 2008-10-09 - E. Lynn Harris does it again!
My book club chose this book and I am glad. I really liked the book.
 2008-10-09 - Oustanding Read!
I'm glad to see E.Lynn step out from his norm and go in a different direction. I love his writing style but I have never been a big fan, until now. This was an excellent read. I highly recommend it. A great book club discussion book.
Reviewed by
Dawnny
 2008-10-06 - OK, maybe another half-star for his intentions...
This is my first book by this writer, and I picked it up because the dust jacket promised a "read" about family, faith and football...a winning combination, I thought. This story was good enough to stick it out to the end, but frankly, I found the main characters fairly unlikeable. The mom of one of the most talented major college football stars of 2005 has a public image of perfection and success. She has hidden a less perfect past and present from her son, and some of her secrets and deceptions seem quite unfair to him. The son, who has promised to be pure, has given in to a couple of temptations, which he hides from mom and the sports world which has taken an interest in him. The family's best friend spills a couple of their secrets foolishly to his new lover, and that gives an unscrupulous sports agent real leverage against the player. Kind of caught in the middle of all this is an overage hooker/cheerleader sent to seduce the player into signing with her adulterous boyfriend/agent. If you are interested, as I was, in learning some things you hadn't known about the pressures in big time college football, you may like the environment in which this novel is set. However, I just didn't really root for the characters I think the author wanted me to support. They are not evil, but it is hard to equate hypocrites with "heroes" either. And the final few pages seem rushed and inadequate to wrap up the story lines. The character I cheered for the most was a guy that mom dated, who ran a sandwich shop, and a man from her past who made a non-hypocritical success out of his life. The football presented here, while bearing little resemblance to reality, was more interesting than either this family, or the faith its members were supposed to possess.
2008-10-06 - Another Awesome Book !!!
As usual Mr. Harris has provided the perfect entertainment on paper. I love his books and there is always that bittersweet moment when I get to the end. I read them like I'm studying for a test, savoring every word and am crushed every time I turn the last page. Until the next book rolls off the press, I'll be recommending this book as well as all his others.
2008-10-03 - Great Read
I was a little apprehensive about reading an E. Lynn Harris book that had mostly straight characters. This book was Great!!! Once I started reading this book I could not put it down. The mother Carmyn touched my heart. I had to stop reading the book for a minute to think out her situation and how I would have dealt with it. E. Lynn showed the love of a black mother for her son. I am very proud of E. Lynn and how he was able to tie in the drama and still show the importance of love for family.
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