Innercity Girl Like Me

by Sabrina Bernardo

After being abused by her uncle, G Child goes to live with her grandmother in the Central downtown area of Winnipeg. There, she is surrounded by kids who roam the apartment blocks, smoking and drinking and doing drugs. she meets Jessica and Gina, who become her best friends, and gets to know Gina’s older brother, Roland, founder of the Central outfit of the Diablos gang. As a young teen she is initiated into the Diablos and starts joining their campaign against the rival gang, the street Ryders (so named because they make their money pimping out girls). embracing the solidarity of gang membership, G Child feels loved and part of a family. But the stakes rise when the street Ryders kill a friend, and as G Child gets in deeper, moving in with her fellow gang girlfriends and selling crack to make money, she finds herself questioning her lifestyle. When someone she trusts reveals a dark, abusive streak, G Child knows it’s time to get out. But can she escape gang life before it kills her? A compelling read based on real-life experience, Innercity Girl Like Me is a brutally authentic look at gang life in Canada.

Genres: Canada, Contemporary, Drugs, Young Adult, Fiction

291 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Sabrina Bernardo was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It was there that she witnessed gang violence and culture first-hand. She later based her first novel, Innercity Girl like Me, on the events she witnessed. Ms. Bernardo currently lives in Toronto.

Reviews

[Ohbokkqh · Rating 5 out of 5]

i think this is an interesting book i've every read, make more of it .. and yeah all i gota say is ... i fucking love this book!

[Canadian Children's Book Centre]

“I’m moving to the North End in a few weeks. That means I won’t be joining the Diablos. I’ll be a Street Ryder when I grow up.” A nine-year-old girl in Winnipeg talks to her friends in this first novel by Sabrina Bernardo, who, according to book’s blurb, “witnessed gang culture up close.” Though her writing is sometimes awkward, it rings true. It is this authentic look at gang culture – its appeal, its language, its organization, its shifting loyalties – that is the real strength of the book. Equally important, like Carrie Mac in The Beckoners, the author takes us into the world of violent women in a gang where women have full membership rather than being “associates,” yet still find themselves in abusive relationships. Told in the first-person, the novel is the story of Maria, who moves into her Portuguese grandmother’s downtown neighbourhood and becomes a Diablo. Maria is attracted by the cool kids who get into trouble and command respect with their red gang caps and bandannas. Like many gang members, she feels abandoned by her own family and, at 13, submits willingly to the four-for-five beating that constitutes initiation – to find a new family and new identity as G Child (Gangster Child). Power, respect and solidarity become the buzzwords. Drugs, sex and violence are casual, but violence is described as the real rush. These are mean streets we go down, where everyone has to watch their backs and a trip to a movie in the wrong part of town can spark retaliation. Maria’s complex relationships with her friends, especially the fierce Gina, and the shifting gang loyalties keep the plot moving. By the time she is 20, G Child’s “work for the set” has moved from graffiti to dealing crack. The glory of the red bandanna fades as the business side emerges, and the deaths hit closer to home as a disillusioned Maria hopes to tear herself free. The street language, sex and violence that mark gang culture and bring it to raw life in this book make it more suitable for a high school audience.

Reviewed by Brenda Halliday in Canadian Children's Book News
Summer 2008 VOL.31 NO.3

[Krystle Krystlesbookclub · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure I would have finished this book if I hadn't been buddy reading it with my kids from work. But I'm glad I did. The first half of the book glorified gang life, drugs, and drug dealing a little more than I would have liked.
I enjoyed our main character struggles with balancing her morals and her choices. It's a heartbreaking story of a girl who joins a gang with her friend and can't find her way out until it's nearly too late.

[Linnea · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was really really intense but soooo good
okay the writing made me think that joining a gang was a good idea, back when g child wanted to, but I really felt like I was seeing every part of gangs perfectly. the murder, stealing, jails, abuse, but also the fun, the friendship, the money. I liked the ending. I think it ended very well. some might say it's a cliffhanger but I think it was perfect.

[Kristy Trauzzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

How do you get into a gang? What if you decide that you don't want to be in a gang? What do you do while in a gang? These are some of the questions I asked him one day while we were having a discussion on gangs around the city. Obviously, he couldn't answer the questions. Some he could. Then just by fluke chance, this book entered my store. And I was like SCORE! Let me learn. I wanna know! This book didn't really do that. It left me more questions then answers. First I thought it was an autobiography, but it wasn't. And while this author claims she grew up around gangs, I don't really think she was very close to them. I'm not going to list all my questions, but if anyone has a recommendation for a good "gang" book, I would love to hear it. Mildly disappointed.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This book was what I expected, talking about gang life in Winnipeg from an early age. It reads like a true-story and it's sad to think of the many lives impacted by gang violence and lifestyle. It was a quick read, went through the whole book today with a long trip to the fair in the middle of the day. I was quite caught up with the characters by the end of the story and rooting for G Child.

[Amber Waterhen · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG this is by far one the best books ive ever read.. I can sit there and read it over and over again.. <3

[Kihara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title for this novel is important to the story because it lets readers know that the book is about an innercity girl, a girl that lives in a bad poor neighbourhood. The author’s name is Sabrina Bernardo, Harper Trophy Canada published the book January 17th 2008, there are a total of 293 pages in the book. My rating of stars for this book is 4. The type of people that might like this book are people, mostly teenagers, that are interested in drama, gangs, and violence.

The book I read is about a 10 year old girl named Maria who moves to her grandmother’s house because her uncle use to “touch her when nobody was home”. She made new friends, not the best crowd but people she really wanted to hang out with and ended up getting herself into serious gang affiliation with the Diablos at just the age of 13. I did enjoy this book while reading it, it kept me very interested throughout the whole book. My favourite part of this book was when Gina, G-child, Jessica and Violet became best friends. My least favourite part of the book was when Maria, also referred to as G-child, realizes the guy she’s been dating is really against her and has secretly been plotting on her and her friends. If I could change something it would be Jay, G-child’s “boyfriend”, switching up on her and instead actually loving her and having a perfect life with her. As of now, this is the best book I’ve read honestly in my opinion I just enjoy the story. I definitely would read it again and react the same to the book. This books basically about kids who join gangs for unnecessary reasons or because something with their families and end up too affiliated with the gang and realizing that that’s not the life for them.

Sabrina Bernardo is the author of this book. This is her first novel she wrote. She grew up in Winnipeg, most of the events in this book are based on Sabrina’s experiences as a teenager. The author now lives in Toronto. Overall, I enjoyed reading this novel and I would highly recommend it to people that enjoy reading about drama, gangs and violence.

[Debi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gave it a three because I was not to keen on the ending, and it was not a OMG I need to rush out and get this book right away kind of read, but it was interesting enough that I finished it quickly.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my thing, rather ludicrous.
I only read it bc I was told it was a true story about a girl from Winnipeg. Spoiler alert- it's not. It's fiction- and reads like it was written by a teenager.

[Stefanie Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so surprised that not many people have read this book - it's absolutely one of my all-time favourites! I find that although the story may not be accurate in all respects, I feel it really gives a look into the lifestyle of these rough Winnipeg teens. Winnipeg is still a gang city to this day, and Canadian police just aren't as equipped to deal with it. The story of G child is very exhilerating in that you just want to reach into the book and save her life. This book is definitely for older teens. There is a ton of sex, crime, drug use, and domestic violence. This is a book where every consequence is tangible and real - each death or tragedy woven together with this set of characters. A quick and fascinating read.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fast paced and kept my attention. I wasn't fond of the main character - I found her difficult to relate to - I much preferred her friends Jessica and Violet.
While I don't mind swearing in novels, I found that the language was slightly offensive at times. I understand that they are in a gang but much of it was unnecessary.
I thought it was an interesting topic to explore but wished it were less cliche and surface-y.

[Noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

an exciting and great book!

A book that deals with great character development and a character that transforms over the course of the book. Introduced to the world of gangs she thinks its all fun and games. Things take a wicked twist in this suspensful novel. A great book for teens. Great plot, great characters good, character arcs and development.

4 stars!

[comrade mum · Rating 2 out of 5]

not very realistic... the characters and situations were extremely cliché. made me cry a few times, though, so it wasn't a complete loss.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best book in the world but reminded me of my younger years hanging out with wanna be hood rats. Lol

[Cassie Marr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book I have read it more then seven times

[Steacy Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good. its about gangs and such which Im clearly NOT into but this book captivated me. fully. I would read it again.

[Feathzzz · Rating 4 out of 5]

read while in jail. Actual rating: 3.7