Urban fiction, also known as street lit, is a literary genre focused on the lives of characters in urban settings. This genre explores themes of crime, poverty, and street culture. If you enjoy reading urban fiction, check out the following movie titles available at The Library. (Descriptions below provided by publisher.)
Jaxen, a former cop turned Atlanta PI, is hired to find missing R&B star Jahari. His investigation uncovers her disappearance is connected to a larger conspiracy, forcing him to question those around him and his own past.
In 1992, Mercer is desperately trying to rebuild his life and relationship with his son amidst the turbulent 1992 LA uprising following the Rodney King verdict. Across town, another father and son put their own strained relationship to the test as they plot a dangerous heist to steal catalytic converters, which contain valuable platinum, from the factory where Mercer works. As tensions rise in Los Angeles and chaos erupts, both families reach their boiling points when they collide.
In this stirring coming-of-age drama, 14-year-old Mouse and his best friends Lamont and Sweartagawd desperately want to join The Midnight Clique, an infamous group of dirt bikers who rule West Baltimore’s summertime streets. Following the tragic death of his older brother Stro, a legendary Midnight rider, Mouse is determined to win the respect of the neighborhood, help provide for his family, and above all, be a man. As his mom Teri and mentor Detective Rivers work overtime to help the bright, charismatic teen reach his full potential, Midnight’s leader, Blax, takes Mouse under his wing, an act of kindness that inadvertently leads Mouse down a road paved with fast money and violence.
A young man reaches a critical point in his life as he struggles to navigate the changing gentrification of his neighborhood. Pressured by gangs, the temptations of easy money and the culture shifts around him in South Central as he tries to figure out how to survive when everyone wants a piece of him and his neighborhood.
Walt lands work at bowling alley AlleyCatz, but it’s struggling financially. Encouraged by a barfly named Skunk, he launches a pro career to save the bowling alley from foreclosure. With his powerful rolling skills and unconventional style, Walt becomes an unlikely bowling hero — much to the chagrin of legendary champion Linda “The Crusher” Curson.