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Though we meet Natasha exclusively through flashbacks, she is vital to the novel. One of Starr’s closest childhood friends, Natasha was just 10 years old when she was murdered in a drive-by shooting. A victim of senseless gang violence, she demonstrates the insidiousness and widespread damage that is born out of gang culture and drug dealing. Her death, much like Khalil’s, is profoundly unjust and should have been wholly preventable. The inclusion of Natasha’s character highlights the realities of a world in which young children aren’t safe to play in the cool water of a broken fire hydrant. It also illustrates how gangs care little for the victims of their violence. In a sense, Natasha represents Starr's loss of innocence. Witnessing her death was the sudden and brutal catalyst for her exit from the illusion of carefree childhood, into a reality in which safety is not promised and caution must always be exercised.
