Happy Publishing day to this amazing little book! In only 220 pages, you are transported to the projects of Chicago, into the lives of 4 young girls navigating their way through their complex community and families. This one summer changes their lives forever. Violence, racism, gentrification of their neighborhood - these girls see it all while they jump rope together in the little corner of their building they’ve claimed as their own.

Debut author, coming of age story - these are a few of my favorite things. The writing is impeccable and the storytelling superb. This is a book that will stay on my mind for a very long time.

Thanks #Netgalley @WmMorrowBooks @WilliamMorrowBooks for a complimentary e ARC of #LastSummerOnStateStreet upon my request. All opinions are my own.

In 1999, twelve-year-old Fe Fe Stevens lives with her mother and older brother in the 4950 Building of Chicago’s Robert Taylor Homes, and her high rise is next in line to be torn down by the Chicago Housing Authority. Fe Fe and her three friends attempt to stay away from the gangs and all the danger in their community by playing a lot of double dutch (jump rope), hiding from bullets, and avoiding crack addicts. They find safety at school, church, and with some of their mothers and trusted adult friends. As the girls begin to lose their childhood innocence, it becomes more difficult to avoid the realities of life and the girls begin going their separate ways.

Last Summer on State Street is a thoughtful and compelling story of family, friendship, and community that reads like a memoir. The story placed me right in the community playing jump rope (I could hear the song lyrics and shoes hitting the pavement), running for cover from bullets with my heart pounding, avoiding gang members and crack addicts, fearing for the safety of my older brother and praying for his well being, feeling mostly safe in the classroom, experiencing peace at church, and navigating the angst of pre-teen friendships. I sincerely appreciate the inclusion of faith in this story.

Themes include mother/daughter, friendship, faith, honest questions asked, and harsh realities brought to light.

Content Considerations: gangs, drug addiction, child neglect, sexual assault of a young girl, poverty, gun violence, physical assault, death, bullying

Although this is a difficult read in many ways, I appreciate the authentic voice, unique perspective, and thoughtful reflection. Readers from the Chicago area might have a special interest. This might not be a story for everyone, so consider the content carefully.

Last Summer on State Street is a fantastic debut that follows Felicia (also called Fe Fe), a 12 year old girl living with her brother and mother in the housing projects of Chicago. The novel focuses on the summer of 1999, which Fe Fe spends with her friends playing games in the square in front of their high-rise - the last few months before their homes are to be demolished by the city. But that isn’t the only reason this summer becomes memorable for Fe Fe - the events that happen during this time change her life, her family, and her community forever.

This novel is truly phenomenal. It’s a short but extremely powerful read, and the fact that it’s a debut is shocking - it’s that well written. The issues raised by this book - gun and gang violence, drugs, police violence, gentrification and racism - are impactful on their own, but having them told through a child’s perspective creates an even greater effect. It’s a tough, difficult read about a young Black girl desperately trying to hold onto the last moments when she can still simply be a child, but the way Wolfe writes about Fe Fe’s life makes it impossible to put down. The picture she paints is bleak and heartbreaking more often than not, but it’s also beautifully vivid and complex. I loved that every character had a distinctive voice, but Fe Fe and her 3 friends were my favorites and I was really moved by their fates.

TLDR: Last Summer on State Street is an impressive, painfully honest coming-of-age novel that doesn’t hold back the punches. A brilliant debut and a true gem!

A heartfelt story of four girls who lived in a community undergoing rapid change. Told through the eyes of Fee Fee, the summer of 1999 was a transitional one. Chicago was tearing down the buildings and putting rents in the social fabric.
Tragedy occurs which will resonate with the four girls forever.
Survival comes in many forms and navigating the rough waters can be challenging.

I received an ARC of Last Summer on State Street in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of those novels that just grabs a hold of you and shows you that life is not the same for everyone.

This is a coming of age story about four black girls growing up in the Chicago projects and the summer that everything changed for them. This is not a novel about pool parties, family vacations and boys. This is about basic survival.

It is the summer of 1999 and although these four girls love playing Double-Dutch and other jump rope games and just hanging out together being girls. However, the backdrop to their childhood games is gun violence, gang wars, drugs, sexual abuse and teenage pregnancy.

What I love most about this novel is the main character, Fe-Fe. Her world is surrounded by numerous hardships and challenges and she purposefully chooses a different path and demonstrates a resilience that not many adults would be able to display.

This is a don't miss novel but be ready....it deals with very difficult and challenging subjects.

"Last Summer on State Street" is told from the perspective of Felicia Stevens, or "Fe Fe", a young girl who grows up in the troubled housing projects in Chicago at the turn of the 21st century. Her world is relatively small, consisting of her small family of her mother and her older brother Meechee, her school, and her small group of friends. There's Precious, the girl Fe Fe has known for as long as she can remember; Stacia, a daughter in the infamous Buchanan family that Fe Fe befriends; and the latest addition, quiet and timid Tonya. We get to see the relationship between these girls develop as each of their backstories are revealed.

The overarching setting and environment of the novel is a major factor, however. Fe Fe and her friend grow up in an area that is frequented by gangs and drug dealers, and frequently has to escape brawls and gun violence. This looming shadow affects them all differently - some are able to escape unscathed, while others are completely lost into the substance abuse and persistent violence. While Fe Fe tries her best to keep herself and her family together, she nonetheless has to watch as her world changes and she loses some of the people that she loves in more ways than one.

I would agree that this book is a "coming of age" story, and is a depressing and eye-opening look into what growing up in such a difficult situation can be like. I struggled with some of Wolfe's writing, especially in the first half of the novel as Fe Fe describes her life and how her friendships developed; albeit told from the perspective of a 12/13 year-old girl, the tone felt so detached and unemotional that I found it hard to continue throughout the chapters. I found that the pacing in the second half picked up, especially as I got invested into a number of the other characters and wanted to find out what ultimately happened to them.

I’d seen some early reviews of the last Summer on state street and was curious. Set a 1999 Chicago within the Robert Taylor Homes, the story follows four preteen girls as they navigate the end of their collective housing and community and the devastating effects of it. Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for my e-arc.

The story is told primarily through the eyes of 12-year-old Felicia (aka - FeFe). Her tale and by extension those of her friends are shattering and yet with moments of hope and humanity. I found myself completely immersed in FeFe, Precious, Stacia, and Tonya’s story. What they endured, the trauma they live through was heartbreaking. And yet the resilience of spirit continue to shine through as well as the power of connection, and the importance of having people who want better for you.

Mama Pearl and her wisdom to decide who you want to be so you don’t follow someone else’s plan really struck me. Her guiding way for FeFe was life-changing and made me reflect on the influences within a child’s life. The power they have to propel a child forward or leave them abandon and broken is incredible.

This was, for me, an incredible book. There is such insight into the human condition and how our environment and those within form us. It is a story I know I will continue to reflect on it for a very long time.

LAST SUMMER ON STATE STREET by Toya Wolfe is so evocative of a time and place, centering on a group of friends who live in public housing in Chicago in 1999. That was a period of transition for the neighborhood as well as for these four young adolescents, just 12 or 13: "Fe Fe" Stevens, Precious Brown, Stacia Buchanan, and newcomer "Tonya from the Ten," a catalyst for change in the group. Initially, the girls spend carefree summer days – playing four square or Double Dutch jump rope, but gradually the violence of gang presence, worries over housing being lease compliant, and even sexual abuse invade their reality. Their paths diverge with some ending up "in the system" under foster care or having a brother sent to prison, while others move away and finish college. Years later, a chance reunion allows for revisiting the events of that fateful summer. A very well-written debut novel, LAST SUMMER ON STATE STREET received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and from Booklist which called it a "fictional counterpart" to Dawn Turner's Three Girls from Bronzeville. Book groups and literature circles will find much (poverty, racism, police action, Chicago politics, drug addiction, gang pressure, and family loyalty) to discuss and debate.

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this coming of age novel, one from a different perspective than my own upbringing. Now THIS is a fantastic debut. I took my time reading it because of the tough subject matter (especially gun violence), but I really appreciated it. I kept thinking I must have mistakingly thought it was fiction, because it felt so sincere, like a memoir.

“While she didn’t like to talk much about the negative parts of our childhood, by the time we moved to California, our bond was tighter than ever, and unlike when we were kids, when our parents arranged our friendship, as adults, we’d chosen to be friends, and we knew that we’d be together for life.”

LAST SUMMER ON STATE STREET by @toyawolves

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5

This was a tougher and probably more uncomfortable read for me but also I loved it so so much! This story is such a necessary one to get out into the world and really drives in how some people have to grow up so much quicker than others. There were heartbreaking parts and parts I was rooting for certain people!

Felicia “Fe Fe” Stevens is living with her vigilantly loving mother and older teenaged brother, whom she adores, in building 4950 of Chicago’s Robert Taylor Homes. It’s the summer of 1999, and her high-rise is next in line to be torn down by the Chicago Housing Authority. She, with the devout Precious Brown and Stacia Buchanan, daughter of a Gangster Disciple Queen-Pin, form a tentative trio and, for a brief moment, carve out for themselves a simple life of Double Dutch and innocence. But when Fe Fe welcomes a mysterious new friend, Tonya, into their fold, the dynamics shift, upending the lives of all four girls.
(sourced from harpercollins.com)

I absolutely loved that we were told the story through FeFe’s perspective! She was able to dive deep into the characters without going so far as to persuade the readers opinion.

Last Summer on State Street is an amazing story that reads like a memoir even though it's not. It's a wonderfully written tragic coming of age story centered around Felicia and her friends and their last summer together in the Chicago projects in the 90's. A raw and emotional look at growing up black and poor in the inner city. It is more heartbreaking than uplifting but it's told in such a way that it was hard to put down and I read it all in one sitting. Cannot believe this is a debut novel!

Thanks to Net Galley for this ARC. This novel will debut June 14th, 2022.
This story was vivid and read very much like a memoir even though it is not. It is a coming of age story centered around a Black girl experiencing the realities of life in the projects. I enjoyed getting a look into her friend circle and many elements such as siblings (the paths they choose), an impactful teacher, and the older generation being pillars in the community rang true and authentic.
I’d consider this a very strong debut novel that shared such well thought out words and comparisons that it evoked emotion from its reader.
I wish it were longer and featured a multi-pov.

Last Summer on State Street, Toya Wolfe's standout debut, is an evocative and nostalgic coming of age novel, following four 12-year-old girls as they spend their last summer together - the summer of 1999 - at the Robert Taylor Homes, the infamous Chicago high-rise housing projects which were slated for demolition amid gang violence, vast poverty, and sweeping crime. Wolfe's heart-wrenching novel is a testament to her childhood growing up in the Robert Taylor Homes, and is a story that will touch readers in the deepest parts of their soul.

It was their last summer of innocence. At the start of the summer of 1999, Fe Fe, Precious, and Stacia spend their days jumping rope and dallying in the types of activities that young girls on the cusp of womanhood do. This is a pivotal summer, one that will change their lives forever. The girls have been watching the only neighborhood they have ever known - the Robert Taylor Homes - be torn down around them and the families who lived there relocated to other parts of Chicago. They know this is likely their last summer together, and Fe Fe, the novel's narrator, finds herself grasping, trying to hold on to whatever lingering vestiges of her life and childhood friendships that she can.

However, the girls couldn't foresee what was awaiting them in the summer of 1999. Fe Fe introduces a new girl to their group, Tonya, who has been relocated to their building after the high-rise that she lived in was demolished. Tonya is quiet and introverted, and Fe Fe can't help but feel that there is more to her story than she is letting on. It doesn't help that Stacia, the daughter of a prominent Gangster Disciple, has it out for Tonya right from the start. As Fe Fe tries to be a good friend to Tonya, while also not losing the friends she has known all her life, she finds herself straddling a line that will test both her limits and morals.

Last Summer on State Street is a raw and unflinching portrait of what it is like to be young, black, and female, trying to hold onto childhood and innocence while your community is being overrun by cops, gangs, and drugs. Not only is this story powerfully eye-opening and resonant, but Wolfe's writing is beautifully poignant as well. She has the incredible talent of being able to take the difficult, grisly parts of life growing up in the projects, and paint in vibrant details, giving dimension and depth to the well-worn stereotypes and cliches of the black experience in urban America.

In The Last Summer on State Street Felicia (FeFe) tells us the story of her and her three friends all growing up in the housing projects at a time in Chicago when new developments meant no one's home was secure. In between vivid images of wrecking balls tearing down buildings, gunshots blasting through windows, and vulnerable children running for cover stand three girlfriends- Stacia, Tonya, Precious and FeFe- and for a moment the reader really isn't sure that either of them will make it to the end of the book alive.

There are so many things FeFe doesn't understand in the beginning that only make sense over time- like how a grown man would want to possess the body and mind of a 12 year old and how a mother would sacrifice her child for the temporary thrill of a high. I found myself relieved that FeFe had a mother who made it her mission to protect her and somehow, still, she could not be saved fully from the realities of living in a housing project. '

I was grief stricken at the story of FeFe's older brother, Meech, who encounters unfortunate events at the hands of the police.

This is a story that will force your eyes open to the reality that many of our vulnerable young people are growing up in. You cannot make it to the end of this book with your blind spots in place. This book is a banner of love and validation to the children growing up in housing projects and those who understand what its like to come of age without a basic sense of safety in the world.

This is a beautiful yet difficult story about a 12 year old girl during her last summer living in the Projects in Chicago in 1999. It felt like a more serious coming of age story similar to the outsiders. I think this resonated even more for me since I live in Chicago. I knew the streets and places she mentioned which pulled me in even more. This wasn’t an easy read by any means.

I am surprised this was a debut honestly. I found my mind drifting at times but that could have been due to the heavy subject matter if I’m honest. I will definitely keep an eye on future books from this author.

This is a coming of age story about a 12-year-old girl named Fe Fe Stevens who lives in the Robert Taylor Homes on the south side of Chicago in 1999, right as the buildings are slowly being torn down by the Chicago Housing Authority. The author herself lived in the Robert Taylor Homes, a public housing complex of over 20 high-rise buildings built to house low income families in Chicago. The story is engaging, heartbreaking, and compelling, and Wolfe vividly depicts what is was like to live there- the daily gun battles, the dangers involved in taking the elevator or the stairs, the lack of lighting provided, and more. It is a war zone. I lived in Chicago in the early 1990s and did my senior thesis on another housing complex there, Cabrini-Green, and how Operation Clean Sweep had impacted it. It was interesting to see Clean Sweep referenced in this book as well.

I think it can be interesting to pair fiction and nonfiction books on the same topic to provide more insight on a subject. A great book to pair with Last Summer on State Street is High Risers: Cabrini-Green and the Fate of American Public Housing. While High Risers is about Cabrini-Green, the two complexes shared very similar fates and ultimately were both completely torn down a number of decades after they were built. High Risers charts the failure of the city of Chicago to fund the complexes, provide security for them, make sure there were grocery stores and other necessary stores nearby, and more while the city government also made sure that Chicago remained racially segregated. This nonfiction book will provide a lot more context for what is happening in Last Summer on State Street, which I felt was sometimes missing. Overall though, I found Last Summer on State Street to be a well-crafted debut, and I look forward to reading her future work.

Quote:
“We watched them knock down what we thought was indestructible. I’d learn that so many things that I thought were solid and structured in my life could be broken down, bit by bit, just like those buildings.”

Review:
This book is soooo good. It’s beautifully narrated through the eyes of 12 year old Fe Fe, during her, her family and her friend’s last summer living in the Robert Taylor Homes (a project in Chicago). It’s a VERY REAL look at the effects of gentrification, life in the projects, growing up black and growing up poor. I think FeFe’s narration was a perfect way of telling this necessary story. Fe Fe is an empath, her perspective is close yet distant to the lives of those around her and her understanding is youthful yet wise. This novel shows how quickly some people have to grow up versus others and how some life choices are made for you not by you. It’s a complex and tragic story that felt very relatable to my own girlhood. It’s a novel that will sit with me for awhile and one I would enjoy discussing with others.

I absolutely loved this book! It’s an excellent and powerful debut! Thank you for allowing me to read this ARC!

Instagram: @viviensbooks

What a fabulous debut this is. This is such a poignant tale, told from the perspective of a young girl, that pulled me into the world of the inner-city projects of Chicago in the 1990s. This tale was heart-breaking, but it's something the world very much needs to hear right now. I wish this author great success, and I look forward to more greatness from her in the future.

Thank you Harper Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC e-book. This debut novel takes you into the inter workings about survival in the projects during the summer of 1999. It is the coming of age story of Felicia during her last year in the projects. It follows her and her friends with heartbreaking stories and imagines of being surrounded by gangs and violence and what it truly means to survive in this world. It oftentimes read as a memoir and I had to remember it was a novel. It was heartbreaking but with so many signs of hope, powerful and enlightening. This book will be published June 14, 2022.

Really appreciated this fresh debut novel that reads like a memoir. I never had the opportunity to consider what childhood looks like living in the projects, and this paints a vivid picture. There is horror, hope and healing.

FeFe and her best friend Precious are 12 years old and love to skip rope down on 3. That summer they ask a couple new girls to join them and for a short time they become fast friends. We quickly see that these girls won’t remain children for long.