Jess Mowry

which is the turf of infamous rival gangs the Bloods and the Crips. The gangs, their philosophies, their methods, and their members are portrayed with remarkable insight and sensitivity in the movie Boyz 'N the Hood. Similarly, in Way Past Cool, Jess Mowry offers a complex portrayal of gang life for poor, outcast African-American men. Mowry's book was published just a few years after Boyz 'N the Hood was released, making the two stories contemporaneous. They address nearly identical features of life