Living at the Edge of the World: A Teenager's Survival in the Tunnels of Grand Central Station |...

Living at the Edge of the World: A Teenager's Survival in the Tunnels of Grand Central Station | Tina S. Jamie Pastor Bolnick | a real page-turner

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Living at the Edge...

	Living at the Edge of the World: A Teenager's Survival in the Tunnels of Grand Central Station Tina S. Jamie Pastor Bolnick St. Martin's Press, 2000 - 288 pages average customer review:based on 9 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

When Tina S. meets April, a teenage runaway, she thinks she's found her best friend. She leaves behind her dysfunctional family to join April in the tunnels of Grand Central Station amidst the homeless and drug addicted. Soon she's bingeing on crack--just like April--and stealing, scamming and panhandling to support her habit and to survive on the streets.

In her own words, she describes her descent into crack addiction, being raped in the tunnels, her several arrests and jail terms and her grief and guilt over the death of April, whom she'd come to love. Finally faced with the reality that she might not make it through one more day, Tina takes her first difficult steps towards a normal life.

With the help of a homeless advocate and his wife, a gay uncle dying of AIDS, and the woman who was to become her co-author on this book, Tina turns her life around and makes her way back to the world of the living.

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They're so lonely...

This book is fantastic. You can read other books on the physical stuff homeless teens go through (the drugs, the rapes, the crime, the dirty clothes, whatever) and that's all in here, too, but what really gets you is the emotional pain of everybody in the book (especially Tina, the narrator). She talks how she returned to her boyfriend who would beat her because when she came back to him, he'd be sort of happy to have her around and that was the closest she could get to love, and how she was absolutely overwhelmed when her uncle didn't kick her out after she trashed his car because now finally somebody wants her around, and many other things. It's really moving. Read the book; it's a fun read (Tina's voice gets witty and sarcastic at times, and her life on the street and in rehab is very interesting), and having your eyes opened to the way the people in the book are so desperate for love might make you more aware of the people in your life who desperately need love as well.

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a real page-turner

This book was really fascinating and great. I couldn't put it down. I really liked hearing Tina's perspective on her life.
While the setting of this book has Tina being drug-addicted and homeless, that's not all this book is about. The other running them is Tina's deep devotion to her best friend April [...]. It's very touching and I'm glad it was written.

Powerful and Gritty Memoir

What Tina S. first thought was a glamorous adventure -- living with another teenage runaway among the homeless in the tunnels under Grand Central Station -- turned out to be the beginning of a nightmarish four years that included crack addiction, rape, violence, and the death of her beloved friend, April. But this is also an inspiring story because it tells how Tina managed to turn her life around after April's death. The book shows the horrors of tunnel life, but it also celebrates Tina's struggle to survive. At the end, when she's finally rebuilt her life, you want to hug her and pat her on the back and tell her, 'Way to go, baby!' Tina's courage, strength and honesty are amazing, and she deserves many thanks for being brave enough to share her story. It's full of hope, and you can't put this book down at the end without thinking, wow, my problems are trivial in comparison. By sharing her story, Tina shared a little of her strength and courage, too.

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Fascinating Story

I could not put this book down either. I happened on it by chance also while looking for books on New York prior to my first trip there. The core story of addiction and the inevitability of worse things happening is not new but what makes this book fascinating is the location in which this addict goes down her trek. Grand Central Station of all places in the world has to be in the top 5 most horrible places to live out this drug induced lifestyle. Because of this location you will read about things you've never heard about before in an addicts story. Somethings I still can't even imagine. I give this story a 4 instead of 5 because I got confused on time periods. I didn't understand where in time I was sometimes because of the jumping around that the author does and that was somewhat frustrating. The story itself is extraordinary.

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This is unbelievable!!

Growing up in an affluent area of Connecticut I dreamed of running away into NY City - where the lights were always on and there was always something to do and people to meet. I wouldn't have lasted one minute after reading this book and the way Tina S. survived day after day supporting one's habit amongst a miriade of homeless people. I give her great kudos for finally finding herself with the help of others and has successfully made a life of her own. I was at the edge of my seat with this book - hoping for the best..which at times was questionable that it would happen. Parents should read this book as well as their children.. It is an eyeopener!!!

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reviews: page 1, 2

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