BOOK REVIEW By Nicola A. Cunningham-Williams Publisher: LMH Publishing
When it comes to doing a sequel of a novel, several elements have to work in tandem in order for it to be successful. An authentic storyline and relatable characters are at the top of the list along with some spicy subplots interwoven in the mix to keep things interesting. With ‘Inner City Girl 2: Other Rivers to Cross’, Colleen Smith-Dennis hit the nail squarely on the head with her latest literary offering that was engrossing from cover to cover.
The tale continue to twist around Martina, a bright and ambitious teen on the cusp of womanhood who academic acumen is without question but financial stability leaves a lot to be desired. Her fathers’ fall from grace lands her and her sister right back in the belly of the beast that is the inner-city, where the rules of society are lax and is outright ignored. Life is cheap, loyalties fragile and crime goes largely ignored as no one wants the unwelcomed label of being an ‘informa’.
Though faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges of sexual harassment, extortion, living below the poverty line and homelessness, she never wavers in her pursuit of a better life and refuses to compromise her integrity when succumbing to the pressures around her would have been the easier way out.
Told with a clarity and understanding of the inner workings of life in the less than ideal locations of the urban build up that is our capital city, ‘Inner City Girl 2’, captures the grit of the underbelly of poverty based in downtown Kingston which operates largely on a different frequency from the rest of the island. It also gives us a peek into how people survive under these conditions and shows that while life is harsh it is not hopeless.
Written in a format that is easy to read and engaging, ‘Inner City Girl 2’ is an ideal gift for teenagers searching for their sense of self as well as those who struggle with self-esteem issues. It profoundly narrates that you do not have to compromise who you are as a human being to fit in; that it is ok to be you and most importantly that where you start out in life does not define who you are or predicts your final destination.
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