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Ghettoside

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Ghettoside

By: Jill Leovy
Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman
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About this listen

Why would you kill your neighbour? Based on the best part of a decade embedded with the homicide units of the LAPD, this groundbreaking work of reportage takes us onto the streets, inside the homes, and into the lives of a community wracked by a homicide epidemic.

Through the gripping story of one particular murder of an 18-year-old boy named Bryant Tennelle, gunned down one evening in spring for no apparent reason, and of its investigation by a brilliant, ferociously driven detective - a blond surfer turned cop named John Skaggs - it reveals the true origins of such violence, explodes the myths surrounding policing and race and shows that the only way to reverse the cycle of violence is with justice.

©2014 Jill Leovoy (P)2015 Random House Audiobooks Murder True Crime Crime

Critic Reviews

"The best crime journalism since Serial" ( Esquire)
All stars
Most relevant
This is a compelling, real-life account of an actual murder investigation in the tough areas of Los Angeles, USA. It has fly-on-the-wall recounts and is intelligently written.
I enjoyed it visceral nature and its historical references which put into context the nature of the activity.
I liked the voice of the narrator.
Highly recommended for those who enjoy criminal narratives.

Compelling Story

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A fascinating, yet disturbing account of black homicide in America. Worth the read. USA has a loooooong way to go.

Incredibly insightful

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[{ "answer" : "The main story itself was interesting, though in my view the author misses the point. She lionises these officers, as if their valiant efforts to track down a black killer were particularly valliant in the face of an otherwise apathetic force. But the truth is that the only reason this killing got the attention it did was because the victim was a cop's son. The police force in most palces in the USA still treat blacks like dirt.", "type" : "Overall", "question" : "What did you like best about Ghettoside? What did you like least?", "id" : 39, "typeString" : "overall" }, { "answer" : "Very meh. The story had well and truly petered out by the end.", "type" : "Story", "question" : "What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)", "id" : 11, "typeString" : "story" }, { "answer" : "Her performance was fine, no big complaints. She's extremely caucasian though, and it's kind of weird listening to someone so straight laced discussing the ghetto.", "type" : "Performance", "question" : "What about Rebecca Lowman’s performance did you like?", "id" : 27, "typeString" : "performance" }, { "answer" : "No.", "type" : "Genre", "question" : "Did Ghettoside inspire you to do anything?", "id" : 53, "typeString" : "genre" }, { "answer" : "", "type" : "Misc", "question" : "Any additional comments?", "id" : -1, "typeString" : "misc" } ]

A somewhat interesting story

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