Inner City Hoodlum

By Donald Goines

Book Overview

Johnny Washington, a black teenager in Los Angeles, knows the freight yard like the back of his hand. He and his pals, Josh and Buddy, hit them often, stealing for a fence. They have to. They're the soul support of their families. But when Josh is killed by a security guard (who gets his brains scattered by Buddy with nunchaku sticks), they are forced to look for other work. They find it with the underworld kings in Elliot Davis. But when Davis recruits Johnny's sister for his stabke and later OD's her, Johnny and Buddy come on with a vengeance.

"He lived by the code of the streets and his books vividly recreated the street jungle and its predators." --New Jersey Voice

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B002CO5318
• ISBN13: 9780870679995
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: Holloway House Publishing Company
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

A Brutal tale!

Writing classes all repeat a certain 'rule' if you may...write what you know. That is why Mr. Goines books work as well as the do. This is his world, these characters are his people and his books are written in his voice! This reality is not pretty by any means and that is precisely what makes these brutal books so Beautiful. I've read All of them at least twice and some 3 or 4 times! Inner City Hoodlum and the Kenyatta books are the best in my opinion. I was locked up in a juvenile detention facility way back in the early eighties when I found "Inner City Hoodlum" by chance . These books were coveted by us back then therefore we're really hard to find pre internet. Oh man, I devoured it my release came and I still had a chapter left, I didn't/couldn't stay to finish it so I did the unforgivable and tore out the last page and smuggled em out. Twenty five years later I still had those pages and the back cover to help remember the author plus it had the list of all his books on it. bought em all and there's not a turkey in the bunch. Now I'm 58 and still love em. And if you like these books and author, check out the coldest ice in town... That's right, Iceberg Slim, . This is who influenced a couple of the Rap games Coldest muthas! Ice T, & Ice Cube. No, I'm not going to mention you know who and Snow.

Inner city hoodlum

The book was tight ya dig. The book keeps calling you back for more you can't put it down. Once you read it you keep going back for a different book. Donald Goines is the best writer there is and ever will be don't sleep on him.

IT'S REALLY GOOD!

It's a real good book. It's the only book that I read from cover to cover. I lost the book in high school and have been looking for it since then. From then on I haved liked Goines. He is so descriptive!!

You Will Be Hooked!!!

I remember reading my first Donald Goines book, Inner City Hoodlum, that was about nine years ago. I fell in love with his writing. I remember feeling like I was there with the characters. The thing I love most about Inner City Hoodlum and all the rest of his books is that you always learn a lesson from them. Before I read his book I recall not liking to read, after Inner City Hoodlum I loved to read. I am as young anymore, I graduated college and have read a lot of things but if I ever want to read a guaranteed great book, it would have to by Donald Goines. Inner City Hoodlum is a "Must Read."

The gamult of emotions!!!!!!

Innercity Hoodlum is the second book that I have read by Donald Goines. This particular story had me totally enveloped to the end, you can't help but to feel empathy for these characters and cheer for them. Even if you don't come from the mean streets of the inner city, you will instantly understand what Buddy and Johnny are going through. I LOVED IT!

A must read for people with siblings

I really enjoyed this book. Goines has a gift of sharing the experiences of crime and love.