Front St Porter isn’t your typical urban fiction read. For some that may be a problem, for me it was actually quite refreshing. In this story you will find five brothers, Lake, Wreck, Vant, Dem and Sav, also known as The Porters. Their father, Hassan, was killed and the oldest brother, Lake was left raising his younger brothers. Imagine being 17 and having to care for four kids! “One day you will have to take on everything that is me and be responsible for your brothers. No matter what they do, who they become, or how difficult, they are your responsibility.” Of course Lake wasn‘t their actual guardian, their aunt Mucci was. I’m not sure if it was the cancer or just simply who Mucci was, but I definitely side eyed her this entire book. “’Lake... I don’t give a fuck how you feel. They are your responsibility, and you will fix this.’ Mucci told him, and Lake looked away, tired of having to be held accountable for their actions even when they completely disrespected him.”
Can you imagine living as a teenager with no real parental supervision? Well that’s a day in the life of a Porter. “‘Sav, I don’t care. Just go.’ Lake said always giving them whatever they asked for. He was a part of the problem, but it was the way he had been conditioned so he didn’t see it.” From drugs, to guns, to girls, these kids were in to EVERYTHING. These kids were real life juvenile delinquents. And even though Lake wasn’t equipped to properly raise them, I appreciated how he did have some key morals and values for his brothers. The one thing that made me sad in this entire book was the fact that outside of themselves, none of The Porters knew what it felt like to be loved. “Lake you don’t show any emotion to anything. Your mom and dad ruined the thought of love for you. I want you to have it.” None of the brother’s moms were in their life. They were either strung out on drugs or too preoccupied with the fast life to care about their kids.
To say this was this author’s debut novel, I think she did an excellent job. Not only did this book touch on so many real life issues, it was hilarious. I will definitely be reading more books by this author. So if you’re looking for a highly entertaining read by a new author, look no further. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
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