Rating: 
Summary: EXCELLENT, DRAMA-FILLED...LOVED IT!
Review: I read Gloria Mallette's last book, Shades of Jade and it was off the chain and The Honey Well was also. This one started off with drama and ended with EXTRA Drama! This book was so good and different from anything I have ever read. Towards the end grab a box of tissue because the tears will flow.Reading this book, I kept asking myself how could a mother be so evil and selfish when it came to her OWN daughter. At the age of sixteen Arnell was asked by her MOTHER to sleep with the landlord because she could not afford to pay the rent. This book will have you turning the pages so fast.... Get it today! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Rating: 
Summary: It was OK!
Review: I really like Gloria Mallette. This book was pretty good and I held off from getting it after reading the jacket. But it kept calling me back. Basically, because of Shades of Jade. That was the best!. This is not the same at all to me. I missed the suspense. But all in all this was entertaining. The mother was terrible. I don't think she loved her daughter or new how to love. I think in her mind she needed her daughter more than anything. The best part of the story to me was funeral. I wanted Big Walt and the daughter to hook up. But they didn't. The ending was not what I wanted it to be. I also want to say that I appreciated the format of the book. Yes, the format. The font was easy on the eyes but not elementary. The chapter headings were even special. I don't remember seeing errors in the book either, which is a serious pet-peeve of mine.
Rating: 
Summary: Not All That Impressive
Review: I was really turned off by the author's book, "Shades of Jade," because it was written so poorly -- so elementary. I decided that I didn't want to read any other books by her. The media turned the notch up on this book and so did the reviewers. I don't agree with any of them. As a biased reader, I have nothing to lose by telling the truth. This book wasn't all that. It was a story that is as old as the profession itself. It really wasn't told that much differently than the Billie Holiday story. Don't believe all the hype on this one! A 2.5 stars if that.
Rating:
Summary: Have You No Shame?
Review: No two Gloria Mallette novels are alike in terms of plot or style, but there is one common denominator and that is the examination of the human psyche. Mallette gives us primary and secondary characters facing a multitude of life challenges as we witness their resolve. The Honey Well is such a novel. Opening with an ironic scene, Arnell remembers a quote by her mother that sets the stage for the novel-"Sometimes you have to stick your hand in a bowl of _ _ _ _ to get what you want." Set in an upscale Brooklyn neighborhood, Arnell Rayford is tired of being her mother's pawn in her house of ill repute. For the life of Arnell, she cannot comprehend why she cannot say no to her mother when these requests come her way. It definitely is not for the money but Esther has a trump card. Esther Rayford, or Queen Esther as she is known in the trade, runs an upscale brothel in a large Victorian home that she acquired out of spite. Long before her business took off, Esther pimped Arnell to their Jewish landlord to keep a roof over their heads. Esther and Arnell have come a long way from poverty. Arnell managed to take her earnings and acquire a college degree and now freelances as an editor. She is also engaged to an up and coming politician and son of a preacher. The Honey Well is an outrageous, intense and bold look at a mother's mental and delusional hold on her child. While the plot may appear to be as old as the profession of prostitution, Mallette has turned it up a notch with an audacious mother and other shameful characters; with excellent one-liners that make you laugh out loud and shake your head and with dialogue that captures your attention begging you to continue reading. Read along and witness as Arnell comes to terms as to who her mother really is. Is she capable of loving another human being? An unpredictable read, The Honey Well is as good as it gets when it comes to nonstop action. The Honey Well opened with an ironic scene; examine how this same scene plays into the story by the end! Excellent! Reviewed by Dawn R. Reeves
APOOO BookClub
Rating:
Summary: Not My Mother
Review: Not My Mother When a mother says to her innocent 16 year old daughter "I wont let him hurt you" as a means of convincing her to sleep with the landlord, just to keep a roof over their heads you automatically hurt for mother and daughter. Once you delve deep into The Honey Well, your hurt quickly dissipates and anger takes over. "Queen Esther" not only turns out her 16 year old Arnell, she uses the child's guilt to keep her prostituting for 16 years. Arnell realizes that life has so much to offer her so she reaches for her own "brass ring." Armed with a college degree, and engagement ring Arnell struggles to remove herself from a destructive life style Unfortunately with each step she takes towards normalcy Queen Ester pulls her six steps back. In destroying Arnell as well as any one else who tries to %&@# with her money Queen Esther forgets the life lesson that the people you hurt on your way up are the ones you have to face on your way down. As the dysfunctional life created by Queen Ester starts to crumble, "Queen" pulls her last two tricks out of her control bag. The Honey Well, is full of characters who will keep you reading, Esther, the madam known as "The Queen", Arnell the daughter who can not say no to her mother, James the son of a preacher, Trena the teenager who can not wait to be an adult. Supporting characters Tony, Cheryl, and Maxine, only add to the dysfunction of the story. The Honey Well seeps into your soul from the prologue remaining long after you have finished reading. Honey Well, along with Ms. Mallette's other titles is definitely a "must read." Readincolor Reviewers
Toni
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT
Review: Rather than give a synopsis of the book, just let me truly give it the props it deserves. Ms. Mallette is truly an underpraised author. All of her books are excellent and each one gets better. This one was so good I didnt want it to ever end. READ IT
Rating:
Summary: A Real Good Page Turner
Review: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK
"The Honeywell" was one of my faves of the year. I loved it. You can't be bored by this plus the writing is absolutely engaging, sad and furious all at the same time.
A lot of books are boring, but this is not one of them.
Rating:
Summary: Ralph Ellison Clerk
Review: The day that I picked this book up at work I never imagined that it would be such a good reader. I enjoy it when my books take me on an adventurous ride. I love to try and figure out what is going to happen from one scene to the next, but this book outwitted me and kept me on my toes. As a matter of fact, this is one of the few books that glued me to my seat from page one of the book. Queen Esther was a bad "B" and she had a mean sting. Arnell was my girl though, she definitely had a heart that her mother did not possess. The Queeen was not going down without a fight and I believe that if she was not caught off guard she would not have gone down so easily. It was definitely a book to be put high on a pedestal and I have read lots of book that could not touch the content of this one.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Page Turner
Review: The Honey Well by Gloria Mallette How do you feel towards your mother who prostituted you at the sweet age of sixteen? How would you feel about yourself if seventeen years later you're still allowing the prostitution? Arnell Rayford's mother Esther; affectionately known at The Honey Well as "Queen Esther" manipulated her daughter Arnell into prostitution and kept her obedient by blackmailing her. The book opens with a beautiful poem called Baby Girl, written by the author herself. The poem in its entirety was wonderful but for me this one sentence jumped right off the page and grabbed my heart. "For you, baby girl, are born with something more precious than the golden sweet honey made by the honey bees." That one piece was the basis of the book. Gloria Mallette has done it again, another page turning success with a huge message. It wasn't until after reading the last 60 or so pages that I realized my body was tense. Ms. Mallette draws you so far into the story you will forget your surroundings and follow your emotions smack dead into the character lives. Kudos to you for such a strong and rich story. Missy
Rating:
Summary: You Can Catch More Bees With Honey At This Well!!!
Review: The Honey Well is a page turner. It captures you in the first chapter where Esther "asks" her teenage daughter, Arnell to prostitute herself so that she can pay rent. Arnell reluctantly goes along with her mother's wishes. Well Esther couldn't stop there. She reinvents herself as "Queen Esther" and goes so far as to open a brothel called The Honey Well where she browbeats Arnell into continuing a life of prostitution. You will not want to put this book down only for the fact that you can't wait to see what Queen Esther will do or say next. You think that she can't shock you anymore than she has on the very first page but she will take you on a ride until the very end. She is the ultimate, conniving Queen Bee that puts the "D" in dysfunctional. You'll hate her more and more especially when she reveals a surprise about how she can "really put it down" with a certain minister and another party that I won't name. You have to read this book to find out. Enjoy rooting for Arnell to escape the family business and see what she has to do in order to reclaim herself. Excellent book, I would highly recommend.
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