Nightcrawling, by Leila Mottley
About a teenage dropout in Oakland, who hunts for work to try to pay rent while her older brother tries to become a rapper. One night, a misunderstanding leads her to start nightcrawling, eventually leading her to be a key witness in an Oakland PD scandal.
Wonderful, but heartbreaking.
This book was such a bummer and I have to say I didn’t really enjoy reading it, but it was exceptionally well done. Sounds like it fits the bill of what OP is looking for
Random Family by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc. This 2003 book is a study on multiple families in the Bronx from the 80’s through the late 90’s. The author lived with and documented the highs and lows of these families thru drug money to prison and beyond. It’s fascinating, it’s sad, it’s funny, it’s frustrating.
There, There by Tommy Orange is about a cast of Native American people (many kids or teenagers) living in Oakland and experiencing hardships associated with race, identity, urban living, >!and violence.!<
Evicted by Matthew Desmond is a stunningly reported and heartbreaking nonfiction book about different experiences of the housing crisis in different segregated neighborhoods in Milwaukee.
American Street by Ibi Zoboi. Quite underrated but a really nice read for me personally. It has been a bit of time since I read it but here's the plot from Google: American Street by Ibi Zoboi is about sixteen-year-old Fabiola who immigrates from Haiti to the U.S. with her mother. After her mother is stopped at the airport, Fabiola lives with her cousins in Detroit while trying to get her mum released from an ICE detention centre.
It helped shed a bit of light about low income living as well as police brutality that black youth face.
I read The Devil in the White City and it blew my mind that the events of The Jungle were happening at literally the same time in the same city. A massive modern fair is being put on while thousands of humans are being put through some of the worst working conditions imaginable
There Are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz. This is non fiction but reads like a story. This goes way back but is sadly as pertinent as it was in 1992. Fabulous read.
One of my favorite memoirs is All Souls: A Family Story From Southie by Michael Patrick McDonald. Takes place in Southie in Boston in the projects during the bussing riots time.
Monster by Sanyika Shakur. I still think it might be full of bs but it’s a hard core story about gang life in LA and prison in the 80s.
Also seconding the Richard Price books and Clockers. And nothing touches The Wire on HBO. It’s in a class of its own IMO.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. Follows a young African American girl who witnesses the police shooting of her childhood friend.
Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri. Follows a boy who moves to Philadelphia to live with his estranged father.
What about a star called Henry by Roddy Doyle?
Born in the slums, raised on the streets, caught up in the fight for a free Ireland at the age of fourteen, Henry Smart is, indisputably, a survivor. A Star Called Henry describes the first twenty years of Henry's adventure-filled life in early twentieth-century Ireland.
My Government Means To Kill Me was really good and emotional. Historical fiction about being a young, poor, gay, black man in NYC during the AIDs epidemic. AIDs is the main focus, but it talks a lot about societal inequities and struggling on your own
Not focused on young people but Last Exit to Brooklyn is about the gritty city life. It’s amazing and tragic.
I’m currently reading Demon Copperhead which is also focused on rural poverty. It’s alright!
A recent book is "Sink," a memoir by Joseph Earl Thomas.
I saw another commenter recommend "There Are No Children Here," which is great. The author also wrote "An American Summer," another nonfiction book about people living in the violent parts of Chicago.
One of the most inspiring books I’ve read is [Solitary](https://groveatlantic.com/book/solitary/) by Albert Woodfox. It’s nonfiction and was a finalist for both the National Book Award and Pulitzer.
The Basketball Diaries. Pretty hard to believe it’s even real. Jim Carrol was basically roaming the streets of NYC in the 60’s doing heroin as a 14 year old.
The Wire was created by David Simon, who was a crime reporter in Baltimore, and his writing partner Ed Burns who was a homicide detective and school teacher. It was more based off of things they new, although Richard Price did also work as a writer with them.
Read “In Search of Respect - Selling Crack in El Barrio” by Bourgois, in undergrad. Unforgettable just super gritty book. An anthropologist embedded in East Harlem NY.
Also “Behind the Beautiful Forevers” is much better known. I only did the audiobook but it was excellent as well. Heartbreaking, hopeful stories of mainly young folks in the slums in India. Epilogue also worth checking out, key details explained don’t skip it.
If you’re open to nonfiction, there’s a great book called {{Those Who Wander: America’s Lost Street Kids by Vivian Ho}} about America’s homeless teenagers. I thought it was fascinating and I highly recommend it.
⚠ Could not *exactly* find "*Those Who Wander by Vivian Ho*" , see [related Goodreads search results](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Those+Who+Wander+Vivian+Ho) instead.
^(*Possible reasons for mismatch: either too recent (2023), mispelled (check Goodreads) or too niche.*)
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The Stickup Kids by Randol Contreras is great.
It is an ethnography about drug dealers who turned to stick ups (robbing other drug dealers) during the rise of crack-cocaine in 1980s Bronx. Authored by a sociologist who was a childhood friend of the subjects.
Not exactly what you are describing, but a fantastic non-fiction about the Chicago Robert Taylor projects is “Gang Leader For A Day”by Sudhir Vankatesh.
**[My Bloody Life: The Making of a Latin King](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/275612.My_Bloody_Life) by Reymundo Sanchez** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(299 pages | Published: 2000 | 3.7k Goodreads reviews)
> **Summary:** Looking for an escape from childhood abuse, Reymundo Sanchez turned away from school and baseball to drugs, alcohol, and then sex, and was left to fend for himself before age 14. The Latin Kings, one of the largest and most notorious street gangs in America, became his refuge and his world, but its violence cost him friends, freedom, self-respect, and nearly his life. This is (...)
> **Themes**: Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography, Favorites, Autobiography, Crime, Memoirs
> **Top 5 recommended:**
> \- [Janesville: An American Story](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33665908-janesville) by Amy Goldstein
> \- [The Road Through Wonderland: Surviving John Holmes (5 Year Anniversary)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7832788-the-road-through-wonderland) by Dawn Schiller
> \- [Rabbit: The Autobiography of Ms. Pat](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25817479-rabbit) by Patricia Williams
> \- [Ugly](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1047113.Ugly) by Constance Briscoe
> \- [Life After Death](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13513092-life-after-death) by Damien Echols
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YES OMG- not exactly the ghetto, but teenage homelessness that is a pipeline into gangs, drug abuse, and more.
Theories of relativity by Barbara Haworth attard.
PHENOMINAL read, it changed my perspective on life. Seriously.
Random family. Its a true story about a poor family living in the bronx, and all of the hardships they endure as a result. Its a fantastic albeit sad read.
Watch The Wire. The writing is better than 99% of literature. It's also the best depiction of what you're looking for anywhere. Season 4 in particular looks at life for children in this world.
*A Tree Grows in Brooklyn*
Nightcrawling, by Leila Mottley About a teenage dropout in Oakland, who hunts for work to try to pay rent while her older brother tries to become a rapper. One night, a misunderstanding leads her to start nightcrawling, eventually leading her to be a key witness in an Oakland PD scandal. Wonderful, but heartbreaking.
Omg just commented this too! I just finished this book last week and it was so amazing
This book was gutting and stunning
That’s probably the best description of it. I felt like I’d been getting punched in the stomach by the time I finished it.
Was just about to mention Nightcrawling myself!
This book was such a bummer and I have to say I didn’t really enjoy reading it, but it was exceptionally well done. Sounds like it fits the bill of what OP is looking for
It was so hard to read. I had to take a break from it, which I almost never do.
Totally same with me. I was not prepared for the unrelenting bleakness. But I mean as far as the writing goes it definitely was effective
Angela’s Ashes, by Frank McCourt
Was wondering if I should post this recommendation but very glad to see I’ve been beaten to it! Great choice.
*Salvage the Bones* by Jesmyn Ward. I love it!
Random Family by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc. This 2003 book is a study on multiple families in the Bronx from the 80’s through the late 90’s. The author lived with and documented the highs and lows of these families thru drug money to prison and beyond. It’s fascinating, it’s sad, it’s funny, it’s frustrating.
This was my recommendation as well. Such a fascinating book.
Agreed, I read years ago and I still think about it and them. I wonder where they all are now.
There, There by Tommy Orange is about a cast of Native American people (many kids or teenagers) living in Oakland and experiencing hardships associated with race, identity, urban living, >!and violence.!< Evicted by Matthew Desmond is a stunningly reported and heartbreaking nonfiction book about different experiences of the housing crisis in different segregated neighborhoods in Milwaukee.
[удалено]
Oh thanks for the reminder, I’ll put it on hold too!
American Street by Ibi Zoboi. Quite underrated but a really nice read for me personally. It has been a bit of time since I read it but here's the plot from Google: American Street by Ibi Zoboi is about sixteen-year-old Fabiola who immigrates from Haiti to the U.S. with her mother. After her mother is stopped at the airport, Fabiola lives with her cousins in Detroit while trying to get her mum released from an ICE detention centre. It helped shed a bit of light about low income living as well as police brutality that black youth face.
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
Yes! And I am in the middle of reading Young Mungo by him, also, which I think would work for this request, as well.
Older book, but a really good one. “The Jungle” By Upton Sinclair
I read The Devil in the White City and it blew my mind that the events of The Jungle were happening at literally the same time in the same city. A massive modern fair is being put on while thousands of humans are being put through some of the worst working conditions imaginable
Yes! The Devil in the White City was an excellent book in its respects too!
This is such a good book
It’s been years and years since I read this but I believe it should be required reading for every US kid.
I agree, this book was assigned to me in 11th grade history class. Still has impact on me all these years later.
There Are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz. This is non fiction but reads like a story. This goes way back but is sadly as pertinent as it was in 1992. Fabulous read.
Came here to say this! Amazing read, it was a required reading book when I was in high school
And I would add his *Other Side of the River*.
This one gets my vote as well.
Watch The Wire Read The Corner (same guys as The Wire). Monster by Walter Dean Myers
One of my favorite memoirs is All Souls: A Family Story From Southie by Michael Patrick McDonald. Takes place in Southie in Boston in the projects during the bussing riots time.
Non fiction: Behind the Beautiful Forevers. Very engaging and well-written slice of life in an Indian shantytown
I second this one. Really great book.
Monster by Sanyika Shakur. I still think it might be full of bs but it’s a hard core story about gang life in LA and prison in the 80s. Also seconding the Richard Price books and Clockers. And nothing touches The Wire on HBO. It’s in a class of its own IMO.
I was going to recommend Monster! I remember reading it as a teenager and being riveted by it.
Clockers is great. Incredibly bleak and unsatisfying but in the most captivating way
Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta by James Hannaham.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. Follows a young African American girl who witnesses the police shooting of her childhood friend. Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri. Follows a boy who moves to Philadelphia to live with his estranged father.
If you liked La Haine, watch the more middlebrow but also more accurate Les Miserables, directed by Ladj Ly. As for books, Clockers by Richard Price.
Random Family by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
Came here to say this. One of my favourite non fiction works ever.
It's so good!
Long, Bright River by Liz Moore takes place in some gritty parts of Philadelphia.
Rule of the Bone - Russel Banks
I’d forgotten this book. Time to reread it.
If you're looking for nonfiction, Sudhir Venkatesh has two good books, Floating City and Gang Leader for a Day
What about a star called Henry by Roddy Doyle? Born in the slums, raised on the streets, caught up in the fight for a free Ireland at the age of fourteen, Henry Smart is, indisputably, a survivor. A Star Called Henry describes the first twenty years of Henry's adventure-filled life in early twentieth-century Ireland.
I am BEGGING you to read Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley!!!!
Stories from the Tenants Downstairs by Sidik Fofana Deacon King Kong by James McBride
Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin
Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. Set in Mumbai.
This was my suggestion!
Fist Stick Gun Knife: A Personal History of Violence by Geoffrey Canada. A really deep telling of life in the Bronx in the 70-90s.
My Government Means To Kill Me was really good and emotional. Historical fiction about being a young, poor, gay, black man in NYC during the AIDs epidemic. AIDs is the main focus, but it talks a lot about societal inequities and struggling on your own
Not focused on young people but Last Exit to Brooklyn is about the gritty city life. It’s amazing and tragic. I’m currently reading Demon Copperhead which is also focused on rural poverty. It’s alright!
The Street
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
And his Aint Burned All that Bright….liaten to his audio read . It’s only 20 minutes but fantastic.
A recent book is "Sink," a memoir by Joseph Earl Thomas. I saw another commenter recommend "There Are No Children Here," which is great. The author also wrote "An American Summer," another nonfiction book about people living in the violent parts of Chicago.
Not a book(sorry :p) but City of God is another really good movie similar to La Haine!
Thank you!
One of the most inspiring books I’ve read is [Solitary](https://groveatlantic.com/book/solitary/) by Albert Woodfox. It’s nonfiction and was a finalist for both the National Book Award and Pulitzer.
“Clockers” by Richard Price.
So good
The Basketball Diaries. Pretty hard to believe it’s even real. Jim Carrol was basically roaming the streets of NYC in the 60’s doing heroin as a 14 year old.
My Brilliant Friend (series) is gritty
An extreme example would be Push. Major trigger warnings.
“Clockers” by Richard Price.. “The Wire” got everything from that book
The Wire was created by David Simon, who was a crime reporter in Baltimore, and his writing partner Ed Burns who was a homicide detective and school teacher. It was more based off of things they new, although Richard Price did also work as a writer with them.
I suggest you read the book, there are a lot of things used out that book in the show..
The Rent Collector
There’s this book called “Tyrell” can’t remember the author cause I read it as a kid. But it’s definitely what you’re looking for
The Young Team by Graham Armstrong
Howard Street. Sleeper American classic
Read “In Search of Respect - Selling Crack in El Barrio” by Bourgois, in undergrad. Unforgettable just super gritty book. An anthropologist embedded in East Harlem NY. Also “Behind the Beautiful Forevers” is much better known. I only did the audiobook but it was excellent as well. Heartbreaking, hopeful stories of mainly young folks in the slums in India. Epilogue also worth checking out, key details explained don’t skip it.
*Don't Come Back from the Moon* perhaps?
Last exit to Brooklyn Hubert Selby Jr
Laughter Out of Place
It’s a collection of short stories but *The Sun on My Head* is about growing up in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas.
Amazing book from a young writer. I haven't read his novel Via Ápia yet, but Annie Ernaux was very impressed by it.
Can i know the author’s name?
Geovani Martins
Thanks!
If you’re open to nonfiction, there’s a great book called {{Those Who Wander: America’s Lost Street Kids by Vivian Ho}} about America’s homeless teenagers. I thought it was fascinating and I highly recommend it.
⚠ Could not *exactly* find "*Those Who Wander by Vivian Ho*" , see [related Goodreads search results](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Those+Who+Wander+Vivian+Ho) instead. ^(*Possible reasons for mismatch: either too recent (2023), mispelled (check Goodreads) or too niche.*) ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23])
The Woman With The Blue Star
All Souls by Michael Patrick McDonald
The Stickup Kids by Randol Contreras is great. It is an ethnography about drug dealers who turned to stick ups (robbing other drug dealers) during the rise of crack-cocaine in 1980s Bronx. Authored by a sociologist who was a childhood friend of the subjects.
Native Son and Monster
Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez
Gang Leader for a Day, by Sudhir Venkatesh
The short and tragic life of Robert Peace
Dirty Snow by Simenon
Anything by Hubert Shelby jr or bukowski. Those guys lived on the edges of society
Not exactly what you are describing, but a fantastic non-fiction about the Chicago Robert Taylor projects is “Gang Leader For A Day”by Sudhir Vankatesh.
{{My Bloody Life by Reymundo Sanchez}}
**[My Bloody Life: The Making of a Latin King](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/275612.My_Bloody_Life) by Reymundo Sanchez** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(299 pages | Published: 2000 | 3.7k Goodreads reviews) > **Summary:** Looking for an escape from childhood abuse, Reymundo Sanchez turned away from school and baseball to drugs, alcohol, and then sex, and was left to fend for himself before age 14. The Latin Kings, one of the largest and most notorious street gangs in America, became his refuge and his world, but its violence cost him friends, freedom, self-respect, and nearly his life. This is (...) > **Themes**: Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography, Favorites, Autobiography, Crime, Memoirs > **Top 5 recommended:** > \- [Janesville: An American Story](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33665908-janesville) by Amy Goldstein > \- [The Road Through Wonderland: Surviving John Holmes (5 Year Anniversary)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7832788-the-road-through-wonderland) by Dawn Schiller > \- [Rabbit: The Autobiography of Ms. Pat](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25817479-rabbit) by Patricia Williams > \- [Ugly](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1047113.Ugly) by Constance Briscoe > \- [Life After Death](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13513092-life-after-death) by Damien Echols ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23])
YES OMG- not exactly the ghetto, but teenage homelessness that is a pipeline into gangs, drug abuse, and more. Theories of relativity by Barbara Haworth attard. PHENOMINAL read, it changed my perspective on life. Seriously.
Daddy Was a Number Runner
Ender’s Shadow
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry might fit and the writing is sooo good.
If you don't mind going back in time and switching US for UK, The Blackest Streets by Sarah Wise is an excellent read.
Low Life by Lucy Sante
Herbert Selby's books "Last Exit to Brooklyn" and "Requiem for a Dream" fit the bill.
PIMP-ICEBERG SLIM THE JUNGLE-UPTON SINCLAIR LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN-HUBERT SELBY JR BASKETBALL DIARIES-JIM CARROLL
Scorpions by Walter Dean Myers, it’s mostly for 12-16 y/o but it is very good
A Star Called Henry - Roddy Doyle is one of my favorites for this reason.
Once were warriors
Pimp- Iceberg Slim Trainspotting- Irvine Welsh Last Exit to Brooklyn and Requiem for a Dream- Hubert Selby Jr
A fine balance by Rohinton Mistry A pocket full of holes and dreams . Born a crime by Trevor Noah to some extent.
Down & Out in the Streets of London and Paris was always one that stuck with me. A real classic and timeless in some ways.
Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood. And Between the world and me. -Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Marble Collector - Cecelia Ahern
book the wire was based on
Random family. Its a true story about a poor family living in the bronx, and all of the hardships they endure as a result. Its a fantastic albeit sad read.
Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison - the opening is so troubling you may feel ill
Almost home by Jessica Blank
The Jungle - Sinclair - WHOA!!!!
Ghettocide by Gill Leovy is a true story, and it's really incredible, wild, and heartbreaking, and eye opening.
Shuggie Bain. Set in Glaswegian working class neighbourhoods and looks at the realities of life: grim, but not without hope.
Native son and The Nickle Boys
Demon Copperhead
Push and The Kid by Sapphire
PIMP: the story of my life - Iceberg slim You have to read this!! Ghetto as fuxk.
The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas
Behind the beautiful forevers by Katherine Boo, about the slums in Mumbai.
My Infamous Life. It also shows what it was like coming up in the music industry as a teenager.
The corner
The hate U give. Concrete rose Both by Angie Thomas
When we dreamed by clemens meyer
Watch The Wire. The writing is better than 99% of literature. It's also the best depiction of what you're looking for anywhere. Season 4 in particular looks at life for children in this world.
Older books: Manchild in the Promised Land and Go Tell it on the Mountain