Helpful Score: 1
For Thea Morris, having visions and feeling propelled to act on them is more than just a job-it's a way of life. Sure, she may hang a neon "Psychic" sign outside her door; after all, Thea and her best friend, Chandra Grayer, really do run a business called Gangsta Psychic out of the first floor of the house they live in. With Thea's very real visions about the future, and Chandra's no-nonsense attitude, the two women have built a niche for themselves in a community that's too close to poverty and gangs for comfort.
The only problem with the set-up is Thea's deep-seated desire to act on her visions. If a psychic flash brings thoughts of a beating, of a drug deal gone bad, of a gang of baddies determined to bring death and destruction to a rival group-Thea feels it's in her nature to act upon the God-given vision and do something to help her fellow man. Armed only with Maurice, her gun, for protection, Thea sets out into some of the meanest neighborhoods in town to save those who might still have a chance of survival.
Now Thea has more problems than just taking care of victims, because this time she might become one herself. Jango, a former Crew gang-leader, is out for revenge-especially on the woman he once thought of as his, who turned out to be a traitor to his cause. Now Thea's fighting for her life, fighting to save the youth on the streets, and fighting her attraction to a new man in her life.
STREET LEVEL offers the tag line of "an urban fairytale," and the label is a good one. Good versus evil, drug dealers versus the FBI, psychics versus everyday average people, and the strength of a mother in the face of danger to her child, are all part of this engaging novel. Kudos to Ms. Langhorne for a book that looks into the cultural side of African-Americans and shows that just like with any race, there is always good, and there is always bad. With this action-adventure romantic tale, STREET LEVEL hits home on every level.
The only problem with the set-up is Thea's deep-seated desire to act on her visions. If a psychic flash brings thoughts of a beating, of a drug deal gone bad, of a gang of baddies determined to bring death and destruction to a rival group-Thea feels it's in her nature to act upon the God-given vision and do something to help her fellow man. Armed only with Maurice, her gun, for protection, Thea sets out into some of the meanest neighborhoods in town to save those who might still have a chance of survival.
Now Thea has more problems than just taking care of victims, because this time she might become one herself. Jango, a former Crew gang-leader, is out for revenge-especially on the woman he once thought of as his, who turned out to be a traitor to his cause. Now Thea's fighting for her life, fighting to save the youth on the streets, and fighting her attraction to a new man in her life.
STREET LEVEL offers the tag line of "an urban fairytale," and the label is a good one. Good versus evil, drug dealers versus the FBI, psychics versus everyday average people, and the strength of a mother in the face of danger to her child, are all part of this engaging novel. Kudos to Ms. Langhorne for a book that looks into the cultural side of African-Americans and shows that just like with any race, there is always good, and there is always bad. With this action-adventure romantic tale, STREET LEVEL hits home on every level.
