Scenes From The York Hotel
CRIME DRAMA SUSPENSE / THRILLER YOUNG ADULT URBAN FICTION
1960s & '70s
Lynn McKnight
Logline
Enter 1964. Sixteen year old, Justine Johnson is living on the Southside of Chicago with hopes of landing her first summer job. Juss, as she’s called, lives in an apartment with her parents and eight siblings. Her mother is the family’s only source of income. She is desperate for her daughter to find work. With mounting pressure and having no luck landing a job, Juss is convinced that God does not exist. In the mist of a deep state of depression, she decides not to return to finish her last year of high school and sees suicide as the only way out of her miserable existence. Then a miracle! Her mother’s aunt manages - The York Hotel. She’ll pay Juss ‘under the table’ working evenings to midnight. Juss gladly goes to work. It is the hotel that gives her insight into a world she knew very little about. She gets a closeup into the lives of two pimps and their stables. If that is not enough, Juss discovers an unbelievable amount of cash in one of the rooms and has murder delivered at her feet!
Genre
Crime, Drama, Suspense / Thriller, Young Adult,Urban Fiction
Short Summary
sixteen year old Justine Johnson lives on the Southside of Chicago - she’s given up on everything. Her father is a heroin addict. Her no nonsense mother supports him - eight children. With no summer job, going into her senior of high school doesn’t seem likely until she’s hired @ The York Hotel.
Setting
Chicago
Based on a True Story
No
Plot - Premise
Rags to Riches
Plot - Other Elements
Happy Ending, Twist,Urban
Mature Audience Themes
Language/Profanity
Main Character Details
Name: Justine Johnson lives on the Southside of Chicago with hopes of landing her first summer job. Juss lives in an apart,ment with her parents and eight siblings with her mother being the only source of income. She taught her how to read well over the course of the summer — reading gas station signs, storefront posted sales on items and anything else she could find. Juss is determined to read three Nancy Drew books she is given over the course of that summer. Drawn to the cover of all three paperbacks, she is determined to read what’s inside. The challenges of her life take’s a turn for the worst when she realizes returning for her last year of school is no longer an option. No longer believing in God, Juss is at the brink of suicide when she gets a miracle from God.
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Role: Emotional
Key Traits: Underdog, Desperate, Complex
Additional Character Details
Name: Mr. & Mrs. Johnson — Auntie — The Cadillac Kid — Jerry Love — Stormy — Friday
Age: 30
Gender: Female
Role: Mentor
Key Traits: Confident, Criminal, Empathetic, Insecure, Badass, Masculine, Outspoken, Sarcastic, Seductive, Heartthrob, Sexy, Underdog, Desperate, Manipulative, Beautiful
Additional Character Details
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Additional Character Details
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