The Mother Brain Files: Snitch Book Review

By Mother Brain

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD:

I honestly have to say that Booker T. Mattison’s Snitch it’s not only the best book I’ve ever read but probably one of the greatest pieces of writing I’ve ever read. From beginning to end, I found myself completely drawn to the story of Jersey City bus driver Andre Bolden.

The story begins with Andre on his routine evening bus route in the Greenville section of Jersey City when he witnesses a shooting that is connected with the Greenville-based gang known as the Original Gun Clappers. Instead of turning to the police, he keeps the truth to himself, following the moral code of not snitching because as the motto of the O.G.C. goes, “Snitch on a crime, you get clapped in a ditch ‘cuz you dime.”

Andre finds himself conflicted while trying to rebuild his failed relationship with high school sweetheart, Sandra Horton, who is the mother of his baby son also named Andre. The question of whether or not to snitch drives the story. If he snitches, it could risk his relationship with Sandra and his son, risk losing his job, and possibly his life; however, by not coming forward, he’ll live in fear and be haunted by the sight of murder in front of his eyes.

I found the book to be a real page turner. What really kept me hooked besides wanting to know the story resolution was the relationship between Andre and Sandra. Sandra has so much resistance towards him that I kept turning pages eager to see if Andre could ever get over that emotional fortress. At the same time, the theme about snitching itself was handled very well by Mr. Mattison without being too imposing about it. Rather than making it about a guy or people around him who don’t snitch, it comes across as a story of a man whose wrong choices in life start to eat him up bit by bit, living in the fear of losing his life as he had with getting kicked out of school, losing Sandra, and eventually losing his job. He thinks living back with Sandra and Little Dre would solve all his problems. But what transpires over the course of the book leads Andre to a much higher purpose of standing up for himself and those dearest to him.

I also want to applaud Mr. Mattison himself for being able to write the book using little to no profanity. I’m sure it was quite a challenge to do that given the genre and the tone of the book.

Overall, this is a must read for teenagers and adults across America. Look forward to the movie adaptation. Snitch is now available wherever books are sold. Check out the book trailer below:

http://vimeo.com/23012447