The Beast, by Walter Dean Meyers

The Beast, by Dean Meyers, was a life changing story. This book was about a young man lost and confused looking for romance. This sad story takes place in the streets of Harlem, New York also known as the ghetto. He found the girl of his dreams Gabriela. They fell in love with each other but Anthony had to go off to college. Little did he know that when he returned he found the sweet Gabi turned into a hideous drug addict. Gabi had fallen to "the beast." He was lost and asked her to explain why she was doing drugs. She had too many problems and was suffering from depression; she had lost her mother too. Anthony helped her out of the drug hole; he gave her love and attention. He took her to rehabilitation programs and advised her. His famous line was "doing drugs won't lead you out of your problems, but I will." This is a romantic yet real life situation. Millions of people are suggering from drug addiction but sadly they don't have any support. I think I can't relate to this story because I've never been in a situation like this. Drugs are a dream eating habit, and I will never fall into "the beast"

-Reviewed by M.P., grade 9.