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Last Summer on State Street
For fans of Jacqueline Woodson and Brit Bennett, a striking coming-of-age debut about friendship, community, and resilience, set in the housing projects of Chicago during one life-changing summer.
Even when we lose it all, we find the strength to rebuild.
Felicia "Fe Fe" Stevens is living with her vigilantly loving mother and older teenaged brother, whom she adores, in building 4950 of Chicago's Robert Taylor Homes. It's the summer of 1999, and her high-rise is next in line to be torn down by the Chicago Housing Authority. She, with the devout Precious Brown and Stacia Buchanan, daughter of a Gangster Disciple Queen-Pin, form a tentative trio and, for a brief moment, carve out for themselves a simple life of Double Dutch and innocence. But when Fe Fe welcomes a mysterious new friend, Tonya, into their fold, the dynamics shift, upending the lives of all four girls.
As their beloved neighborhood falls down around them, so too do their friendships and the structures of the four girls' families. Fe Fe must make the painful decision of whom she can trust and whom she must let go. Decades later, as she remembers that fateful summer--just before her home was demolished, her life uprooted, and community forever changed--Fe Fe tries to make sense of the grief and fraught bonds that still haunt her and attempts to reclaim the love that never left.
Profound, reverent, and uplifting, Landmarks explores the risk of connection against the backdrop of racist institutions, the restorative power of knowing and claiming one's own past, and those defining relationships which form the heartbeat of our lives. Interweaving moments of reckoning and sustaining grace, debut author Toya Wolfe has crafted an era-defining story of finding a home -- both in one's history and in one's self.
Even when we lose it all, we find the strength to rebuild.
Felicia "Fe Fe" Stevens is living with her vigilantly loving mother and older teenaged brother, whom she adores, in building 4950 of Chicago's Robert Taylor Homes. It's the summer of 1999, and her high-rise is next in line to be torn down by the Chicago Housing Authority. She, with the devout Precious Brown and Stacia Buchanan, daughter of a Gangster Disciple Queen-Pin, form a tentative trio and, for a brief moment, carve out for themselves a simple life of Double Dutch and innocence. But when Fe Fe welcomes a mysterious new friend, Tonya, into their fold, the dynamics shift, upending the lives of all four girls.
As their beloved neighborhood falls down around them, so too do their friendships and the structures of the four girls' families. Fe Fe must make the painful decision of whom she can trust and whom she must let go. Decades later, as she remembers that fateful summer--just before her home was demolished, her life uprooted, and community forever changed--Fe Fe tries to make sense of the grief and fraught bonds that still haunt her and attempts to reclaim the love that never left.
Profound, reverent, and uplifting, Landmarks explores the risk of connection against the backdrop of racist institutions, the restorative power of knowing and claiming one's own past, and those defining relationships which form the heartbeat of our lives. Interweaving moments of reckoning and sustaining grace, debut author Toya Wolfe has crafted an era-defining story of finding a home -- both in one's history and in one's self.
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 14, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,650 reviews
May 15, 2022
the truth is that judging books by their covers WORKS.
i 100% picked this up for the gorgeous cover, and i got not just prettiness but also:
- a great read for fans of jacqueline woodson (i am a fan of jacqueline woodson)
- a powerful story
- a brilliant and real capturing of childhood
another win for the shallow girls!
this story was written in a hindsight perspective and sometimes switched, and as everyone knows i hate any kind of changing perspective, but i liked this anyway.
a miracle.
bottom line: covers forever!!!
(thanks to netgalley etc for the e-arc)
i 100% picked this up for the gorgeous cover, and i got not just prettiness but also:
- a great read for fans of jacqueline woodson (i am a fan of jacqueline woodson)
- a powerful story
- a brilliant and real capturing of childhood
another win for the shallow girls!
this story was written in a hindsight perspective and sometimes switched, and as everyone knows i hate any kind of changing perspective, but i liked this anyway.
a miracle.
bottom line: covers forever!!!
(thanks to netgalley etc for the e-arc)
July 18, 2022
Reviewed in the July 2022 edition of Quick Lit on Modern Mrs Darcy:
I picked this new release up because of the gorgeous cover and wasn't disappointed. This coming of age debut set in the housing projects of 1990s Chicago unfolds over the course of one summer. As summer begins, we meet three young girls, all about age 11, who've formed a comfortable trio and spend their summer days double-dutching on the hot concrete under the watchful eyes of their neighbors, who have all been alerted they'll soon be displaced and moved (if they're lucky) to a different apartment block. When a new girl joins their friend group the circle, instead of growing larger, is broken, and things will never be the same for any of the four, who are largely left on their own to deal with the escalating threats around them. Beautifully told and utterly heartbreaking. Content warnings apply.
I picked this new release up because of the gorgeous cover and wasn't disappointed. This coming of age debut set in the housing projects of 1990s Chicago unfolds over the course of one summer. As summer begins, we meet three young girls, all about age 11, who've formed a comfortable trio and spend their summer days double-dutching on the hot concrete under the watchful eyes of their neighbors, who have all been alerted they'll soon be displaced and moved (if they're lucky) to a different apartment block. When a new girl joins their friend group the circle, instead of growing larger, is broken, and things will never be the same for any of the four, who are largely left on their own to deal with the escalating threats around them. Beautifully told and utterly heartbreaking. Content warnings apply.
July 9, 2022
Last Summer on State Street is a coming of age story about Felicia (Fe Fe) Stevens, a 12 year old who is spending summer in the Robert Taylor Homes of Chicago before the buildings are torn down, forcing all the residents to relocate elsewhere. She lives there with her loving mom and older teenage brother. Fe Fe jumps rope with a few other girls and they must be cautious of the dangers in their neighborhood including drug addicts and gang members. With all of the activity occurring around them, their friendships are tested.
”We will meet people; they will transform us. We will see things that will age us.”
The story, set in 1999, is mostly told through Fe Fe’s perspective as a 12 year old then but I enjoyed the adult perspectives too, where she looks back on how living there, and that summer in particular, shaped her life, yet doesn’t solely define her. While Last Summer on State Street is fictional, it felt like a memoir — Debut author Toya Wolfe grew up in the Robert Taylor Homes. I enjoyed reading this moving story and felt for what Fe Fe, her family, and other residents had to endure.
”We will meet people; they will transform us. We will see things that will age us.”
The story, set in 1999, is mostly told through Fe Fe’s perspective as a 12 year old then but I enjoyed the adult perspectives too, where she looks back on how living there, and that summer in particular, shaped her life, yet doesn’t solely define her. While Last Summer on State Street is fictional, it felt like a memoir — Debut author Toya Wolfe grew up in the Robert Taylor Homes. I enjoyed reading this moving story and felt for what Fe Fe, her family, and other residents had to endure.
September 7, 2025
I’ll start by saying this… This book DID NOT… I repeat…DID NOT feel like a debut in the least bit.
This story was sooo good and yet heartbreaking, suspenseful, touching, hell… all the adjectives!
This one follows four Chicago girls living in the Robert Taylor Homes (housing projects) in 1999, and their lives in the midst of the deconstruction of the community (true event but fictional story).
The author did an amazing job with story that I’m sure is near and dear to her being a product of Robert Taylor homes.
This read more like a memoir as opposed to a fictional story by the way the author would sprinkle in what the main character FeFe learned from certain situations later as an adult.
I am highly recommending this one for all to read. It’s so eye opening and simply an unforgettable story.
February 3, 2022
This was a remarkably haunting, beautiful, and shocking debut novel. I am absolutely floored that this is the author’s first work - it is almost flawless.
Wolfe describes the atmosphere of living in the housing projects of Chicago in 1999 with raw, unfettered emotion. It’s a realistic depiction of what occurs in the inner city, from the poverty, the gangs, the violence, and everything in between. She doesn’t sugar-coat a thing; so please be aware of this going into the novel. It’s incredibly violent, but with every shocking word that was difficult to get through, it served a purpose and helped to paint what is still a realistic scene for those living in environments such as this.
I appreciated having the perspective of a child throughout the book. As I worked in law enforcement prior to this, I have to state that some of the saddest scenes I witnessed and what bothered me so often was, “where do the children come out in all this? How are they effected?” Seeing this myself was always something that broke my heart, so reading these stories made it even harder. While I know FeFe was was a fictionalized character, I have seen many a FeFe, and know she’s real. The author did such a wonderful job writing how deeply growing up in places like this impacts the children and forces them to grow up much quicker.
I am positive this book is going to be recognized as one of the most impactful reads of 2022. There is so much I can say that’s good about it, but Instagram only allows so much space. Just know you’re going to want to preorder this one.
VERDICT: 5 STARS
TV REC: Today I’m switching it up, because I feel this book deserves this mention over a song. If you want a realistic depiction of the inner city and law enforcement, please watch “The Wire.” It definitely is a great representation of the content you see in this book.
Thank you so much to William Morrow and NetGalley for an ARC of this one. Review will be posted soon on Instagram!
Wolfe describes the atmosphere of living in the housing projects of Chicago in 1999 with raw, unfettered emotion. It’s a realistic depiction of what occurs in the inner city, from the poverty, the gangs, the violence, and everything in between. She doesn’t sugar-coat a thing; so please be aware of this going into the novel. It’s incredibly violent, but with every shocking word that was difficult to get through, it served a purpose and helped to paint what is still a realistic scene for those living in environments such as this.
I appreciated having the perspective of a child throughout the book. As I worked in law enforcement prior to this, I have to state that some of the saddest scenes I witnessed and what bothered me so often was, “where do the children come out in all this? How are they effected?” Seeing this myself was always something that broke my heart, so reading these stories made it even harder. While I know FeFe was was a fictionalized character, I have seen many a FeFe, and know she’s real. The author did such a wonderful job writing how deeply growing up in places like this impacts the children and forces them to grow up much quicker.
I am positive this book is going to be recognized as one of the most impactful reads of 2022. There is so much I can say that’s good about it, but Instagram only allows so much space. Just know you’re going to want to preorder this one.
VERDICT: 5 STARS
TV REC: Today I’m switching it up, because I feel this book deserves this mention over a song. If you want a realistic depiction of the inner city and law enforcement, please watch “The Wire.” It definitely is a great representation of the content you see in this book.
Thank you so much to William Morrow and NetGalley for an ARC of this one. Review will be posted soon on Instagram!
December 11, 2023
Loved loved loved!!! Review to come…
January 24, 2023
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Last Summer on State Street is a scintillating and profoundly poignant coming-of-age novel charting Fe Fe’s fraught girlhood & the tragic dissolution of her friendship group.
Our narrator, Fe Fe, looks back to the summer of 1999, her last summer in the housing projects of Chicago. She used to spend her days with her closest friends playing Double Dutch, blissfully unaware of the events to come. The introduction of a fourth girl into her group upsets certain dynamics, and Fe Fe finds herself torn between developing a new friendship and holding onto her old ones. But friend-drama is not all that occupies her mind, as Fe Fe soon grows apprehensive at how her community is being upended from their neighbourhood, with high-rises being torn down by the Chicago Housing Authority. In addition, Fe Fe has to reckon with the gang-related activities and their hold on two of her friends. After a police ‘raid’ results in Fe Fe’s older brother being detained, he too spins further away from her, as he finds security and purpose in joining the local gang. Fe Fe not only has to cope without her beloved brother and two of her friends (one who has gone missing, the other seems out to get her) but her mother’s depression and heartbreak at her son’s ‘chosen’ path. Fe Fe wants to help those she loves, her friends, her brother, and her community, but she is soon forced to recognise that you can’t always save others, especially if they think that they do not need saving, to begin with. The narrative grapples with questions of right and wrong, but in a way that feels anything but simplistic or moralistic. There is a certain open-endedness and ambiguity to Fe Fe’s story that made her experiences seem all the more real. I found her struggles all the more affecting as I am myself experiencing a situation where I want to help someone who is very self-destructive and unwilling/unable to accept that they need help to begin with (to be less vague: the person in question is my father who is an alcoholic & drug addict).
A sense of apprehension permeates much of the narrative, and the possibility of danger is always around the corner. From the brutal taking of Fe Fe’s brother to the disappearance of Fe Fe’s new friend. While the narrator does render the fear and anxiety created by living in such proximity to gangs, her ‘adult’ knowledge allows her to view their actions with more nuance. That is not to say that she condones their violence and criminal activities but we see how racial institutions promote the formation of such gangs as well as interrogating the trauma and alienation that would lead someone to join them. For instance, in the case of Fe Fe’s brother, we see how disempowered and afraid he feels after he is the victim of discrimination & racial profiling at the hands of the police. Or how difficult it is to untangle yourself from a gang if your entire family is part of that gang.
In addition to presenting us with a bittersweet portrait of female friendships & Black girlhood, the author explores the hyper-sexualisation & adultification of young Black girls, the criminalization of young Black men, and the bleak realities of living with neglectful and/or dysfunctional parents. Over the course of this summer, Fe Fe is forced into growing up, and we are forced to witness her trying to navigate dangerous and otherwise untenable circumstances. As those she loves to seem to spin further and further away from her, Fe Fe desperately struggles to hold onto them. As she watches her world irrevocably change, Fe Fe begins to identify & recognize the unjust systems that enable such damage to occur.
Despite the novel’s subject matter, Fe Fe’s voice retains a lightness and hope that made even the most upsetting scenes ‘bearable’ (that is to say that of course they were still distressing but i was able to keep on reading). While there are a lot of heartbreaking moments, resilience & hope underline Fe Fe’s recollection of her past. We also see her friendship with Precious Brown and the affectionate bond she shares with an older woman in the neighbourhood ground her and provide her with a sense of self-worth & inner strength. Her faith also plays a role in her ‘coming of age’, and even if I am not religious, I found her relationship to her faith touching and depicted with subtelty.
My one ‘but’ has to do with the letter and those diary entries we get towards the end. They struck me as out of place, vaguely ‘off’ in that the voices there sounded not from the ppl they were meant to be by but by Fe Fe herself (or someone who was not in their position but was trying, not so successfully, to put themselves in their shoes). I think they were a tad contrived.
Overall I really loved this. The writing is (deceptively) breezy & lyrical, the topics are hard-hitting, and the characters are complex, their imperfections & flaws making them all the more realistic. I can definitely see this appealing to fans of authors such as Jacqueline Woodson, Danielle Evans, and Patricia Engel, not only because they also tend to explore 'girlhood', but their styles share a certain shining quality that makes for very captivating reads.
“Our friendships started with “What’s your name?” The answer carried with it looks that I can still see clearly: Stacia’s begged me not to talk to her, and Tonya’s asked, “Is she talking to me?!” We got past those facial expressions and gave our names. Names that sound like heartbeats: Fe Fe, Precious, Stacia, Tonya.”
Last Summer on State Street is a scintillating and profoundly poignant coming-of-age novel charting Fe Fe’s fraught girlhood & the tragic dissolution of her friendship group.
“We were so different, but everybody loved them some double Dutch. Sometimes we made a tight-knit crew; other days we couldn’t get along for nothing.”
Our narrator, Fe Fe, looks back to the summer of 1999, her last summer in the housing projects of Chicago. She used to spend her days with her closest friends playing Double Dutch, blissfully unaware of the events to come. The introduction of a fourth girl into her group upsets certain dynamics, and Fe Fe finds herself torn between developing a new friendship and holding onto her old ones. But friend-drama is not all that occupies her mind, as Fe Fe soon grows apprehensive at how her community is being upended from their neighbourhood, with high-rises being torn down by the Chicago Housing Authority. In addition, Fe Fe has to reckon with the gang-related activities and their hold on two of her friends. After a police ‘raid’ results in Fe Fe’s older brother being detained, he too spins further away from her, as he finds security and purpose in joining the local gang. Fe Fe not only has to cope without her beloved brother and two of her friends (one who has gone missing, the other seems out to get her) but her mother’s depression and heartbreak at her son’s ‘chosen’ path. Fe Fe wants to help those she loves, her friends, her brother, and her community, but she is soon forced to recognise that you can’t always save others, especially if they think that they do not need saving, to begin with. The narrative grapples with questions of right and wrong, but in a way that feels anything but simplistic or moralistic. There is a certain open-endedness and ambiguity to Fe Fe’s story that made her experiences seem all the more real. I found her struggles all the more affecting as I am myself experiencing a situation where I want to help someone who is very self-destructive and unwilling/unable to accept that they need help to begin with (to be less vague: the person in question is my father who is an alcoholic & drug addict).
“That summer, one by one, they dropped out of sight as if we were in a game of All in Together.”
A sense of apprehension permeates much of the narrative, and the possibility of danger is always around the corner. From the brutal taking of Fe Fe’s brother to the disappearance of Fe Fe’s new friend. While the narrator does render the fear and anxiety created by living in such proximity to gangs, her ‘adult’ knowledge allows her to view their actions with more nuance. That is not to say that she condones their violence and criminal activities but we see how racial institutions promote the formation of such gangs as well as interrogating the trauma and alienation that would lead someone to join them. For instance, in the case of Fe Fe’s brother, we see how disempowered and afraid he feels after he is the victim of discrimination & racial profiling at the hands of the police. Or how difficult it is to untangle yourself from a gang if your entire family is part of that gang.
In addition to presenting us with a bittersweet portrait of female friendships & Black girlhood, the author explores the hyper-sexualisation & adultification of young Black girls, the criminalization of young Black men, and the bleak realities of living with neglectful and/or dysfunctional parents. Over the course of this summer, Fe Fe is forced into growing up, and we are forced to witness her trying to navigate dangerous and otherwise untenable circumstances. As those she loves to seem to spin further and further away from her, Fe Fe desperately struggles to hold onto them. As she watches her world irrevocably change, Fe Fe begins to identify & recognize the unjust systems that enable such damage to occur.
Despite the novel’s subject matter, Fe Fe’s voice retains a lightness and hope that made even the most upsetting scenes ‘bearable’ (that is to say that of course they were still distressing but i was able to keep on reading). While there are a lot of heartbreaking moments, resilience & hope underline Fe Fe’s recollection of her past. We also see her friendship with Precious Brown and the affectionate bond she shares with an older woman in the neighbourhood ground her and provide her with a sense of self-worth & inner strength. Her faith also plays a role in her ‘coming of age’, and even if I am not religious, I found her relationship to her faith touching and depicted with subtelty.
My one ‘but’ has to do with the letter and those diary entries we get towards the end. They struck me as out of place, vaguely ‘off’ in that the voices there sounded not from the ppl they were meant to be by but by Fe Fe herself (or someone who was not in their position but was trying, not so successfully, to put themselves in their shoes). I think they were a tad contrived.
Overall I really loved this. The writing is (deceptively) breezy & lyrical, the topics are hard-hitting, and the characters are complex, their imperfections & flaws making them all the more realistic. I can definitely see this appealing to fans of authors such as Jacqueline Woodson, Danielle Evans, and Patricia Engel, not only because they also tend to explore 'girlhood', but their styles share a certain shining quality that makes for very captivating reads.
February 4, 2022
This was a home run debut. Toya Wolfe writes beautifully and the story was so vivid I had to keep double checking that this was indeed a novel and not a memoir. As a black girl who was 12 years old in 99 and lived in an inner city she captured the essence of the era and voices perfectly. The characters and this story will stay with me for a long time. Thank you Netgalley, it was an honor to read and review this ARC.
July 31, 2022
State Street that great street, or so the song lyrics go, the street of Marshall Fields and hub of Chicago’s downtown. When I heard about this debut by Toya Wolfe, I was giddy only because I did not read a synopsis, just thought of this famous song. Although it would be fascinating to take a time warp to state street when it was the hub of activity, Wolfe’s debut takes readers to the other end of State Street, to 1999 when Mayor Daley has scheduled the Robert Taylor Homes for demolition. Told through the eyes of twelve year old Felicia “FeFe” Stevens, this novel is part coming of age and part retrospective as Wolfe takes readers down memory lane of what could have been her own childhood.
I was moved to read State Street because the library blurb said for fans of Jacqueline Woodson, a favored author of mine. What in enjoy about Woodson is that she can flesh out multilayered characters in a short period of time. Wolfe in this debut is on the path toward doing the same. We meet FeFe and enter her world. Every day in Robert Taylor Homes is tense because as more and more buildings are scheduled to be torn down, families who are not lease compliant are forced to relocate to the remaining project homes, including FeFe’s 4950 State Street. Her parking lot becomes a center of gang activity and FeFe’s mother, a single state at home mom by choice, does her best to keep FeFe and her older brother Meechie out of it. Along with Mama Pearl, FeFe’s grandmother by choice, friend Precious Brown and her family, and middle school teacher Ms Pierce, one can sense that FeFe has a strong support system. With many adults looking out for her, one can only hope that FeFe makes it out and succeeds in life.
As the colors on the cover suggest, the last summer on State Street is vibrant and full of activity. FeFe and friends transition from playing double Dutch licking snow cones and Cheetos to making choices that will guide the rest of their lives. FeFe and Precious know to stay out of trouble, but their friend Stacia Buchanan, the daughter of a gang leader, is not so fortunate. Neither is Tonya, a girl who has just moved to 4950 State Street, whose family life is a wreck. Not is Meechie, who without a father figure in his life, gets sucked into the world of gangsta rap and gang activity. He claims that a gang is a family that has his back, albeit a family that sells drugs and participates in the ongoing shootings that FeFe hears from her parking lot. This is the only world that the Stevens know but FeFe appears to be a well mannered girl who hopefully survives.
FeFe’s mother did not choose to be a stay at home mom to lose her children to the streets; she did so to see her children make it, even going so far to take FeFe and her friends to the annual July 3 fireworks display in Grant Park. Exposing these girls to a happy occasion even for one night makes readers and the characters forget about the violence awaiting them back home. Sadly, this happiness is short lived as upon leaving the bus at 4950 State the characters are met by yet more shootings and gang activity. With 4950 scheduled to be demolished at the end of the summer, one can only hope that some of the characters make it out alive.
When Mayor Daley originally decided to raze the Robert Taylor Homes, he did so with the intention of rebuilding affordable housing for people from all facets of society. Twenty three years later, the area has still not been repurposed. One person who did make it out of Robert Taylor and succeeded is Toya Wolfe. She attended Columbia College and went on to obtain an MFA in fine arts. Last Summer on State Street could be describing her childhood of double Dutch, snow cones, and reading indoors to avoid gang activity. Writing about what one knows is always best, leading Wolfe to provide introspective on multi layered characters. I look forward to seeing where her next novel will take us.
🌇 3.5 stars rounded up 🌇
I was moved to read State Street because the library blurb said for fans of Jacqueline Woodson, a favored author of mine. What in enjoy about Woodson is that she can flesh out multilayered characters in a short period of time. Wolfe in this debut is on the path toward doing the same. We meet FeFe and enter her world. Every day in Robert Taylor Homes is tense because as more and more buildings are scheduled to be torn down, families who are not lease compliant are forced to relocate to the remaining project homes, including FeFe’s 4950 State Street. Her parking lot becomes a center of gang activity and FeFe’s mother, a single state at home mom by choice, does her best to keep FeFe and her older brother Meechie out of it. Along with Mama Pearl, FeFe’s grandmother by choice, friend Precious Brown and her family, and middle school teacher Ms Pierce, one can sense that FeFe has a strong support system. With many adults looking out for her, one can only hope that FeFe makes it out and succeeds in life.
As the colors on the cover suggest, the last summer on State Street is vibrant and full of activity. FeFe and friends transition from playing double Dutch licking snow cones and Cheetos to making choices that will guide the rest of their lives. FeFe and Precious know to stay out of trouble, but their friend Stacia Buchanan, the daughter of a gang leader, is not so fortunate. Neither is Tonya, a girl who has just moved to 4950 State Street, whose family life is a wreck. Not is Meechie, who without a father figure in his life, gets sucked into the world of gangsta rap and gang activity. He claims that a gang is a family that has his back, albeit a family that sells drugs and participates in the ongoing shootings that FeFe hears from her parking lot. This is the only world that the Stevens know but FeFe appears to be a well mannered girl who hopefully survives.
FeFe’s mother did not choose to be a stay at home mom to lose her children to the streets; she did so to see her children make it, even going so far to take FeFe and her friends to the annual July 3 fireworks display in Grant Park. Exposing these girls to a happy occasion even for one night makes readers and the characters forget about the violence awaiting them back home. Sadly, this happiness is short lived as upon leaving the bus at 4950 State the characters are met by yet more shootings and gang activity. With 4950 scheduled to be demolished at the end of the summer, one can only hope that some of the characters make it out alive.
When Mayor Daley originally decided to raze the Robert Taylor Homes, he did so with the intention of rebuilding affordable housing for people from all facets of society. Twenty three years later, the area has still not been repurposed. One person who did make it out of Robert Taylor and succeeded is Toya Wolfe. She attended Columbia College and went on to obtain an MFA in fine arts. Last Summer on State Street could be describing her childhood of double Dutch, snow cones, and reading indoors to avoid gang activity. Writing about what one knows is always best, leading Wolfe to provide introspective on multi layered characters. I look forward to seeing where her next novel will take us.
🌇 3.5 stars rounded up 🌇
June 30, 2022
WOW. WOW. WOW.
“Overcrowded with bricks, and gates, and too many people.”
Born and raised in Chicago, my father a Detective with the Chicago Police Department, I can remember different points in my life driving by the Robert Taylor Homes on State Street, staring at them from the safety of the car. And every time, not being able to tear my eyes away from the slum, the broken and burned out windows, some boarded up, some left exposed to the elements, the graffiti, and most shocking: along each floor there ran from one side of the building to the other, a metal gate enclosing each outdoor hallway to keep people from throwing things, or each other, over the side. As a little girl it was a wonder, it was scary, and it was completely foreign. As a young adult it made me thank my lucky stars that I lived in a safe and nurturing community; the same city, but what felt like an entirely different planet.
This story brought me to tears. Getting to know Fe Fe, Stacia, Precious, and Tonya was my absolute pleasure. I found myself researching the history of the Robert Taylor Homes, looking at old images on Google, needing to know so much more about this public housing disaster than what I had just come to accept long ago as a scar, an ugliness on my beautiful city.
It is astounding to me that this is a debut author, and I will surely pick up the next thing that she writes. I highly, highly recommend the audiobook, as the narrator revealed heartbreaking, profound, and shocking events as if this were a biography. She brought magical life to these little girls and a beautiful voice to the women they became.
Many thanks to author, Toya Wolfe and narrator Shayna Small for telling this story. It will stay with me for a long time. 💜
“Overcrowded with bricks, and gates, and too many people.”
Born and raised in Chicago, my father a Detective with the Chicago Police Department, I can remember different points in my life driving by the Robert Taylor Homes on State Street, staring at them from the safety of the car. And every time, not being able to tear my eyes away from the slum, the broken and burned out windows, some boarded up, some left exposed to the elements, the graffiti, and most shocking: along each floor there ran from one side of the building to the other, a metal gate enclosing each outdoor hallway to keep people from throwing things, or each other, over the side. As a little girl it was a wonder, it was scary, and it was completely foreign. As a young adult it made me thank my lucky stars that I lived in a safe and nurturing community; the same city, but what felt like an entirely different planet.
This story brought me to tears. Getting to know Fe Fe, Stacia, Precious, and Tonya was my absolute pleasure. I found myself researching the history of the Robert Taylor Homes, looking at old images on Google, needing to know so much more about this public housing disaster than what I had just come to accept long ago as a scar, an ugliness on my beautiful city.
It is astounding to me that this is a debut author, and I will surely pick up the next thing that she writes. I highly, highly recommend the audiobook, as the narrator revealed heartbreaking, profound, and shocking events as if this were a biography. She brought magical life to these little girls and a beautiful voice to the women they became.
Many thanks to author, Toya Wolfe and narrator Shayna Small for telling this story. It will stay with me for a long time. 💜
August 28, 2022
Let’s start by saying: I am really glad that Toya Wolfe wrote this book!
It’s a moving, multidimensional story of a specific location: one of the remaining Robert Taylor Homes buildings at the time when the Chicago Housing Authority was tearing down its public housing. The location doesn’t come across as a gimmicky “the place is a character too” situation—moreso, Toya Wolfe commits to showing the details of the place as a child would experience them, and the psychological imprint that this particular type of home/community forms on the actual characters. You can tell, given her childhood in the homes, that it’s important to lay out these things as somewhat of a time capsule.
I also thought most of the relationships that Felicia had with her friends, family, and neighbors were realistic to a 12-year old’s take on the world. These relationships also did a lot of work to fill in the exposition of what led to this point in Chicago’s built environment. You have a lot of carefully weaved stories about the families’ roots in Mississippi, told via the elder characters in the story. Wolfe also ropes in her political commentary through Felicia’s interpretation of the rumor mills about why exactly the buildings are being demolished, and her fears about what comes next. Her indictment of the City’s abuses of power to advance their development agendas is not preachy, but instead plainly described through her characters’ experiences. This is an interesting choice, and one I want to discuss a bit more.
As someone who writes a rage posts on Reddit and Goodreads at the smallest inconvenience, I would definitely understand if Toya Wolfe wrote a version of this book that basically said “fuck CHA and everyone who approved them tearing down my home.” (I think, always, about Susan’s review of A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid, which points out how instructive the author’s rage over how colonialism has ruined her home is to us as readers.) There is absolutely use in anger, and all of the characters in this book are incredibly justified in feeling it. However, this book ultimately focuses on when other emotions supersede anger—the focal characters’ exhaustion and loneliness drive this book to its conclusion. In this, Toya Wolfe takes a somber approach to a story that could have been told in many ways—of course, she has the right to pick her chosen way to dramatize what happened to her. Despite the other paths she could have chosen, the one she chose is an explicit and artful indictment of the policing, means testing, manipulation, and displacement that Robert Taylor Homes residents were forced to endure.
I docked a few stars (I would really say this is like a 3.5-star review) because of all the areas in this book that aren’t given this same level of nuance. Things that fell flat for me include: the characters on various sides of the drug trade who are given a 1-D villainous bent throughout the story, the process of moving to “present day” and rounding up these characters decades later, and the disjointed revelation of one major character’s fate. I think I would have been more content if the author had decided to just end the book without giving us the where are they now updates, just because of how abruptly the tone shifts in these final chapters. Furthermore, the narrative is particularly harsh on Felecia’s friends’ less respectable mothers. The narrative is basically “my mom was a completely quality parent and theirs were completely terrible.” I would have liked to see more growth in this perspective from the adult version of the character.
Even with these flaws, i would definitely recommend this book, especially if you’re getting over a slump (it’s definitely one you can read in a day or two.)
It’s a moving, multidimensional story of a specific location: one of the remaining Robert Taylor Homes buildings at the time when the Chicago Housing Authority was tearing down its public housing. The location doesn’t come across as a gimmicky “the place is a character too” situation—moreso, Toya Wolfe commits to showing the details of the place as a child would experience them, and the psychological imprint that this particular type of home/community forms on the actual characters. You can tell, given her childhood in the homes, that it’s important to lay out these things as somewhat of a time capsule.
I also thought most of the relationships that Felicia had with her friends, family, and neighbors were realistic to a 12-year old’s take on the world. These relationships also did a lot of work to fill in the exposition of what led to this point in Chicago’s built environment. You have a lot of carefully weaved stories about the families’ roots in Mississippi, told via the elder characters in the story. Wolfe also ropes in her political commentary through Felicia’s interpretation of the rumor mills about why exactly the buildings are being demolished, and her fears about what comes next. Her indictment of the City’s abuses of power to advance their development agendas is not preachy, but instead plainly described through her characters’ experiences. This is an interesting choice, and one I want to discuss a bit more.
As someone who writes a rage posts on Reddit and Goodreads at the smallest inconvenience, I would definitely understand if Toya Wolfe wrote a version of this book that basically said “fuck CHA and everyone who approved them tearing down my home.” (I think, always, about Susan’s review of A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid, which points out how instructive the author’s rage over how colonialism has ruined her home is to us as readers.) There is absolutely use in anger, and all of the characters in this book are incredibly justified in feeling it. However, this book ultimately focuses on when other emotions supersede anger—the focal characters’ exhaustion and loneliness drive this book to its conclusion. In this, Toya Wolfe takes a somber approach to a story that could have been told in many ways—of course, she has the right to pick her chosen way to dramatize what happened to her. Despite the other paths she could have chosen, the one she chose is an explicit and artful indictment of the policing, means testing, manipulation, and displacement that Robert Taylor Homes residents were forced to endure.
I docked a few stars (I would really say this is like a 3.5-star review) because of all the areas in this book that aren’t given this same level of nuance. Things that fell flat for me include: the characters on various sides of the drug trade who are given a 1-D villainous bent throughout the story, the process of moving to “present day” and rounding up these characters decades later, and the disjointed revelation of one major character’s fate. I think I would have been more content if the author had decided to just end the book without giving us the where are they now updates, just because of how abruptly the tone shifts in these final chapters. Furthermore, the narrative is particularly harsh on Felecia’s friends’ less respectable mothers. The narrative is basically “my mom was a completely quality parent and theirs were completely terrible.” I would have liked to see more growth in this perspective from the adult version of the character.
Even with these flaws, i would definitely recommend this book, especially if you’re getting over a slump (it’s definitely one you can read in a day or two.)
July 20, 2022
CW: violence and sexual abuse, mostly "off screen," but significant
Toya Wolfe's Last Summer on State Street is a heart-breaking story told in a remarkable voice. Our narrator Fe Fe (short for Felicia) is watching the dismantling of her community over the summer of 1999. The Chicago housing project she lives in is being razed one building at a time to make room for a new development aimed at middle- and upper-class whites who work in Chicago and would like a shorter commute. Fe Fe's efforts to understand what's happening, in both personal and systematic, ways make her a particularly honest narrator—one whose questions aren't easily answered.
The project Fe Fe lives in (for now, at least) has been home to three generations of primarily southern Blacks come north and their offspring and is a world of intense—and dangerous—contradictions. The families residing there range from those whose lives are built around religion to single mothers doing their best to raise children who will avoid the worst the project has to offer to families affiliated with the gang that controls this particular building to those living in the chaos that accompanies addiction. There are church services, games of double dutch, assaults, and regular time spent crouching in the hallway when gunfire erupts.
Fe Fe is part of a group of four friends who came together playing double dutch, but whose bonds are being torqued by the expectations set by their different families. The girls are friends, but also on guard against one another because even friendship isn't a safe space in this community.
Most of the novel covers the summer of 1999, but the latter part also offers the viewpoint of an adult Fe Fe still trying to come to terms with that volatile summer.
If you're haunted by dark novels, this may be a title you'll want to approach carefully—but Fe Fe's voice and her refusal to give in to despair make the journey bearable and even hopeful. I'm still turning the events and characters of Last Summer on State Street over in my mind. I'm certain I'll be doing this for quite a while, and I'm finding that activity challenging, but very, very much worthwhile.
While this book is labeled as young adult, and that audience will find it remarkable, it's also an adult novel—not the kind of young adult/adult novel that offers older readers a bit of nostalgia, but one that offers as rich an experience for adult readers as any novel I've read in recent years.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via EdelweissPlus; the opinions are my own.
Toya Wolfe's Last Summer on State Street is a heart-breaking story told in a remarkable voice. Our narrator Fe Fe (short for Felicia) is watching the dismantling of her community over the summer of 1999. The Chicago housing project she lives in is being razed one building at a time to make room for a new development aimed at middle- and upper-class whites who work in Chicago and would like a shorter commute. Fe Fe's efforts to understand what's happening, in both personal and systematic, ways make her a particularly honest narrator—one whose questions aren't easily answered.
The project Fe Fe lives in (for now, at least) has been home to three generations of primarily southern Blacks come north and their offspring and is a world of intense—and dangerous—contradictions. The families residing there range from those whose lives are built around religion to single mothers doing their best to raise children who will avoid the worst the project has to offer to families affiliated with the gang that controls this particular building to those living in the chaos that accompanies addiction. There are church services, games of double dutch, assaults, and regular time spent crouching in the hallway when gunfire erupts.
Fe Fe is part of a group of four friends who came together playing double dutch, but whose bonds are being torqued by the expectations set by their different families. The girls are friends, but also on guard against one another because even friendship isn't a safe space in this community.
Most of the novel covers the summer of 1999, but the latter part also offers the viewpoint of an adult Fe Fe still trying to come to terms with that volatile summer.
If you're haunted by dark novels, this may be a title you'll want to approach carefully—but Fe Fe's voice and her refusal to give in to despair make the journey bearable and even hopeful. I'm still turning the events and characters of Last Summer on State Street over in my mind. I'm certain I'll be doing this for quite a while, and I'm finding that activity challenging, but very, very much worthwhile.
While this book is labeled as young adult, and that audience will find it remarkable, it's also an adult novel—not the kind of young adult/adult novel that offers older readers a bit of nostalgia, but one that offers as rich an experience for adult readers as any novel I've read in recent years.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via EdelweissPlus; the opinions are my own.
December 11, 2024
A coming of age story set in Chicago during the summer of 1999 as the Chicago Housing Authority tears down a number of high rise buildings in Chicago and the changing friendship of 4 girls in that building. Definitely hit a lot of my favorite themes/ideas while also taking place in Chicago so it felt like I was bound to love it.
Watch my full review: https://youtu.be/SDcEnYc7V1I
Watch my full review: https://youtu.be/SDcEnYc7V1I
December 31, 2022
This one took me a bit by surprise. I picked up the book mainly because of the Chicago connection, but what I got was an amazingly beautiful and tragic coming-of-age story. I fell in love with the characters, and I'm still savoring the small joys and processing the multiple heartbreaks I endured during my short time with them.
Fe Fe Stevens, the twelve-year-old narrator, captured my heart as she absorbs all the changes happening around her during her last summer in Chicago's Robert Taylor Homes. The things Fe Fe had to worry about on a day-to-day basis would be unimaginable to most teenagers (and most adults, for that matter), and the inevitable losses she experienced resulting from life in the projects are more than any twelve-year-old should have to bear. But her kindness and empathy paved the way for some really lovely friendships and poignant childlike moments.
Clearly, I loved the story, but there were a few minor things that prevented this one from achieving the 5-star level for me. First, I felt the book got a little heavy on religion for my taste in a couple parts. Overall, religion and church were well used in the story, and the evolution of Fe Fe's religious beliefs were a really moving part of her character development. Unfortunately though, there were a couple times where I thought the religion aspect started to exceed what was needed for the story and toed the line of becoming preachy.
Regarding the writing style, the story jumped timelines suddenly a few times which caused me to do a little re-reading to make sure I fully understood the time and the place. There was also quite a lot of foreshadowing in the book. The narrator would make a statement and then say something to the effect of "if only we had known then…", alluding to some hardships that were going to be revealed later in the story. I generally enjoy a little foreshadowing, but it was used to the point where it got a little hard for to keep track of what I was still waiting to be revealed. I probably wouldn't have noticed as much if I wasn't so invested in the characters, but all the foreshadowing started making me a little paranoid that I was going to miss something about them.
Overall though, this book is going to stick with me for awhile, and I highly recommend it for fans of coming-of-age stories. It's a strong and extremely touching debut from Toya Wolfe, and I will be watching to see what she does next.
Fe Fe Stevens, the twelve-year-old narrator, captured my heart as she absorbs all the changes happening around her during her last summer in Chicago's Robert Taylor Homes. The things Fe Fe had to worry about on a day-to-day basis would be unimaginable to most teenagers (and most adults, for that matter), and the inevitable losses she experienced resulting from life in the projects are more than any twelve-year-old should have to bear. But her kindness and empathy paved the way for some really lovely friendships and poignant childlike moments.
Clearly, I loved the story, but there were a few minor things that prevented this one from achieving the 5-star level for me. First, I felt the book got a little heavy on religion for my taste in a couple parts. Overall, religion and church were well used in the story, and the evolution of Fe Fe's religious beliefs were a really moving part of her character development. Unfortunately though, there were a couple times where I thought the religion aspect started to exceed what was needed for the story and toed the line of becoming preachy.
Regarding the writing style, the story jumped timelines suddenly a few times which caused me to do a little re-reading to make sure I fully understood the time and the place. There was also quite a lot of foreshadowing in the book. The narrator would make a statement and then say something to the effect of "if only we had known then…", alluding to some hardships that were going to be revealed later in the story. I generally enjoy a little foreshadowing, but it was used to the point where it got a little hard for to keep track of what I was still waiting to be revealed. I probably wouldn't have noticed as much if I wasn't so invested in the characters, but all the foreshadowing started making me a little paranoid that I was going to miss something about them.
Overall though, this book is going to stick with me for awhile, and I highly recommend it for fans of coming-of-age stories. It's a strong and extremely touching debut from Toya Wolfe, and I will be watching to see what she does next.
August 31, 2022
This book is important for several reasons. It’s a story of pain, suffering, perseverance and ultimately absolution in the backdrop of an urban, underserved black community in the late 1990s.
We follow four young girls growing up amidst gang and drug activity, violent crime and the adults who both either lift them up or hold them down - cementing them into the harsh circumstances plaguing their housing project. One can almost hear chaos around them while reading this amazing story. Our protagonist, Felicia “FeFe” narrates a tale of an infamous summer that was the turning point in each of their young lives.
I enjoyed the book, but it definitely left me feeling slightly hopeless. Gentrification, shady politicians, and systems that were put in place to keep the marginalized in a cycle of brokenness that’s often passed down through generations is all too common, and I try not to spend too much time thinking about such a painful subject. I was hoping for a bit more childhood joy and a bit less negativity, which is why I could only give the book four stars. Still, it’s powerful and a stunning debut by the author, who has a real talent for bringing transparency to the characters she created. I’d definitely read more of her work. 4 stars!
We follow four young girls growing up amidst gang and drug activity, violent crime and the adults who both either lift them up or hold them down - cementing them into the harsh circumstances plaguing their housing project. One can almost hear chaos around them while reading this amazing story. Our protagonist, Felicia “FeFe” narrates a tale of an infamous summer that was the turning point in each of their young lives.
I enjoyed the book, but it definitely left me feeling slightly hopeless. Gentrification, shady politicians, and systems that were put in place to keep the marginalized in a cycle of brokenness that’s often passed down through generations is all too common, and I try not to spend too much time thinking about such a painful subject. I was hoping for a bit more childhood joy and a bit less negativity, which is why I could only give the book four stars. Still, it’s powerful and a stunning debut by the author, who has a real talent for bringing transparency to the characters she created. I’d definitely read more of her work. 4 stars!
May 23, 2022
A tender and heartbreaking debut coming of age story about a group of four young Black girls growing up in the Chicago projects and the summer that changed all their lives.
Set in the summer of 1999, Fe-Fe, Precious and Stacia love nothing more than playing Double-Dutch outside but gang wars and the scheduled demolition of their building bring irrevocable upheaval. The group dynamic changes when Fe-Fe introduces Tonya to the group, a mysterious girl who has dark secrets of her own.
Full of heart, the story celebrates the resilience of Black lives while not shying away from the hardships, including the incarceration of young Black boys, sexual abuse, teen pregnancy and drug addiction.
Great on audio narrated by Shayna Small and recommended for fans of What the fireflies knew by Kai Harris or authors like Jacqueline Woodson and Brit Bennett. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ALC.
Set in the summer of 1999, Fe-Fe, Precious and Stacia love nothing more than playing Double-Dutch outside but gang wars and the scheduled demolition of their building bring irrevocable upheaval. The group dynamic changes when Fe-Fe introduces Tonya to the group, a mysterious girl who has dark secrets of her own.
Full of heart, the story celebrates the resilience of Black lives while not shying away from the hardships, including the incarceration of young Black boys, sexual abuse, teen pregnancy and drug addiction.
Great on audio narrated by Shayna Small and recommended for fans of What the fireflies knew by Kai Harris or authors like Jacqueline Woodson and Brit Bennett. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ALC.
July 3, 2024
It takes SKILL to tell a story that feels so complete and with fully fleshed out characters in less than 250 pages and Wolfe did that here as a DEBUT! 👏🤯 major props!!
✨coming of age
✨the projects of Chicago in the late 90s
✨Fe Fe 🥹 girl had HEART! my fellow empath🫶
✨impactful, beautiful, painful!!!
✨so so well written
✨fantastic on audio🎧 and a quick listen!!
✨definitely for fans of Jacquline Woodson + Brit Bennett 🤝 aka me!
I felt so deeply for these characters, I admired the teachers and elders for trying so hard to give direction and hope for a different future, and I learned a lot to boot! 🫶 definitely recommend!
✨coming of age
✨the projects of Chicago in the late 90s
✨Fe Fe 🥹 girl had HEART! my fellow empath🫶
✨impactful, beautiful, painful!!!
✨so so well written
✨fantastic on audio🎧 and a quick listen!!
✨definitely for fans of Jacquline Woodson + Brit Bennett 🤝 aka me!
I felt so deeply for these characters, I admired the teachers and elders for trying so hard to give direction and hope for a different future, and I learned a lot to boot! 🫶 definitely recommend!
June 5, 2025
4.5, rounded UP.
August 10, 2022
*It’s very rare that I will pick up a book about a group of teenage kids (because most of the time it’s privileged, angsty teens and your girl has NO PATIENCE for that), but Ericka’s review made me want to pick this one up and I’m so glad I did!!
*This is a book about friendship. Its ebbs and its flows. Its joys and its sorrows. I really felt that deep sisterhood type friendship with Fe Fe and Precious and I absolutely adored those two characters. The book is only 212 pages, but the author masterfully built many complex characters. The type of characters who you want to find out what happened to them after “the summer” the book is written about. I love that the author followed these characters into early adulthood and we could see their personal growth.
*In the author bio at the end of the book, it’s mentioned that Toya Wolfe, the author herself, “grew up in the now-demolished Robert Taylor Homes on Chicago’s South Side” (the housing project where this book is set in.) It makes me wonder how many of Fe Fe‘s experiences the author shares with her and also explains how she paints such a visual picture of where these girls grow up.
*I highly recommend this book!!
*This is a book about friendship. Its ebbs and its flows. Its joys and its sorrows. I really felt that deep sisterhood type friendship with Fe Fe and Precious and I absolutely adored those two characters. The book is only 212 pages, but the author masterfully built many complex characters. The type of characters who you want to find out what happened to them after “the summer” the book is written about. I love that the author followed these characters into early adulthood and we could see their personal growth.
*In the author bio at the end of the book, it’s mentioned that Toya Wolfe, the author herself, “grew up in the now-demolished Robert Taylor Homes on Chicago’s South Side” (the housing project where this book is set in.) It makes me wonder how many of Fe Fe‘s experiences the author shares with her and also explains how she paints such a visual picture of where these girls grow up.
*I highly recommend this book!!
February 16, 2023
Wolfe opens this novel with a slow and steady pace — easing you into the tone, location, and direction she plans on taking you. From there, she builds a coming-of-age story that, by the end, reminded me so much of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, brick by brick.
In many ways, both in the obvious and in the undercurrents, Wolfe's novel is decidedly different from the Betty Smith classic. From the location to the time period, from the scope to the main character's race, everything is impacted by these key differences. But comparing the 12-year-old Fe Fe Stevens to the 11-year-old Francie Nolan, and a 1912 Brooklyn tenement to 1999 on Chicago’s South Side in the Robert Taylor Homes (a now-demolished public housing project) is not so difficult in essence.
And, like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, I am so glad this book exists. I didn't read Smith's bildungsroman until 2017 — well beyond the age when it might've had an even greater impact on a younger me, but it impacted me regardless. Last Summer on State Street doesn't have the same scope as Tree, but they are kindred spirits. Where Smith's tale bounces around a few timelines — including the middle section devoted to the meeting of her parents — Wolfe's yarn is more tightly bound in 1999. However, the tone she applies is from a distance and reflection only gained from future knowledge, à la True Grit. This is an older Fe Fe (who does make an appearance later in the novel) telling the tale of her younger self and a summer that changed her whole world — in both small and significant ways.
While young Francie clings to her true self through her love of literature and her active imagination, young Fe Fe discovers solace in the church, its congregation, and its capacity to aid those living in circumstances similar to her own. Additionally, Fe Fe is surrounded by a myriad of strong women by Wolfe, each of whom has their own imperfections, making them authentic and relatable. This compelling novel explores the struggle for survival, the institutional racism that underpins the projects, and themes of injustice.
Such a remarkable debut novel, Last Summer on State Street balances the tragic with the hopeful. What I said of Smith's novel can be said of Wolfe's . . . this is a slow, simmer of a coming-of-age story — clearly written with Wolfe's heart holding the pen.
Audiobook, as narrated by Shayna Small: Small did a phenomenal job. With such a diverse cast of characters — especially given the sheer number of female characters — I was impressed with how distinct and unique everyone sounded. Small channeled her passion into a performance that was true to the characters and the story. Wonderful, all around.
"I’d known Precious forever, Stacia a year, and Tonya for just a minute. We were so different, but everybody loved them some double Dutch. Sometimes we made a tight-knit crew; other days we couldn't get along for nothing."
In many ways, both in the obvious and in the undercurrents, Wolfe's novel is decidedly different from the Betty Smith classic. From the location to the time period, from the scope to the main character's race, everything is impacted by these key differences. But comparing the 12-year-old Fe Fe Stevens to the 11-year-old Francie Nolan, and a 1912 Brooklyn tenement to 1999 on Chicago’s South Side in the Robert Taylor Homes (a now-demolished public housing project) is not so difficult in essence.
And, like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, I am so glad this book exists. I didn't read Smith's bildungsroman until 2017 — well beyond the age when it might've had an even greater impact on a younger me, but it impacted me regardless. Last Summer on State Street doesn't have the same scope as Tree, but they are kindred spirits. Where Smith's tale bounces around a few timelines — including the middle section devoted to the meeting of her parents — Wolfe's yarn is more tightly bound in 1999. However, the tone she applies is from a distance and reflection only gained from future knowledge, à la True Grit. This is an older Fe Fe (who does make an appearance later in the novel) telling the tale of her younger self and a summer that changed her whole world — in both small and significant ways.
While young Francie clings to her true self through her love of literature and her active imagination, young Fe Fe discovers solace in the church, its congregation, and its capacity to aid those living in circumstances similar to her own. Additionally, Fe Fe is surrounded by a myriad of strong women by Wolfe, each of whom has their own imperfections, making them authentic and relatable. This compelling novel explores the struggle for survival, the institutional racism that underpins the projects, and themes of injustice.
Such a remarkable debut novel, Last Summer on State Street balances the tragic with the hopeful. What I said of Smith's novel can be said of Wolfe's . . . this is a slow, simmer of a coming-of-age story — clearly written with Wolfe's heart holding the pen.
Audiobook, as narrated by Shayna Small: Small did a phenomenal job. With such a diverse cast of characters — especially given the sheer number of female characters — I was impressed with how distinct and unique everyone sounded. Small channeled her passion into a performance that was true to the characters and the story. Wonderful, all around.
June 17, 2022
This absolute stunner and a debut, no less!!! 🧡 I almost finished it in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down.
Toya Wolfe is a beautifulllllllll narrator and storyteller. She filled this story with raw and real emotions of our character Fe Fe who grew up in the projects in Chicago, as it portrayed her life in 1999. It was beautiful, haunting, and shocking. I felt for the main character and her empath heart, her family, the people who lived and were raised in the projects — and the impacts it has on children in growth. The writing prose of this!! Was so in AWE of it.
I loved how Toya Wolfe was able to blossom a story encompassing growing up in Chicago’s South Side herself. It felt so real. Felt important to read. Full of heart and tenderness, while celebrating the resilience of Black lives. It may only be 200 pages, but it packed a PUNCH. A coming of age story and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. Definitely for fans of Jaqueline Woodson and Brit Bennett (I am big fan of both).
Cannot recommend it enough.
Toya Wolfe is a beautifulllllllll narrator and storyteller. She filled this story with raw and real emotions of our character Fe Fe who grew up in the projects in Chicago, as it portrayed her life in 1999. It was beautiful, haunting, and shocking. I felt for the main character and her empath heart, her family, the people who lived and were raised in the projects — and the impacts it has on children in growth. The writing prose of this!! Was so in AWE of it.
I loved how Toya Wolfe was able to blossom a story encompassing growing up in Chicago’s South Side herself. It felt so real. Felt important to read. Full of heart and tenderness, while celebrating the resilience of Black lives. It may only be 200 pages, but it packed a PUNCH. A coming of age story and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. Definitely for fans of Jaqueline Woodson and Brit Bennett (I am big fan of both).
Cannot recommend it enough.
September 4, 2022
Thought provoking and compelling, Last Summer on State street reads like a memoir, yet only the background and the projects known as the
Robert Taylor Homes on Chicago's South Side are true to the authors actual home. This story follows Felicia (Fee Fee) Stevens as she makes friends in the projects. It follows her and her group of friends through a summer of 1999 that friendships are made and broken by end of summer. As their houses are torn down and crumbled so out their friendships, lives, families. A page turner for sure. A sad but powerful look at life, then and now for those living in the projects in anywhere America.
https://lit.newcity.com/2022/06/13/mo...
Robert Taylor Homes on Chicago's South Side are true to the authors actual home. This story follows Felicia (Fee Fee) Stevens as she makes friends in the projects. It follows her and her group of friends through a summer of 1999 that friendships are made and broken by end of summer. As their houses are torn down and crumbled so out their friendships, lives, families. A page turner for sure. A sad but powerful look at life, then and now for those living in the projects in anywhere America.
https://lit.newcity.com/2022/06/13/mo...
February 25, 2025
this is her debut? Sheesh.
September 21, 2023
4.5/5⭐️
Last Summer on State Street portrays life in a Chicago public housing building through the eyes of a young girl.
Twelve-year-old Fefe (Felicia) makes friends with three other girls in the summer of 1999. Precious is a pastor’s daughter who lives with both parents, Stacia is part of a family of drug dealers, and Tonya’s mom is a user.
As the summer progresses, the girls’ lives are upended by gang activity in their building and by the upcoming relocation of all the families there.
🫶🏻I loved reading about the events of the summer through Fefe’s eyes. Toys Wolfe did an amazing job of writing in a way that felt believable for a 12-year-old’s perspective.
🫶🏻I appreciated that the presence of caring adults, Fefe’s mother and a teacher, were so influential in her life and in the lives of her friends.
🫶🏻As a Christian, I also loved that her faith and the community of believers was something that encouraged and helped Fefe and Precious, despite the things happening around them.
At around 200 pages, it made for a quick but impactful read! I didn’t know anything about the Robert Taylor buildings in Chicago, and I’m glad that this story opened my eyes to what circumstances were like for the families living there.
⚠️Content: Profanity: 3/5 (occasional, many crude slang terms)
Sexual: 2/5 (Nothing explicitly described, but CSA is referenced)
TW: Child Sexual Abuse, gang violence (shootings, beatings, etc.)
December 14, 2022
A short debut that packs a punch. I’ve been to Chicago dozens of times so it was interesting to learn of the Robert Taylor Homes and what it might have felt like to live there as the Housing Authority slowly started to tear down the buildings.
The author herself grew up in the buildings and give a very good sense of place and feel for a young Black girl during that time.
The author herself grew up in the buildings and give a very good sense of place and feel for a young Black girl during that time.
June 28, 2025
A well-done coming of age story of very real aspects of life in Chicago.
May 20, 2022
She may only be 200 pages long, but don’t be fooled: LAST SUMMER ON STATE STREET packs a mighty punch. This coming-of-age novel—about four young girls growing up in the Robert Taylor Homes on Chicago’s South Side, and the single summer that changed their lives, friendships, and neighborhood forever—was such an unexpectedly stunning debut, with a diverse cast of characters and a vividly-constructed setting that practically jumps off the page and pulls you into its streets. The prose was raw, straightforward, accessible, endearing, and heart-rending, all in equal measure. Though her experiences may have been uniquely traumatizing, narrator Fe Fe’s voice—her childhood naïveté and innocence, buffered by the introspection and understanding of an adult looking back on her life—was relatable and powerful.
So, yes, stunning…. but also, more than that, this book is important. One of those once-in-a-lifetime books that everyone should read, because of what it tells you about yourself and the world you live in. Because of its capacity to reduce you down to your proper size again. Because you didn’t know you needed reducing, but it did.
Everyone, read this. Everyone should read this book.
***I won this in a Goodreads giveaway, so many thanks to GR and the publishers, William Morrow, for the ARC and opportunity to read.
So, yes, stunning…. but also, more than that, this book is important. One of those once-in-a-lifetime books that everyone should read, because of what it tells you about yourself and the world you live in. Because of its capacity to reduce you down to your proper size again. Because you didn’t know you needed reducing, but it did.
Everyone, read this. Everyone should read this book.
***I won this in a Goodreads giveaway, so many thanks to GR and the publishers, William Morrow, for the ARC and opportunity to read.
June 29, 2023
I’m very glad my book club chose this book because it wasn’t on my radar, but I absolutely loved it.
The main character is telling the story of the summer when she was 12 in the 90s & the city of Chicago tore down all the “affordable housing” (aka the projects) buildings. So it’s the story of her & her three friends & how they are all affected. In the telling of all the fear & sadness, there is also hope.
The frame story makes it feel more like a memoir than a novel, and as someone who lives near Chicago & grew up in the Seventh Day Adventist faith, there was a lot I could identify with, even in a story that, as a white reader, was not written for me.
I am grateful to Wolfe & her immense talent (and Shayna Small’s beautiful reading of the audiobook) for showing us these truths.
Expertly done.
The main character is telling the story of the summer when she was 12 in the 90s & the city of Chicago tore down all the “affordable housing” (aka the projects) buildings. So it’s the story of her & her three friends & how they are all affected. In the telling of all the fear & sadness, there is also hope.
The frame story makes it feel more like a memoir than a novel, and as someone who lives near Chicago & grew up in the Seventh Day Adventist faith, there was a lot I could identify with, even in a story that, as a white reader, was not written for me.
I am grateful to Wolfe & her immense talent (and Shayna Small’s beautiful reading of the audiobook) for showing us these truths.
Expertly done.
July 11, 2022
RATING: 4 STARS
Last month, I was in a writing workshop taught by Toya and she had plugged her debut novel, Last Summer on State Street. Set in 1999, this is a coming of age story about friendship, family, living in Robert Taylor homes (Chicago). Through Fe-Fe we see what it was like for a young girl to live with gang violence, and violence in general on an every day basis. How she becomes friends with three young girls who are each different and living their own hard life. The novel drew me in pretty quick, and I enjoyed Toya's writing and characters. I look forward to her next novel.
Last month, I was in a writing workshop taught by Toya and she had plugged her debut novel, Last Summer on State Street. Set in 1999, this is a coming of age story about friendship, family, living in Robert Taylor homes (Chicago). Through Fe-Fe we see what it was like for a young girl to live with gang violence, and violence in general on an every day basis. How she becomes friends with three young girls who are each different and living their own hard life. The novel drew me in pretty quick, and I enjoyed Toya's writing and characters. I look forward to her next novel.
March 14, 2024
I wish I was longer! It was a quick read but still was so dense and jam packed with heartbreaking stories ♥️ I also love to learn a little! Would recommend
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