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Book Review of All God's Children: Inside the Dark and Violent World of Street Families

All God's Children: Inside the Dark and Violent World of Street Families
joann avatar reviewed on + 412 more book reviews


There is a body of a young girl found on the train tracks in Oregon. She has been beaten and burned beyond recognition. It is found out that her name is Jessica and that she had been involved with a family living on the streets.
The street families have their own "laws" and if you do not abide by them, you pay the price.
This book was very well researched and you are quickly pulled into the street life and the different families that reside in Oregon. What is the hardest to realize is the violence of members who claim to be Wiccan and don't want anything to do with our "normal" society.
They have formed families and they turn on each other for their "laws" being broken, whether or not the "laws" were really broken or it was just implied that they were.
Be warned that this is an extremely violent group of people and if you have a weak stomach when it comes to this stuff, don't read the book.
I guess my biggest question is, what appeal is there to living on the streets and living by the code of the families? There were some very intelligent and well familied individuals involved in this book. Are kids really just looking for that kind of freedom? But where do they get the idea that this is the freedom, since the rules of the street families seem so much harsher than that of the normal world?
This was just sad and really makes you think about the roles that parents play and how hard it is being a parent and wanting the best for your children, when they believe that what they are seeking is much more important. Unfortunately, there are lots of influences upon a teenager and you hope for the best.