Starred review from September 3, 2007
In a kind of literary Rear Window, Myers (The Blues of Flats Brown, reviewed above) uses 10 short stories to create snapshots of a pulsing, vibrant community with diverse ethnic threads, through all of its ups and downs. Beginning with the tale of a wry character who stages his own funeral on a sweltering 4th of July to celebrate the money he has received from canceling his life insurance policy, Myers then follows with a chilling story of a cop shootout gone wrong. Many of the stories are told through the voices of witty, intelligent teens; Jamie Farrell, in particular, is a standout as he relates his changing luck in "The Streak" and makes other cameo appearances. But even the more poignant stories told in the third person--such as that of Billy Giles, a middling fighter hired by the local gym to make contenders look good, and "Angela's Eyes," infused with superstition, in which Angela possesses the ability to foresee death and destruction through her late father's eyes--keep an inviting, conversational tone. Myers creates an overall effect of sitting on the front stoop swapping stories of the neighborhood. Most readers will find that they could settle in for hours and take it all in. Ages 12-up.
October 29, 2001
In a starred review, PW called this collection of 10 stories set in Harlem, "a kind of literary Rear Window. Myers creates snapshots of a pulsing, vibrant community with diverse ethnic threads, through all of its ups and downs." Ages 12-up.
July 1, 2000
Too many collections have found popular YA novelists ill at ease with the short-story form, but Myers here demonstrates a sure skill for its demands. Tightly focused and selectively detailed, the ten stories here each feature a small cast grappling with a single situation. Myers has a great, natural style and is completely at home in a contemporary Harlem depicted without adulation but with great affection.
(Copyright 2000 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
December 15, 1999
Gr. 5^-9. Rooted in a Harlem neighborhood, these short stories mix anger and laughter, music and melancholy. Violence is a constant and so is love, with surprises that grow right out of the daily lives of the people who live on the block. There's the uproarious farce about Big Joe, who organizes his funeral so he can enjoy it while he's still alive; but even before the party's over, there's real trouble on the street. In the best story, "Monkeyman," a brave teen stands up to the Tigros gang. There's some wary community support, but the Tigros get him in the end; he barely survives the stabbing, and nothing much changes with the gangs, the drugs, or the occasionally violent police ("It was all so scary. All so sad"). A few stories are sentimental, but the best of them, told in a teenager's casual voice, are fast, wry, and honest ("You know what I mean?"). There's the smart kid who needs to put "some serious distance" between himself and the hood; he says that Africa is his homeland, but he knows that he just wants to get away ("Uncle Duke said I could be more, but if I put Harlem out of my heart, I could end up being a lot less, too"). Teens are the dominant voices, but several stories are cross-generational, and though the time is now, the sense of history is strong. There are no heavy sermons or messages, but the search for personal identity is at the heart of this lyrical collection, and so is the sense of the place, where a guy alone on the corner plays a saxophone in the dark, "dealing with demons that needed to hear a tune." ((Reviewed December 15, 1999))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1999, American Library Association.)
April 1, 2000
Gr 6 Up-Myers draws upon his experiences growing up in Harlem to create these 10 interconnected stories about a neighborhood inhabited by colorful, memorable characters. Teens figure prominently in these selections, but adults of varying ages also play dominant roles. One of the funniest characters is a fellow named Big Joe, who decides to organize his own funeral while he's still alive to enjoy it. One of the most memorable tales is "Monkeyman," in which a teen stands up to the local gang. A host of other characters come to life. These finely drawn personalities come together in the final story, the celebratory "Block Party-145th Street Style." People in the neighborhood have to put up with crime, police brutality, and poverty, but there are fun times, too. Myers gets a bit sentimental at times, especially in "A Christmas Story," but there's enough balance here among the emotions to make 145th Street a highly enjoyable short-story collection. What one comes away with after reading it is a vivid sense of place and a vibrant feeling of community.-Edward Sullivan, New York Public Library
Copyright 2000 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.