JaQuavis ColemanBesprekingen

Urban fiction is the last on my genre list for a class I’m taking. I was pumped to try it out, since I volunteer at a jail library, and urban fiction is a common request. The Cartel series is extremely popular, so I chose that one to read.
I quickly realized I wasn’t going to like it, but when I found it on audio through the digital library, I decided to stick with it. Cary Hite is a good reader, except for when he’s trying to do accents (they all sounded Jamaican to me, whether it was someone from Haiti, the Dominican Republic, or Barbados), and he reads slowly enough that I could bump the speed to 1.5 and he still sounded fine.
I didn’t know what exactly to expect. The violence was no surprise, but I was shocked by how extreme it was. The frequent explicit and ickily-described sex scenes bothered me even more. I think I’m used to a lot more euphemism from other books I’ve read with sexy stuff.
At first, I thought the criminals (all the main characters) were being portrayed as heroes, and maybe some of them were supposed to be. I think Young Carter was. But more than anything, the book is a tragedy, with a major Romeo and Juliet vibe in Young Carter and Miamor’s relationship. Although certain aspects were hard to swallow as plausible, it was very realistic in the sense that no one was safe in the murder-infused lifestyle these characters lived.
I did actually care about some of the characters by the end, but I couldn’t stand the writing, especially the sex scenes. It was also annoyingly materialistic. No one could just put on a jacket or a dress or get in a car. We had to be told the brand name of everything or be pointed to how expensive the cars were.
One scene that made me smile was when two of the younger characters went to Borders to buy books. It was moment of sweet innocence in the midst of hatred and revenge. Plus, Borders.
I’m glad to have finally read something in this genre, since I’ve been curious about it for years, but I doubt I’ll be checking out anything else like it any time soon.

Well ok then. The Cartel is about this gang in Miami who runs the town. The father, Carter Diamond, is killed by a Haitian gang starting a gang war. His illegitimate son Carter Jones, steps in to take care of the family and run the cartel. He falls for a girl, Miamor, who is out for revenge on the cartel because one of the legitimate sons killed her sister who was trying to kill him. She has no idea Carter is related to the cartel, nor does Carter know that Miamor is a hitman for hire. Needless to say a mess ensues. The plot is interesting at most. The writing is TERRIBLE. There are so many typos, did anyone read through it? So much of the writing of what a character is repeated, even if its a different character. A character could be feeling one way in one paragraph and then the next in the next the character has moved on and stating the opposite without any reason. The plot kind of falls apart at the end and the actual ending isn't and ending just a cliffhanger for the next book which I won't be bothering to read.

This isn't my typical book and I read it because patrons at the library I work at are interested in it, so I understand the book and plot isn't aimed at me. With that said, the writing is just awful, the plot started off interesting, but the last 50 pages or so it went overboard.

THE CARTEL 7 by Ashley & Jaquavis is raw, intense and gritty story about the Diamonds, a criminal family who are all struggling to find their place in the world. Some are trying to avoid their namesake, others embracing it, and still others searching for who they really are.
This book never stops moving, jumps from one family member to another and really has no slow sections of the story. I did feel a little lost having not read the previous books in the series and I got the strong feeling that I would appreciate the story even more if I knew the past better. Strong themes of loyalty, family and survival are prominent and it's impactful to see people who are driven to whatever they have to do get what they want. Some raw action and fighting sequences were written well and some surprising, yet fitting plot turns kept the characters and story interesting.
THE CARTEL 7 is an emotional ride through the Diamond families struggles and was certainly a book I enjoyed reading.
I received this book as part of the Goodreads Giveaway program.

The port of Miami brings in millions of dollars' worth of cocaine every year, and the Cartel controls eighty percent of it. The Diamond family is a force to be reckoned with, but all hell breaks loose when they lose their leader.

Being at the top of the world is nothing without the one you love. Sean claimed the reigns handed to him and fought to have his one and only love at his side. Sunny had it so hard she never learned to love herself and didn't recognize love nor feel she deserved it. After you loose it all and find your way back, do you see who had your back all along or do you succumb to the back hole calling your name? This is not the average hood tale full of drugs, sex and violence. Pay attention and get the full dose being handed to you.

I must say that I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would.

A very confused woman who didn't know when she had the right man.

The beginning started out a bit confusing and slow for me, but after a couple pages, I figured it out, and then it began to flow a lot smoother. I am absolutely positively in love with this series! I can't wait to read The Cartel 5. I've been reading the series like tic-tac's; it's that good! I'd definitely recommend this to others!

This was my first read by Ashley & JaQuavis, man what a ride! This is not your usual run of the mill, "I'm a kingpin, I'm on top of the world" type of book. Yes, The Cartel does sell drugs, but beneath their 'gangster' exterior, is shrewd business sense. Carter Diamond runs things with an iron fist; he loves hard, works hard, & plays hard. This book had the right amount of drama, suspense, and some very steamy sex scenes. The book was easy to follow, and I really enjoyed it!

The Cartel 3 started with a bang, and ended with a BOOM! I was reading this book like it was my last meal, it was that good! What I really like about the series, is that they aren't the typical type of drug dealers; they go through drama not just with outsiders, but within the family as well. They have problems that no amount of money can fix; it adds a deeper layer to the characters, and makes them softer. You find yourself not liking a character at first, but then you find your heart feeling for them. I would definitely recommend it to others!

After finishing The Cartel, I couldn't wait to dive into part 2, to see what happened next. It was the same thrilling roller coaster ride that I got in part 1. I actually read it in one setting, it was that good! Sex, drama, lies, betrayal, everything that you'd like all rolled into one! I'd definitely recommend it to others!

An unsettling, gritty tale of life in the streets of Detroit, where people have dreams and dreams get smothered and people get killed. This work is a very quick read novella that speaks to the violent underworld of the drug trade and the people get steamrolled by its unmerciful avalanche of murder and mayhem. Not for young readers or those who would be easily offended by the language or behavior. My thanks to the author and Goodreads for a complimentary copy.

The story had my attention from the start. Had a little too much sex for me. A good plot, little jumpy from one thing to another, seemed like a lot of the story was missing information about each character, could have used a little more information about each one, I'm leaving my last thought as "Oh the twisted webs we weave."

I liked this story of urban living and what you would do to keep your family safe. I would have rated this book higher if it were better written but though the language was for adults the content I felt was for school age. I also felt this was more of a short story as it was only a small book of 120 pages and could be read while drinking a cup of coffee.

This story is called a novella, but I found it more of a short story. Beyond that quibble, it is an interesting little morality tale with major spice. We are reminded that, no matter how long it takes, what goes around, comes around.
This is a free copy from Early Reader.

this book was an easy read and entertaining. based on a true story keeps you're interest as well. the only criticism i had was he concentrated too much on the sex scenes. it seemed like that was what the book was or was supposed to make it good. so interesting story but had to wade through the unending sex that didn't really play to much of a part of the book.

A taut novella with interesting characters and nobody has a happy ending, but it works in context. It’s very riveting following along as the characters deal with the realities of their decisions. A very good read if you want an introduction to urban crime fiction.

Decent, quick read, but not the typical genre I'm interested in. It sends a good message about karma - you receive in kind what you put out into the world. I felt sympathy for main character, as she only wanted to get her brother off the streets and into college, but scheming something of this magnitude was bound to go wrong..and it did on multiple levels.

Developing a complex story line is more difficult in a short novella, and Jaquavis Coleman's attempt in “The White House” falls short. The limited character set and linear story produced no surprises. Many pages that could have been used to enhance the story were taken describing sexual encounters in great detail, that soon became repetitive, boring and added nothing to the actual story. Perhaps a little more foreplay would produce a more memorable climax.

05/06/14

In reading the "blurb" describing The White House on the Readers Early Review list the description sounded like a book I would really enjoy. Actually the writer of this books seems to be a pretty decent writer. My issue is there is far, far to much sexual material in the book. In fact I found myself just skipping over those sections that were more graphic than I care to read. The actual story was interesting and sad and could have been fleshed out more and been a better read. The author indicates that this book is written on two levels. I'm sure this is accurate - there is an element of our society that will enjoy this book to the fullest and feel they are reading about their own life. That is certainly sad. This book just was not for a reader who is older and whose life had not been lived in the inner circle of Detroit with these experiences. I am pleased that I had the opportunity to read this book however it was not one I enjoyed.

I received The White House from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. Once again I was introduced to a new author. This was actually a "novella" and was very fast reading.
Well written for the genre and probably pretty true to life. The characters were believable and unfortunately met the fate they had been dealt. Reminded me a bit of Eric Jerome Dickey with a touch of Walter Mosely thrown in.
I would read more books written by Mr. Coleman.

Excellent read.

"Diary of a Street Diva" is a well written story. I actually enjoyed the entire storyline. All the hype that surrounds these authors is definitely warranted. I agree with all the others who love them regarding their talent. I appreciate that the story wasn't gimmicky or slick. This is a book I will re-read and keep in my personal library.

All I can say is.....WOW! After reading Murder Mammas and being completely disappointed, I didn't have high hopes for Murderville. I was wrong. I finished this book in hours, feverishly turning the pages, needing to know what was going to happen next. The story in its totality is heart wrenching. All that Ashai and Liberty go through breaks your heart, especially Liberty. I can't wait for part 2. I hope it won't disappoint.

I was hesitant about purchasing this book but, my cousin read The Cartel Series and she repeatedly talked about The Murder Mamas and how BAD they were. Well, first this book is called the Murder Mamas but there is only one Murder Mama in it. The story is sooo slow I unknowingly fell asleep a couple of times reading it. Some books make sense when the format of the story jumps back and forth but because this book was slow, boring and fell flat in the DRAMA department it became hard to follow. I forced myself about halfway in to continue, with the hope it would pick up and get better but, to my chagrin, that didn't happen. I wasted time and money on this one and am a bit dismayed that I have others by the authors, in paperback, on my shelf that I also purchased based on 5 star reviews on Amazon. I hope that those books will redeem this one.