama that meets her at every corner, or remain trapped in the jaws of the hood? Brace yourself as Tiara James takes you on a rollercoaster ride in her footsteps, in her hood, telling her story.
300 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 2007
64 people are currently reading
547 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
December 1, 2019
Great read
This book is a page turner. Keeps you on the edge until everyone that she loves is taken away from her. Fast money is not always the way to take but she learned in the end.
This book is a page turner. Keeps you on the edge until everyone that she loves is taken away from her. Fast money is not always the way to take but she learned in the end.
November 12, 2012
omg! this was such a good book. never before have I been taken so far into the world of hood life! the heart ache and turmoil had me on an emotional roller coaster. just when you think everything is ok bam there is a surprise! I have to read part two there is noway I'm not going to find out what happens to Tiara! she is so real to me!
November 20, 2019
I just love her work
Tiara tiara tiara I felt that wanting to get out of the hood. She’s been through so much and it was blow after blow after blow. But she kept it pushing. Tried to make due with what she had. She really played the hands life dealt her..... an amazing read from start to finish. I can’t wait to read the rest....
Tiara tiara tiara I felt that wanting to get out of the hood. She’s been through so much and it was blow after blow after blow. But she kept it pushing. Tried to make due with what she had. She really played the hands life dealt her..... an amazing read from start to finish. I can’t wait to read the rest....
January 11, 2024
This book was full of suspense. It had many highs and twists to it. It was easy to read with the language used and if you’re from or familiar with New Yorkers then it would make this more enjoyable for you. It was a good mix of love, sex and drugs. The book did fulfill the title. Tiara really had a rough ass life but she was always true to her people no matter what!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2018
Great read
I read this book some years back and wanted to reread it. It seems tiara just couldn’t catch a break to save her life. I hated what happened to sharod. Let’s see what happens next.
I read this book some years back and wanted to reread it. It seems tiara just couldn’t catch a break to save her life. I hated what happened to sharod. Let’s see what happens next.
January 19, 2022
Excellent Book
I really enjoyed reading this book. It tells a story although it was fictional, someone has lived this life. It felt as if I was in the book! Looking forward to more books by this author.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It tells a story although it was fictional, someone has lived this life. It felt as if I was in the book! Looking forward to more books by this author.
April 3, 2018
Read all three books about 3 times each. Loved them all. I hate that Tiara and Tony couldn't get it together. Furthermore, I hated that people just kept burning her.
July 24, 2022
Great read.
December 29, 2008
Bad Luck or none at all
Tiara James is one person that's makes the statement "If it weren't for bad luck she wouldn't have none at all" TRUE. From a young age, she has had disappointment after disappointed. She watches her mother being abused at the hands of her father. At the age of 6 her mother decides she is sick and tired of being sick and tired she and moves her oldest Tre James and Tiara aka T from Va to Boston, right in the hood down the block from the Projects. Tiara mom becomes an alcoholic and things go from bad to worst, as her kids are force to let the streets raise them.
While growing up T, only had her brother Tre as a roll model; whom himself is a drug dealer/ stick up kid at the age of 13. Tre is knee deep in the streets. He has his own crew of thugs which he is the leader of. Tiara can't help but admire him.
T has a best friend named Tamika; they are thick as thieves so close that the outside world thinks they are cousins. Along the way Shavon, Renee, Ke Ke and Karen join T and Tamika to form their own crew called the "Dime Piece Gangstresses" or "DPG" and they bring terror to the hood. These Ride Or Die Chicks hold there own and do not take mess from anybody.
As time moves on Tiara finds love with Derek, but at this point she starts to see not all her friends are straight up as she is to them. Jealousy, betrayal, and disappointment hits home again. With her lil Brother Sharod constantly wearing on her mind, T doesn't want to see him follow in the footsteps of her and their brother Tre. However, the street life looks so glamorous to him. See if T is successful at keeping Sharod from the jaws of the street life. Be her passenger as T tell her story of life in the hood.
Kudos to the new coming Author LaShonda DeVaughn. She gets her point across; no having to reread and trying to figure out what she means. She does a great job with the relationship in this book from family to friends to the men in Tiara life. She expresses herself very well, I felt every emotion these characters were feeling. I look forward to reading her work in the near future. Be on the look out for her she is making her mark.
SiStar Tea
ARC Book Club Inc
5 Star Rating
Tiara James is one person that's makes the statement "If it weren't for bad luck she wouldn't have none at all" TRUE. From a young age, she has had disappointment after disappointed. She watches her mother being abused at the hands of her father. At the age of 6 her mother decides she is sick and tired of being sick and tired she and moves her oldest Tre James and Tiara aka T from Va to Boston, right in the hood down the block from the Projects. Tiara mom becomes an alcoholic and things go from bad to worst, as her kids are force to let the streets raise them.
While growing up T, only had her brother Tre as a roll model; whom himself is a drug dealer/ stick up kid at the age of 13. Tre is knee deep in the streets. He has his own crew of thugs which he is the leader of. Tiara can't help but admire him.
T has a best friend named Tamika; they are thick as thieves so close that the outside world thinks they are cousins. Along the way Shavon, Renee, Ke Ke and Karen join T and Tamika to form their own crew called the "Dime Piece Gangstresses" or "DPG" and they bring terror to the hood. These Ride Or Die Chicks hold there own and do not take mess from anybody.
As time moves on Tiara finds love with Derek, but at this point she starts to see not all her friends are straight up as she is to them. Jealousy, betrayal, and disappointment hits home again. With her lil Brother Sharod constantly wearing on her mind, T doesn't want to see him follow in the footsteps of her and their brother Tre. However, the street life looks so glamorous to him. See if T is successful at keeping Sharod from the jaws of the street life. Be her passenger as T tell her story of life in the hood.
Kudos to the new coming Author LaShonda DeVaughn. She gets her point across; no having to reread and trying to figure out what she means. She does a great job with the relationship in this book from family to friends to the men in Tiara life. She expresses herself very well, I felt every emotion these characters were feeling. I look forward to reading her work in the near future. Be on the look out for her she is making her mark.
SiStar Tea
ARC Book Club Inc
5 Star Rating
December 9, 2010
This book was about a girl named Tiara who had a mother who was being abused . They move out & start living in the streets of Dorchester . & when she gets there all her brother can do is look up to the people who sell drugs & rob people . Her mom is switching from man to man looking for someone to keep a roof above their head while she is pregnat . A few months later her mom has the baby and tragic things come across the way they look at things & one of them has too do with numerous amounts of death. When I first started the book I thought that it was very , very , very boring. But then when I done with the book , I started crying and I automatically fell in love with the book. I learned a serious lesson from this book : the people you should always ride out for should be your family & friends. If I could talk too the author , I would thank them for writing a beautiful book and I would ask them if they have any aother books out because I would love too read them .
Pss , she's my favorite author ! (:
Pss , she's my favorite author ! (:
July 4, 2011
*TRUE TO LIFE FICTION* This was a great read. I enjoyed almost every page. The author painted a vivid of the streets she grew up on and the message was one I can relate to. I recommend this book to a lot of hood chicks. in the beginning its, Freak the world... it's all about you and your crew. But then as we wise up, we hope for a better tomorrow. To get a better tomorrow we gotta start believing we deserve better and going after better. Although T fell a few times, she never hesitated to get back up.
November 7, 2011
It was a lot of drama in this story and I do mean DRAMA! It was a quick read, I wish that Tiara would have had a happy ending, but she was faced with death some many times—OMG. Tiara was a product of her environment and although she wanted better for herself it just seem that she couldn't make it happen. Every time that she thought she had it together something else tragic happened. Overall it was a good story, there were some typo's but it wasn't to the point that it interrupted the flow of the book.
December 15, 2010
WOW!!! This book is a must read. The characters seem so real it feels like you are there with them watching everythinh unfold. I laughed and cried with Tiara.
Queen Readers Book Club highly recommend this book to all book clubs to read.
LaShonda DeVaughn does a fabulous job of making the characters real
Queen Readers Book Club highly recommend this book to all book clubs to read.
LaShonda DeVaughn does a fabulous job of making the characters real
Read
June 12, 2013Not going to lie when i first read this book i thought she was begging alot. Trying a bit to hard and it kept pissing me off how one minute shes happy and u knew that something terrible was about to happen but as i went on the story got deep and had me at the edge of my seat kept wanting to know more.
May 30, 2012
At first I felt the story was forced and rushed but after about two chapters it took off and I began to really get into the story. There some funny parts some tear jerker moments and some "oh no she didn't" moments as well. I'm looking forward to finishing this series.
September 3, 2015
this book was off the chain I read it literally in one day & I have never did that with no urban fiction ever!!! plus she follows me on Instagram & Twitter... she's the coolest & I want to be like shonda when I grow
August 23, 2015
TEARS!!
WHEW!! ANYTIME AN AUTHOR CAN MOVE ME TO TEARS, HANDS DOWN IT DESERVES A FIVE STAR!! I TRIED TO KEEP IT TOGETHER TOWARDS THE END, BUT IT WAS JUST TOO SAD....TIARA AND TRE HAD TOO MANY GROWN FOLKS RESPONSIBILITIES AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE....ON TO PART 2 NOW!!
WHEW!! ANYTIME AN AUTHOR CAN MOVE ME TO TEARS, HANDS DOWN IT DESERVES A FIVE STAR!! I TRIED TO KEEP IT TOGETHER TOWARDS THE END, BUT IT WAS JUST TOO SAD....TIARA AND TRE HAD TOO MANY GROWN FOLKS RESPONSIBILITIES AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE....ON TO PART 2 NOW!!
May 21, 2021
Hood Life on The Real
Brings Back Memories
Shows the resilience of those who survived Hood Life. It feels good when you can look back over those memories and say you made it out the hood.
Brings Back Memories
Shows the resilience of those who survived Hood Life. It feels good when you can look back over those memories and say you made it out the hood.
April 11, 2012
THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY GOOD READ !
ONE OF MI FAVORITES ! <3
CAN'T WAIT FOR PT 2 !
ONE OF MI FAVORITES ! <3
CAN'T WAIT FOR PT 2 !
July 15, 2011
This was a great read deals with real life situations. The way the story was told makes you feel the pain of all the characters. This is a must read.
August 29, 2011
This book is a must read. I read the book in one day i couldn't put it down.It was awesome
February 2, 2012
This is an easy, mindless read with several twists and turns. It is certainly a reminder...nothing good comes from the street life.
February 5, 2012
This was a great read I love the way that no matter what Tiarra still remained positive and strives for better.
March 11, 2012
I love this book. Has a good storyline made you feel like you were there. Couldn't put it down!!
April 3, 2012
this book is really good started reading it and i couldnt put it down. gonna read the 2nd 1 next!!!!!
April 21, 2012
this was a great read! from start to finish i couldnt put it down!
June 12, 2012
Real Everyday life stuff for lots of people....some funny moments and lots of heartache and tragey....good read, looking to read part 2.
December 4, 2013
Enjoyable read. 4.28
May 11, 2012
I love this book a must read!!!!
July 14, 2012
I have never cried this hard from reading a book! Definitely a five star read. All three books in this series are bangers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews