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The Coldest Winter Ever

4.4 of 5 stars 4.40 · rating details · 11,035 ratings · 1,278 reviews

The stunning national bestseller now features an illuminating discussion with Sister Souljah -- her secret thoughts on creating the story that has sold more than one million copies worldwide and introduced readers everywhere to the real ghetto experience. Here are answers to the questions fans everywhere have been asking; the meanings and inspirations behind such memorable...more

Paperback, 544 pages

Published January 31st 2006 by Pocket Star (first published September 20th 2005)

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The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah

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Mar 20, 2012 karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: it-is-for-class, david-gets-three

David has insinuated that this novel is in some way comparable to Hitler or Mariah Carey, which I think is unfair. This book has been responsible neither for the attempted extinction of a race of people, nor for Glitter and dog-whistle mimicry. It is not a book that is going to stay in my heart for a long period of time, but one does care about the characters, and she writes vividly and is never boring. And that is enough for three stars, considering this was not a book I chose to read myself, s...more David has insinuated that this novel is in some way comparable to Hitler or Mariah Carey, which I think is unfair. This book has been responsible neither for the attempted extinction of a race of people, nor for Glitter and dog-whistle mimicry. It is not a book that is going to stay in my heart for a long period of time, but one does care about the characters, and she writes vividly and is never boring. And that is enough for three stars, considering this was not a book I chose to read myself, so I had no real expectations. If you are a fan of The Wire, (and why wouldn't you be, since it is the best non-Bluth television show to have been put on the air since Manimal)
this will mostly be old hat to you. But if you are wicked sheltered and don't know that drugs are bad and destroy communities, check this out, because like The Wire, it shows all aspects: the users, the dealers, the way communities are divided as people die, are jailed, and betray each other. I don't think there is (still) a lot of literature about women caught up in all of this, so even though it is chock full of early nineties slang, it is still a relevant book, but probably more appropriate for teen girls than David. (How are my capitals so far, do you approve??)

I loved that Sister Souljah was a character in her own book, as the voice of reason and the angel of the projects, saving lives and making a difference and showing the alternative path to a life of crime... And I know that she really is an activist and does do a lot of work for urban communities, but it just comes across as arrogant, doesn't it?? That the author is also in the book, with all the answers while the characters around her flounder if they do not heed her advice. I kind of want other celebrities to write novels in which they give practical advice like this. Like if Keith Richards wrote a novel, dispensing advice about how to pickle your insides so you live forever, or Britney Spears cautioned her characters, "Hey, maybe wear some panties before you go outside, it's windy". Sage advice from celebrity pens.

All in all, it was in no way as painful as reading those romance novels, and the scene in the abortion clinic waiting room was effective and depressing.

Oh, and also this:

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Oct 10, 2011 Paul rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: novels

I like to read outside of my comfort zone. But this far out I probably needed a bathysphere. And now I got the bends.

Imagine you're reading On Cheshil Beach by Ian McEwan, and after the famous wedding night scene a friend of Florence told her that her and Edward should really go and see this highly recommended marriage guidance councellor, so they decide to give it a shot, and it turns out to be a guy called Ian McEwan, who is this lovely wise person who they instantly trust. And he dispenses hi...more

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Jul 25, 2007 Autumn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teenagers, urban

Oooo, Winter Santiaga is so mean! Yet, so likeable. She's a total Scarlett O'Hara character.

Also, way to drop some crazy metafiction in there, Sister Souljah! And feminism. This book is a classic in the making. It's probably the next A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

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Apr 21, 2008 Jahmilla2010 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Winter Santiaga is a spoiled, materialistic, troubled teenager. Throughout the novel, she is constantly trying to "stay on top". She grows up in the ghetto with a father who is a drug kingpin. Her father spoils her rotten and her mother feeds into this. They finally move out of the ghetto and into a rich, suburban area. Winter feels isolated and needs to go back to the ghetto and brag to her friends and complete strangers.

Winter also sees no problem with spending a few hundred dollars on an out...more

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Jul 31, 2007 Maritza rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book because it was very real...not that I know anything about the ghetto, but it kept my interest because it was written from a real life perspective. I was always yelling at the main character in the book for being a complete idiot, but that's why I loved it too.

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Mar 28, 2007 Lynecia rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: If You Like the Urban Genre

Shelves: streetlit

This is the ultimate "hood lit" novel, but Souljah does it with such style, not amateurism.

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Oct 27, 2008 Hayden rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: african-american, adult, sex, teen, urban, chick-lit, alcohol, drugs

I am a little embarrassed that I hadn't read this one before--it was published about 10 years ago but it still seems to be THE book by which all urban fiction is judged. And I can see why.

It's compulsively readable. Winter Santiago is the teenaged daughter of the man who controls the Brooklyn drug trade. She grew up in luxury, and no less obsessed with fashion labels and image than any Gossip Girl. But when her father's business collapses, she is determined to make use of her pretty face (and he...more I am a little embarrassed that I hadn't read this one before--it was published about 10 years ago but it still seems to be THE book by which all urban fiction is judged. And I can see why.

It's compulsively readable. Winter Santiago is the teenaged daughter of the man who controls the Brooklyn drug trade. She grew up in luxury, and no less obsessed with fashion labels and image than any Gossip Girl. But when her father's business collapses, she is determined to make use of her pretty face (and her business sense) to get in on some new hustle. Sister Souljah, the author, appears as a character in the novel, offering a different point of view and a different set of solutions to Winter's problems--none of which interest Winter very much.

Spoilers below! Beware, mateys!

The book is really a simple morality tale--Winter refuses to accept any consequences for her actions, or any help from the few chararacters who mean well by her, and so she meets a bad end. The problem, if you consider it a problem, is that the parts of the book about Sister Souljah (the preachier parts) are by far the least engrossing. Maybe I'm completely wrong, and teens are reading this for the valuable lesson Winter learns by being hauled off to jail in the end. But I suspect they read it for the sex, drugs, and hustling she engages in along the way. Because that is the most interesting part.

Plus, the reader never sees Winter change. In the last few pages of the book, we check back in with her after a few years in jail. She certainly has regrets, but we don't get to watch her make those changes, and she can't even bring herself to warn her younger sister, who is heading down the exact same path. Words didn't work on her--why would they work on anybody? Which is kind of a bummer for Souljah, since words are what she's working with.

There is also some lingering homophobia and anti-AIDs/blaming the victim stuff going on, but it is a 10-year-old book, and that landscape has changed this past decade. (less)

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Apr 01, 2013 Taylor rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: african-american, 2013

Gosh, this took me forever to read. But in the end I enjoyed it. Some places the story was slow paced, and I was turned off by the ignorant main character, Winter. But overrall, Souljah did a fantastic job weaving a story about about the ghetto, the struggle, and the hustle of New York. The characters all had interesting, distinctive, unique personalities, and there are many places in the story, you will find yourself relating to. The book leaves a lot of things unresolved, and that always bothe...more

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Mar 27, 2010 Maddie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is not a 'happy ending' book, but I couldn't put it down. I don't usually read books that are 'too real' and 'negative'. I read for enjoyment, this book is not enjoyable. So again, be warned, this is a gritty, overall sad story.

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Apr 20, 2009 Mo rated it 5 of 5 stars

I could not put this book down, no matter what was going on around me. This world was far from my world, yet it was so real. How long does it take to learn a lesson?

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Feb 19, 2008 Jessica Savage rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anybody

Recommended to Jessica by: Dawn Hollingsworth

This book was surprisingly amazing! It evoked thoughts for me that were endless. I read this book a long time ago and I still remember things about it and think about it. It made me realize that it is very easy to think your way of life is "normal," but it showed that what may be an outlandish way of living to me may be "normal" to someone else. Everyone grows up differently with different experiences. Also fascinating to me was the way that people can follow in their parents footsteps no matter...more

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Jan 26, 2009 Ashley Everett added it

This amazing book has so many surprises and has an intelligent way of making sure the reader realizes it.It lacks boredom and exumes excitement with a hint of reality. Winter, the rich/popular narrator of the story, faces many challenges and obstacles that starts her off at the top and then trinckles her to the bottom.
Winter was raised in Brooklyn and lived in the projects for some time. Her father, Santaigo, a big time drug dealer, was very wealthy and made sure his only pride and joy and his...more This amazing book has so many surprises and has an intelligent way of making sure the reader realizes it.It lacks boredom and exumes excitement with a hint of reality. Winter, the rich/popular narrator of the story, faces many challenges and obstacles that starts her off at the top and then trinckles her to the bottom.
Winter was raised in Brooklyn and lived in the projects for some time. Her father, Santaigo, a big time drug dealer, was very wealthy and made sure his only pride and joy and his beloved wife were well taken care of. Winter was spoiled and had everything she could ever want. She knew she had it made and was never too modest to flaunt it.
Everyone in society realizes the effects of associating with illegal drugs. The people involved either go to jail, get hurt, or die. Soon, these terrible things would start to come together for Winter and it brought me one of the best lessons that I have yet to learn.
Through the challenges that Winter faced, like her beautiful mother getting her face torn open and the challenging independent survival that Winter indures, she still managed to stay strong. In this book, I noticed a floating symbol. A woman named Sista Souljah kept on arising. She was a somewhat modern philosopher that Winter could not stand at the beginning of the book. Towards the end of the book, Winter needed Sista Souljah and amazingly began to like her. This was a lesson for me in itself because it taught me not to judge anyone without knowing them entirely. Winter did not know Sista Souljah, personally, but she did however know of her. She didn't like her from what she knew of her and never thought that she would actually need her in the end.
While Winter was going through her independent struggle, due to the loss of her parents, she met Sista Souljah. She was always there for her and she appreciated that. She was also taught a lesson. She realized never to accuse someone of bad character before you experience a bad time with them.
An even bigger lesson that I gained from this book was to never take anything you posess for granted. Just as fast as you have the world in your hands, it can just slip away like egg yolk. I always analyze my good moments and try my best not to show off what I have because nothing is gauranteed. I learned that my looks are an asset and being conceited is definately not the way. Physical things and material things can easily be snatched. Accidents happen all of the time and looks are pending just as well as money, clothes and jewelry.
I really like this book. It's entertaining and real. Things liike this happen all of the time and reprents how life plays out in the view of yourself and the people around you. I recommend this book to many teenagers because it opens themto a new world of decisions, sex, lies, deceit and misery as well. It is a wonderful coming of age book and I enjoyed reading it.(less)

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May 09, 2013 Judah Martin rated it 4 of 5 stars

For about the first 150 pages of this book I repeatedly asked myself "What is this hot mess my African-American Lit. instructor is making us read?"
I was annoyed by how unrealistic the Santiaga family and their lifestyle seemed and, when i read the names of Winter's sisters (Porsche, Lexus and Mercedes) I almost shut the book, thinking surely no mother could ever be so ratchet. The book seemed like an overwhelming, ghetto wet dream, a flamboyant hip-hop video extended into a novel.
It wasn't u...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Tsion Habtamu rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sister Souljah did a wonderful job writing this best-seller. The suspense this book carried would keep any reader on the edge of his/her chair. Sister Souljah vividly tells the story of a family from the hood, going through multiple struggles in an effort to make it to the top. Winter, the main character, is portrayed as "daddy's little girl" being the offspring of her mother who turned to Brooklyn's drug world and soon married her father who ran his own drug monopoly. Her father was on top of h...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Aazimah added it

“The Coldest Winter Ever” by Sister Souljah basically outlines the realities of having everything to having nothing at all. Winter Santiaga, is the daughter of Ricky Santiaga, who is the biggest drug dealer in Brooklyn, NY. “We never had to worry about getting into fights, because around or way we had reputation”(pg 4) Santiaga, as they called him, made living for the Santiaga family easy. They were always wearing the most expensive designer clothes, and the owned the nicest cars. While they are...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Gw rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved it.Read it years ago! It's still one of my favorite books ever! Set the bar high for SS I don't think she is wrote ANYTHING comparable!...As I read some if people's comments I see SOME people obviously don't understand where SS is coming from. I love to read and I read ALL types of GENRES...
I don't limit myself. THIS IS A GOOD BOOK. If someone doesn't like the gangster genre then don't read books like this and give the book a bad review based on the fact that you simply don't like the ge...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Charlie Fey rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read anything as long as it has a good story, interesting/believable characters and is ACTION PACKED!! Coldest Winter Ever delivers on all fronts! It doesn't matter what race you are or your economic status, a good book is a good book, PERIOD! TCWE is a good book. Winter Santiago is the daughter of a powerful and handsome drug king pin. When her father gets put in prison and the family loses all the money and street power, Winter hits the ground running and doesn't stop the entire book. Its ra...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Alexis rated it 4 of 5 stars

FINALLY. I have finally gotten my hands on a copy of this book. After allll the hype and reviews, I can honestly say, now, that I have actually read it. It wasn't the greatest book ever but it didn't suck either. Lol. It was def not what I expected but, overall an interesting read for me. I read it about a month ago and forgot to do my review, and sadly I really don't remember everything about the characters but that Winter went from a spoil little hood brat princess to a cold heart-ed do whatev...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Chanae Davis rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Coldest Winter Ever was a very interesting book. This book is great for teens. Sistah Soulja went into deep detail about love, drugs, sex, and money. The readers will love how realistic she made the story. In order for me to really get into a book, the first page has to automatically be interesting. Sistah Soulja started this book off amazingly. I couldn't stop reading.

I think Soulja's purpose in writing this book was to open the eyes of young adults. Sistah Soulja makes the main characte...more The Coldest Winter Ever was a very interesting book. This book is great for teens. Sistah Soulja went into deep detail about love, drugs, sex, and money. The readers will love how realistic she made the story. In order for me to really get into a book, the first page has to automatically be interesting. Sistah Soulja started this book off amazingly. I couldn't stop reading.

I think Soulja's purpose in writing this book was to open the eyes of young adults. Sistah Soulja makes the main character, Winter, a popular teen who has it all until Her dad; who is a big time drug dealer, gets arrested. This book will have a huge impact on it's audience. Many teens will have a totally different outlook on things. I think the impact will have a lasting value because it had a long lasting value to me. This book also had a long lasting value to my mom. My mom read this book when she was younger and loved it ever since.

The coldest winter is written very well. This story is very easy to read and everybody should be able to comprehend it. Soulja writes some of the words in slang. For an example, in the beginning of the story Winter says "We lived in the projects but we didn't care. We weren't wanting for a damn thing". I think she chose to write some of the things her characters said in slang because it gives the reader an example and a thought of how the character talks. Soulja used slang to get the readers attention.

This book was extremely captivating. I couldn't relate to any of the characters but I still loved the story. This book had it's funny, dramatic, and serious moments. "Your mother is in the hospital. She's been shot." (Midnight 32). Sistah Soulja even made the serious moments interesting.

I think Sistah Soulja's greatest strength of her work was being able to make the reader feel like they knew the characters. I also think she had a couple of weaknesses. For an example, "Nah!" Midnight responded coolly" (page 38). Soulja spelled 'cooly' incorrectly. Besides her minor mistakes this book is still a national best seller. I defiantly give The Coldest Winter Ever five stars.

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Oct 27, 2012 Tanya rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mature-ya, ghetto-lit, urban-lit

I read this book back in my early twenties, Like one reviewer states Winter is like Scarlett O'hara - a mean bitch but you can't help but to root for her! She's vain, spoiled, selfish and will do anything to make it - But I have to respect her survival skills.

Winter is the beautiful first born daughter of a drug kingpin in Brooklyn, She's treated like a ghetto princess. Of course you know what usually happens with drug kingpins - the father goes to jail and all their bank accounts & valuabl...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Hev rated it 4 of 5 stars

I always wanted to read this book and now that I've finally have I'm glad I did. Great book, kept me interested and entertained.

The main character Winter, however was about as dumb as they come! I felt that she was naive and ignorant. She was only out for self throughout the entire book. At first it seemed as though she and her mother was close until the lost everything. I peeped this after she used her completely unhealed mother to go do some shopping. She always was so called using the smarts...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Katwanya rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, black-beauty, ya, contemporary, urban-ficton

I read this book about 11 years ago and it is sooooo fantastic. It is told from a teenage girl's point of view, named Winter. She is from the streets involved it a world of drugs, theft, and just plain running game on people. It is what she knows and what she has been taught because her father is heavily involved in this world. He is an original gangster. The way this book is written and the character's vernacular put you right there with her. You feel sorry for Winter because she doesn't know a...more

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May 09, 2012 Sugums rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book had a great plot, great characters. It reminded me of a storyline similar to Deja King's novels. felt King's novels were more fulfilling. This is only because she writes sequels to her books with plots that get right to the point. I do love Sister Souljah. She takes her time with good writing styles to entertain the reader. If Sister Souljah writes a sequel to this novel, she'll definitely have me hooked. Until then, I am a true Deja King reader, but give many props to Sister Souljah w...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Tiffany rated it 4 of 5 stars

I just finished reading the Coldest Winter Ever and to my amazement I was displeased with the ending but I understand the message clearly. I can not get the sting of how she captured the essence of how clothes, hair, jewelry, houses, and cars are just materialistic dust. Winter is the prime example of everything I've seen and have promised myself never to become. That means working long hours and spending way too much time angry over a B I might receive for a paper. I want better for my child an...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Tyler rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: advisory-10th-grade

OMG!! OMG!! OMG!! This book was so good. From the first page to the last, it’s just one of those books you can’t/ you DON’T WANT TO put down.
The Coldest Winter Ever is a book about a teenage girl named Winter who lives, or lived with her drug dealer father Santiga three little sisters and mom. Growing up in “do or die” Brooklyn there wasn’t much for Winter especially with her father being the head of the drug empire. Everywhere Winter went people knew her name and knew who her dad was and wouldn...more

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Oct 08, 2011 chelsea rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book because the kids at the Juvie where I'm interning in the library love it, so I wanted to see what the hype is about. I get why they like it, and it was definitely entertaining to read. Souljah uses a lot of cultural references, mostly about clothes and cars and all that, presumably to suck readers in and keep them interested, which I personally don't know or care about. But you know, I'm obviously not the target audience. The way that she writes herself into the story was intere...more

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Sep 13, 2011 Laura Williams rated it 3 of 5 stars

At first I appreciated the language, told in first-person slang by a ghettofabulous hood rat. Sister Soulja is good at describing the present-focused, get-mine mentality that many people from low socioeconomic status possess. Winter, the protagonist, is the daughter of a big-time Brooklyn drug dealer, so although she is from the 'hood, she is accustomed to show-casing wealth. When her dad is arrested and she loses everything, she has no problem using and conning anyone into helping her acquire c...more

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Feb 11, 2011 Carolyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

This thought-provoking, action-packed reverse Cinderella story focusses on the character of Winter Santiaga, the teenage black daughter of a Brooklyn drug king. When the cops bust her father, seize all their possessions, and break up her family, Winter's world crumbles, but she won't her new circustances without a fight. Although Winter is street-smart and knows how to run a good hustle, she pins her hopes for her future on finding a high-income man to take care of her; this plan that backfires...more

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Nov 28, 2010 Frances rated it 3 of 5 stars

After the first 20 pages, I thought why am I reading this? The main character, Winter, lives in a brooklyn ghetto, has a drug dealer for a father, has way more sex than I thought possible, speaks with such slang that there were times I didn't understand the sentance, and in general has absolutly nothing to do with me and my life. But I am glad that I kept reading...by the end, the story really grew on me. She is truly a modern day Scarlett O'Hara (my most favorite character in liturature due to...more

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Oct 04, 2010 Treal Williams added it

This is by far a MUST READ! It will captivate your from page 1. Brillant piece of Lit. What makes this book so compelling is that the protagonist is also the antagonist, yet and still you cant help but Love Winter Santiaga for her realness and down to earth ways. Yes she makes mistakes but she made them quickly by simply resulting to her taught way of life. She resulted constantly to what was her nature and what she was taught by her beloved Father, and for that she cannot be faulted, he should...more

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Nicki Minaj as Winter Santiago for the file version if it were filmed today!	95	369	Apr 14, 2013 01:03pm
Did you like this better than Midnight?	11	72	Jan 24, 2013 12:06pm
Literary Drama!: The Coldest Winter Ever	7	15	Jan 19, 2013 08:39am
do you think it was hard for winter to live in the life she did live in?	17	107	Dec 27, 2012 07:49pm

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About Sister Souljah

Sister Souljah is an American hip hop-generation author, activist, recording artist, and film producer.

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The Sister Souljah Collection #1: The Coldest Winter Ever; Midnight, A Gangster Love Story; and Midnight and the Meaning of Love

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“Now y'all know it's to many of y'all. GS told me to bring up the baddest female in the house.” — 5 people liked it

“Are you crazy? The last thing you want to do is make a scene." "Well, I'm gonna make a movie if you don't show me some respect.” — 5 people liked it

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