This book really made me think about what I like to read in a book and what I don't. I've facebooked about reading a book that I really didn't like recently and this is it.
I do respect authors for writing books--I have tried to start one many times but as of yet, it hasn't come together. I get glimpses. Maybe someday all the pieces will fit together, but for now I'll keep reading other people's books.
The story of this book centers around 4 people--2 guys and 2 gals who grew up together and then went their separate ways. They've come back together because the teacher who believed in them when they were growing up is dying. There's a lot of baggage between them and as the reader suspects there's much baggage that will get sorted out in the book.
On Amazon, publisher's weekly gave a good description of the book and its plot. I was just rereading what they wrote and I had forgotten that this book is supposed to be a sequel that can be read as a stand alone book. In my opinion, it can't be.
If I were to share my thoughts with the author of this book, this is what I would like to say: It was hard to follow the story for a couple of reasons. There are a lot of cultural things that are assumed that the reader has knowledge of--but if you aren't African American, you likely won't have that knowledge. It was very confusing about who was a pastor and who wasn't. The cast of characters was confusing. I wish there had been a list at the front of the book. If the author has a say in the cover art of the book, I think they should request that it look similar to the characters in the story. In this story, the people on the front were completely different than the people in the story--but I didn't discover that till the last fourth of the book.
The crux of my struggle with this book is this...I would also ask the author if she had considered what impression her book would give people--of all racial backgrounds-- of African American churches and young people. Did she intend to convey to young black people that it is okay to have sex before you're married and live together before you're married? Did she intend to convey to people who aren't black that all young black people have sex before they are married?
As I did with Jenna's Cowboy, I want to briefly summarize:
The Story: Very complicated--almost too complicated--it really reads like a soap opera
The Writing: When I said that it reads like a soap opera--it really does. It is full of language that I didn't want to fill my head with and things that I didn't want to know about the characters (like how one character felt "ravenous when she was near him".) That's very mild compared to much of what is in the novel. No explicit sex is described, but a lot of physical contact between the characters is vividly described.
Issues: Every character has premarital sex; engaged couples live together before marriage and stay overnight; very little mention is made that this is wrong
In Conclusion: I can't recommend this book. It helped me see what I think is a so-so book and what is a bad book. I know that's a very personal thing. What is a bad book to one person, may be the favorite of another. But, I had to come back to the Word and Philippians 4:8. Can I recommend this book with a clear conscience as a good and enjoyable use of your time? No.
I've always said that I would be honest in my reviews--that anyone who reads my reviews would know that I really like a book because I'll also say when I really don't like a book. And so now it is time for the latter. This has been a very honest review. Reading this book really made me think about what about what I think about books and what is wise for me to read and what isn't.
*Please note that I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book for review by Revell Books.
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