The Coldest Winter Ever: A Novel (The Winter Santiaga Series)

I read this when I was younger, but I had to double back and read it again. Just how good it is

I recently purchased this product and I am extremely satisfied with my experience. The quality exceeded my expectations—the materials feel durable and well-made, and the design is both practical and stylish. It was very easy to use right out of the box, thanks to the clear instructions provided. What impressed me most was the product’s performance. It delivered exactly as promised and made my daily routine much more convenient. I also appreciate the excellent customer service; my questions were answered promptly and professionally. Overall, I highly recommend this product to anyone looking for reliability and value. It’s a great investment that truly delivers on its promises!

book was good. I would say 8/9-10

Best read ever

The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah is a powerful, gritty, and unforgettable read. Winter Santiaga’s story is raw, intense, and unapologetically real. The characters feel authentic, and the book pulls you into a world of survival, choices, and consequences. Even when Winter is frustrating, you can’t stop reading. This novel is a classic for a reason and leaves a lasting impact long after the last page.

One of the best books ever!

I just read this for a book group, and it was totally gripping. When I was reading it I didn't want to stop; when I stopped, I kept thinking about the story until I could get back to reading. That being said, the main character is cold, cruel, and calculating. But that's not really Winter's fault, it's the way she was raised. I found myself rooting for her despite the awful things she does- abandon her mom and little sisters, get a friend to shoplift for her and then leaves her in jail, 9 mos pregnant, and refuses to pay bail- even assaulting an old lady and stealing her wallet. This story paints a great picture of life in the projects as the child of a rich and powerful kingpin. Everyone around her lives in poverty and on assistance; she and her family have all the material possessions anyone could desire. Her father's job is to bring home the bacon; her mother's job is to look beautiful and expensive. Nobody in Winter's life has anything like a trade, or a degree, or legal employment. She has no examples of what a regular middle-class life looks like. When her father's empire finally falls, both parents are taken to jail and Winter's three younger sisters are sent to three separate foster homes. Winter manages to stay on her own, and her mom is soon released from jail. Her mom wants to get her three other daughters back, but DCF won't release them without an apartment and some income. This is where I expected Winter and her mom to work together to make it happen. Nope! Winter goes off on her own to try and get a hustle going, and her mom quickly falls into crack use and becomes homeless. When Winter sees her on the street she is ashamed and tries to avoid her. At the end of the book, when Winter meets her sister Porsche for the first time in years, she has words of advice for her- but she chooses to withhold them. She won't help anyone, not even those closest to her. She is completely selfish up to the bitter end. She never understands why Midnight wasn't interested in her. The concepts of community and family, of education, of planning for a future, are completely foreign to her. She is smart, but not smart enough to break away from her father's lifestyle- even though it destroyed her family.

This book wasn't what I expected from this author. A slow and awkward start but a rapid change once you get past the first few chapters. This book gave me insight into the life of a woman growing up in a hardened environment with limited options. With every decision the characters make it's like watching an friend make good, bad and questionable decisions with a level of greyness when you think about it. A good book for black american youth living in similar situations. A cautionary tale but also a relatable one for some.

Highly enjoyable read, one of the best non fiction books I have read.

I absolutely loved re-reading this book which I purchased for a friend who hadn’t read it yet I would definitely recommend for late teens/early 20s WOC. It’s also a great conversation starter as whenever I read this book in public people always approach me to tell me how much they enjoyed it too and ask my opinion on it.

Looking for a book that shows you a part of street life? Listen to rap music all the time and think it's cool to wear like all those hiphop artists do, but ain't got a clue what they're rapping about? Then you better read this. This very well-developed story about a girl named Winter, whose life is like a huge thunder storm, makes you think, feel, and learn something. I've already read it 4 times and, to tell you the truth, I'm just about to pay the author Sister Souljah my fifth compliment on her couldn't-be-better work. Well, enough said. Check this out and you'll know what I'm talking about!

She wanted this book and didn't put it down since the moment she opened it.

This is one of the best books I've ever read! Sister Souljah puts it down once again. A raw story on hiphop, money, drugs, sex and power - simply a true ghetto story! I didn't even wanna go to sleep cause I wanted to know how the story ends... This book tells the story of a young woman called Winter. Growing up in a well living African American family, their wealth came from drug-dealing. Once the empire breaks down, Winter's daddy gets locked down and Winter has to make it on her own. But she's cruel, sexy, powerful, uninhibited and not willing to give in...