The Word on Street Lit No. 14
By Rollie Welch, Cleveland P.L. -- Library Journal, 05/19/2009
For most street lit characters, the main source of income is the drug game. They might be soldiers working a corner hoping to climb the ladder or kingpins drenched in lavish wealth. But what about the other folks? Secondary characters caught up in this dangerous world also need cash in their pockets, and in this month’s selections they earn their daily bread as a tow-truck driver, pole dancer, computer salesman, model, realtor, and teacher.
One character passes the time watching Family Feud. In a nutshell, that’s a major draw of street lit—it features ordinary people pulled into situations of unbelievable betrayal and violence.
Pick of the Month
Miasha. Chaser. Touchstone: S. & S. Jul.2009. 224p. ISBN 978-1-4165-8986-0. pap. $14. F
In the slammin’ opening chapter, Leah Baker is in trouble. Her boyfriend, Kenny, is pounding her body—and not in a good way. He’s determined to kill her, but before we learn why, the novel flashes back five months earlier as Leah, whose toxic relationship with Kenny is all about being draped in money, is angry at Kenny’s lack of attention. She sexes up one of Kenny’s helpers, Nasir, who is a chaser running a scam on accident victims by towing their cars to a shady repair shop.
Verdict For those who don’t know Miasha (Never Enough), it’s time to get on board with this outstanding writer. Her bold strokes balance the violence of drug dealing with fellas making quick cash any way possible. By cleverly alternating characters’ points of view, Miasha lets readers know what’s going on, but the players remain in the dark. What makes her latest soar is the spot-on slang and trash-talking dialog, which is both joking and profane. Plus, tension crackles off her pages. Street lit fans will be thrusting this title into their friends’ hands, demanding that they read it. Buy multiple copies.
Coleman, JaQuavis. The Dopeman’s Wife. Urban. May 2009. 230p. ISBN 978-1-60162-159-7. pap. $14.95. F
Nautica’s journey is way different than Dorothy’s jaunt to find the Wizard. But like Ms. Gale, Nautica meets several, ahem, interesting men. Zion, a gangster who moves 20 bricks of coke to lock down Flint, MI, turns horrifyingly abusive. Using sex to trick Zion, Nautica relieves him of $80,000 and motors to Baltimore. But on the way she must deal with hookers, pimps, psychos, and, finally, stone-cold gangster Tical, the drug boss of B-more. Nautica is pleasured both sexually and financially until hoods from Flint show up. Tical might be able to save her, but chances of a happy ending are slim.
Verdict Coleman, of the writing duo Ashley JaQuavis (Dirty Money, The Trophy Wife), strikes out on his own by opening his story with a hard punch to the gut. There’s something to be said for an author bold enough to off a main character on the second page. The backstory sets streetwise Nautica on a journey powered by cocaine and ecstasy to phenomenal wealth dripping with bling. Marked by authentic street slang and up-to-the-minute hip-hop name-dropping, this hood tale’s Romeo and Juliet theme will keep readers turning pages long into the night.
Dixon, Gregory. The Cake Man. Urban. 2009. 257p. ISBN 978-1-933967-84-4. pap. $14.95. F
Chris King takes over his father’s crack cocaine distribution after Big George is set and tossed into federal prison. Chris is only 18 but learns quickly. He builds a loyal crew and knows how to cut his product with baking soda to increase the weight. He has all the angles covered, except how to be loyal to Jasmine. Chris likes his women, but Jas will only put up with so much. Ali Hunter, a rival dealer who gets off on raping women, would like a turn with Jas’s body. As the crew gears up for war, they lock and load not only assault rifles but also grenade launchers.
Verdict Brace yourself for a high body count as Dixon pulls readers into Houston’s mean streets. Dixon knows pacing, and his action-packed story rarely lags. Drugs, murder, hot sex, betrayal, and revenge build to a pressure point, making this title all street. Definitely for street lit fans who describe their reading taste as "the nastier, the better."
Perkins, Suzetta. Déjà Vu. Strebor: S. & S. Aug. 2009. 384p. ISBN 978-1-59309-259-7. pap. $15. F
Angelica Barnes and Margo Myles share a past but are polar opposites. Released from a North Carolina prison, Angelica quickly reestablishes herself as a self-centered "b-yatch," but a modeling gig in New York City falls through when she’s expected to take part in a lesbian scene. Homeless and broke, she builds cash by pole dancing. Luckily, her seductive beauty pulls in Ari, a guy who knows more than a doorman should. Unfortunately, folks who help Angelica seem to end up murdered. Meanwhile, back in North Carolina, Margo wrestles with her dual attraction to Malik and Jefferson. One of them is her husband, and she feels it’s against God’s will to commit adultery.
Verdict This sequel to 2008’s Behind the Veil continues Perkins’s epic saga of love, lust, and betrayal, with a large cast reappearing from the first book. Several characters pop into scenes without setup, and there’s plenty of mistrust and confusion about who is sleeping with whom. More of a romantic novel than hardened street lit, with sex scenes usually ending at the kissing stage, this book is also hampered by clunky dialog and melodramatic speeches. A marginal acquisition that should be considered only by readers who liked the first novel.
Phillips, D.Y. Love Trumps Game. Strebor: S. & S. (Strebor on the Streetz). Jul. 2009. 272p. ISBN 978-1-59309-270-2. pap. $13. F
When Gangster Topps Jackson storms into Hattie Sims’s house, demanding that she give up her grandchildren (his kids), a good vs. evil theme is quickly established. Young Brandon and Raynita become pawns between Topps, his baby mama Neema, and Hattie. Neema thrives on the fast life, fueled by lines of coke, and often disappears for days, while Hattie shoulders the duty of holding the family together. But she might not be powerful enough to hold off a brutal psycho.
Verdict Phillips (Too Much Drama) offers a new twist in her latest street lit tale, contrasting the brutality of the drug game with the power of family ties as a grandmother tries to hold her family together. But don’t mistake this title for Family Channel drivel. Phillips has the street lit chops to thrust readers into a deadly payback after an LA drug lord is challenged. Her storytelling skills will attract a wide range of readers.
Stecko, C. Brooklyn Brothel. Life Changing Bks. 2009. 227p. ISBN 978-1-934230-78-7. pap. $15. F
Chantel finds herself slapped around by her boyfriend, who puts her on a bus to New York City with the order, "Make us some damn money." Arriving in New York City with a new street name, Co-Co, she sets to making money as a hooker in a nasty brothel, a place where the smuttier the sex, the bigger the tip. Still, Chantel needs cash to show the courts she is a worthy mother to her son. Hmmm. Chantel knows the power of a thong and four-inch heels as she zeros in on men with deep pockets. But secret agendas are everywhere, and the players get played and played again.
Verdict This one isn’t for the squeamish, as gross scenes keep hammering readers like body blows in a prizefight. Each character is nasty, conniving, and brutal; Chantel, who narrates, has nothing resembling a moral compass. Yet this reviewer couldn’t put the book down, debating all the while which character was the most despicable. Stecko tells her story briskly, with some eye-rolling coincidences, but readers will find themselves hooked on finding out what will happen to this grimy crew. The racy cover blaring cheap sex doesn’t lie. Caveat emptor—and bring along some handiwipes.
