108A TE Fall 2011 discussion

After reading the book I felt heartbroken. It was hard for me to identify Yummy as a killer or a victim. One one hand he did shoot an innocent girl in an attempt to prove that he was a tough guy a gang. On the other hand, we had a rough childhood and felt that no one loved him or that he did not deserve to be loved. This book reminded me a lot about the HBO series The Wire. Season 4 of the series focused on the youth and how they get caught up in the lifestyle of gangs and drugs. It was my favorite season and the most depressing - to watch children slowly become perceived "monsters."

Yummy reminded me of a specific character named Michael - like Yummy he is faced with unfortunate circumstances and abuse. Both of the characters have tough exteriors but there are moments when you realize how young they are. One example in the book is when the author talks about Yummy holding on to a Teddy Bear. Michael and Yummy find similar fates, although Yummy finds his much sooner than Michael. Both boys are lost, lonely and looking for something to connect to or to feel a part of something. Both boys slowly lose their innocence as they become more violent - both are heartbreaking stories.

I felt that the graphic novel style of the book constantly reminded me that Yummy was just a child. It made me wonder if children are fated to be a product of their environment or can they rise above it? It seems grossly unfair what some children have to deal with at such a young age. It makes me think about what the children in my classroom might be dealing with and if they too would follow in Yummy's footsteps given the same unfortunately circumstances.

Overall I really liked this book and I will probably give it to my teenage nephew to see what he thinks about it.

Wow, I hadn't made that connection to The Wire (perhaps my favorite tv show of all time), but it makes a lot of sense particularly the complex characterizations of the "young thugs" (using quotes to show how the outside world sees these young men). It's too easy to demonize children by their actions and I was also struck by the moments of tenderness and even innocence in both the characters of Yummy and certainly Michael in The Wire.