Status Updates From Bayward Street

So far im enjoying this story very much. I only have one pet peeve, this is supposed to be set in la but occasionally you can tell the author is not from the united states lol. It always throws me off a bit when characters use terms that we don't it's odd. at one point she says "the crazy girl who topped people when they crossed her." Topped isn't a word we use here so it makes her inner thoughts read as odd.

I can't breathe, this book is everything I've been looking for. It's raw, real, detailed, and so heartwarming. Do people like the Carsons actually exist in real life?