Thin and glitzy, but bizarrely affecting in its way.
Two young African-American ladies of pleasure turn the tables on unsuspecting boyfriends in this glib debut with a truly astonishing twist.
Five months after a dramatic shootout that has left her disfigured and emotionally raw, Celess recalls the spectacular year of 2001, when she came out as a wildly successful hustler on the streets of Philly. Impatient with school and eager to make money on their own, Celess and her high-school pal Tina learn how to “use what you got to get what you want”—namely, their youthful good looks to snag “the biggest ballers out there.” On the party circuit, Celess soon attracts three regular clients who pay her increasing luxuries in exchange for sex: O, a handsome (and married) bisexual who’s running illegal drugs; James, a skinny basketball star with whom sex is the best; and Tariq, a realtor from New Jersey, who buys Celess a condo of her own. Very early on, however, we learn that Celess (named after the child of her first lover) and Tina are really men who pass for women. A good deal of the narrative is devoted to how Celess manages to pull this off—dressing in outrageously expensive, designer outfits, taping herself firmly up, ingesting hormones and vitamins, making sure her clients’ hands don’t roam while offering herself anally, etc. (No one here uses condoms, by the way.) Some of the men actually don’t mind when, inevitably, they learn her true sex, but Tina is beaten up and eventually murdered by angry, horrified suckers. Touchingly, Celess tells her sad story in hindsight, after the harm is done and there is a real chance for her to start a new and better life.
Thin and glitzy, but bizarrely affecting in its way.Pub Date: April 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-7432-8158-6
Page Count: 208
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2006
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an...
True love flares between two people, but they find that circumstances always impede it.
On a winter day in London, Laurie spots Jack from her bus home and he sparks a feeling in her so deep that she spends the next year searching for him. Her roommate and best friend, Sarah, is the perfect wing-woman but ultimately—and unknowingly—ends the search by finding Jack and falling for him herself. Laurie’s hasty decision not to tell Sarah is the second painful missed opportunity (after not getting off the bus), but Sarah’s happiness is so important to Laurie that she dedicates ample energy into retraining her heart not to love Jack. Laurie is misguided, but her effort and loyalty spring from a true heart, and she considers her project mostly successful. Perhaps she would have total success, but the fact of the matter is that Jack feels the same deep connection to Laurie. His reasons for not acting on them are less admirable: He likes Sarah and she’s the total package; why would he give that up just because every time he and Laurie have enough time together (and just enough alcohol) they nearly fall into each other’s arms? Laurie finally begins to move on, creating a mostly satisfying life for herself, whereas Jack’s inability to be genuine tortures him and turns him into an ever bigger jerk. Patriarchy—it hurts men, too! There’s no question where the book is going, but the pacing is just right, the tone warm, and the characters sympathetic, even when making dumb decisions.
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an emotional, satisfying read.Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-525-57468-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
With frank language and patient plotting, this gangly teen crush grows into a confident adult love affair.
Eleven years ago, he broke her heart. But he doesn’t know why she never forgave him.
Toggling between past and present, two love stories unfold simultaneously. In the first, Macy Sorensen meets and falls in love with the boy next door, Elliot Petropoulos, in the closet of her dad’s vacation home, where they hide out to discuss their favorite books. In the second, Macy is working as a doctor and engaged to a single father, and she hasn’t spoken to Elliot since their breakup. But a chance encounter forces her to confront the truth: what happened to make Macy stop speaking to Elliot? Ultimately, they’re separated not by time or physical remoteness but by emotional distance—Elliot and Macy always kept their relationship casual because they went to different schools. And as a teen, Macy has more to worry about than which girl Elliot is taking to the prom. After losing her mother at a young age, Macy is navigating her teenage years without a female role model, relying on the time-stamped notes her mother left in her father’s care for guidance. In the present day, Macy’s father is dead as well. She throws herself into her work and rarely comes up for air, not even to plan her upcoming wedding. Since Macy is still living with her fiance while grappling with her feelings for Elliot, the flashbacks offer steamy moments, tender revelations, and sweetly awkward confessions while Macy makes peace with her past and decides her future.
With frank language and patient plotting, this gangly teen crush grows into a confident adult love affair.Pub Date: April 10, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5011-2801-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2018
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