There Goes the Neighborhood by Jade Adia tackles a wide array of issues in a bold, ambitious story. The premise is intriguing, centering around Rhea and her two best friends, Malachi and Zeke, as they attempt to push back against the forces of gentrification threatening their South L.A. neighborhood. The trio’s social media-driven plan to create a fake gang spirals into unexpected consequences, including a murder tied to their fictional creation. While the plot offers a fresh take on activism, social media manipulation, and resistance, the execution feels overburdened by the sheer number of heavy topics it attempts to address—gentrification, gang violence, trans and LGBTQIA+ issues, teen sugar dating, police brutality, and more. As a result, it becomes challenging to fully process and explore these themes in depth.

At 415 pages, the book feels too long for the story it's trying to tell. While the mystery was interesting, it often took too long to unfold. Rhea, the main character, was frustratingly immature for most of the book, which made her tough to root for at times. Her strained relationship with her mother was a significant factor in her behavior, and the lack of parental presence in her life was glaring. Despite this, Rhea’s relationship with her best friends, Malachi and Zeke, was a highlight, providing a sense of warmth and loyalty amid the chaos.

The audiobook version adds a lot of depth to the characters and the narrative. The narration is well-done, bringing out the personalities and the distinct voices of each character, which enriches the listening experience. Fans of realistic, issue-driven teen fiction may find this book a thought-provoking read, but it might feel overwhelming with the number of topics it tries to tackle.

I thought this was an interesting dive into gentrification and done with a story that will appeal to teen readers.

"There Goes the Neighborhood" offers a captivating narrative woven with diverse characters navigating the intricate tapestry of gentrification. The author's fresh perspective sheds light on the profound impact gentrification has on our students, fostering empathy and understanding. The characters, like threads in a tapestry, showcase resilience and unity in the face of change. This compelling story not only engages young readers but also sparks essential conversations about community, identity, and the power of solidarity, making it a valuable addition to our school's literary landscape.

This is a fresh and endearing take on a balance of timeless coming-of-age themes and contemporary social issues. It begins as a teen-friendly social justice themed growing up story and becomes an exciting action mystery

A new take on gentrification and how far a group to teens that are family will go to protect their neighborhood from it. The teens devise a plan to create a fictitious gang to scare of investors. Need for belonging is a driving force in the teens' actions. As other make poor choices, they blame the non-existent gang. A dive into the various circles of power and their motives. Really appreciate the incorporation of a neurodiverse character.

Contemporary. Relatable. Epic Debut from a new author. I truly enjoyed listening to There Goes the Neighborhood because it was quick and interesting read as well as relatable as many neighborhoods are experiencing gentrification, but do not know how to address it or save their communities. I really enjoyed the mystery aspect of the story because I had no clue who the killer was. I had some ideas, but I enjoyed the progression of the story.

There Goes The Neighborhood

Gentrification is a current theme in YA literature. It’s a good book with a fake gang, a murder, and teens figuring themselves out. This is a must read.

This book is so well-written it gave me anxiety because of the characters decisions.

An enjoyable, nuanced look at gentrification and how it harms.

This was a great debut for Jade Adia! There Goes the Neighborhood has an excellent story, relatable characters, and filled with wonderful examples of representation from LGBTQIA+, Persons with disabilities, and so much more. I enjoyed Rhea's character the most she was so real like a teen I knew from my childhood. The issue of the gentrification and how much it effects the populations in the area hit home for me even though I don't live in California, but constantly see it here in GA. The representation in the book felt real and not forced which was refreshing. The narrator is one I've heard many times before and she did a wonderful job bringing this book to life and making the experience a vivid one. All in all I highly recommend it. 4/5 for me. Thank you to Disney Audiobooks, NetGalley, and Jade Adia for the opportunity to review this great read.

Loved this book. I was well written for a young adult voice, and I think the subject matter is timely. Gentrification is affecting many people, and this will help bring it to light.

There Goes the Neighborhood is a brilliant YA novel that adds a beautiful voice to the conversation about communities facing gentrification. Rhea is trying to hold the family that she has created together as they face gentrification, new friends, changing relationship dynamics, and now murder! The book brings every character to life meaning that readers will find someone in this book that they can connect with.

It literally took only the first line for me to be hooked to this story. And being honest with you, I still think about it. This book is still living rent-free in my head. And I think anyone else that reads it will have the same problem. This book is just that good.

Now I did have one issue with this…. So let’s discuss that. The main character Rhea was annoying lol I had to keep reminding myself she was a teen. I knew she had something going on and I knew that there were deeper reasons behind her actions. But geez, it was never addressed until the end of the book. Usually that doesn’t bother me, but when you’re able to recognize the faults of everyone else, it just makes you seem stuck up and mean. And it made her mad annoying. All the other characters were fine. They all needed a stern talking to, but they were teens. But she was the only one that I found myself yelling at through the book.

Now everything else about this book was good. Starting with the plot. I LOVED what they did for their friend. To be honest, it was something I would also do. The lengths they went through to save their friends and their families was amazing. For them to be kids I was amazed that they came up with this type of scheme. And the way they executed it was just, *chef’s kiss* They were only looking out for each other, but they learned so much about gentrification (and each other) through this process as well. Did I wish they had chose something other than a gang? Yes. But this entire thing was genius. It was truly something that would divert people from wanting to live there. It was also enough to get me hooked.

The mystery was very cool. But I did think it took too long to get there. And then it was a bit too spread out. Like it took too long for each clue to come up. And it didn’t really start making serious moves until it was almost the end. But it wasn’t boring or anything like that because of the entire gang thing that the characters were trying to pull off. I was never bored because there is literally something happening all the time in this book. I could not put it down. But when it finally gets to the mystery, you’ll never guess who it is. I thought I did, but I did not think it all the way through. So basically, once you think you’ve got it figured out, you don’t.

There’s also a romance in this. And although I thought it was a part of what made her annoying, I thought it was still cute. I didn’t care for it, but I know the plot called for it. To throw a little more confusion onto the reader for the mystery. And tho I didn’t really care for it, I know it was necessary. Well, it’s not that I didn’t care for it. It’s more like I didn’t like she made the lives of everyone so much more messy when all she had to do was just open her mouth to ask or say something and not be rude. But again, this was a teen so I let it go. I know they’re moody. There’s another romance in this that made me smile from ear to ear. It’s an LGBTQ couple and one of them is autistic.

This is the other thing that made me fall in love with this book. There was so much diversity in this. The main characters are Black and LatinX. (They could also be Afro-Latina, but it’s never confirmed) And there’s another character who is a wheel-chair user, someone else is autistic, like I said there’s an LGBTQ relationship, and more. It’s filled with representation and that made me so happy. Another reason I was so immersed into this book.

The narrator was also good. Their accents were good, their pronunciation was good, and the way they did everything else was good lol No matter what gender, how old the person was, or whatever, they did a really good job. I found myself wanting to do nothing but listen to this book. It was really great. I really enjoyed this more as an audiobook than I did when I was actually reading the book.

Now that I’ve rambled about all the things, I just want to say this is on track to being one of my faves of the year so far. Like Top 5. I really hope more people read this and love it as much as me! It and Jade deserves all the hype!

Rhea is fifteen-years-old, but has seen and experienced so many events that make her "not just a kid" anymore. From losing a friend to gang violence, to watching their neighborhood change, Rhea has experienced it all with her friends Zeke and Malachi. Now however, the wave of gentrification sweeping over South L.A. isn't just changing what their neighborhood looks like, it's forcing out families who've been there for generations, including Zeke's. With the rent prices increasing, many families' lives as they know it are on the line and Rhea's found family, the family she relies on the most with a mostly absent mother, is being threatened. But what would all these new investors and young white folks think about their neighborhood if a new gang moved in as well? Rhea and her crew hatch a plan to fake a gang and scare them off, but when a real murder happens and the fake gang gets the blame, who will take the heat?

A phenomenal debut novel by Jade Adia. Rhea is a very real character, not always likeable, but always relatable. Fifteen is such a tough time and she was feeling all the feelings navigating difficult circumstances as friendships and her community change. There was a cool complexity to female-male relationships (friendships and romantics), as well as female-female friendships as teens. The desperation to save their neighborhood and the ingenuity with which the friend group goes about creating the fake gang was incredible. There is a naivety there that is born of youthful hope and inexperience, I was skeptical as to how Adia was going to turn things around down the line, but end result did not disappoint. An amazing look at community and found family. Extremely complex issues were explored and not fully resolved, but the audience walks away hopeful and that is...life. I think this will be an important read for teens.

High school sophomores Rhia, Zeke, and Malachi have been best friends since pre-school. When gentrification threatens to force Zeke and his family out of their apartment, Rhea comes up with a plan. Start a fake gang to scare away the white, hipster investors who have been taking over the neighborhood and edging out the long-standing Black and brown businesses. Since it's a fake gang, there's no real concern about violence. But when a man ends up dead, things take a turn that Rhea wasn't expecting. This book was a bit longer than I would have liked and the murder mystery aspect got pretty twisty and hard to follow, but overall I really liked this book. It's one of the first I've found that really explains gentrification in practical and meaningful ways that teens will not only grasp but want to take action against. I didn't love the narrator so I would recommend this in print.

Thank you to Disney Audiobooks and NetGalley for an advanced listening copy of this audiobook.

4 stars

This is a strong debut from Adia with an undeniable sense of place, strong characters, and an issue-driven (but not didactic) plot that is sure to keep readers engaged.

First, I want to recommend the audio version. The narration adds a lot of richness to the events and especially to the characters. When/where accessible, go for this option.

Rhea, the m.c., is not having it. She (and her friends) are tired of the ways their neighborhood is changing AND the ways in which the structures that uphold it are not. Rhea and friends come up with a doomed to fail plot to help save her community and add a personal benefit to boot. In the process, they learn more about the community's history and experience some firsthand struggles that provide them with more insight into their current and future plights.

There's a lot to like about the roundness of the characters, the authentic sense of place (I'm a local and appreciate when this region is drawn accurately instead of cartoonishly), and accuracy of the dialogue and teen vibes. I am finding some of these 400+-page YA novels to be a bit challenging to pitch just based on length alone. I'd have loved to see this be a bit more palatable to the average young reader because it's a great read.

Overall, this is a solid debut, and I'll be excited to consume more from Adia!