There goes the neighborhood

Title:

Author:

Summary:

The gang is fake, but the fear is real. Rhea's neighborhood is fading away—the mom-and-pop shops of her childhood forced out to make space for an artisanal kombucha brewery here, a hot yoga studio there. And everywhere, the feeling that this place is no longer meant for her. Because while their little corner of South L.A. isn't perfect, to Rhea and her two best friends, it's something even more important—it's home. And it's worth protecting. But as more white people flock to their latest edgy, urban paradise for its cheap rent and sparkling new Whole Foods, more of Rhea's friends and family are pushed out. Until Rhea decides it's time to push back. Armed with their cellphones and a bag of firecrackers, the friends manipulate social media to create the illusion of gang violence in their neighborhood. All Rhea wanted to do was protect her community. Her friends. Herself. No one was supposed to get hurt. No one was supposed to die. But is anyone ever really safe when you're fighting power with fear? -- Amazon.

Audience:

Ages 12-18. Hyperion.

Grades 7-9. Hyperion.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

414 pages ; 24 cm

Genre:

Social problem fiction.

Subject Term:

Gentrification -- Fiction.

Gangs -- Fiction.

Social media -- Fiction.

Murder -- Fiction.

African Americans -- Fiction.

Hispanic Americans -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

Los Angeles (Calif.) -- Fiction.

Publisher:

Hyperion,

Publication Date:

2023

ISBN:

9781368084321

9781368084345

Publication Information:

Los Angeles ; New York : Hyperion, 2023.

Award Note:

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent - Author, 2024.

Call Number:

YA ADIA

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003686204	New Young Adult	ADIA	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Winner of the 2024 Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award

A raised fist against the destructive forces of gentrification and a love letter to communities of color everywhere, Jade Adia's unforgettable debut tells the darkly hilarious story of three best friends willing to do whatever it takes to stay together.

The gang is fake, but the fear is real.

Rhea's neighborhood is fading away--the mom-and-pop shops of her childhood forced out to make space for an artisanal kombucha brewery here, a hot yoga studio there. And everywhere, the feeling that this place is no longer meant for her. Because while their little corner of South L.A. isn't perfect, to Rhea and her two best friends, it's something even more important--it's home. And it's worth protecting.

But as more white people flock to their latest edgy, urban paradise for its cheap rent and sparkling new Whole Foods, more of Rhea's friends and family are pushed out. Until Rhea decides it's time to push back. Armed with their cellphones and a bag of firecrackers, the friends manipulate social media to create the illusion of gang violence in their neighborhood. All Rhea wanted to do was protect her community. Her friends. Herself. No one was supposed to get hurt. No one was supposed to die.

But is anyone ever really safe when you're fighting power with fear?

Author Notes

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jade Adia writes stories about gentrification, Black teen joy, and the sh*tshow that is capitalism. She holds a bachelor's degree in Ethnicity, Race & Migration, and a certificate in Human Rights. She recently survived law school, graduating with a specialization in Critical Race Studies. She is the author of There Goes the Neighborhood , which won the 2024 Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent award, and Our Shouts Echo

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 9 Up--Fifteen-year-old Rhea is adjusting to falling for her best friend Malachi and worried about how this romance may impact her other best friend Zeke, as the three friends watch their South L.A. community face gentrification. When Zeke's family begins receiving eviction notices, Rhea devises a bold plan to start a fake gang that will deter the gentrification. This plan starts out innocuous but soon exposes drug deals, murder, and extortion, which are blamed on the nonexistent gang. While the three friends collaborate with other students to advocate for their neighborhood, they also face the harsh consequences of their decisions as they see how far some individuals will go to protect their racist ideals. Full of wonderful BIPOC representation through Rhea and Malachi (Black) and Zeke (Latino), this debut novel will appeal to fans of Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, and Jas Hammonds. This work explores the cost of gentrification on communities of color through much pain and trauma and a little hope. VERDICT A well-written debut that tackles issues of friendship, first love, gentrification, racism, and eviction through a compelling, fast-paced narrative full of suspense, tension, and questions of fairness. Recommended for teens alongside discussions of contemporary issues.--Tracey S. Hodges

Publisher's Weekly Review

Fifteen-year-old best friends Rhea and Malachi, who are Black, and Zeke, who is Salvadorian, have spent their entire lives in their racially diverse Los Angeles neighborhood. But when gentrification prompts Zeke's callous landlord to dramatically increase his building's rent, the three teens attempt to come up with a solution that will help him, as well as the rest of their community. Meanwhile, Rhea struggles to overcome feelings of jealousy and frustration when magnetic newcomers Lou and Marley, described as having brown skin, infiltrate her friend group. Unbeknownst to their new peers, Rhea, Malachi, and Zeke decide to use gentrifiers' prejudice to their own advantage by creating a fake gang called SOSI, hoping its sudden appearance will garner enough negative attention to persuade developers to stop "colonizing the neighborhood." But after SOSI begins cultivating real fear among local denizens, it sparks deadly consequences. In this riveting portrait of community care, debut author Adia paints the pain, danger, and consequences of gentrification with visceral clarity, highlighting changes such as displacement and fractured families via Rhea's biting and witty voice and her unwavering loyalty to her hometown. Ages 12--up. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Mar.)