Customer Reviews

Street Pharm

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

"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!

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.

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

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!!

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!

Street Pharm is a very detailed, interesting, exciting book that will keep you reading the whole time. Street Pharm is a bout a 16 year old, smart, intelligent, boy named Tyrone Johnson who is a young hustler who goes through a lot of struggles and obstacles living the street life. With making money his 1st priority, his school and education the last thing mind. Ty takes over his jailed fathers Drug dealing business. Ty handles the business pretty good, His mother dislikes his choices in life and forces him to go to school and get his education. While in school he meets a girl Alyse who he has a baby with and falls in love with. He soon tells her about his business which scares her.

One day he finds out about a drug dealer who comes from Miami who is out to kill him and sabotage his business. Business starts to go bad for Tyrone and his best friend sonny ends up dead. With Tyrone having to be smart and think about what's best for him, his baby and Alyse. Tyrone decides to call it quits with the family business decides to live a legit life and pursue his education; a decision which angers his father.

I strongly recommend this book to all young teens out there. Even if you don't live that life this book still teaches you how to make smart decisions in life. You can also learn from Tyrone's experience. The book will keep you glues to the pages and is a must read.

The book Street Pharm, by Allison Diepen receives a rating of ***** for several reasons. First, I liked the topic that it involved: drugs. Also the book was packed from start to finish with action. The only thing that I did not like about the book is that it was not as descriptive as I would have liked, although it was a very good book that I flew through.

I read this book for a book project in school. It had a great story line of a New York hustler who goes through a lot being only 17. If drug dealing doesn't interest you at all, this probably isn't the book for you.

i really love this book a lot. I read it only one day because i liked it so much. i love that is about real issues and about a kid around my age. But it's also amazing only 17 being on top of the drug game! now that's hard to find in real life. but i like that it's so realistic to make you feel that you're really there, and you're always hanging back on the last sentence to see what happens next. It's a book you don't ever want to put down. The author says this is her 1st novel, so i'm looking forward for more books to come from her.