A Deeper Love Inside: The Porsche Santiago Story

Souljah, S. (2013). A Deeper Love Inside: The Porsche Santiaga Story. New York: Atria/Emily Bestler Books.

Hardcover | $18.68 USD | ISBN-13: 9781439165317 | 432 pages | YA Fiction

From the nicest house in all of Long Island to failed foster homes to a prison cell on C-block in juvy to a hideaway house on a Native American reservation in Seneca, New York, Porsche tells the traumatic story of her childhood.

Porsche’s childhood was a living nightmare; she wondered where her family was. Porsche was 8 at the time when the feds raided their home and separated her family. Porsche didn’t know much about the family business, but she knew what she knew. She knew her father was a good man and that people loved him. She knew her mother completed her father and together they were unstoppable. She knew her older sister Winter was a queen and beautiful and of course, she looked up to her. But even Winter abandoned her. These were things she knew but she tried not to think about because she was trying to survive. While in juvy, we learn a lot about Porsche’s past and we experience alongside her some horrific stories about the prison she was forced to call home. She was property of the state. No one visited her. Porsche stayed mostly to herself but finds one friend that she trusts and is near her all the time: Siri. Together, they join forces with Riot, an older girl and one of the Diamond Needles. Riot is the #1 mastermind of the gang; she plans an escape. This is just the beginning. Riot takes care of her like an older sister should and NanaAnna, the woman who hides them on the reservation, takes care of both Riot and Porsche. But Porsche has to find her family. Riot helps Porsche find her mom in New York at a park, with a missing tooth, and smelling like piss. Porsche’s mom is strung out – drugs are mind altering and she does not recognize her own daughter. Porsche works hard to hustle and make a better life for her mom. She does not know where her father or sisters are, but all of that will be discovered. Porsche (or Ivory as she calls herself to hide her identity) will discover love. She will discover this deep love and spend most of the story running from it (or him!) Sometimes the truth hurts us more than we are willing to say. The truth that Porsche will discover about her family, about her past will hurt her and it will always impact and affect her in her future, no matter where she goes or who she is with. She loses a lot – you could say she lost her childhood. She dealt with things no child should deal with – it caused her to see and to hear things – even to imagine friends. She would never get over some of these horrific events, no matter the coping mechanisms. Many young adult readers will feel sadness as well as compassion for young Porsche; they will respect her too.

Sister Souljah published this sequel to The Coldest Winter Ever, which is Winter’s account of what happened to the Santiago family, but it can be considered in my opinion a stand-alone novel. I would highly recommend this book for high school students and up. Because of its content I feel younger readers (including middle school readers) should wait to high school to read this novel. Still, this is a must read for all mature young adult readers. Highly recommended for high school libraries and public libraries. Sister Souljah’s reach as an activist, author and problem solver in her community and world is well known (“Sister Souljah”, 2013). She brings to life characters whose lives are transformed before your eyes. Whether their lives change for better or worse, I can guarantee you will want to read more from Sister Souljah.