interesting account on institutional racism

A great account on why black on black crime happens and measures taken to stop it. Namely appathy in dealing with the investigation of crimes. As well as several gripping case studies on the crimes of black on black violence.

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a great listen

a very good in-depth book viewing the process of murder by an understaffed police force, some people just do the job and others really care and go the extra mile to solve the cases

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Ghettoside.

Excellent, necessary and thought provoking analysis of an often neglected and misunderstood issue within American society. Leovy's writing is clear, compassionate and does a solid job of conveying the gravity and, far too common, hopelessness involved in the day to day work of murder police working in South LA. Perhaps most important is her clearly sincere intent to engage fully, and on a personal level, to the human suffering of those affected by the murder epidemic which has been the principal focus of the last tens years of her career.

This is an excellent narrative and, despite living a million miles away from the scenes of violence and desperation she describes, one which had me fully engaging with the suffering of those most vulnerable within contemporary American society.

The performance by Lowman is similarly flawless; at no point did I feel that I was listening to someone reading the words of another. Her narration is filled with a calm authority and realism which just adds to an already excellent narrative.

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2 people found this helpful

Stunning

I'll be listening to this book again soon. It's gripping, heart wrenching and illuminating ... and very much worth listening to. It reminds me of the books homicide: a year on the killing streets, and behind the beautiful forevers, and just as good as them both. There's not much praise greater than that!

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Not what I expected.

The story itself is interesting enough. There are several sort-of-intersecting tales of surviving through the struggles of high crime areas of LA.

However, what I expected to be a documentary was very overly described almost to the point of coming off as fiction. Descriptions of the police officers as looking like surfers with blonde hair...I've no patience for that in a documentary.

And the story is read by Rebecca Lowman, who as far as I can see online is a youngish white woman. I can't recall that the book included even a single mention of a youngish white woman. I apologise for playing into stereotypes, but the story would have been more credible and relatable if narrated by someone who could vocally convey the criminals, victims or their families, or the seasoned detectives.

So, I liked the substance, but the writing and narration style didn't work for me.

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1 person found this helpful