The Word on Street Lit No. 11
By Rollie Welch, Cleveland P.L. -- Library Journal, 02/17/2009
It might be an alluring smile, a soft, lingering kiss, or an erotic bedroom romp.
No matter what form it takes, sex is a street-lit draw, and this month’s urban fiction is marked by male characters reaching out to the fairer sex. The women here are a mixed group. Some, like the sensual employees of Relentless Aaron’s Platinum Dolls, are totally devoted to their male leader. Others, like the plus-size women in David Rivera’s The Last Prejudice, get their freak on in, well, interesting ways.
The connecting thread is men pondering what makes women tick, useful information for playas deciding what they can get away with. Of course, if there’s sex in a street-lit novel, a hefty dose of drama will follow.
Pick of the Month
Nicole, Anya. Corporate Corner Boyz. Q-Boro Bks. 2008. 288p. ISBN 978-1-933967-51-6. pap. $14.95. F
Verdict: Nicole has the courage to include the hood taboo of male homosexuality among a litany of street lit clichés like murder and a baby mama that keep the story moving. While some readers will be put off by the gay sex, others will be drawn to stunning instances of justifiable betrayal. An unresolved ending suggests a sequel.
Background: Christopher Black and Brandon Brunson are business partners with a tight bond. Chris has always watched Brandon’s back on the streets, and Brandon has Chris covered in the boardroom. Co-owners of Indigo Records, a label that discovers hip-hop talent in North Philly, the men are also playas who satisfy their hearty sexual appetites. Both men seek the best of both worlds in their women—sexy and loaded with cash. While sharing a double standard in their attitude toward women, the friends closely guard secrets that, if revealed, would destroy their trust in each other.
Mattison, Booker T. Unsigned Hype. Revell. Jun. 2009. 224p. ISBN 978-0-8007-3380-3. pap. $9.99. F
Verdict: Although lacking the usual sex and profanity, this debut YA novel by a director of Christian rap music videos still flashes strong street cred and fills a void for teen readers seeking fiction that is not quite as raw as adult street lit. Firmly rooted in hip-hop lore, it will have huge appeal for urban teens and belongs in all metropolitan libraries’ YA and Christian fiction collections.
Background: Fifteen-year-old Tory (“Terror Tory”) Tyson is thinking of dropping out of school to hit it big in the hip-hop world. Talented at mixing beats, he wins first place in a New York radio station’s Unsigned Hype demo show. But Internet buzz brings Tory more complications than he can handle. Shady street dealers want to latch on to his star power, and Tory must choose between hanging with them or putting his faith in Jesus. While too cool to be jumping for Jesus, he can’t put Precious Lord, a gorgeous but ultra-religious girl, out of his mind.
Relentless Aaron. Platinum Dolls. St. Martin’s. Feb. 2009. 256p. ISBN 978-0-312-94968-6. pap. $6.99. F
Verdict: Once again, the author (Single with Benefits) displays a knack for constructing an action-packed tale around male sexual fantasies. The bedroom scenes are more sensuous than rough, as Aaron’s latest hero knows how to treat his ladies, who enthusiastically return favors. The mass market price will make purchasing multiple copies an easy decision for most libraries.
Background: Twenty-eight-year-old Stew Gregory is master of his world. Platinum Dolls, his thriving Internet porn site, allows customers to view Stew’s stable of gorgeous women on their PC monitors. His Malibu, CA, residence (one of four homes Stew owns) is a veritable harem of women devoted to him financially and sexually. But Stew’s fantasy lifestyle explodes when several of his favorite ladies are executed in cold blood. Stew struggles to hold his empire together while hunting a killer whose motives are driven by greed and jealousy.
Rivera, David Jr. The Last Prejudice. Strebor: S. & S. Apr. 2009. 288p. ISBN 978-1-59309-235-1. pap. $15. F
Verdict: As part of the “Zane Presents” series, this novel by the author of Harlem’s Dragon, Playing in the Dark, and Street Sweeper provides all the outrageous sex that urban fiction fans have come to expect from titles linked to Zane’s name. Rivera’s talent for trash talking will engage readers, but the parade of crazy sex scenes is the main draw. Stock up with multiple copies.
Background: Resenting men’s misconceptions about “Big Girlz,” three plus-sized Harlem gals are determined to gain a more positive self-image. Dahlia lets loose in a dominatrix role, Kat wonders if her true love is a hot and sexy Latino, and Noreen hooks up with Dennis, who’s slight of build but has hidden talents of his own. Each has secret desires they would rather hide from their friends, but as the hot sex escalates, everyone comes to know everyone else’s business.
Stephens, Sylvester. The Nature of a Woman. Strebor: S. & S. Mar. 2009. 336p. ISBN 978-1-59309-233-7. pap. $15. F
Verdict: What starts as a steamy sexual thriller turns into a legal drama, then shifts to a prison yarn. The upper-middle-class careers of the main characters fail to give this work a true street lit feel until the gritty prison scenes. Purchase only for comprehensive urban fiction and African American fiction collections where Stephens’s other novels (The Office Girls; Our Time Will Come) circulate.
Background: Dr. Johnny Forrester, a former NFL player, has opened a practice as an Atlanta psychologist. Five women patients with a variety of disorders will help enhance his practice’s reputation, but they each present different challenges. His biggest test, however, comes courtesy of his own diagnosed erotomania, a mental condition in which he believes others are in love with him. Forrester enters an affair with the ultra-sexy Anise, who brings to mind Glenn Close’s character in the movie Fatal Attraction. The hot sex Anise orchestrates is dangerous to his marriage, but Johnny can’t stop being with her. Plenty of bedroom scenes in the novel’s first half will have readers wondering what Anise will do next.
