Girls from Da Hood 12

Girls from Da Hood #12

by Treasure Hernandez, Katt, Paradise Gómez

“Short Stacks” by Treasure Honey has been working them streets for El-Jihad, selling his wares and keeping up her end of the bargain. He warned it was “three strikes and you’re out,” and she has already come up short twice. Now battered and bruised, Honey is laid up in the hospital, minus her product and the money. Twenty thousand dollars in the hole, Honey needs to make moves and come up with El-Jihad’s money by the end of the month or come up dead.

“Street Life Johnny’s in Love” by Strawberry has been a rather lucrative ho for Larry “Sir” Smalls; however, she’s been at it for a minute, and time is starting to have an effect on her mind and body. Strawberry wants to get off the mean streets, and she has one john who just may make it happen. Will Sir let her go without a fight?

“Payback” by Paradise  Jackie spent fifteen years in the state pen for stabbing the fool that had the audacity to put his hands on her. Now she’s home, trying to turn her life around, but it’s hard to get job as a violent ex-con. Jackie goes back to the streets to make that money and soon discovers that the block has changed since she’s been gone. The young guns don’t care who they put their hands on. Now swollen and out for revenge, will Jackie resort to the same violence that got her locked up, or can her family show her a new way out?

256 pages, Paperback

First published July 25, 2017

Reviews

[Paige Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short Stacks by Treasure (my fav street lit author) Honey is the skirt-suited, heroin-fronting heroine for deadbeat El-Jihad and D’Angelo. She’s got a Glock to his temple yet he’s brazen enough to spit on her white designer heels when it’s his gambling habits that brought him there.

Sweet girl Tari gets mixed up w/ gangsters to fund her ma’s experimental cancer treatment and wig business. Her friend Honey is similar but more cocksure and experienced, wanting to graduate away from her seedy step dad. There’s a lot of gun training, as well as cute female friendship while splurging and saving each other.

The next audio story is funnily narrated by what sounds like an older white man rather than a young latina working a trick. Real explicit and I can’t not imagine a guido Bill Maher instead of an eager escort. That’s worth listening to alone for the laughs. The MC goes by Strawberry and it follows her and her pimp, Sir. He’s all she’s known so she’s under his spell until he sends her to the hospital. She’s been reluctant to let people from her past find about her out of embarrassment and safety but Javier is respectful and even builds a confidante relationship with her. Despite the awkward erotic opening, the tone becomes very sweet and light with kids cheering on their romance. That is not to say things don’t get tense again, sentimental in an intense way as well. The elderly Consuela voice does kinda dampen the mood though and the tale ends kinda abrupt—maybe leaving it open for a part two.

The last story has fantastic voice, by a girl played by the bloody kingpin DeMarcus, saying, “How’s he gonna cheat on me with a girl with a crooked weave?” She is adoring until she tracks down his deceit, and finds him twice as cruel as she imagined—he even claims she attempted murder on him. My only gripe is how quickly her 15 yr prison sentence is glossed over (which why would it even be that much when she would’ve had physical evidence, probably time off for good behavior, and just generally being a pretty, young also wealthy woman?).

Anyway, she’s still optimistic though unforgiving when her barren aunt renters her life once she’s free. The aunt takes her in. More than that, she reveals she was heavily involved with Demarcus’s sweet dad who left her his Texas coke empire, hence why Demarcus started to resent the MC so heavily. Again, IDK why, if that was the case, she didn’t bail out her favorite niece AT ALL. Nonetheless, the dynamic becomes fast pace and fun with her becoming a pampered soldier to knock off Demarcus in the long run. The humor is good too, her trainer Marco poking fun about her age or the MC always wanting to get food instead of fight opps. Or when she’s like “hell no, I didn’t lez out in prison—girls serviced /me.” The pace of this story is an odd choice though, always year skips when you expect the action to just be starting. This book is one of the best in the series though, every piece solid, the writing filled in minus the occasional “music to my ears” cliche. Endings can be bittersweet but realistic.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

SHORT STACKS
Honey was no joke when it came to the game she didn't play and she knew the 3 strike rule she worked El -Jihad. You know 3 strikes you out.
STREET LIFE JOHNNY IN LOVE
MARIA "STRAWBERRY"CALICO having the man she loved pimp her out beat her to almost killing her glad she found love and killed the demon that hurt her and her family
PAYBACK
Jackie finally out of jail 15 yrs finally payback on the man and woman that put her there death was the end result and she is the Queen of Houston

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

These stories were OK. There are other Girls From Da Hood that are better. My favorite was probably the one by Treasure Hernandez... Other than that, the others weren't terrible. Just not memorable.
2.5 stars.

[Shà]

the first story was the best one and the last one was ok and the one in the middle eh i wasnt feeling at all. i can see why i never got in this series in the first place and this is not something i will continue to read ever

[Punkin · Rating 1 out of 5]

yeah i never really buy these books and i see why i wasnt impressed with the book Katt had the best the story the others not so good

[Twala Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

H

[Aleisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, I loved all three stories but my fave was Short Stacks by Treasure Hernandez with Honey. Keep up the great work!!!

[ChaTerra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the last story the most :)