Snitch

by Allison van Diepen

In a school run by gangs, staying out was harder than joining. We knew who our friends were, and were careful what we said. If people thought we were haters, it would only be a matter of time....

Lines are clearly marked at South Bay High School. It's mixed territory for the Crips and the Bloods, which means the drama never stops.

Julia DiVino wants none of it. No colors, no C-Walks -- it's just not her thing.

But when Eric Valiente jumps into her life, everything changes. Lines are redrawn. And then they're crossed.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Teen, Fiction, Contemporary, High School

297 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2007

About the author

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

Her latest is the heart-pounding ON THE EDGE series set in Miami. ON THE EDGE and LIGHT OF DAY are in stores now. The final installment is RUN THE RISK, due out in early 2017.

Reviews

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

Julia and her friends try to stay clear of the gangs that run rampant in her Brooklyn high school. Up until the day that Eric Valiente shows up, she has succeeded. A chance encounter in the dean's office on Eric's first day brings the two of them together.

Julia is instantly attracted to the hot new student, but she's never been the type of girl to score a guy like him. At a school dance, however, Eric makes the first move on Julia, and they quickly become an item.

But Eric has secrets of his own that he's not willing to share. Before long, he has become a member of the Crips gang. This goes against everything Julia believes, and soon, she breaks up with him. But one night at a club, she hears that a rival gang is going to jump Eric. With a subtle warning to Eric, life changes for Julia.

Overnight, she is considered a snitch and loses all of her friends. For her own protection, and against Eric's pleadings, she asks to join the Crips, as well.

Once a Crip always a Crip. At least until the night that the leader of the gang and some of his lieutenants are busted in a raid. All eyes turn to Julia and Eric as the snitches. Can it be happening to her again?

Ms. Van Diepen writes a powerful novel of the struggles to avoid the attraction of inner city gangs. Julia is a strong, independent character who tries valiantly to avoid the politics that goes on in her community. Only when it comes to her own protection does she have to reevaluate where she stands. The story moves quickly and is quite griping and gritty in its details.

[Temoca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story many of my students can get hooked into and they may be able to make many personal connections to the characters and story. It started off luke-warm for me, yeah, yeah gangs, parties, thugs, b*tches, lots of cussing...Julia goes to one of the toughest public schools in Brooklyn and manages to stay neutral when her school and neighborhood is gang-ridden. She has friends on both sides and can maintain that balance for a little while. I wasn't totally committed, but kept reading to finish...

I love the ending. I didn't want to put the book down and I became more involved with the story, Julia and Eric and Black Chuck. Friendship's loyalty up against the loyalty, duty to the gang-family then throw love in there; the conflict is typical but still compelling.

It is a surprising good read and one that already has a waiting list in my classroom. Give it a chance, you might like it.

[Diana Townsend · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. It was a modern and realistic look on urban life and gang life but unfortunately, it was a little predictable and the characters fell just a little flat for me.

[Adrian Naves · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book moved quite fast, i didn’t really like this book that much because it was like a love story between juliet and eric. Don’t get me wrong though because the book had some interesting parts in them.this story is about a girl who lives in brooklyn and goes to a school which involves a lot of gang related activities and she tries to stay away from it. The hard thing is the school is full of either crips or bloods so there always trouble going on in her school.

I guess my favorite character in this book is Erik valiente. He’s this guy who is smooth with his stuff, juliet likes him because he was supposedly a “badboy” and she was into bad boys. I guess i'm like him because he had a bad past and now he redeemed himself and he wasn't involved in any gangs although his neighborhood was.
love= the author shows in the book that to find true love it might be shocking who you end up with and you might have to go out of your way sometimes. Sometimes you have to sacrifice things to make a relationship work. For example juliet had to stop hanging out with her “girls” so she can have more time for eric. That sacrificed worked for eric because he had more time with juliet but to juliet it wasn't so good because there scedule were different so she would either be with eric or her girls and she chose eric.

I think people who are into romance in a way and ages around 15-17. I think it's a good book for both males and females. The fact that there in a hard situation in school due to all the gangs it's hard to be passed it since it's everywhere and i find that important because you might get in a situation like that and you have to be passed it sometimes.

[Judith (Judith'sChoiceReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodreads Summary
In a school run by gangs, staying out was harder than joining. We knew who our friends were, and were careful what we said. If people thought we were haters, it would only be a matter of time....
Lines are clearly marked at South Bay High School. It's mixed territory for the Crips and the Bloods, which means the drama never stops.

Julia DiVino wants none of it. No colors, no C-Walks -- it's just not her thing.

But when Eric Valienté jumps into her life, everything changes. Lines are redrawn. And then they're crossed.

My Thoughts

Snitch incorporates grtitty reality of inner-city life with hard life choices as well as relateable romance. The characters - especially Julia - felt complex and as if each decision made were real. There's romance, cussing (as you might expect), and hurtful betrayal that cuts right to the core. I'm keeping my eye on van Diepen and any other works she might have in store.

I enjoyed this book for its fast-paced plot and contemporary feel, a great read that feels wholly authentic!

[Alejandro · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is pretty good but it is short for me and easy to read. This book takes place in south bay high school. A girl named Julia during class she gets sent to the office, she meets a boy called Erik Valiente he just move in into the scool. later on Erik meet Julia's best friend black chuck a member of the cripts.They all go to a party on friday night. After that erik start dating Julia. Erik soon get himself to a gang called the Cripts and so does Julia. The reason why Julia joins is because she got jumped in the girls locker room by sevrel girls, because she is going out with Erik. Around the end Julia is suspecuise of Erik cause she thinks he is not telling him evrything. If you like books about gangs and how they sruggle in it you should read this book.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is titled Snitch by Allison van Diepen, published in November, 2007. This book revolves around the main character Julia. She goes to a school where gangs are everywhere and almost everyone is apart of one, except for her. I really liked this book because it kept me engaged and wanting to read more to find out what happens next.

The main character Julia never thought of joining a gang. Even if her two friends, Black Chuck and Marie, are members of those gangs, she was always against them. That all turns around when Eric transfers to her school and she instantly has a crush on him. Towards the end all the lies come out and Julia ends up being able to make a choice that will change her stay in South Bay High School (her school).

In this book I enjoyed how there was a mix of drama and romance. The main character Julia goes from not wanting to be apart of any gang to feeling like she has no other choice. She makes a decision that makes her labeled as a snitch. She felt like she had nobody after her so called friends weren’t there for her and decided to join a gang.

Eric also wasn’t the person we thought he was. Julia and Eric ended up dating until, Eric joined a gang and she broke up with him. The truth comes out and we find out Eric has been lying to everyone and is not who he stays he is. This book is very fast and gets right to the point.

[Cody Zimmerman]

Julia Divino is like any typical high school girl, she has her own group of friends but starts to venture out. She ends up meeting a new kid,Eric, while getting sent to the office. She becomes like many high school girls and starts having feelings for him instantly. I really enjoyed how face paced the book was, it did not take long for me to get into the book. I also liked how it focuses on how high school is like in a different neighborhood than what I am used to, around here, non of that stuff happens. However, in other areas there are lots of fighting and territorial areas. I did not like how all of the names were abreviated and code names were used. You never really got to know that person like you should. Also, I thought that how everyone involved in a gang was kind of annoying. Not all kids are like that and some want nothing to do with it. Snitch is a very fast paced, easy to get into read. It is relatable to kids and young adults our age, however it also throws new aspects of the world into it as well. I would rate this book an 8 out of 10. It was really good, however there were some flaws in my opinion, no book is perfect either. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys reading books with lots of drama. Also, there's a love theme that goes along with it too. Brea F, would especially like this book in my opinion.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was back and forth between 3.5-4 stars on this one, but I really liked the end.

YA book about gang violence in high school and doing what you have to in order to survive that situation.

It was a quick and enjoyable read. I already own another book by this author.

[madeleine · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun story, but a predictable story line.

[Jarod Whaley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book Takedown by Allison Van Diepen so I continued with the same author onto a new book called Snitch. It is about a girl who grew up in a gang area and they were brought within the school she attended. Each day someone got jumped, or attacked on school grounds. Inside South Bay High School there were two rival gangs, the Crips and the Bloods, Julia (the main character) wasn’t getting any dirt on her hands. At the top of the class and a very intelligent student, Julia had no reason to get involved. Her friends were all in the loop but kept Julia out, then one day a new boy came to town. The days went by as she planned out ways to talk to him until they ran into each other in the hall. They became closer and eventually started dating, but what Julia didn't know was that Eric Valiente wasn’t Eric Valiente and the only truth he told was the feelings he expressed. He was involved in the gangs, but was also under the surveillance of the cops as a spy. He thought Julia would remain safe but she decided Eric wasn’t in it alone. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a powerful and detailed story. It really explains how teenagers can rule, even inside a public high school. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

[Rhiannon Rabby | 31 · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was intense and fast paced and I enjoyed it. From the reviews I’ve read, a lot of people found it to be predictable, with flat characters. I didn’t think so at all! It totally surprised me, and I felt that each character who was introduced brought value and substance to the story.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book and I really loved the story behind it. A lot of the time when I read I have to go back and reread things over and over until I actually know what I am reading, but with this book I was able to continue reading without having to constantly go back and reread, because I was interested in the story. From the beginning of the book of the book I was pulled into the story. I am not the biggest reader, but I didn't want to put this book down. I think the intended audience for this book is probably around the high school age, although I think that many people outside of that audience would also really enjoy this book. Overall, I would recommend this book if you're looking for a good book to read.

[Jason Dietz · Rating 5 out of 5]

"She saw the world in black and white. Good and evil. Right and wrong. She didn’t get gray.
I lived in gray."

This quote really spoke to me when I first read it because I immediately started to ponder on the idea of racism, even though that is technically not what the quote has to do with at all. This is a very smart line because it has the potential to provide a double meaning to the audience, covering two different yet both very important topics: racism and optimism. With the book taking place within the heart of New York City, inside a mostly black community, one could see how racism could play a strong role in this book. Van Diepen also does a very nice job with incorporating optimism into the book by creating a very dynamic main character who possesses the longing to move outside her comfort zone and try many new things after a boy from out of town walks into her life.

In her book, Allison Van Diepen creates a world where uniqueness is put into play. I really enjoyed this book because it was engaging the entire way and very well paced. It includes many plot twists and dramatic events that made me not want to put it down, eager to find out what would happen next. The dramatic element to the book might have been its best feature. It held up all the way to the very end of the book, along with a level of suspense that was incredible. She also did a really nice job of taking the reader into a not-so-common world of gangs, which allowed me to get a full experience of what it might be like to live that way.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and strongly recommend it to future readers.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gritty. Out spoken. Intricate. Scary. Coming of age. Worth praise. Undiscovered. These are the things that come to mind whenever I see the sad and lonely Snitch hovering in the same spot I last saw it in my public library. The cover pushes the thoughts urban and teenage and danger and really, where it was all of those things, Snitch was just so much more.

Julia is one of the few girls, in a school complete of rivalries between the Crips and Bloods, who wants nothing to do with the gang life that is so ever-present in her classes. She’s perfectly content to keep a life of not knowing, not telling, and not saying, with her nondescript friends and caring father. When Julia and Eric meet each other and their instant attractive begins to fester, Julia figures that she’s finally about to have the year of her life. With Eric making the first move on a plain Jane like her, she thinks she’s experiencing all the jazz of first – and true – love. Unfortunately - and of course - Eric's too good to be true. Because soon after she hooks up with the new bad boy, she finds out Eric’s been bounced into the Crips – and wait for it – wants her to bounce in, too.

I was reading a little background about this novel on Miss van Diepen’s site a few hours after I had first read the book years ago. van Diepen explains that she’d taught in a school with outrageous amounts of gang violence. She goes to to say that the one time she'd reported a fight - doing the job of a teacher, of course - she'd been called a snitch and trash had been thrown at her. She claims that once she'd gotten to thinking about teenagers faced with gang life, and their battle with morals, the premise of Snitch was born. (You can read the full article here)

It’s incredibly gripping, this novel, and just as scary. van Diepen gives readers the real deal, complete with the rules and jobs that go with gang life. In health classes, I’ve seen the junkie videos and the violent gang-oriented ones – neither were as captivating and comprehensive as the scenes in Snitch. For example: Julia’s at a party with Eric the night she decides to bounce in. The gang members tell her that the only way to get in is to sleep with one – with the possibility of more – gang member. They say that (and this is where my memory fogs up a bit) that they expect her to ‘do it’ in the filthy room next door and to do it that instant. Right then, I knew that van Diepen was showing us a side of the world that was dirty, hardcore, scary and unfortunately, real. Because honestly. Who could come up with something like that, something that horrifying?

The characters were fleshed out and relatable, the pacing and plot was excellent, and the dialogue was realistic and simply outstanding. The romance between Eric (who, unlike all Erics-from-Disney, was not a prince in any way) and Julia was hot, heavy and sexy, but it was also sweet and actually built on a friendship. There is a case of a parent MIA, although in Snitch, the aspect was used purely for the novel from Julia’s eyes to make sense. Although this novel is not an issue book, it definitely tackles issues like abandonment, substance abuse, weaponry and of course, the familial secrets involved in gang life.

I don’t envy van Diepen. In fact, after publishing a book like this – especially one partially based on experiences – I think I’d be watching my back for the rest of my life. Snitch opened my eyes to a side of the world I’d been warned of but had never known – this book gave me the chance to understand gang life, snitches – and why they might snitch –and a scary, very real world.

[Kayson Sturge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe that the purpose the author wrote this book was because she wants us to know that whatever we do in life, even if it's something that we know can mess up our life.. That it's not the end of the world that we can move on from it, and start a new chapter in life. Even though, our mistakes were already made and done we cannot go back and change them we can be positive and say you know what this is a lessoned learned it's time for me to move on and start a new chapter in my life. "Dear Julia, Exciting news-you won the poetry contest! Your poem was published in the Bay Times. We all want to congratulate you and wish you the best of luck at your new school. Sincerely, Mr. Britt and the South Bay Writing Club"(296) Julia afterward says "the check dropped out of the envelope. Fifty bucks. It would go straight to the back. Because I had an open invitation to Miami."(297)This shows that even from everything she did to mess her life up, she has decided to go to a new school and move cities. The impact this book has on the audience is that you should not join any gangs just to be cool or to just feel safe. Joining gangs will eventually get you hurt. I strongly believe it will have a lasting value. The viewers will learn not to join gangs and will also learn that life does go on...

The book is well written to where you can understand what you are reading but if you are someone who doesn't know slang you will have a hard time understanding some parts in the book for example “I caught sight of Eric in the middle of the brawl. He was on his feet holding his own…”(128) This book was so captivating I was so into this book it's actually the second book I finished on my own books that I read just for fun. The book has so much drama! Of course, it involves a romance between two young teens. This book has everything from sad moments to serious ones. Towards the end it becomes so intense when all the lies are revealed. I personally can’t relate to none of characters except that I do sometimes get an attitude with people but it’s only because they irritate me or do something to make me feel upset. I am not a gang member nor am I a fighter so other than that I can’t relate to any of the characters.

The greatest strength I think would have to be that the author knows how to captivate the audience and grab their attention. At all moments the book was interesting never did it become boring. I would say one of the weaknesses would be the language the way the text was written. Even though at the same time I think that's what makes the book so interesting because it's something different. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend; because this book teaches several lessons but the main ones I would say are one do not ever join a gang just to fit in or to feel safe. Second don’t always trust everyone be careful who you call your friends and especially who you tell your stuff too. Which this is something that every teen can relate too while being in high school. The last thing that you are reminded of in this book is that life goes on!

[°☆.。.:*・Nanna°☆.。.:*・ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book I thought was pretty cool at first. I liked how it talked about real life problems and touched on something that I didn't really know until now. I mean I knew that there are gangs everywhere, like I live in the Bay Area where I can't really where certain colors because of the rival gangs - the Nortenos and Surenos. For me, I have never experienced problems with gangs, even though I have heard of them. I think this made me learn more about the gangs and people that are dealing with being so close to gangs. This also made me know about the Crips and Bloods because until I read this book, I never heard about them. This touches more on the gangs and living in a heavily gang related area.

I thought the main character, Julia DiVino, was pretty cool. She manages to go to a school that is very involved with gangs and still managed to get high grades. It was also great how she kept herself from getting involved in any of the trouble happening in her school. I also respected how, even though she was friends with gang members, she was not in a gang. It made me like how she was fair to people and didn't judge them by the colors they wore. They just hanged out sometimes and she stayed on neutral ground.

However, even though I liked how she was in the start, I disliked how Julia changes once the cute boy comes in. She was so wrapped up in with her romantic life that she was neglecting school. Kind of hate when chicks get like that. Besides the fact that Julia was changing, I felt that the boy was hiding something; which is a total no-no in a relationship.

As for after Julia got jumped, I could kind of understand her friends. I mean I would like to think I would defend my friend when they are in trouble, especially when they are getting beaten. However, when it comes down to it, I don't think I would want to be involved with a person that is on the bad side of a gang. I just wouldn't want to get my family involved or get them attacked because of me.

I also hated that Julia joins the Crips. I kept on thinking that she is changing too much, and that most of the reason why she joined was because her boyfriend was a Crip. This made me so mad because she did not even think of joining or being involved in a gang until Eric came in. The fact that she joined just pissed me off and was such a downer. When she went there I was thinking, 'What the hell is she doing.' Hell, even her friend Black Chuck didn't think she belonged there

[Alyssa Janine Busia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was addictive, compelling, and full of exciting and intriguing parts. I never thought that I’d get hooked on this book. I had read it for just one whole day, which is very seldom to happen to me.

“I don’t know what I would have done without my poetry. When you’re laid up and want to cry but don’t want to bust your stomach open, you have to find some way of venting your feelings” – Julia DiVino

The story revolves around this girl named Julia. She is studying in a school where gangs are everywhere. Joining one never occurred to her as she is too focused on her study. Being able to graduate and go to college is what she only thinks of. Even if her friends, Marie and Black Chuck, are members of those gangs, she never thinks of herself joining and becoming one of them. She is always on a neutral side. But, everything turned upside down when Eric came into the picture. She was able to make a decision that will change her stay in South Bay High School.

I liked Julia. She has this personality that you’ll find very amusing and very refreshing. She has this strong will and great determination. Aside from that, she is also smart. She always stands on her opinion as long as she knows she was right about it.

What I don’t really like about her is she seems not to care for her dad. She always talked back to him, and she even thought that he doesn’t care for her when it’s the opposite. She is lucky to have an understanding and loving father because, until the end, he was always there for her even when she got into a fight.

This book is amazing. Allison van Diepen did create a story that will keep you on turning the pages. The book talked about real life problems – father-daughter relationship, friendship, school gangs, etc. The characters were great. I felt that they were real and that I’m just reading someone’s life.

I suggest this book to everyone, especially if you liked stories that will keep your heart racing will make you feel different emotions and will make you want more.

BLOG POST LINK: http://bit.ly/2e7RAlR

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the book Snitch by Allison van Diepen. I was really interested since I don't like to read books at all but with this book I enjoyed it a lot. Possibly because the story is about how you judge people by their appearances. Juliet, the main character in this book, is 16 years old and lives in Brooklyn. The school is run by gangs where everyone is involved except for Juliet and her best friend, Q. This school is mixed with the Bloods and the Crips which means the drama never ends.

Juliet lives with her father because her mom died in a car accident when she was very young. Juliet is the typical teenager just trying to get of of high school without all the drama. But when Eric Valentine transfers to South Bay everything changes. She can't believe she fell in love with him. She thinks that he’s is not involved in gangs, so they started talking about life and got to know each other. Later on Juliet gets jumped by the RLB ( Real Live B******) because she warns Valentine that the Crips are planning to jump him. They started calling her a snitch, they say that “Snitches get stitches”Way back when they called it the Kansas smile. She gets jumped pretty bad to the point where her friends even are to scared to hang out with her anymore. So… Juliet decides to join a gang because she says that's the only way she will feel safe.

This book was kind of hard to relate to because I go to such a small school where there is no fights,gangs,drama etc. But what I learned from this book was that make sure you know who your friends really are and pick them wisely because they can turn their back in the matter of seconds. And one more thing don't, and I mean Don't judge people by their appearances unless you know their story and what they've been through.

I wouldn’t recommend this book to an elementary student because there's a lot of swearing and sexual content.

[Anayeli♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I choosed this book because many of my friends read it and they said it was a good book and that they really lilked it and the book cover looks interesting so i dicided to read it. The genre of this book is Fiction. The setting is at Julias house and at her school and at her boyfriends house.The description of the main character is that she likes Erick so to show him she gets in this gang that he is in called the crisps.The plot summary is that in order to get with the guy she likes she finds out that he is in a gang called the crisps so she dicides to get in it and she gets in it but she tries to get out cuz her boyfreind is in jail but he gets out and does not go to school and she finds out that he told the cops that his frins chuck was selling drugs so he gets out and his friend chuck is now in jail so they teas Julia cuz they think that she knows were he is or that she is hiding him in her house so then she gets a call from Erick saying to meet her by the libary so she goes and they both get jumped. The problem is that she is in a gang and she wants to get out but she cant it is a gang that she has to be in it for life. She resolves it by telling chuck that she is moving and to tell everybody that she is still in the gang so then she dicides to move. My opinion of the book is that it is a good book because it shows you to never get in gangs and never do drugs cuz you could end up in Jail. And if i have any frind that does not know what to read i am going to tell her to read this book because it is a really good book.

[La Femme Readers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snitch is a powerful, intriguing, and fast-paced novel. I quickly learned that the storyline was highly addictive where I literally finished the book in one day! Julia was a great character, she was strong willed and fearless. I was amazed at her courage and determination to not let a school full of gang members ruin her chances of college. I wouldn't be able to go to South Bay High School because you were under a microscope on a daily basis. If you looked at someone wrong or wore the wrong "color" it was an invitation to a deadly beating. As I read, Allison's writing came alive and I felt like I was on the streets of Brooklyn. Also, it does help that I actually know most of the places and areas mentioned in the book. Even though most of these places aren't as scary as they were portrayed in the story. So, Brooklyn isn't all gun shootings and gangs, just want to make that clear :) I live in a good Brooklyn neighborhood so I should know...

Now, the other character that I liked was Eric, Julia's boyfriend. He was an interesting character but also very influential with Julia. The moment he came into her life everything changed and I didn't agree with Julia's decisions at that point. Allison also surprised me with a shocking outcome at the end of the book. I seriously wasn't expecting it! But, I do need to warn my young readers that their is curse words left and right. They seem to all have potty mouths. Overall, a great read with interesting insight into gangs in schools.

[Kelvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great I didn’t want it to finish at all. The fact that she had to choose between love life and future was amazing. It showed that people in a book could really relate to people in real life. The one thing I would have never expected was her joining the crips and actually living it up. I also didn’t expect to see that Eric was an under cover spy. Its crazy how a book can feel so real as if you were in it. I didn’t want it to finish because of how good it was. The book had different twists and turns but it all came to show that one decision can change your life forever but also that same decision can make your life better. I used to be part of the crips and I can honestly say that everything that happened in that book I either lived through it, survived or dodged just in the nick of time. Being a gang member isn’t all about fighting shooting robbing or killing there’s more to it than that. There’s a code you live by that makes others fear or dare to test. But the last you want to do is getting involved in something and not know the way out of it. Truthfully I still am apart of the gang life but just not active I learned that a color can brand you but it doesn’t make you, unless you let it... 1 thing I can say is that it doesn’t take a gang or gang members to make a tragedy only a one single person can..

[Alejandro Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is about these girl named julia in brooklyn and the school was run by gangs but when she was little she made a pacted with Q one of her friends thats they would never join any of the gangs, but when julia met Eric her whole life change she was became really close to eric and they started to hang out but then Eric join the crips one of the gangs is they one that julia inroduce him to because black chuck was in their, she got upset but she understand then Eric was going to get jumped by the bloods and julia warned him and he called his home boys and the fight broke, the next day julia got jumped for snitching and she was send to the hospital, eric and his crew took revange after that day julia dicided to join so she preteded to have sex with eric to get in the gang, and then she started skiping and fighting but then at the end some thing happens someone snitch again and everything change.

This book is a great book with a great story and i liked it but i really did when they were not talking about how hot eric one of the charecters was but it had a lot of action and the begining was lame but after page 80 it started to get really good and i did'nt like the end i would wanted that to end different or for a diferent reason.

[Mayra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really good.It is told by the view point of H.s student named juliet.She goes to a shcool where their are gangs and each day is a threat to her and her friends.She chooses to not join no gang to avoid trouble.Then she meets Erick Valientino a boy like no other. One she can talk to and is yet in no gang.She falls in love with him. Then things change he joins a gang and she breaks up with him for good.Or she thinks when his life is threaten she makes a choice that will leave her brande with the label of a snitch.Then one day she is beaten up for it and realizes she has no one and her so call friends have just dumped her.She decides to join a cang but that is her worst mistake.Things go down hill after that.After the bust of the head of the crips and Eric she discovers that Erick is a kake and the Guy she loved is also a fake but forgives and moves on. She is jumped out of the gang and her life takes a turn for the better,This book is well written and it shows how gang life really is and how members are recruited.This book isn't stereotypical but touches another side of the dark world that I fear and wouldn't like to be a part of.

[Elian ortega · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book Snitch is about gang banger, love, mysteries, and trust. It start with a girl who has a best friend and they both made a pact when they were eight to “ never join a gang.” Now she is in high school and there are plenty of gang who are always looking to recruit kids. One day there is a new transfer student who she falls in love with. The Kid is later recruited by the crips and now she doesn't know what to do. They have a fight and later she snitches to him and tells him he will get jump by another group of gang called the RLB. They are another rival gang who the crips have affairs with. later there is a big fight were the two gang fight and there are plenty of gang members who get wounded but the RLB lost that fight. The RLB later grab julia and she loses the fight because there were four gang member who gang up on her. I would love to say more but I’ll let u guys read the book. I liked the book because it talk about gang and that has always fascinated me why people join.

[Steven Finnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snitch, by author Allison Van Diepen is a story about a young girl named Julia who lives in an area surrounded by multiple gangs, drugs, and violence at school and on the streets. Julia is a quiet girl, unless with her best friends, and she particularly stays away from gangs and people associated with gangs, except her best friend Black Chuck. When sent to the office, she meets a young man named Eric, and they begin their relationship days later. Things seem to be okay, up until some decisions and deception lead to many problems down the road. This book is very detailed and will inhibit feelings of suspense, thrill, and even sadness and anger. I recommend this book to those who enjoy these feelings and stories centered around realistic love settings and even realistic life styles than can be found in parts of America and other parts of the world.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. I actually thought this was a tremendous book.

The pacing creates a sense of urgency, there's so much action, and there's even more to think about.

The author paints the picture of an incredibly strong young woman who is intelligent and likable with a great dad....and still gangs seep into her life even though she doesn't want them to.

The complicated roller coaster existence of gang life is detailed in this story along with the typical struggle of being a teenager and preparing for graduation.

I enjoyed all the characters and twists and turns, they compliment the incredible dialogue well.

[Fabiola Frazzle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book right here is the best book I read in my life! Like each page was good the book had me. It came to a point when i cried, got fustrated, and was shocked through out the story. I love how the book always proves you different like i thing one thing but i was totally off it kept me wanting to read though. It also taught me what the real world is capable of and the real life on the streets this book was real yo!. I even told friends to read it all the time i was around i had the book in my hand. i enjoy reading these types of books

[Jen B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this one after finishing "Street Pharm." It's better - more believeable, and less predictable. Again, kids will see themselves in these characters. They walk, talk, dress and act just like the students in my hallways.