This book came to me on the recommendation of a friend. This is not my usual genre but I promised I'd read and review it. First of all it's an urban literature book a.k.a. street lit book. For those unfamiliar with this genre, it's pretty much what the name implies. It's fiction categorized by it's gritty "no holds barred' depiction of the seedier side of urban living. As a whole, the book's title is very appropriate. This book is actually comprised of 3 short stories. For those who like the genre, you won't go wrong with this one. For those who've never read any of these type stories, this book represents the genre well.
Personally, I don't tend to gravitate to these books. Romance books for me are appealing because they are filled with love, hope and a pleasant escape from reality. Street lit is the opposite. For me, they tend to be a depressing reminder of what is reality, for way too many people. For those unfamiliar with that life the stories can be shocking and exciting. For those currently living that life, they may appreciate being able to relate to some of the characters and situations. But for those who are trying to leave that world behind, it's simply depressing.
To be fair to the authors, I've decided to review each story separately. The first is
Slippin' by De'nesha Diamond. The story is of a young man hustling his way through the day to day only to find himself hustled in a big way by someone he thought was the love of his life. The author tries to write the story from a guys perspective but it comes out forced at times. Despite that the lead character is supposed to be a street smart womanizer, he comes across a bit effeminate at times. The dialogue with the police officers was unrealistic and stereotypical. The author needs to do a little more research into that arena, in my opinion. Over all decent but with a little tweaking could be even better.
