Lit Circle Monthly Review

The autobiography "Down These Mean Streets" is about a adolescent name Piri growing up in the inner city in the Spanish Harlem. He starts off in a small apartment living with his big family. The apartment is hot during the summer and freezing during the winter. The story follows Piri Thomas as he grows up in Harlem, with his environment greatly affecting who he is. He faces racism, joins a gang, and often has run ins with the law. Throughout the book, it traces Piri's growth as a person.

1. What was the author's purpose(s) in writing this book, and how can you tell? How well was this purpose achieved?

I think the purpose of the book was to educate people about the lives people had to live back then. The world wasn't perfect back then, and it still clearly isn't. It could also be a way for Piri to get his message out there about drugs and how he feels about them. I don't know exactly how he feels, but I am pretty sure that he doesn't approve of them with this generation's youth. But with the possible legalization of marijuana approaching, it might be too little too late. I think I can tell that this was the purpose, because throughout the entire story, Piri focuses on his change in his life usually circulating around drug use and his selling of them. It wasn't achieved, but that may only be me. My view on drug use remains almost the same, and I've never used any other than Tylenol. When I hear about teenagers using drugs like marijuana, I'm not entirely surprised that it is that popular with them. It has been popular since Piri's teen years, so why wouldn't it be still today? Piri did drugs much more worse things than just pot, he was a heroine addict, who got caught selling. In the heat of the moment, he shot a cop and that might have actually been the changing moment in his life. He went to jail, and came out changed man. I think that using jail was definitely the right thing to talk about as I'm sure no drug addict wants to go to jail. It also demonstrates how quickly things can change in someone's life. One minute, you can be selling the most drugs in your life and thing that you are the smoothest thing ever. But it only takes one time to get caught and change your life forever. I think this is the message Piri is trying to show and to me, it was successful.

2. For what audience(s) is this book intended, and how can you tell? (In other words, for whom would you recommend this book?)

I think the book was for all audiences, but mostly for teenagers who are unfortunately already caught up in a life of drugs. When I started reading the book, I thought what my life would be like if I was forced to sell drugs just to make a living. I couldn't really imagine it, especially living in Alameda. However, I know there are people out there that are in this poor position, and are trying to make the best out of it. For those people, I would recommend that they read this book to see that someone out there has gone through the same thing as them, and eventually changed their life around and isn't afraid to talk about his past. Piri's past is a big part of who he is today, and the fact that he is not hiding from it is a big thing. For the people in that tough position that Piri once was in, his life and his turn around has to be inspiring for them.

I can tell that this was written for them because he wouldn't be so open about it, unless he knew that there are people in the same position he once was in. I think he is trying to help them by talking about his life so openly, and letting people know that he was once there. He might even be saying, hey if I can make it from that dark time, why can't you?

I would recommend this book to other high school students (especially those caught up with drugs already) and tell them this is why education is so important unless that is the life they desire. I don't see how they could desire that life after reading that book with such graphic details mostly after his run in with the law.

3. If you've read other books in this same genre, how does this one compare?

I will be completely honest, that all other autobiographies are completely boring to me. They are just answering the same questions every other one has already answered and most of the time their answers are the same or only slight variations of the original. They don't always go in to much detail. But not with this book. Piri leaves no details out (at least I don't think so).

And before, I wouldn't even pick up an autobiography unless it was about someone in sports or someone world famous for something fun. If I was in 6th grade and I saw this book and saw that it was an autobiography about someone who I have never heard about, I wouldn't have though twice and put the book right back on the shelf.

But once I picked this book due to me not being able to find Hoop Dreams, I realized that this book wasn't the usual autobiography. It was interesting from the beginning, and it was different. It wasn't the usual boring same old bland story. It was the truth and nothing, but the truth (again I think this is true). So I was genuinely surprised when I found I actually liked this book. If I didn't always read it right before I went to bed, I probably would have been entertained with it enough to read it all the way through in just a couple of sittings. And that coming from me, a person who never reads books unless it is assigned and for a grade, is a huge compliment (not that that means anything, but still). So if you don't like autobiographies and you think this will be like all the others, don't think that. Pick this book up and read it. Unless you're extremely squirmy when it comes to stuff that is kind of nasty, I guarantee you will like this book and it will be one of the best you have read in years.