September 01, 2005

Review: The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah

The Coldest Winter Ever. I have to admit, I was a bit wary of this book when my little sister recommended it to me. She said it was her favorite book, and I wanted to know what she was into, so I gave it a try. How surprised was I to find that I adored the selfish, ign'ant, triflin' narrator, Winter Santiaga?

I've always been a sucker for anti-heroes and unreliable first person narrators. This tale of the rise and fall of the family of a New York drug dealer is pure juicy goodness. The narrator, teenaged Winter, does not ask you to like her, or to pity her, but you do anyway. Souljah creates a voice for Winter that reminds me all-too-well of young girls I know. And it was Winter's strong, cold voice that made me sympathize with her despite her (many) flaws. I knew she was mad, bad and dangerous, but part of me couldn't help but think, Wouldn't it be something if this triflin' bitch got everything she wants?

The writing style is still a little rough in places, but this book is a good read, and tough to put down. When the sequel comes out, I plan to steal my sister's copy the instant she sets it down.

Posted by sk :: 9/01/2005 :: 0 comments

Post a Comment

---------------oOo---------------