April 3, 2011

Series Sunday

Series Sunday is a new bookish meme hosted by yours truly, Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along. 
  • Read an installment of a series.
  • Post a review/recommendation on your blog, FB, Twitter, Goodreads, or Shelfari pages.
  • Share your review/recommendation by posting the link in the comments section below.
  • Include the title, author, and name of the series so that other Series Sunday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists.
Midnight: A Gangster Love StoryMy Series Sunday pick is Midnight: A Gangster Love Story, the second book in the Midnight/Santiaga series by Sister Souljah. I recently had the opportunity of reading the ARC of the third book which releases April 12th, so figured I would refresh my bookhearts.

Everyone remembers reading their first urban novel. My first urban read was Sister Souljah's The Coldest Winter Ever. It was rumored for years that a sequel would release. When I first heard of Midnight hitting the shelves, my initial thought was satisfaction. Finally after all of these years the sequel has come. And like many others, I was completely thrown off when I cracked the book open and began reading. Where was Winter? Where was Ricky Santiaga? Who are these characters?

Once I got past the realization it's NOT a sequel to The Coldest Winter Ever, I could enjoy the book. If you are looking for a PREQUEL to The Coldest Winter Ever, and want to learn more about the character Midnight, then you will enjoy this book. There are slow moments that tempt you to skip pages, but there are other moments where you re-read the chapter just to make sure you understand the message. Is it worth $26.95? Hmmm, maybe with a 40% off coupon or the Amazon discounted paperback edition for only $7.99. But it is definitely worth the read. 

At a young age of 7 years old, Midnight took on the responsibility of taking care of his mother, Umma, and little sister, Naja. He guides them into the land of the free, United States. He struggles to remain true to his Muslim and Sudanese traditions, making his father proud, yet fitting into the streets of Brooklyn. He had to fight to prove himself and earn a reputation as a warrior, while protecting his mother and sister at any means necessary. At times, Midnight's actions and thoughts were unrealistic. What 14 year old has that level of discipline and train of thought? What 14 year old takes the time to read about how to truly pleasure a woman? 

I think I fell in love with a 14 year old named Midnight. He was mature and smart for his age. He gave me insight to what men really think of us in terms of our clothing, how we carry ourselves, sex, and our mannerisms. I learned Sudanese and Muslim traditions. After finishing, I was left with many questions and looking forward to finding out whether Midnight returns to the US with his wife, Akemi. What happened to Midnight's father and his other two wives? Will Bangs become Midnight's second wife after she humbles herself? Will Sudana remain in the picture? Will we see Midnight grow up and connect with Winter or Santiaga? Stay tuned for my review next week to find out the answers and more!

Title: Midnight: A Gangster Love Story
Author: Sister Souljah
Published: November 2008
Pages: 512
Edition: Hardcover
Rating: ♥

4 comments:

  1. "What 14 year old takes the time to read about how to truly pleasure a woman?" Haha! That does sound completely unrealistic.

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  2. It is, Stephanie. I had to constantly remind myself that Midnight wasn't an older grown man.

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  3. Okay! So I was waiting to reread TCWE before reading this book. So since it's a prequel I'll go ahead and bump it up on the reading list.

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  4. Spinks, it'll be okay to read Midnight: A Gangster Love Story, followed by the new Midnight and The Meaning of Love, then re-read TCWE.

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