Ghettoside: Investigating a Homicide EpidemicGhettoside: Investigating a Homicide Epidemic
Score Modern
What it's about
Why would you kill your neighbor? Drawing on years embedded with LAPD homicide units, Jill Leovy tells the story of the murder of eighteen-year-old Bryant Tennelle in South Los Angeles and the detective determined to solve it, and argues that the failure to solve murders of Black men drives the violence.
Why it's worth reading
It was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. It's a gripping true crime story and a powerful argument about justice.
You'll love it if you liked
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of ColorblindnessGood to know
It reads like a detective story but makes a larger case.
By the numbers
- Readers66 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics24 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller26 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz3 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #745 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1396 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
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Quick answers
Is Ghettoside: Investigating a Homicide Epidemic worth reading?
Yes. It was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. It ranks #1,396 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Ghettoside: Investigating a Homicide Epidemic about?
Why would you kill your neighbor? Drawing on years embedded with LAPD homicide units, Jill Leovy tells the story of the murder of eighteen-year-old Bryant Tennelle in South Los Angeles and the detective determined to solve it, and argues that the failure to solve murders of Black men drives the violence.
How long does it take to read Ghettoside: Investigating a Homicide Epidemic?
About 10 hours (388 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Ghettoside: Investigating a Homicide Epidemic?
If you liked it, try Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond or The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander.