Tina Brooks McKinney

I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it. Some reviewers stated the ending came out of nowhere and that is not true. They need to reread the prologue and then the ending makes perfect sense. I agree with some of the reviewers who state they could not tell if the main characters, Marie and Sammie, were supposed to be fat or skinny. I, too, was confused by the descriptions the author used. I was never able to picture in my mind what the characters looked like - in some places the author gave the impression the Marie & Sammie were shapely/thin and in others it sounded like they were grossly overweight. The descriptions of the main characters could have used more definition and more clarity.

The book is not told from a beginning-to-end fashion. The author actually starts out with the closing scene and then proceeds to describe the events and people involved in leading up to the scene. There were definitely some unexplained gaps in the story and in Marie's and Sammie's relationship with each other. But I think the author did a good job of letting the reader get to know the characters through their thoughts and actions.

Sammie's current behavior is better explained in the author's next book, Lawd Mo' Drama, and it explains why Sammie seems to always choose men who not only disrespect her but abuse and mistreat her. Feeling unloved by her mother, she seeks love at any cost - even if it hurts physically. Marie also had her bad choices in men. While I never expected her mild-mannered boyfriend, Norman, to totally snap the way he did, I felt the author gave the impression that there was something not quite right about Norman. Even crazy people can act normal for a short time and that is what it seems like Norman did.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and am looking forward to completing the sequel. If you are the type of reader who needs a happy ending then this book is definitely not for you. I think it is brave of the author to think outside the box and try something new. And, as unfortunate as it may be, the book's ending situation occurs quite often in real life. Bravo to the author for Keeping It Real!!!… (mais)