This debut novel is written in the voice of 12 yo Felicia and reads like a memoir. This is a story about the experiences of 4 young girls living in the Robert Taylor Housing Projects in Chicago the summer they were being torn down. Felicia's life is forever intertwined with that of her friends Precious, Stacia and Tonya that summer. In between going to school, playing double dutch, huddling in closets from gang violence and hiding from police the girls interact and learn about each other. Felicia lives with her mom and 16 yo brother Meechie. Their mom is determined to keep them safe and away from the violence that rules the streets but one night the police raid their apartment after a shooting and pull Meechie from bed and arrest him wrongly and take him to jail. Precious lives with her parents and is largely protected from the violence by spending hours per week in church. Stacia is the child of a gang leader, one of many siblings all aiming to follow in their mother's footsteps. Tonya is the child of a drug addict mother willing to sell her child for drugs. Over one eventful summer when gang violence comes to a head and the projects are demolished forcing the families to find new paths the girls see and do things that will change all of their lives forever. I won't soon forget these characters and their stories. This is an important read about a time in our history we should all understand, With a voice of experience Wolfe lays out all the factors that came together to create so many problems for so many just trying to survive.

There’s something about an #ownvoices debut that hits just right.

LAST SUMMER ON STATE STREET is a coming of age story that follows Fe Fe Stevens in the summer of 1999 as the high-rise building she calls home is slated to be demolished by the Chicago Housing Authority.

Alternating between Fe Fe’s thriving present-day adulthood and her childhood recollections, the story has a maturity to it that only time and hindsight wisdom can bring. Fe Fe reckons with the heartbreaking realities and friendships lost during that formative summer in her adolescence.

LAST SUMMER ON STATE STREET boasts a strong sense of place as Toya Wolfe offers readers a window into life in Chicago's southside projects. The story is based on the housing project that the author grew up in which gives the story a rawness and authenticity.

I loved the themes of forgiveness, family bonds, and the importance of home. What a perfect summer read with depth and heart!

RATING: 4.5/5 (rounded up to 5)
PUBLICATION: June 14, 2022

A big thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review will be posted to www.instagram.com/kellyhook.readsbooks in advance of publication date.

Last Summer on State Street artfully evokes memories of the time period between childhood’s blissful ignorance and the awakening of young adult understanding of the world as we go along with Felicia as she gains a new understanding of her South Side Chicago neighborhoods’ dynamics in the summer of 1999. This book tackles hard topics such as systemic racism, addiction, and abuse through Felicia’s young eyes, as she builds resilience and champions kindness. Felicia’s story reminds us that you truly do not know what other people are going through, so treating them with kindness is never wrong.

A story about growing up in the projects on the south side of Chicago in the summer of 1999, this book tells us the story of 4 12 year old girls (Fe Fe, Precious, Stacia, and Tonya) who all live in one of the buildings that is set to be demolished, as the city cleans up the south side and builds what I assumed to be luxury condos.

Of course, tough topics are handled here, as well as some horrible events. There is a lot of gang activity in the neighborhood and violent acts like beat-downs and shootings are the norm. The four girls deal with the problems around them and we see the paths that they take. Hint: Fe Fe is going to be your favorite, as she really pushes to overcome the obstacles in her way.

At times, this story really dragged for me. But the overall message in the end is a good one.

The Last Summer on State Street is a powerful, impactful novel that I am confident will stay with me for a long time.

This coming-of-age novel is set in the housing projects in Chicago in the late 90s and centered on 12 year old FeFe and her three best friends. The girls live in a dangerous and frequently traumatizing environment where they are forced to grow up too soon.

The book is told from FeFe’s perspective looking back, so the reader experiences a child’s naïveté but also occasional interjections of adult understanding. This was carried out deftly, and I found it reassuring to know from the start that FeFe had made it to adulthood.

The Last Summer on State Street is raw, powerful, heartbreaking, and hopeful, and has trigger warnings for child abuse, sexual abuse, and gang violence. I’m very impressed that it’s a debut. I read a little about the author, Toya Wolfe, and she grew up in the housing project that serves as the setting of the book. I really appreciated knowing that she was writing from experience. I think it added depth and honesty to the novel.

I expect to hear lots of people talking about this one when it releases on June 14!

Big thanks to @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for this eARC for review.

A haunting coming of age story that takes place in the projects of Chicago. Fe Fe is a young girl of 12 who befriends 3 other girls in her complex. They each have such harrowing tales of daily life. Gang hanger, moms on crack, constant hub fire, copy brutalizing them, and lots of abuse. It’s at once hard to read but also hard to put down.

A stunning literary debut that reads like a memoir. Loved it! Thank you NetGalley, BookClub Girls and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. Longer review to follow.

This a tough one to review properly. The story itself was moving and so incredibly tough to read for its true to life portrayal of growing up in the projects of Chicago, but the writing felt lacking in parts, with repetitive phrasing and an overuse of foreshadowing.

Fefe, Precious, Stacia, and Tonya are 12 year old girls living in a high rise scheduled for demolition by the end of the year. This is a coming of age story in the projects of Chicago. And with that come tough topics, and horrible events.

I enjoyed this novel for exposing me to a situation and a way of life I have no personal experience with, and also for being authentic and not skirting around tough topics.

Certainly this is one that will stay with me for a while.

Thank you to Book Club Girl and William Morrow and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

Being a 12 year old girl is hard enough, as FeFe’s body and mind are changing from child to woman, and friendships become more complex than jumping rope and trips to the candy store. But life in an inner city neighborhood going through the gentrification makes it all the more complicated.

A brilliant and moving story that takes a deep dive into how children are impacted by life in projects, and destined to be a book that everyone is talking about when it comes out in June 2022.

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC!

A brilliantly and movingly told story about coming of age set against gentrification in 1990s Chicago.

At times sweet, joyful, hopeful, and painful, Toya Wolfe has created an astonishing debut that will stay with you long after you've finished the final page. Although there is gang violence, abuse, neglect, and death, there is also Double Dutch, fireworks, friendship, and adults who want a better world for their children.

Many thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

jacqueline woodson hive rise up! this is perfect for fans of hers.

it was written in hindsight and sometimes switched, which i didn't love, but this was really powerful, really captures childhood and felt so real.

these characters will stay with me!! another win for judging books by their covers

For this to be a debut novel, the author knocked it out of the park. Outstanding read. I have already told people about this book. Beautifully written story that grabs you and does not let you go. I will be looking for more from this talented author. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving this book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

Absolutely love this book. Most conversations about gentrification centers the east and west coast but this book nails how uprooting marginalized communities leave lasting impressions. Beautiful prose, authentic voice and as a South Side girl, the story resonates on a personal level.

This is an easy five stars for me! The story is unique and absorbing and the writing is beautifully done. The characters come alive easily off of the page and I could not put it down until I was done. The four girls of this story are distinctly unique, and we learn everything about them-- and feel pulled into their lives. As I read, I could picture them in my mind and I felt invested in their futures. This is a story that deserves to be read widely. Highly recommended. It's a piece of history that needs to be known.

This was a remarkably haunting, beautiful, and shocking debut novel. I am absolutely floored that this is the author’s first work - it is almost flawless.

Wolfe describes the atmosphere of living in the housing projects of Chicago in 1999 with raw, unfettered emotion. It’s a realistic depiction of what occurs in the inner city, from the poverty, the gangs, the violence, and everything in between. She doesn’t sugar-coat a thing; so please be aware of this going into the novel. It’s incredibly violent, but with every shocking word that was difficult to get through, it served a purpose and helped to paint what is still a realistic scene for those living in environments such as this.

I appreciated having the perspective of a child throughout the book. As I worked in law enforcement prior to this, I have to state that some of the saddest scenes I witnessed and what bothered me so often was, “where do the children come out in all this? How are they effected?” Seeing this myself was always something that broke my heart, so reading these stories made it even harder. While I know FeFe was was a fictionalized character, I have seen many a FeFe, and know she’s real. The author did such a wonderful job writing how deeply growing up in places like this impacts the children and forces them to grow up much quicker.

I am positive this book is going to be recognized as one of the most impactful reads of 2022. There is so much I can say that’s good about it, but Instagram only allows so much space. Just know you’re going to want to preorder this one.

VERDICT: 5 STARS

TV REC: Today I’m switching it up, because I feel this book deserves this mention over a song. If you want a realistic depiction of the inner city and law enforcement, please watch “The Wire.” It definitely is a great representation of the content you see in this book.

Thank you so much to William Morrow and NetGalley for an ARC of this one. Review will be posted soon on Instagram!

Let me start by saying that I absolutely loved this book, I felt so connected to the main character, Felicia (Fe Fe), and many of her experiences were reminiscent of my own childhood experiences.

12 year-old Fe Fe, her mother, and brother live on State Street in the Robert Taylor Homes in Chicago. The year is 1999 and the projects are slowly being demolished. Fe Fe's community's, although dangerous and far from perfect, is being snatched right out from under her. Add to this, new and old friendships transforming in front of her eyes, a brother who is pulling away and who Fe Fe fears she is losing, and this book becomes a journey into the heart of a girl unsure of anything around her. This story is suspenseful in the most subtle way. I found myself holding my breath when the family interacted with the police. My blood boiled when the residents of the Robert Taylor Homes were treated like criminals and less than human just because of where they lived. My heart ached when characters made choices that I knew would lead to their destruction, or when those choices were made for them.

This book is not a happy book. It's a raw and honest look at life through the lens of classism and racism from the eyes of a little, Black girl.

I highly, highly recommend it.