thesistahood

Atria, July 2006
Young Adult Fiction
209 pages
www.thesistahood.com

Rating: out of 5

Move out the way, Jay-Z!

Girls can rhyme, too, and nothing proves this more than author
E-Fierce's THE SISTA HOOD: ON THE MIC, the first in a series about
four young women united through hip-hop.

Fourteen-year-old Mariposa (or MC Patria) is the narrator of this tale,
a Puerto Rican tomboy whose skills and lyrics are tight. The only issue
she faces is to make her best friend and fellow rapper Ezekiel (aka MC
EZ1) realize that and fall in love with her. The only thing that stands
in her way is his white girlfriend, Jessica, another MC known more for

her sex appeal than her rhymes.

Her plan to win his heart? Win her school's talent show and win his heart, and she has three friends
that will help her make it happen: Sadie (Soul Siren), Liza (Pinay-1) and Evita (DJ Esa). The girl become
fast friends and help each other through rough times, such as abusive boyfriends, dysfunctional home
issues, and discovering sexual preferences. Although Mariposa's intention is to impress the boy she
loves, she realizes that her deep friendships with her homegirls are what really counts.

Author E-Fierce (aka Elisha Miranda) is an excellent writer, and The Sista Hood: On the Mic is definitely
hot stuff for the younger crowd. It's real without being preachy, and true to the stuff young people
face today. This is a book your daughter will be excited about, and you could read yourself. The Sista
Hood does a terrific job of portraying girls of varying ethnicities working together despite their
differences. It also has a great message for girls that they can be anything they want to be with a
little hard work.

That's a song worth listening to.

Reviewed Aug-Sept 2006