STREET
The Award Winning Novel by A. D. Metcalfe
Silver Medal Award from Literary Titan
A finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards general fiction category
1970s New York City is borderline bankrupt. Police departments, public schools and other municipalities are struggling under massive layoffs, buildings are abandoned, and the streets are rife with crime and drugs.
For Johnny Alvarez, a precocious young runaway, the decay and lawlessness offer camouflage and opportunity.
He squats in an empty apartment in a derelict Washington Heights tenement and gathers a gang of streetwise kids, most of whom struggle with their own issues. Johnny is haunted by the abuse he suffered at the hands of his sadistic older brother.
The crew tries to keep his head straight with belonging and levity, but the turbulent nature of the street triggers unwanted memories, which spin Johnny into recklessness amid the City’s seedy underbelly.
Synopsis
Its blend of gritty realism and psychological depth makes it a recommendable choice for readers seeking a coming-of-age novel that navigates the challenging journey from adolescence to maturity amidst a backdrop of urban hardship and complexity.
Literary Titan
Terry Williams
Author and Professor of Sociology, The New School for Social Research
The book sheds light on the backgrounds, motivations and aspirations of a segment of the American population that we all think we know about but yet are hidden in plain sight
It is life on the streets writ large; an excellent structure that works both as a book and film.
Maxine Gordon
Author, Sophisticated Giant: The Life and Legacy of Dexter Gordon
Within moments, I was totally enthralled by the characters, the setting in 1970s New York City, the tone, and the way the author pulls the reader into the story. I became very attached to Johnny and worried about him and hoped he would find a way out of the situation he was in.
It is cinematic in the way she weaves the stories together. I look forward to its publication and to the author’s other work.
Dale T Phillips
Author, Scary Books and Murderous Crooks
Street is a tough, gritty, honest look at the tumultuous life of a young boy who's run away from an abusive home, and who adopts a new identity to survive on the mean streets of NYC in the 1970's.
Sharp detail keeps this book moving at a good pace, mixing action with pathos.
A.D. Metcalfe won publication in Embark Literary Journal's first chapter contest for STREET on October 13, 2020.