They were wild, sexually adventurous, out of control, and without direction. They were Ratchet Daughters.After witnessing her mother's drug addicted decline, Melody Barnes moves in with her reformed grandmother, a woman who attempts to turn her troubled and sexually confused, life around. Despite her grandmother's positive influence, she is negatively impacted by the street, her best friends Leslie and Belinda, and their own twisted home lives. Due to experiences only witnessed behind closed doors, they are transformed into thots and ratchet daughters.Leslie is the pretty light skinned girl with a God complex, who develops too early. This garners the attention of perverted men at a young age and an addiction to male energy that's unhealthy. The men develop an interest in her sexually, as well as her mother's boyfriends, and lost, black, males at school. This combination of experiences turns Leslie into a sexual animal that uses her body, as opposed to her mind, to get ahead.Belinda is the dark skinned girl with an inferiority complex. She is shunned by boys in the beginning, but as she develops into a more appealing shape, she gets attention for all the wrong reasons. Her mother treats her light skinned sister differently, in a more loving and acceptable manor, causing Belinda's self- esteem to dwindle, and creating a never ending chase to please members of the opposite sex, while seeking the love of a mother who doesn't care.Melody, the protagonist, is smart, driven, and on the path to succeed. Her grandmother tries to protect her from the negative influences of the street, broken males, and the need to try to fit in with Leslie, Belinda, and their warped perceptions of what black women are.The author is quoted as saying, "I didn't just want to have ratchet daughters. I don't believe women are born ratchet. I believe it's a series of circumstances that make them that way. This book is about those circumstances."Ratchet daughters is not only a reflection on girls in the hood, but the environments, social situations, and sexual circumstances that make them that way. A must read.
