Comments for 7elements Bookclub

Comment on Dying for Revenge by Shay

Shay — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:57:19 +0000

1. I enjoyed reading Dying for Revenge (#3). I liked it better than Waking with Enemies (#2), but not as much as Sleeping with Stangers (#1). Sleeping with Strangers was the best of the three in my opinion because everything was so fresh and new.
2. I think Hawks was a woman who was trying to leave the business to have a normal life. It seems as if she had been in several failed relationships and just wanted to have her fair share of normalcy (if possible). Her character is significant to the story because it seemed as if she really thought through her jobs and if she didn’t like what she was hired to do, she would change the outcome of events to how she saw fit.
3. Their work life definitely affected their married life. El Matador felt like he couldn’t trust his wife to get the job done because she was inconsistent. She was much older than he was but he acted as if he was teaching her things about life and committment. She thought he was trying to be too controlling.
4. I do not think the Detroit Polititian was justified for continuing after Gideon. I think she should have left well enough alone. He successfully did the job that she paid him to do. She didn’t disclose all of the information which could have cost him his life and he demanded more money. She should have just given him the money and walked away. Her plan continued to fail because she failed to respect the fact that he was one of the best in his line of work.
5. I think that although Robert’s mother was killed, he will enjoy his new life with Catherine and Steven. He grew up on the streets in the red light district and saw things that even some adults hadn’t experienced. Living with Catherine and Steven will give him the chance to be a happy normal child.
6. I wouldn’t be surprised if another sequel comes out for the series. I would probably read it also. I am interested to see what happens to Hawks, Catherine and the boys, and even with Gideon and his love life.

Comment on Him, Her, Him Again, The End of Him by mshay75

mshay75 — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 08:56:12 +0000

1. At first, I couldn’t catch on to the book. I wasn’t sure why and thought it had something to do with the constant back and forth to my dictionary for the definition of words that I would have never thought to use. Anyway, as I pressed on through the book, I found it very entertaining. I figured out that I had to get used to this author’s writing style. I ended up really enjoying the book.
2. Yes, the book did remind me of a few people that I know. I have a few friends that have been in similar situations as the “unnamed” narrator. I think the reason why the narrator stayed unnamed is so that she seemed very relatable and easier to see yourself in her shoes.
3. I definitely don’t think it was because he was the first person she had a sexual encounter with. I think she was intrigued by who he wanted her to think he was and the fact that she felt she wasn’t really good enough to be with him.
4. Margaret seemed like a loyal wife who was very aware of her husband’s infidelities but continued to stay committed to the relationship. I wouldn’t call her stupid or crazy, but some people can tolerate things more so than other people.
5. I would recommend this book to someone else, and actually have. I did have to let her know in advance that the book is written as if the author/narrator is “all over the place”. Like I stated in a previous question, it was hard at first to follow until I got used to the writing style, then I was able to follow the thought process.

Comment on The Last Street Novel by Shay

Shay — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:17:21 +0000

1. The book ended up being pretty good. It was a very slow read for me. It didn’t keep me interested until I got to the last half of the book, but I didn’t give up reading it.
2. There were a few characters in the book that reminded me of people I know. Shareef reminds me of a guy I once dated who was so determined that it didn’t matter to him who got stepped on, as long as he was getting ahead in life. He was a very selfish thinker, but very goal oriented and craved attention and power.
3. I don’t think that Shareef was that happy with how his life was turning out. It seemed that he longed to be with his family and was dealing with the consequences of his choices. Even though he had a valid argument from his point of view, he failed to try to understand his wife’s point of view and shut her out of his emotional life. He tried to fill his life with other women to satisfy his physical needs but they didn’t do anything for his emotional needs.
4. I think Jurrell Garland was a typical career hustler. It doesn’t matter what line of business he gets in, he will always find a way to exploit it and people around him. I try to stay away from people like that. Once you get involved with these people, you somehow get wrapped up in all of their foolishness and it takes every ounce of energy to get rid of their negative influence in your life. He may have been trying to become a legitimate business man, but he was still strong arming everyone to make it to the top.
5. I think Baby G served his purpose in the book. He was a good example of how living that fast life can come to an end quickly. He had alot of potential to be a very strong and positive young black man, but he chose to live that fast street life…and it ended early.
6. Overall, I would recommend this book to someone. I would have to advise them to be prepared to be patient with the story line but it will eventually keep their interest.

Comment on Waking with Enemies by mshay75

mshay75 — Sat, 10 May 2008 23:49:21 +0000

1. I have to admit that I liked “Sleeping with Strangers” better than “Waking with Enemies”. Although I did like the sequel, I felt like it had too much sex in it. All of the explicit sexual scenes seemed like a filler, as if he just wanted to make the book long enough.
2. I thought the relationship between Gideon and Arizona was exactly what it needed to be. He was loyal to her and she was the woman of his dreams and if she would have given him the chance to become her man, she probably would never want for anything else; emotionally, financially, and physically. Her heart was hardened based on her own life experiences that she was not open to that type of lifestyle, which I find sad.
3. I would choose Gideon over Bruno any day. Yes, Bruno was a family man who although was going through a divorce, he loved his children deeply. He even still had feelings for his ex-wife even though she left him for another man. Bruno was a very dirty scoundrel in my opinion. He was willing to hurt anyone to seem tough or avoid problems. He misled Tebby and killed her. She was an innocent bystander and instead of letting her go, he killed her; knowing she had children to support. Gideon at least tried to protect the people who were not involved in his lifestyle.
4. I truly thought Gideon was going to kill Thelma. After he dealt with the information she told him about who she was, his heart seemed to open up for her and her son. I was surprised when he offered his home in Georgia to her and her son. I was glad he did so she could get out of the business she was in.
5. My heart went out to Tebby the most. She was an innocent bystander who didn’t know what she was getting herself in. She fell in love with the wrong guy. She was misled to believe a fairy tale and it cost her her life.

Comment on Sleeping with Strangers by Sharon

Sharon — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 03:13:45 +0000

1. Yes. I actually really enjoyed reading this book. I loved the fact that it was ultimately about a contract killer dealing with his own personal demons.
2. It did seem realistic to me. There is a lot of corruption in this world. A lot of things happen behind the scenes that seem to be a world away, but are all around us on a daily basis. It is scary but true. WOW!
3. I feel connected to a few characters in the book. Each character seems to be trying to disconnect themselves, to a certain extent, from the person inside who they really want to be. They feel that due to their past and current lives, there is no way that they would be able to live just a simple lifestyle. At times, I feel that my past and current situation will prevent me from becoming the person that I really want to be.
4. At this moment, I sympathize the most with Gideon. He seemed to be wrestling with some major issues. He had issues with being abused as a child, moral issues with the profession he chose, as well as issues with the woman he loved. Other than his success as being a successful contract killer, he really didn’t have anything else to hold on to.
5. I wouldn’t have changed a thing about this novel. I think it was put together nicely. It also ended with me wanting to know more and excited about reading the sequel. Great piece of work.