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Ms Toni

Ms Toni

has 114 followers and is following 113 people

I'm an avid reader.
  • Midwest, USA
  • member since January 1, 2008

Reviews

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Displaying 1-10 of 101 reviews
  • Anything 4 Profit

    Anything 4 Profit

    by Justin Amen Floyd
    • Rated 4 stars

    “For Every Action...

    We’ve all run across them – an author that thinks his/her book is the best. Facebook, Twitter, wherever they can get your attention. Newcomer Justin ‘Amen’ Floyd is one such author. Confident in his work, he put “Anything 4 Profit” in my hands. He’s talked the talk, but could he walk the walk?

    My answer is…yes. It’s not the greatest book I’ve ever read, but Floyd definitely has talent. With “Anything 4 Profit” he delivers a strong debut and what should be the start of a promising literary career.

    “Anything 4 Profit” is the cautionary tale of three friends. Life has never been easy or a fairytale for twins Meka and Ant or their friend Mike, who they love like a brother. Willing to do anything for profit, the trio participate in a crime that blows back on them with harsh consequences.

    Floyd’s writing is both descriptive and detailed. There are a few elements to this story that I find typical to most books in the street lit genre, but I have taken into consideration that while only published in 2010, it was written in 2006. It’s my hope that the author has grown past the clichés plaguing the genre.

    What I wish the author had done, however, was end the book. The story did not come full circle, at least not for all the main characters, leaving the possibility for a sequel. At less than 200 pages, the author could have delivered one complete, powerful story. Instead, like SO many, Floyd has joined the long line of authors tossing out sequels, forcing readers to wait for a conclusion.

    Also, while there are not glaring errors, the editing does need to be tightened up.



    All in all, “Anything 4 Profit” is an enjoyable read that I can recommend to others.
    ”

    Ms Toni wrote this review Tuesday, October 25, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • Beastmode

    Beastmode

    by Marcus Hasty
    • Rated 2 stars

    “No Cigar


    I normally don’t talk about other people’s reviews in mine, but right about now I am scratching my head and wondering what book everyone else read. You like apples and I like oranges. You have your opinion and I have mine. Well I’m not talking about that here. You can like what you wanna like, but when a book is fundamentally flawed and you overlook that, something is wrong. An author can’t grow and fix what’s wrong if you don’t point it out. So let me tell you about the book I read.

    “Beastmode” by newcomer Joe Awsum (I like that name) tells the story of one ambitious family. Sixteen-year-old twins Twon and Qwon wake on Christmas morning to find their mother dead of an overdose. It’s an intentional overdose and she leaves the boys a cryptic note about their future. Life as the twins know it has ended. Will the boys step up to the plate to meet their new destiny?

    Okay, that’s all I can say without giving the book away. A lot happens from there. The a lot happening is where the book goes wrong. “Beastmode” simply relies on too many coincidences, many of which are downright unbelievable. Yes, this is a work of fiction and as such an author is allowed to take certain liberties, but this read more like fantasy. Readers are asked to believe too many things, to take constant leaps of faith and to throw logic out the window. That can be fine in itself, but readers need something to base the unbelievable and illogical on, and the author does not provide that. “Beastmode” lacks in development of plot and character. The delivery is very choppy. There are editing issues. I could not connect with the characters. I had no feeling for them, did not care what happened to them. I was just curious to see what would happen with the plot, how the author would tie everything together and I hoped that the ending would justify the means. It did not. Instead, it appears this book will fall victim to the sequel/trilogy/series plague. Now, with that said, this book is not unredeemable. The majority of its flaws can be fixed with the aid of a good and qualified developmental and copy editor.

    What I liked and what saved this book from a 1-star rating (hated it) is its unique and interesting concept. On that alone I couldn’t hate this book. I didn’t like it (hence the 2 stars) but I didn’t hate it. Joe is on to something, doing what I haven’t read anyone else in this genre doing. We need more authors like that, being ambitious and thinking outside the box. However, the poor execution almost buried it. Awsum put forth a valiant effort and I give him credit for that. I would love to see this book redone with heavy emphasis on developmental editing and realism.

    Now that’s the REAL on the book that I read. I don’t know what everyone else read.”

    Ms Toni wrote this review Monday, September 19, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • Beastmode

    Beastmode

    by Joe Awsum
    • Rated 2 stars

    “I normally don’t talk about other people’s reviews in mine, but right about now I am scratching my head and wondering what book everyone else read. You like apples and I like oranges. You have your opinion and I have mine. Well I’m not talking about that here. You can like what you wanna like, but when a book is fundamentally flawed and you overlook that, something is wrong. An author can’t grow and fix what’s wrong if you don’t point it out. So let me tell you about the book I read.

    “Beastmode” by newcomer Joe Awsum (I like that name) tells the story of one ambitious family. Sixteen-year-old twins Twon and Qwon wake on Christmas morning to find their mother dead of an overdose. It’s an intentional overdose and she leaves the boys a cryptic note about their future. Life as the twins know it has ended. Will the boys step up to the plate to meet their new destiny?

    Okay, that’s all I can say without giving the book away. A lot happens from there. The a lot happening is where the book goes wrong. “Beastmode” simply relies on too many coincidences, many of which are downright unbelievable. Yes, this is a work of fiction and as such an author is allowed to take certain liberties, but this read more like fantasy. Readers are asked to believe too many things, to take constant leaps of faith and to throw logic out the window. That can be fine in itself, but readers need something to base the unbelievable and illogical on, and the author does not provide that. “Beastmode” lacks in development of plot and character. The delivery is very choppy. There are editing issues. I could not connect with the characters. I had no feeling for them, did not care what happened to them. I was just curious to see what would happen with the plot, how the author would tie everything together and I hoped that the ending would justify the means. It did not. Instead, it appears this book will fall victim to the sequel/trilogy/series plague. Now, with that said, this book is not unredeemable. The majority of its flaws can be fixed with the aid of a good and qualified developmental and copy editor.

    What I liked and what saved this book from a 1-star rating (hated it) is its unique and interesting concept. On that alone I couldn’t hate this book. I didn’t like it (hence the 2 stars) but I didn’t hate it. Joe is on to something, doing what I haven’t read anyone else in this genre doing. We need more authors like that, being ambitious and thinking outside the box. However, the poor execution almost buried it. Awsum put forth a valiant effort and I give him credit for that. I would love to see this book redone with heavy emphasis on developmental editing and realism.

    Now that’s the REAL on the book that I read. I don’t know what everyone else read.”

    Ms Toni wrote this review Monday, September 19, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • Sugar
    • Rated 4 stars

    “More Sugar, Please

    Okay, so I’ve heard about this book, heard about this book and heard about this book. Haven’t run into a single person who read it and didn’t love it. But this is me we’re talking about so that doesn’t mean anything to me. I had read a previous title by Bernice McFadden and it didn’t do anything for me. I tried her alter ego, Geneva Holiday, and wasn’t moved. It wasn’t until a dear friend who is also a bookseller actually put the book in my hand and told me to take it and read it that I gave in. Even still, it sat on my shelf for over a year. Determined to put a dent in the unread books on my shelf, I made “Sugar” a challenge read, and here we are. I finally did it! And you know what? I enjoyed it.

    “Sugar” tells the story of two women, very opposite yet in need of each other. Pearl is only a shell of the woman she used to be after the murder of her daughter. Sugar is a prostitute who moves into town and next door to Pearl. The two form an unlikely friendship unknowingly forcing the other to reconcile with the past.

    Two people, the exact opposites, becoming friends and learning to appreciate the other and learning what’s important in life is not a new theme. However, the somewhat predictability of this tale forces readers to rely on the author’s storytelling skills and on the journey itself to entertain. And entertaining it was. I quickly became emotionally vested in Pearl and Sugar, rooting for them and their growth the whole way. Bernice McFadden does a wonderful job of placing readers in Bigelow, Arkansas, in 1955.

    “Sugar” was worth the read and I now join the chorus of voices recommending it to others.
    ”

    Ms Toni wrote this review Saturday, August 13, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • Valentine
    • Rated 2 stars

    “Missed the Target

    Now normally I don’t talk about other people’s reviews in my reviews. I don’t roll like that. Generally, I don’t even read the reviews of others except for a few. But in this case, with all these 5-star glowing reviews, I am wondering if we all honestly read the same book. Did you read what I read? I didn’t hate this book, but I certainly did not like it.

    Okay, so “Valentine” is the story of a female assassin. She’s a full time killer and a part time prostitute, or I’ll say “escort” to make it sound better. But you know what I’m talking about. She has the hots for her female neighbor who happens to be a cop. Tragedy strikes the neighbor; she becomes the damsel in distress and runs into Valentine’s open and waiting arms and legs, bringing danger with her.

    So that’s the premise. A little farfetched but I can rock with it as long as the author can sell it. Make me believe. Get me so caught up that your imagination becomes the reality. That didn’t happen here. I wasn’t buying what the author was selling. He asked of his reader too often to suspend belief and reality. The story was choppy. Issues or storylines were introduced but never again addressed or resolved. Clichés that have become so prevalent in today’s books were present. There were editing issues as well as a few inconsistencies. (Example of inconsistency: “I pulled the blade from his thigh…” A few lines later it read: “I shot him in the right a** cheek and pulled the blade from his leg.”) I felt that the author relied too heavily on drama and sex and focused less on giving a strong story. Sex and drama may make some readers “ooh” and “ahh” but it won’t mask what the story is lacking.

    I suppose with the way the book ended and with the storylines that started and vanished there can be a sequel, but I will pass. You have to give me a complete story. Readers shouldn’t have to wait for another book for an author to address what they brought up and didn’t deal with in the first book.

    So I say all that to say, the book was not terrible. A great read? No. There were too many fundamental flaws for that. I’d advise the author, D.V. Hent, to seek the assistance of a good developmental editor to help smoothen his flow and rid the story of the unnecessary, unbelievable and inconsistent. I’d also urge him to seek the assistance of a good copyeditor, especially with knowledge of punctuation in conjunction with quotation marks. It’s obvious he has a story to tell and the potential is there, he just needs a little help in doing so.

    2.5 stars ”

    Ms Toni wrote this review Sunday, July 24, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • Snitch
    • Rated 0 stars

    “Darkness is His Shroud

    New Jersey Transit bus driver Andre is minding his own business and doing his job finishing up his route when he witnesses a murder. To snitch or not to snitch is the question. That decision may no longer be his to make as the murderer sees Andre’s face and has no intentions of going to prison.

    SNITCH had my full attention immediately and never let go. Mattison’s flow and style are smooth. I found Andre, a wounded soul, with his flaws and struggles to be a very interesting character that I emotionally attached myself to and I couldn’t help but want the best for him. I also enjoyed the incorporation of his thoughts through poems.

    I really liked this book all the way up until the end. And that would be my only complaint and that brought down the overall reading experience. The ending was rather abrupt and things were left in the air. I wasn’t looking for everything to be neatly packaged or addressed as that’s not possible or realistic, but I wanted more closure than was given. With that said, though, I hope there is not a sequel. I’ll just allow my imagination to bring the characters to my own conclusions. However, with a very interesting cast of characters, a testament to the author’s skills, I wouldn’t mind learning more about one or more in a spin-off of sorts. And while I didn’t find the novel too preachy, I could see how some others might.

    Booker T. Mattison spins a tale that is emotional and moving, and it works. Andre is a testament to anyone who has suffered loss. Themes of spirituality, growth, healing, redemption and triumph echo.

    I look forward to Mattison’s next endeavor.
    ”

    Ms Toni wrote this review Thursday, July 14, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • Second Time Around
    • Rated 3 stars

    “Five years after her boyfriend left her, Korie has moved on with her life. She’s in the best physical shape, her business is prospering and she’s involved with millionaire businessman DeVaughn Harris. Her ex boyfriend, Darren, on the other hand, has not gotten over walking out on Korie. While everything in his life is going well, the only thing missing is Korie. Is a second time around in the cards for Korie and Darren?

    Three things I can always count on from Darrin Lowery is 1) great sex, 2) a good song selection and 3) a story to talk about. In the case of SECOND TIME AROUND, I didn’t quite get what I wanted. While the concept was interesting, SECOND TIME AROUND was very repetitive, resulting in redundancy and making this read not as enjoyable as it could be. Repetition included the constant references to how much things cost - a 500-dollar dress, 3,000-dollar custom made suit, 100,000-dollar car, 4,000-dollar bed, 2000-dollar weave. I found it quite annoying and not necessary to the plot’s development. The story also veered off many times taking unnecessary side trips by giving too much information about irrelevant characters or details not pertinent to the plot. (Example: the explanation of Bryce’s therapy sessions.)

    I normally come away from one of Darrin’s book with the need to make a CD based on the songs he mentioned, but in this novel the constant mention of what particular song was playing each and every time a character did something was excessive. Also excessive: such-and-such has a body like [insert celebrity name]. Women had bodies long before Beyonce. I would have preferred if the characters were described instead of just being likened to a celebrity, with a little less emphasis on the physical and more on their personalities.

    Also of concern, the narration. This novel occasionally slips from third to first-person narration, particularly at the end of chapters. And there was more telling than showing. The plot slowed down considerably with the narrating of situations and then would pick back up momentarily with dialogue, only to slow down again with narration.

    Despite the issues I had with SECOND TIME AROUND, it’s not a bad read and Darrin definitely is a talented brother, but this just wasn’t his best book. Clear of the redundancy and editing quirks, this could have been a really great read. That said, I look forward to Darrin’s next book.
    ”

    Ms Toni wrote this review Thursday, July 7, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • Midnight and the Meaning of Love
    • Rated 3 stars

    “Oh My Wow!

    "Midnight and the Meaning of Love" finds Midnight on a quest to find his young wife who has been kidnapped by her father and taken back to Japan. As when he first arrived in America from Sudan, he again finds himself a foreigner in a strange, new land where he must quickly adjust and adapt. Midnight must overcome language barriers, traditions and a host of other things in his journey to reunite with his wife, Akemi.

    Sequels often try too hard and in doing so forget to include a story. That would not be the case with "Midnight and the Meaning of Love." To the contrary, this book has too much story. Like its predecessor, it's a beast of a book at over 600 pages. Also like its predecessor, "Midnight: A Gangster Love Story," it's powerful, thought-provoking, too detailed and overly informative. Sister Souljah does a wonderful job of bringing other parts of the world and their culture to life as well as Midnight's struggles with maintaining his beliefs and otherwise. But in doing so, readers are also bogged down with a lot of details. Readers literally spend every second, minute and hour of the day with Midnight, his adventures and thoughts. At one point I felt like I was watching a Discovery Channel special on Japan and less about Midnight and the story at hand. Yes, some information was necessary to the story, but some of it could have been done away with.

    I was disappointed and dismayed that after 608 pages, I'm still no closer to Midnight, the man from TCWE. We're still dealing with a 14-year-old kid (maybe 15 at this point). The only glimpse of familiarity for readers is the introduction of Midnight and Ricky Santiaga. But that moment was fleeting. Controversial and not always plausible, it's easy to either hate or love "Midnight and the Meaning of Love." While not exactly what I was hoping for, I can't hate on this book. To give it one star, as some have, is absurd. It's obvious that a lot of time, thought and research went into writing it, and I could never take that away from the author. She can write circles around many of the books in this genre today. Circles, squares and triangles! "Midnight and the Meaning of Love" possess depth, detail and it's very well written, so much so it's to its own detriment.

    I seesawed with whether or not I could buy some of what Sister Souljah was selling. For example, the love in this book is strong. It's so strong that I question the deep level of love and the ability to express it in words and thoughts with the ages of these characters. But, I also know at that age that love can be all encompassing and extreme to a young mind finding love for the first time. Another example, Midnight's run-in and triumph with the U.S. military. I couldn't help but chuckle at the outlandishness of it all. So some things I could give the book a pass on, others had me looking sideways.

    Now, with all that said, the good and the bad, it's time to stop playing! It took over 1000 pages between two books to get to where we are now - still in the mind of an adolescent boy. At this rate, how many more hundreds or thousands of pages will it take to connect and complete this series??? C'mon now! I'm trying to give Sister Souljah the benefit of the doubt and I appreciate the ambitiousness of this project and all that went into it, but let's get to what folks are waiting for. I'm sure she's tired of the comparisons of this to TCWE, as am I, BUT...TCWE is why we're all reading these Midnight books. We want to get to the Midnight we fell in love with or were intrigued by. It's time to stop playing and show us the connection and answer all questions. It's obvious there will be another book following this one and I plan to read it. But if that book doesn't close some gaps and answer some questions, I can't see myself continuing on after that. ”

    Ms Toni wrote this review Wednesday, June 1, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • All Up In My Business
    • Rated 3 stars

    “Family First

    The family that cooks together stays together. The Livingstons are one such family. They own a chain of soul food restaurants, Taste of Soul. Though they are a tightly knit, loving family, they are no strangers to drama.

    Lutishia Lovely brings the drama with ALL UP IN MY BUSINESS. But for this reader, the book takes a wrong turn with too much drama stretched all around. And every time drama reared its ugly head, many times without explanation, it was neatly packaged and put away, thus weakening the validity of the drama. There is a lot going on in these pages. Though the synopsis leads one to believe that the book is about brothers Malcolm and Toussaint Livingston, the drama of all family members and a few employees are detailed. I found much of it immaterial.

    I would have preferred if the book had focused more on a particular (limited) number of family members and taken the time to develop those characters, their issues sufficiently and brought about a satisfactory and/or complete resolution instead of a bunch of characters and a bunch of problems. Because of that, ALL UP IN MY BUSINESS feels like it didn't quite know what it wanted to be. It is amusing at times and readable, but not truly memorable. Those hoping for a clear resolution at story's end will be disappointed. The first of a series, I think I'll pass.

    OOSA Selected Read (Apr)
    ”

    Ms Toni wrote this review Saturday, April 30, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • White Lines
    • Rated 4 stars

    “Blurred Lines

    Jada, a beautiful young woman with potential, has problems at home. So she's susceptible and falls prey to the deadliest of predators - crack.

    Born, a handsome young man, is the son of a hood legend. So going into the family business is only logical.

    Jada and Born's paths cross and the chemistry is immediate and undeniable and so begins the journey of love for these two young lovers. Little do they know, that journey will be marred with temptations, vices, loss, and pain. Will the two overcome it all for their happy ever after?

    I'm a day late, or more like a few years late. I read SNAPPED and was very disappointed, yet I heard so much about this author. I didn't understand what I was obviously missing. I was pushed, prodded and urged to give this book a try, that this was her best book...and so I did. Had I read this book back in 2007, I might have been really impressed and riding on the bandwagon with so many other fans of her work. But it's 2011 and I've read so many books that have delved into this subject matter, some of which were told better. With WHITE LINES, Tracy Brown digs deep into the world of addiction and her effort is admirable. However, at 497 pages, WHITE LINES finds itself on repeat more often than not. Published by St. Martin's Press, I was taken aback to find so much repetition here. Riding shotgun to repetition was contradiction. Characters' actions and thoughts were often contradicted by previous actions and thoughts. One minute Jada is doing drugs but maintaining her appearance and keeping up with school. But before you can flip the page, Jada's appearance has fallen off and she's never in school. Which is it? Again, I was taken aback. How did these issues slip past the developmental editors?

    I love me a thick book, the thicker the better, but I don't understand the length of this book. This book could have easily been 100 pages less. Easily. There were spots were the story dragged.

    I enjoyed WHITE LINES in that it kept my interest. Tracy had a story to tell and she told it. It was well written...almost. I can see how others love this book and I probably may have too had I read it a few years ago. It's not a bad or average read by any means, but it's one among many. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for an urban love story or a story dealing with the effects of addiction.

    *stepping on my soap box* I was bothered by the fact that the women labeled and stressed as being beautiful in this novel were not just black. Beauty here meant a bi-racial female. What message are we sending to our youth? I know what message I'm promoting - My black is beautiful and black girls rock! Join me, won't you?!?

    3.75 stars
    ”

    Ms Toni wrote this review Thursday, April 14, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
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