Short Changed
More sex, more money, more deviousness, more, more, more! Well we are back with more (if that is possible) of the roller coaster ride that is Jalita’s life. The author has actually found a way to kick it up a notch (or two), without going over the top. This time, the book focuses on three characters, Wes, the NBA superstar; Malik, his equally morally bankrupt twin brother, and Jalita, their sister and heroine of the first novel. In the sequel, Jalita continues to do her utmost to make a life for herself in a world that has not been kind to her. In this installment, she refuses to revert to the manipulation she swore off in “Schemin”. We follow her into what appears to be certain destruction, only to find that it is the memory of a past love driving her to persevere to a well-deserved reward. Wes eventually finds his golden palace turned to lead and crumbling around him. We see that life has not changed his behavior, with horrible consequences. We see Malik, exploiting the kindness of strangers, one in particular.
Although this novel is peopled with the same three returning main characters, the focus is slightly different. This novel tracks the progress of three related sibling, in the loosest definition of a family, and how its dysfunction can shape us. Although they appear to act independently of each other, the common cord is deeper than genetics. The open question is actually one of “nature vs nurture”, as we find that although they were all witness to and recipients of childhood abuse, each appears to have internalized it differently. Wes and Malik’s responses are focused outward, projecting what one assumes to be their pain, onto the world; Jalita’s is inward. The author again has provided the same cohesive, crisp dialogue and logic that made the first novel such an enjoyable read. With three omnipresent voices, the author is careful to keep each story line parallel but distinct, and the characters never lurch into unfamiliar personalities or bleed into each other. The author has resurrected a few characters from the previous book, and introduced some new ones. Jalita meets Kyle and Renee, a “prominent Washington couple”, who by far, harbour among the most disturbing character flaws I’ve encountered. Monica, Malik’s girlfriend, begins as a paper thin prop, but develops into a telling foil to Malik.
Overall, I found the book to be an excellent sequel, which is unexpected in sequels. It can more than stand on its own. The references to the first novel are helpful, but not mystifying without it. I would heartily recommend reading both in tandem. Although this certainly qualifies as one of the new genre of “urban lit”, I think the subtleties it rests on clearly distinguish it from a simple tale about drama. The author has clearly put a lot of thought into not just her characters, but the story she wants them to tell, and they do so most effectively, with just enough of an aftertaste to leave the reader pondering more of the story. In the end, it is these kinds of people that stay with us, which is the indisputable purpose of a novel in the first place.
Short Changed
Andrea Blackstone
Publisher: Dream Weaver Press
ISBN: 0974684716
Reviewed By:
Angela Hailey
Black Butterfly Review