NEW REVIEW : Distraction by J.L. Campbell

3 out of 5 books

Distraction told the story of three good friends: Dionne, Kyra, & Justine. The book begins with Justine and her extra-marital activities – which definitely caught my attention. Kyra who had her shares of bumps & bruises along her journey, and to round off the cast of characters we have Dionne. Dionne definitely wants what she wants at any cost.

Distraction had all of the elements for a good story; secret & lies, adultery, and suspense – but somewhere between all of those elements were confusion. There were some parts of the book I had to reread some of it to make sure I was still on the right track – which lead me to be distracted. (Pun Intended) There were some jaw-dropping moments during the read.

Was this a bad read? No! Overall, this was a so-so read for me.

Orsayor Simmons

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NEW REVIEW : Ebony the Beloved by Hannah Spivey

3 out of 5 books

Ebony is the product of a very dysfunctional family. Her life is full of abuse physical, mental and emotional from both family members and classmates. She suffers from low self-esteem and virtually lives an unhappy existence.  In addition to living a lowly existence, some very disturbing news is dropped on her and causes her to get to the lowest she’s ever been. Circumstances unravel that cause her life to change for the better or so she thinks. Will Ebony have a chance at true happiness? Will she begin to believe in herself and realize who she is is not determined by her experiences?

Ebony the Beloved overall was a easy and quick read. The storyline was a bit unrealistic. I do realize it is a work of fiction, but some things were a bit far-fetched even for a fiction novel. The main character was a fifteen year old girl. At times during the course of the book I forgot she was fifteen because of some of the situations she found herself in and the way she spoke. Some of the vocabulary was unrealistic for a fifteen year old girl. Ebony the Beloved by Hannah Spivey overall was an enjoyable read. Despite a few spacing errors with the words and the unrealistic vocabulary and situations for a teenaged girl, my heart went out to Ebony, who in my opinion deserves to be loved too.

Eraina Tinnin 

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NEW REVIEW : Mustafa’s Game by The G

3 out of 5 books

Mustafa’s Game is the tale of Mustafa’s life in the streets. After witnessing his parent’s addiction to drugs he strays away from that area of the streets. Instead he chooses to rob the drug dealers of their money and drugs. In his mind this is payback for the drug dealers who took his parents away from him. He even brings in the only person he trusts into the stings, his girlfriend Dani. Mustafa finally thinks he has the perfect plan to score a major hit. He will soon learn that this hit is not at all what it really looks like. Has fate finally caught up with Mustafa and Dani? Is the saying true that there is no loyalty among thieves?

Mustafa’s Game by The G is an intriguing tale. This book did not come across as the usual drug dealing street tale. The author told a good underdog story and gave just enough details to get his point across. While reading Mustafa’s Game, I constantly rooted for the underdog. Even though some may not see Mustafa as an underdog, I considered him an underdog because he did not portray the lifestyle of so many around him. There were grammatical errors that were hard for the reviewer to overlook. There were also areas within the book in which the story did not flow efficiently, causing me to read over those areas multiple times. Some of the characters that seemed to play a major role in the book were not fully developed. I felt that I didn't know them and could not relate to them. The reviewer would be willing to read another book by this author in order to see his growth as a writer and an author.

Mary Green

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NEW REVIEW : Crimson Footprints by Shewanda Pugh

4 out of 5 books

Crimson Footprints by Shewanda Pugh is a love story of Deena Hammond and Takumi Tanaka. Deena is a beautiful woman of mixed race with a black father and white mother. Growing up Deena stayed within the shadows of the "black" side of her family. Never really feeling a part of the family due to the criticism she received about the "white" parts of her, Deena strives to be the best at anything she did. She was determined to make something of herself and what she wanted to become was an architect. Determined to make her dreams come true she graduates college and goes on to work at one of the best architect firms in the country.

Takumi Tanaka is the son of a world renowned architect and one that Deena just so happens to work for. When Deena and Takumi meets its under the most unusual of circumstances. That unlikely encounter blossoms into a beautiful friendship. Takumi shows Deena all the things she had been missing out of life, enjoying the little and the finer things. Deena has an innocence and fragility about her that has Takumi intrigued. He wants nothing but the best for her and will help her in any way he can to see her dreams come to fruitation. Takumi and Deena fall in love but neither are quick to share their relationship with either side of their families since they both know neither side will approve. The question is how long will it be before their love is discovered and when it is, how will they handle it?

Crimson Footprints by Shewanda Pugh was a story of family, love and secrets. Ms. Pugh does an excellent job in conveying an underlying message that "One's past does not have to define one's future." You can tell the author is either knowledgeable on the subject of architecture or she really did her homework to make the story more authentic. The only issue I had was there was a part in the story that involved Deena's younger sister and Deena's unresolved issues with her mother and neither were elaborated on. I guess that is why there will be a part 2, to bring any open ended story lines to close. Overall this was a very good read!

Reviewed by Leona

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NEW REVIEW : Gangsta Divas by DeNesha Diamond

4.5 out of 5 books

Picking up where the last book Street Divas left off, Ta'Shara is about to come home from the mental hospital after suffering a horrible attack that was issued by her sister, Leshelle. After watching the one man she has ever loved gunned down in front of her at the command of her sister, Ta'Shara wants revenge and wants Leshelle dead!

Lucifer is mourning the loss of Fat Ace and refuses to show how much the loss is tearing her up inside. With the loss of Fat Ace she is next in line to rule their crew. The only problem is that some of her crew are not to keen on the idea of a woman stepping up to command, although they all know she is as ruthless as the next man or any one of them. The only other person that would be able to step up would be her brother, Bishop. This is where the two begin to bump heads. Will Bishop push Lucifer out the way and claim the spot? Will Lucifer take the suggestion of a reformed drug addict and step away from the game?

Gangsta Divas by DeNesha Diamond was a page turner full of drama. These gangsta divas are ruthless and will do anything for their crew. This is one of the best series that is based on the female aspect of the game and gang life. I am not really a fan of books that continue on in a series (more than 3 books) but I did appreciate the fact that Ms. Diamond took the time to explain to the reader at the end of the book that her intention was to end the series but the life of the story would not let her end it. My only issue with the book was the editing, but then again I read the advanced uncorrected proof. I eagerly anticipate the 4th installment of this series.

Reviewed by Leona

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NEW REVIEW : Charly's Epic Fiascos by Kelli London

4 out of 5 books

When you've had enough , you either do one of two things: you put up with it or you move on . Charly picked the best choice for her... she eventually moves on. Growing up and living with her mother Brigette, has been anything but a dream ... more so like nightmare. After Brigette was laid off from work ,Charly was stuck working and paying bills for her so called mother . Brigette wasn't your typical loving mother. She was all about self, and would stoop to any level...even.stealing money from Charly.

 While Charly was working to save for the things she wanted and to keep food in the refridgerator for her mom and little Stormy . Once Charly had enough of Brigette's constant theifing , she leaves and has no plans on coming back .

 

I really liked Charly's Epic Fiascos by Kelli London . It was a good fast read and told a great story . The only thing that I disliked about the book is how the character's view points switched back and forth making it a bit confusing.. Other than that the book was pretty much on point .

Reviewed by Tabitha (Leona's daughter)

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NEW REVIEW : No Boyz Allowed by Ni-Ni Simone

5 out of 5 books

Since the age of nine, Gem has been in and out of foster homes with her little brother for the last seven-years. Now sixteen-years-old, her and her little brother have not found a permanent home . On the verge of giving up, Gem's caseworker places them with yet another family with the hopes that Gem will just give this family a chance. 

At their new home , Gem was waiting for the day her new foster parents would kick her out like all the rest. It took a conversation from her little brother to realize that it may have been her that sabotaged the last few places they lived. After getting used to Cousin Shake and closer to her new foster brother and family, Gem slowly starts to lighten up, a little. Then she meets Ny'eem . Gem never knew one person could change so much in her life and make her feel so good. But could this all be just too good to be true ?

No Boys Allowed by Ni-Ni Simone was a fantastic read. I loved it so much because you never knew what was happening next.The next chapter always had a new surprise. Cousin Shake was just hilarious. It was hard not to laugh. I give this book five stars .

-Tabitha (Leona's Daughter)

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