On The Come Up

by Travis Hunter

Overview

Growing up in the heart of the Atlanta ghetto, siblings DeMarco and Jasmine Winslow have developed a talent for survival. But if given the chance, they would do anything for a fresh start. . . .

By the time DeMarco was fifteen, being locked up was better than being at home. So whenever he got hungry or cold or just plain tired of living in the ghetto, he'd steal something and make sure he got caught, 'cause going to juvie was like going to heaven: video games, basketball courts, a big screen television, and three hot meals a day. And now that he's back in the hood, things seem worse than before.

Jasmine, DeMarco's twin sister, hasn't had the luxury of vacationing in juvie. She's had to balance being an honor roll student with fighting off advances from her mother's boyfriend. After her mom sides with her boyfriend, Jasmine's out on the streets and running with the DIVAs, a rough group of girls whose number one goal is to get paid. But when Jasmine finally gets her chance to break free, she learns the hard way that no one leaves the hood unscathed. . . .

Also Available

TWO THE HARD WAY

AT THE CROSSROADS

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780758242525
Publisher:	Kensington
Publication date:	11/01/2010
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 5.58(h) x 0.72(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Travis Hunter is the founder of the Hearts of Men Foundation, through which he mentors underprivileged children. He is also the author of eight novels for adults: The Hearts of Men, Married But Still Looking, Trouble Man, A One Woman Man, Something to Die For, A Family Sin, and Dark Child. Hunter graduated from Georgia State University with a bachelor’s in Psychology and is a veteran of the U.S. Army. Hunter lives in a suburb of Atlanta with his son Rashaad.

Editorial Reviews

Part 'hood fairy tale, part slice of life, this warm but uneven chronicle sees a pair of twins from Atlanta achieve hard-won and unexpected successes. After his 32nd stay in juvenile prison, DeMarco, sporting a facial tattoo he gave himself, goes home determined to go back to school and stay out of trouble. He returns to the Bluff, the poor neighborhood where his family lives, and finds that his mother, an alcoholic, has been neglecting the house and his baby brother Devin. Meanwhile, DeMarco's twin, Jasmine, who narrates some of the chapters, has become involved with a group of dangerous girls and is being sexually threatened by her mother's boyfriend. After her new "friends" leave her at a high-class party, evidently drugged, Jasmine is rescued by a heroic gentleman who launches her into a modeling career that seems too good to be believed--but is never shown to be so. The large and diverse cast of characters, some developed better than others, adds depth to the portrayal of the Bluff, and the narrative makes many straightforward yet insightful observations about race, poverty and injustice. The book could benefit from another round of editing, however: A final section feels tacked on, and a few points of exposition are repeated unnecessarily. Despite some flaws, there is heart and wisdom to be found here. (Fiction. 12 & up)

Kirkus Reviews