reading this book now. im on da 3rd short story so i will b done in no time. my review will b posted soon

What’s Really Hood! is a collection of Tales from the Streets, comprising five fascinating stories of varying lengths in one satisfying book. I’ve never read street tales before, and I’m not familiar with the language or ways of the streets, except inasmuch as I’ve heard them on TV. So I wasn’t sure how I’d like this book, but I was pleased to have the chance to try something new. Hachette sent me an advanced reading copy in readiness for the editor’s blog tour and launch-date celebrations, and I’m delighted to be a part of that tour.

As I started to read, I found myself struggling over unfamiliar words. Ho, hoes, babymama, shorty, and all the different names of types of cars, of clothes, of shoes, of bags… But the language in these tales is beautifully consistent, and soon I find myself hearing the voices in my head, fluidly telling their tales. I was particularly impressed with the way that the dialog reads, without the awkwardness that so often arises with different dialects and slang. Perhaps the fact that the writing voice matches the characters so perfectly is what makes it so smooth.

The concerns of the characters are so far from my own—drugs, the search for another high, or another customer to sell to, the need for sex. But each of the authors conveys the characters’ lives convincingly, drawing sympathy through the pain.

Of all the stories, the one that will stay with me most is The P Is Free by LaShonda Teague. Even as the story grew darker, and hope more deeply obscured, this story seemed to continually promise something more, which it very satisfyingly achieved by its end.

Black is Blue by Victor L. Martin is the first in the collection, well-placed as it crosses the lives of a corporate woman with thugs on the streets, and leads the reader into that different world, just as she finds herself awkwardly led. The Last Laugh by Bonta, builds up to a fascinating mystery and kept me turning pages, watching and wondering at each of the characters’ motivations. All for Nothing by Shawn “Jihad” Trump tells a sad tale, movie-like in its scope and fierce emotion. And Wahida Clark’s own Makin’ Endz Meet closes the collection with ends that should never have met and a woman whose hopes and dreams have spiraled miserably out of control.

The writing is very different from anything I’ve encountered before, frequently “telling” the character’s emotions, but in such words and nuances that they’re equally clearly “shown.” I enjoyed this introduction to the characters and their world, a harsh place peopled with fascinating characters and cruel fates, but touched with hope. Thank you Wahida for this fine collection. ( )