Street Pharm [Paperback]

Allison van Diepen (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 11, 2006

If a brother wanna get ahead, he gotta use every minute to better himself. Everything I did made me better -- tougher, stronger, richer, smarter -- or I didn't do it.

Take high school. A waste of time. Nobody there taught me what I needed to survive on the streets....

Ty Johnson knows survival. Since inheriting his pop's business at sixteen, Ty's developed smarts, skills, and mad discipline. The supply game's in his blood. And life is pretty sweet when you're on top.

But one slip -- or one serious competitor -- and life turns ugly fast. Suddenly, Ty's got to rethink his whole strategy. And for the #1 dealer on the streets, strategy is not just about staying ahead. It's about survival.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up–Set in Brooklyn, this urban drama novel depicts Ty Johnson's life as a 17-year-old African-American drug dealer. Taking over his father's territory seemed to be all that to Ty when he was younger, but now he realizes that there is more to life–mainly forming a relationship with Alyse, a single mother and his classmate at the local continuation high school. Struggling to hold onto the pieces of his father's business, he faces competition from out of town and things get serious. Neither Alyse nor his mother knows what sort of work Ty does until he ends up in the hospital after a drive-by shooting. Then the teen leaves school completely and moves out of his mother's apartment. He must decide who he is as his life is threatened and he loses the people closest to him. Easy to read and written in street slang including drug references and profanity, this debut novel will appeal to reluctant readers.–Corinda J. Humphrey, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 8-11. While his dad is in prison, Ty Johnson is holding the family business together--the family drug business. A bright teenager, he has already incorporated surefire business principles into his daily life: never lose control; know your enemies; practice patience; and don't have a girlfriend until age 21. His self-discipline, brains, and business acumen are amazing for a 17-year-old, even though they are invested in a drug-hustling deadend. An alternative school and a lovely young mother seed doubts about his chosen profession, but it is a tragedy that finally convinces him to start over. Van Diepen has created a surprisingly hopeful book, one that respectfully acknowledges the intelligence and street smarts necessary for success, whether the challenge is drug dealing or college preparation. She also tacitly addresses the importance of second and third chances in teens' lives. While the resolution is regrettably unrealistic (few individuals as integrated into the drug trade as Ty can manage to escape as completely as he does), the book does offer an optimistic look at a drug-free, crime-free future for at least one young man. Frances Bradburn
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse (July 11, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416911545
• ISBN-13: 978-1416911548
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.8 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #45,254 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Allison van Diepen is the author of Street Pharm, Snitch, Raven, The Oracle of Dating series, The Vampire Stalker and Takedown (Sept. 2013). Her novels have been named ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers and New York City Public Library Books for the Teen Age.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent September 29, 2006

By Tina

Format:Paperback

I am adult who enjoys reading good teen lit and this book qualifies. While I did not really care for Ty in the beginning of the book, you can slowly see his progression into "the real world" and it is a joy to go through it with him.

I also liked the honest look at the street life and the fact that the author did not make it sound like a romantic thing.

The writing is good and the storyline goes at a steady stream. I would be interested in reading a second book in this series to find out how Ty and Alyse make on and how Ty deasl with his father.

The only thing that would have made this book better would have been if it had been a true story.

This is an enjoyable read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent urban thriller October 4, 2006

By Nicholas A. Ziinojr VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

"Street Pharm" is an excellent novel,especially for teenage males.It's

the gritty,powerful story of a young and very successful drug dealer who

decides to change his life.The book is violent and raw,but brilliantly

written with fully developed characters.It is an astonishing debut by

a talented new author.I can't wait to see what she does next!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Not negative enough for the age group December 15, 2008

By SchmuckyTheCat

Format:Paperback

I picked this up on a recommendation not knowing it was juvenile fiction. I figured out by the first chapter that it was - which is kind of a sad review of the entirety of modern juvenile fiction.

I read it, and liked it, the writing and story are decent although thoroughly predictable. For the subject matter, life is too easy. In the fantasy genre in juvie fiction, I don't care if the main character has his life is too easy, everything goes his way, his romance interest is a Mary Sue, and any bad situation resolves happy. It's generally bad books, but I have no problem with kids reading it. However; when your setting is real and modern day and your main character is an urban drug dealer, even if he is a "good guy", life should not be easy. Even for the bad situations in the book, you never felt conflicted that it would be alright in the end. The book ends up providing a romanticized and glamorized view of a detestable lifestyle.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too November 26, 2006

By TeensReadToo

Format:Paperback

Ty Johnson knows how to survive in the real world, to take care of problems on the spot. He has everything in control and knows the way to run things. He's intelligent, patient, and skillful, everything he needs when he inherited his father's business. Everything is running smoothly for Ty and that's the way he wants it.

But then a series of struggles and obstacles ruins the way Ty does things. Not only does he have to take care of a competitor who wants to run him out of business, but he has to deal with school, the only thing his mother wants him to focus on. That could be especially difficult when a girl like none other, Alyse, enters his life and makes him feel happy for once. The hardest part is trying to hide from his mother, and almost everyone new he meets, that he is involved in dealing drugs, the business that Ty's mother hoped to forget after Ty's father went to prison for it.

Ty starts to question every action he does, from the moment he entered the business. With so many problems to handle, can Ty get through it all?

Allison van Diepen takes on a risky plot that so many teens have heard about, but never knew much about, and pulls the reader in. STREET PHARM is a true coming-of-age story that causes the reader to be at the edge of their seat, quickly turning pages, and in the end wanting more. A quick, fast-paced read that is necessary for all teens to read.

Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars if you find this book, READ IT!! August 27, 2006

By Sergio Orlando

Format:Paperback

This book is a true page-turner. I don't like many books and a good one has to catch my intrest, but this book was amazing. Its inspirational story of power, love and lust come together so well! I hope to read more by this author!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars street pharm is one of a kind August 9, 2006

By bee

Format:Paperback

i only picked up street pharm by accident, because my younger brother (13) was reading it. it was a fast read for me (i'm 18 and read a lot) but i was intrigued the whole time. the character of ty johnson was not far-fetched for one moment, which surprised me because after reading the blurb and noting the author name, i was skeptical. a woman writing as a male teenage hustler... right. somehow, it works and it works well.

for younger teens, especially boys like my brother who are reluctant to read anything at all, it is a godsend... this is a book that will get any boy to read. and once you start, you realize that ty johnson is no druggie, in fact there are several references to why drug use is not for teens dropped in the book without it sounding preachy or haughty.

for the older reader (i admit it - i only read it because i had absolutely nothing else) it is a very quick and surprisingly intriguing read. definitely looking forward to reading more by allison van diepen!

5.0 out of 5 stars For my son April 2, 2013

By Brandi Schmidt

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought this book for my teenage son. He enjoyed the novel. That's about all I got out of him, but for a 15yr old that's means it's great!

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book December 1, 2012

By Erin

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a really easy read. Keeps the reader entertained. Pretty short book, and seems to be more focused on teens. Overall a good book, I've read both of her books so far and would recommend them for a short read.