Before I Wake

by Julian Foster

Sixteen-year-old Ketasia (Ke-Ke) M. Singleton thinks she has it all figured out, trading her body for weed and head-bread to keep up appearances on her block. When Ke-Ke catches the eye of Cry, a mid-level, lesbian drug dealer, she finally sees a chance to step up to the next level and learn how to make some steady paper. Though Ke-Ke's need to appear in charge of herself leads to a quick rise in social status, her temper and misused intelligence also leave a wake of destruction in her path, putting her life and the lives of those she loves in danger. Will she wake up before it's too late? Told with unflinching rawness, Before I Wake is at once a devastatingly and profoundly believable portrait of the psychological and emotional nuances of a sixteen-year-old girl in the gauntlet of the inner city. "I would like to introduce you to. This author may be new to the literary scene but writes like a seasoned vet. His vivid imagery puts the reader right in the action on the pages. will be around from now on. He's got next." -Sa'id Salaam (Author of the Dope Girl series)

334 pages, Paperback

First published August 20, 2014

About the author

Julian Foster is the pen name of an author and word artist from Rochester, New York. He also does spoken word under the name Tearz. His group is called the Vagabonds and they have released two poetry CD's.

He has won the gold medal in the local NAACP Act-So competition two years in a row and competed at the national competition in poetry and dramatics.

(Source)

Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Julian^^^Foster

Reviews

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set aside after 5%. May return to it at a future date. Not as compelling as Missy Jackson's Cheetah.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a local author and set locally, so admittedly I'm biased. But Before I Wake is simply one of best psychological novels I've read in some time. Ke-Ke is a vivid portrayal of a 16-year-old girl living perpetually on the edge in a nightmarish whirl of drugs, degradation, and near-constant violence. Like most teens, she is impulsive, materialistic, arrogant, and entitled yet also lacks the boundaries and safety net of a stable home life, good neighborhood, a promising future, and supportive authority figures. Her environment has taught her that her best asset is her body and sexuality, which, combined with her youthful lack of judgment, lands her in some truly horrifying situations. In fact, what struck me most was how incredibly vulnerable she really is despite her own inflated sense of power. While she's too tough to openly exhibit signs of trauma, her life has included rape and sexual assault (to the point that boys grabbing her ass is accepted as normal male behavior), predatory attention from adult men, brutal fights, and personally witnessing death and drug use. The real tragedy of the story is that Ke-Ke truly does have potential: she's confident (even if it gets her in over her head), she can be resourceful when she has to, she demonstrates leadership ability, she can work hard (albeit as a drug dealer), and knows how to network and make advantageous connections. If there is a message to this book, it's to ask the reader how they might have turned out if raised in different circumstances.

My only criticism is the lack of closure we're given with regards to Cry the drug dealer. She gets arrested off-page and subsequently sent to prison due to her prior record. She was a major character and a likeable one, despite her occupation, so that was disappointing. I really liked her relationship with Ke-Ke (who is bisexual) and how, as a lesbian, she embodied a different kind of femininity that wasn't dependent on male approval. I'm also glad the predatory Troi wasn't the book's only other LGBT character.

You can view an interview with Foster here and read another one here.

Trigger warning for graphic depictions of the sexual exploitation of a minor, including one scene that is essentially a racially-charged gang rape.

[K. Sherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Standalone in more ways than one.

Before I Wake is a standalone in a variety of ways that make it a MUST READ. In this coming of age tale, Ketasia aka KeKe is a teen and like most teens shes trying to find herself and weed through all the different elements of "hood life". Drugs, Sex, Money or a lack thereof, friendship, loyalty, betrayal and loss. But its hard for KeKe to navigate her way to adulthood without proper guidance to make the right decision...so she constantly makes the wrong ones. From men, to money, to her relationship with her shielded younger sister. KeKe's life is tough to say the least. Then throw in Cry and KeKe's battle with her own sexuality.. and you have a definite page turner.

The storyline and writing puts it in a catagory if its own. And the fact that you don't have to go through 100 books to find out Ketasia's fate is a true blessing!

My name is K Sherrie,
And I recommend this read

#MMDR

[Shoulanda August · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing and full of surprises!!!

I can relate to this story of a young girl growing up in the ghetto. Using her body to get what she wants. Ke Ke went through life the wrong way and paid the ultimate price for being young and dumb. Well written and excellent details!!!