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This is a short multi-POV story about gang members in Chicago on one day in the summer of 1979 and the adventure they go on to meet with other gang leaders in the city to talk about forming an alliance. The story centers around. It centers on their journey in the El and busses throughout the city, but also gives you some insight into all of their backgrounds.

It has some good dark humor and offers an interesting perspective into the minds of young men who are caring for their community in the only way they know how. There is a lot of slang and talk of rival gangs and things that I know nothing about, which made it a little difficult to understand at times, but this is a lot different than my usual reads, so I am not surprised.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

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Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the eARC.

Listen, the world is a dumpster fire and I normally stick to romances to get through this life, but this is an important read.

Knowing it was 'semi-autobiographical' made it all the more potent and necessary.
I also live really close to where the main action takes place and it made it all the more fun to read.

Once you get used to the writing style and formatting of the passages, you can just settle into story and enjoy the ride.
I really enjoyed that we got several different character's POVs and I felt that each one was distinct and was able to get into their heads easily.

This book made me fall in love with Chicago over and over again.

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Thank you Vintage for my free ARC of The El by Theodore C. Van Alst, Jr. — available Aug 12!

» READ IF YOU «

🚊 love unique, urban coming‑of‑age stories

🧡 prefer character-driven tales from multiple POVs

🌆 want to hang out on the gritty streets of 1979 Chicago

» SYNOPSIS «

On a hot August day in Chicago, Teddy—a leader of the Simon City Royals gang—heads to the El train. He and two dozen of his crew are trekking across hostile territory to a gathering for multiple gangs in the city, where they’ll talk about forming a large cooperative “Nation.” But the day doesn’t go as planned, and Teddy will have to navigate dangers and betrayals to get safely back home, with a little supernatural help.

» REVIEW «

This is a raw, immersive ride through the eyes of a true Chicago urbanite. I’ve actually never been to the city (stop yelling) and I’ve never been a teenage boy or gang member either, so maybe this book wasn’t written for me, and that’s okay. It’s hard to top Ted’s prose, and there are so many lines in here that stood out for me. Pour One For the Devil is still my favorite of Ted’s stories, but I love how different a vibe this book was!

Teddy as a character was my favorite part of the story. His internal monologue is sharp and gripping at times, though you have to look for it between the usual teenage boy thoughts—which also makes it even more true-to-life, methinks? I also loved Coyote and his interactions with Teddy, and truly eff Pepper forever and ever and ever.

The ending of this little story was easily my favorite part; it was so perfectly apt after everything that had just occurred. I will point out that this is definitely a novel that prioritizes mood over plot—it’s more about the vibes and the experience than it is anything else. So if you’d like to take a trip on the El in 1979, look no further for your time machine.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Knowing that this is semi-autobiographical made me enjoy the journey that Teddy and his fellow gang members take to get across various parts of the city. I also appreciate that this is more of a story about community for folks of color and a love letter to the CTA than a vision of gangs through rose-colored glasses. As someone who loves public transit and spent almost a decade in Chicago proper, I felt such a strong sense of nostalgia as Teddy vividly describes the various neighborhoods through the lens of the El even though his story takes place thirty years before I lived there. I do wish some of the "future" glimpses had been separated out, as it made the narrative confusing, but overall this was a joy to read (and a quick one too).

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This book is a wild ride through a day of the life in gangbangers in 1979 Chicago. Teddy is basically the main character though there are multiple POV's throughout the book. Most of the other points of view are in reaction to Teddy or to provide further context to the story. Though this is more of a novella, The El does such a good job of building out a wonderful cast. Some characters you'll really feel for, some you're a little happy they get stabbed.

In addition to the story, there are also maps and news articles that further flesh out the story. I also thought it would have been fun if there had been a gang roster in the back as like an appendix. Just to use as a reference for the hierarchy. Teddy also has Coyote, the Native American Trickster/Hero, on his side. There are times when Teddy only catches glimpses and other times when Coyote is a tangible being that he interacts with. I loved that The El isn't just a book about gangs, but also the need for community especially for people of color who are regularly shut out of white society.

There are a few points in the book where Teddy speaks about the future, and I wish these sections would have been called out as separate instead of fully integrated into the text. It made it difficult to understand the narrative, it felt like time in the book was slippery and I didn't love that aspect. The overall storytelling and worldbuilding is excellent. I'd easily read the next story that Van Alst Jr. puts out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

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A funky novel steeped in 80’s slang. A really cool novel based in Chicago in 1979, and while it took me a minute to get my bearings and the feel of the characters I thought it was a super fun novel to read.

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I liked the idea of this book, hearing it was like The Warriors was nice too, and I like that it went into each characters inner feelings as the day progressed, but the story didn't go anywhere for me, and the fact that it mentioned the Warriors felt a little too on the nose for it being compared to it. An enjoyable read, but not my favorite story.

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This book encapsulated the feeling of the El in Chicago. It is fast paced with multiple p.o.v. s and is reminiscent of the cult classic the Warriors. It's semi-biographical, which took a moment for me to get used to when there was little nods to the future.

This read made me nostalgic for the city that I love.

4.5/5 rounded up to a 5 because Netgalley does solid numbers.

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The El by Theodore C. Van Alst Jr is described as a semi-autobiographical novel, set in 1970's Chicago. It follows a variety of young gang members from different backgrounds as they make their way to attend a gathering of various gangs, a summit to unite. Unsurprisingly things go wrong.
This book was definitely outside my usual reading comfort zone and at first I struggled to connect to any of the characters, something that was not helped by the rapidly shifting perspectives between the various characters, but once I settled in and found my bearing I found myself surprisingly invested in the fates of these young men, and the circumstances that led them to become involved in the gangs in the first place. Teddy, the only indigenous member of his branch of the Simon City Rivals, is the main focus of the story and he is a fascinating character, determined to do his best to keep his friends safe, street smart but also book smart and with a back story that really had me rooting for him. The book moves very quickly, the entire thing takes place over the course of one day, and as you might have guessed from the title a lot of it takes place either on the EL or in one of the stations and I have to admire the author's ability to evoke that setting exceptionally well. I am glad that I persisted with the book, and I think that if readers are patient and willing to give it a chance they may be pleasantly surprised.
I read an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

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I grew up near an El station, and rode it a lot in the summer, so this book connected with me in a way it may not for others. Author Theodore C. Van Alst's "The El" follows a group on gang members as they make their way through Chicago on a hot summer day in 1979. The book has a number of homage's to the film "The Warriors", but it's telling a different story. Val Alst nails Chicago culture, the diversity of the city, and the ethnic enclaves that form the invisible lines that the gang must cross to get through the day.

The book moves quickly, and Van Alt's Native American heritage is woven into Teddy's perspective, and done is a way that gives the book a terrific perspective. While Teddy, who is based on Van Alst, is the nominal lead of the story, the narrative is told in first person through multiple members of the gang, and others. Van Alst is very interested in who these guys are, what got them to the gang, and what might be waiting for them in the future. Even the tertiary members of the gang get their voices heard here, and the narration is sometimes coming from the future, as some members are remembering these moments. It's an interesting concept,

It may be a bit too long, but it's a solid read. Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and for this ARC.

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The pacing of the book felt like a ride on The El itself. Maybe only those who have lived stop to stop, with trains ingrained in the fabric of their city, here Chicago or me, Philly, will truly appreciate the way the author encapsulates the visceral feel of a day moving through a hometown. It’s the characters you meet, the ones you love, the ones you tolerate and the ones you’d fight in a breath. Really looking forward to paging through a hard copy of this later this summer.

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Those who believe leaders are born did not mature into adulthood in an urban setting.

Because cities require orderly movement of inhabitants, they are often compared to the human circulatory system; roads and rail are the arteries and veins needed to move people, the lifeblood, to and from.

Set in 1979 among Chicago’s infamous train cars, The El is a semi-autobiographical account of life in America’s most segregated city. It features Teddy, the spiritually superstitious de facto leader of a street gang sect, and it moves as quickly as an engine whipping around concave curves.

Short in stature, an avid reader, and a weed smoker, Teddy is the product of a broken home. Although he lives with a father who is responsible enough to meet Maslow’s minimum, defining the same man as accountable to anyone not featured on a liquor label is a stretch.

The eldest of three, he is a bit of a looker, but his mother’s cold nature has Teddy convinced that women are not yet worth the effort. Studious enough to willingly return to school after dropping out, he is often mistaken for an immigrant despite being an Indigenous American and native to the city.

A deep thinker struggling with being placed in the seat of authority, he is further troubled by being tasked with safely escorting the mixed-race group into and through rival gang territory to a mandatory city-wide unification summit.

Filled with vivid descriptions of Chicago’s collection of neighborhoods, its commentary on the paradox of being one of the most diverse, yet racially segregated, is spot on. Gritty, immersive, and accurate, astute readers will not miss the symbolic representations of how minorities are affected by the rate, rhythm, and modulation of seemingly disconnected urban journeys.

Authentic in its representation of how everyone, especially those with starched collars, is, by default, gang-affiliated, this work challenges readers to reconsider the constraints and systemic factors that influence choice and identity. Because of its realistic portrayal of urbanized Indigenous Americans, readers should not expect a narrative filled with historical context or syllogisms about life on the plains.

This work explores the need to form conventional sub-communities to navigate invisible and visible threats. It blends dialogue and action with introspective snatches into opposing views on institutionalized challenges resulting from socialized neglect to provide glimpses into discriminatory poverty.

Written by Theodore C. Van Alst, Jr., an enrolled member of the Mackinac Bands of Chippewa and Ottawa Indians, it’s a refreshingly overdue portrayal of strength in diversity. If the reality of culture shock is allegedly limited to immigrants, readers are cautioned to consider that Indigenous Americans were present when Columbus landed.

Infused with references to a non-race-based hand-to-mouth existence, readers with a strong appreciation for immersive experiences prevalent in cities will appreciate the accurate representations of humanized hardship. Others may reconsider the additional factors that make it easy to label one behavior criminal, yet when exhibited by those less “othered,” it's labeled resilience.

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[2.5 stars] I really wanted to like this book, but it fell short for me, but not in terms of length because if it was any longer I maybe would have given up.

Set over the course of a single day, we follow Teddy and his gang through the streets of Chicago mostly via their stops on the El. Told primarily Teddy’s point of view with other narrators sprinkled in, I really enjoyed that Teddy’s perspective was told in the past tense with a reflective style versus the other narrators speaking in present tense.

Unfortunately, the story being told over a single day, there is so much detail within each conversation and scene, and I found myself increasingly bored. Additionally, with the amount of detail through group names, nicknames, handshake descriptions, etc. I found myself a little lost trying to keep track of everyone.

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A very niche read that will struggle to find an audience, interesting but found it skimmable for the last half

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I loved the premise and I love the author, however the writing style is not for me. I won't be finishing it.

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ARC Read: Yes, thank you to @aaknopf, @knopfcooks, @pantheonbooks & @ireadvintage for the ARC copy!
Format: Digital ARC
Genre: Urban Fiction, Indigenous Voices
Pages: 192
Content Warnings: gang violence, drug and alcohol use, smoking
Rating: 🐆🐆🐆 / 🐆🐆🐆🐆🐆

Synopsis: Told through the lens of multiple narrators, a group of Chicago gang members in the 80s traverse through multiple-enemies’ territories to attend a massive meetup promising inter-gang cooperation. When the meeting is broken up by gunfire, they must make a mad dash back across town to return safely to their territory.

Thoughts (assume minor spoilers):
When I first heard of this novel, there were obvious nods to The Warriors, which is one of my favorite films. There are a few times within the story where a character would actually reference the film, which I felt was a little too on the nose for my taste.

Unlike The Warriors though, not a ton of stuff happens, other than a few minor scraps. Still, I enjoyed the bouncing narrators, and the bit of Coyote trickster lore sprinkled in made things fun.

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I requested this one when I saw the author was the same dude who'd edited 'The Faster Redder Road,' and right out the gates, I have to say, this was probably the best novel I've read this year. Yeah, maybe it has some roots in 'The Warriors' or even 'The Outsiders,' but really, it's its own thing, written in a way that captures a time and place I don't know much about, but the characters, though, no matter where you're from, you know them right off the bat. It's so great to see dialogue written this way, the way most people speak, to feel like someone else has a use for those gold cigarette pack twists (I use them to floss my teeth), and digs RC cola, has Tom and Jerry on the tube, got called Speedy for ass scooching so fast as a child, leaves that light above the stove on for comfort, eats Hungry-Man dinners, and knows the best way to make a bus show is to light one up. Not only are the characters universally relatable, in my opinion, at least, but the trains and the sun, they're characters here, too, and the story is so grounded that they could've walked and talked and I'd believe it. 'Our society can't handle truth tellers, not the ones who can bring folks together, anyway,' and I think that says it all, Folks. I'll be checking out whatever else this author puts out, because this was a total blast.

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Had cool vibes and some raw moments, but it kinda lost me in parts. Still, solid for the city kids and storytelling heads. But ultimately this was not my type of book, it was much different than what I had anticipated from reading the blurb. Drawing inspiration from The Warriors, the book reflects on themes of loyalty, survival, and camaraderie.​ Might work for other readers, but it just didn't work for me. Rounded up to 3 stars.

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This book was not my cup of tea, the concept was strong. Definitely piqued my interest when I saw it was similar to The Warriors. Once I started reading though, I could tell early on that I wasn't going to enjoy it. It just wasn't my vibe. But it maybe someone elses.

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Review of The El by Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

The El is a raw, immersive journey through 1979 Chicago, following Teddy, a teenage Indigenous gang member, as he navigates a single, high-stakes day in the city. Van Alst’s writing is vivid and fast-paced, pulling readers into the streets, onto the train, and into the mind of a boy balancing loyalty, survival, and identity.

One of the novel’s biggest strengths is its authenticity—Van Alst’s depiction of Chicago’s neighborhoods, gang culture, and the racial and social dynamics of the time feels real and lived-in. The blend of gritty realism with elements of Indigenous storytelling, particularly Coyote’s presence, adds a unique and compelling layer to the narrative.

That said, the nonlinear storytelling and stream-of-consciousness style might not be for everyone. At times, the shifts in perspective and tone made it a little challenging to follow. However, once I got into the rhythm of the writing, I found it hard to put down.

Overall, The El is an intense, thought-provoking read that blends coming-of-age themes with a powerful sense of place. While not a light read, it’s a memorable one, offering a perspective rarely seen in fiction. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy literary fiction with a strong voice and a deep sense of atmosphere.

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