There Goes the Neighborhood

Written by Jade Adia

Three friends fake gang violence to save their home, but fear spirals out of control.

4.1/5 Goodreads · 718 ratings

432 pages

$18.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

In a rapidly gentrifying South L.A., Rhea and her friends face losing their beloved neighborhood. To fight back, they stage fake gang violence using social media, hoping to scare off newcomers. But as their plan spirals, unintended consequences threaten their community and safety. Can they protect their home without losing themselves in the process?

From the publisher

Winner of the 2024 Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award A raised fist against the destructive forces of gentrification and a love letter to communities of color everywhere, Jade Adia’s unforgettable debut tells the darkly hilarious story of three best friends willing to do whatever it takes to stay together. The gang is fake, but the fear is real. Rhea’s neighborhood is fading away–the mom-and-pop shops of her childhood forced out to make space for an artisanal kombucha brewery here, a hot yoga studio there. And everywhere, the feeling that this place is no longer meant for her. Because while their little corner of South L.A. isn’t perfect, to Rhea and her two best friends, it’s something even more important–it’s home. And it’s worth protecting. But as more white people flock to their latest edgy, urban paradise for its cheap rent and sparkling new Whole Foods, more of Rhea’s friends and family are pushed out. Until Rhea decides it’s time to push back. Armed with their cellphones and a bag of firecrackers, the friends manipulate social media to create the illusion of gang violence in their neighborhood. All Rhea wanted to do was protect her community. Her friends. Herself. No one was supposed to get hurt. No one was supposed to die. But is anyone ever really safe when you’re fighting power with fear?