Inner City Hoodlum

Rating:
Summary: One of Goines' Best
Review: Being one of the last books Donald Goines wrote, this little gem was actually discovered after his death. His writing is in top form and the characters are unforgetable. I liked that Goines chose to use LA as the setting for this one, its a good change from his other novels. Like always, he describes the setting and characters in great detail. Definitely one of his best, don't miss it!

Rating:
Summary: One of Goines' Best
Review: Being one of the last books Donald Goines wrote, this little gem was actually discovered after his death. His writing is in top form and the characters are unforgetable. I liked that Goines chose to use LA as the setting for this one, its a good change from his other novels. Like always, he describes the setting and characters in great detail. Definitely one of his best, don't miss it!

Rating:
Summary: Yep
Review: I have mixed emotions about the book. Finally, I met some colorful characters that didn't totally resemble the characters from the other six books I read. I enjoyed every minute of Johnny and Buddy's story, I was intrigued by Leslie's tale of prostitution, and wondered what in the hell Duke had in his pants to make these girls so stupid.
But I don't understand why Spence is so eztra angry (would've enjoyed his back story), why Johnny never used what he taught Buddy as protection, and how submissive Gloria became.
Either way, this book gave an intersting spin on how hood life is for young kids who have no other means to make it.
P.S. I love the toilet mishap.

Rating:
Summary: Somewhat Of A Repeat!
Review: I love Donald Goines books but this book was not what I expected. The book was like a repeat of 1 of his other books. After reading it I felt like that was my 2nd time reading the book. I liked it because it still was real and spoke the truth. It didn't hold anything back.

Rating:
Summary: Another piece from the mind of Goines
Review: This book followed the same formula, but there are some moments in it that separate it from the other books he has written. The ending of this book pissed me off, but besides that, I loved it. Two friends kill a guard in self-defense, and turn to a neighborhood numbers man with a known reputation. Things hit close to home with one of the young cats, and he, along with his friend, seek revenge for the overdose of his younger sister, by the Duke, the numbers man. There are the vivid scenes, the gruesome descriptions, and everything else which makes Donald Goines work stand out. Don't expect a happy ending, because that is not what Donald Goines was all about. He was about presenting reality.

Rating:
Summary: Inner city hoodlum
Review: This is an great story filled with great characters and scenes. The main characters, Johnny and Buddy, are tough and violent, yet you can't help sympathizing with each of them. The story brings a sense of sorrow, seeing what teens are forced to do in order to rise up from the ghetto. A huge improvement from the first Goines novel I read, CRIME PARTNERS.

Rating:
Summary: Fair
Review: This was a short read. It was okay. I am getting used to books with an incredible amount of detail and this one really didn't have it. I believe that the story was based upon factual accounts of Mr. Goines life. It was tragic because the character could not liberate themselves. I have read one other of his books in the past and perhaps I will start with his first book and read all of them. This one was okay.