What do you think?
Rate this book
Tied: A Street Gang Novel
Two sisters. One wants in. One has a plan. But gang loyalty cuts family ties and even the best plan can derail.
Jess works, spends time with friends, and earns good grades in school. But she's also sole provider for her drug-addicted mother... And she hates it.
Her sister Nova holds a high-profile position in the Dynamite Queens. Within her turf Nova enjoys fame, fortune, freedom, and respect – at a cost of family life.
But Jess wants what Nova has and is willing to do anything to get it. After one explosive argument, Jess joins a rival gang, a decision that leads her down a path of brutal consequences.
South Central L. A. erupts with violence as two gangs – two sisters – wage war on each other. For the winner, victory could be unforgiving...
Jess works, spends time with friends, and earns good grades in school. But she's also sole provider for her drug-addicted mother... And she hates it.
Her sister Nova holds a high-profile position in the Dynamite Queens. Within her turf Nova enjoys fame, fortune, freedom, and respect – at a cost of family life.
But Jess wants what Nova has and is willing to do anything to get it. After one explosive argument, Jess joins a rival gang, a decision that leads her down a path of brutal consequences.
South Central L. A. erupts with violence as two gangs – two sisters – wage war on each other. For the winner, victory could be unforgiving...
316 pages, ebook
First published March 19, 2016
4 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Lee Gabel
12 books15 followersLee reads practically any genre. Plus, he's a movie junkie. That's a dangerous combination.
Traditionally trained as a screenwriter, Lee moved to writing multi-genre books in 2016 and is the author of six novels: Tied: A Street Gang Novel, David's Summer, Snipped: A Cutting Comedy, Vermin 2.0: Hunger Pains (Detest-A-Pest #1), Arachnid 2.0: Darkness Crawls (Detest-A-Pest #2), and Molerat 2.0: Terror Burrows (Detest-A-Pest #3). Lee will release a brand new three-book saga in 2022 and Detest-A-Pest #4 soon after.
Lee once walked 63.5 kilometers in thirteen hours. Why? Ask him. He loves to hear from readers. Past lives include working within the visual and dramatic arts landscape as a graphic designer, illustrator, visual effects artist, animator, and screenwriter. In 2005 he contributed to an Emmy award (LOST; "Pilot; Part 1 and Part 2") for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series.
In reality, Lee lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and son. In his head, he lives wherever his characters are.
Follow Lee on the Internet.
LeeGabel.com/links
Traditionally trained as a screenwriter, Lee moved to writing multi-genre books in 2016 and is the author of six novels: Tied: A Street Gang Novel, David's Summer, Snipped: A Cutting Comedy, Vermin 2.0: Hunger Pains (Detest-A-Pest #1), Arachnid 2.0: Darkness Crawls (Detest-A-Pest #2), and Molerat 2.0: Terror Burrows (Detest-A-Pest #3). Lee will release a brand new three-book saga in 2022 and Detest-A-Pest #4 soon after.
Lee once walked 63.5 kilometers in thirteen hours. Why? Ask him. He loves to hear from readers. Past lives include working within the visual and dramatic arts landscape as a graphic designer, illustrator, visual effects artist, animator, and screenwriter. In 2005 he contributed to an Emmy award (LOST; "Pilot; Part 1 and Part 2") for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series.
In reality, Lee lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and son. In his head, he lives wherever his characters are.
Follow Lee on the Internet.
LeeGabel.com/links
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 30, 2016
“A gritty novel” is one of those clichés that a reviewer hopes to avoid but I have to admit that periodically, while reading Lee Gabel’s Tied, I felt the need to take a cold drink of water, or even reach for the mouthwash, such was the stark harshness of much of this tale about gang warfare on the streets of South LA. There were few characters with which I could identify and few that I rooted for, although I was deeply saddened by the events that took over the lives of Jess, Samantha and Nova. All three girls had their lives dramatically affected and changed by the ruthless street “rules” and turf codes inflicted by the various gangs in their local district. Sisters Jess and Nova are gang members through their desperate need for the protection it offers but must cope with the vivid, unforgiving realities that are inflicted on each of them.
Drugs, guns, sex and violence permeate the novel from beginning to end, with a liberal sprinkling of strong expletives and non-PC dialogue from all of the characters. It is a story that demands the reader subsume themselves into the extreme gang land situations in order to try to accept the events that inevitably must unfold – “you had to be there” to understand what went on! This is a brave attempt by Gabel to relate a whole train of events from the point of view of a group of teenage girls immersed in gang culture and I think it works. The characters, their situations and their speech are believable and had me constantly thinking “If only…” and being grateful that my own life experience had not touched upon such things. My only doubts about the plot were a couple of conversations; between a teacher and Samantha, and then later with Jess. It felt unrealistic, though necessary in the train of events to follow.
Tied is a very well written crime thriller that has strong messages for all who read it. It is fast moving, intriguing, humourless and upsetting with an ending that left me breathless, thoughtful and sad. I can thoroughly recommend it to all who enjoy (?) a gritty crime novel and who have a strong constitution. I was given a copy of the book in exchange for an honest and objective review.
Drugs, guns, sex and violence permeate the novel from beginning to end, with a liberal sprinkling of strong expletives and non-PC dialogue from all of the characters. It is a story that demands the reader subsume themselves into the extreme gang land situations in order to try to accept the events that inevitably must unfold – “you had to be there” to understand what went on! This is a brave attempt by Gabel to relate a whole train of events from the point of view of a group of teenage girls immersed in gang culture and I think it works. The characters, their situations and their speech are believable and had me constantly thinking “If only…” and being grateful that my own life experience had not touched upon such things. My only doubts about the plot were a couple of conversations; between a teacher and Samantha, and then later with Jess. It felt unrealistic, though necessary in the train of events to follow.
Tied is a very well written crime thriller that has strong messages for all who read it. It is fast moving, intriguing, humourless and upsetting with an ending that left me breathless, thoughtful and sad. I can thoroughly recommend it to all who enjoy (?) a gritty crime novel and who have a strong constitution. I was given a copy of the book in exchange for an honest and objective review.
April 17, 2018
Tied
A story about two sisters who want to live & be in a gang. Jess looks up to her older sister who is a Dyamitic Queen(a female gang), but Nova thinks Jess doesn’t have what it takes to be a D.Q.!
A story about two sisters who want to live & be in a gang. Jess looks up to her older sister who is a Dyamitic Queen(a female gang), but Nova thinks Jess doesn’t have what it takes to be a D.Q.!
May 31, 2016
This story is very well thought out with believable characters and situations. Gabel does a great job drawing us into the life that many of us know nothing about.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews