Rating: 
Summary: I wasn't Chasin' but I caught it.
Review: Chasin' It is a novel in the new imprint of Urban Books. This imprint is one which writes about the perils of street life.This twisted story of a transsexual-crackhead-prostitute is interesting if nothing else. We meet Terri (Terrance) hiding with a bag of money, two kilos of cocaine, and scared for his life. Through an interplay of flashbacks and present day we find out how he got there, both his lifestyle as well as his current situation. We are also introduced to characters like Mo-red, Jessie, Don, Madear, Peyton, and others who all have their role in Terri's current plight I followed this book with what I would call a morbid fascination. While the subject matter was something at no time I could relate to, I kept reading because I had to find out how everything played out. I was a spectator of all this action and Teri's running but very aware of how senseless it all seemed to be. When we finally reached the climax I was rewarded with high street drama action and some twists that had me talking out loud and pacing the floor. This was my first read in this genre and I am not sure if I will revisit it. However, because I had no real expectations I was not disappointed. If the Urban street genre is your flava then I recommend it, but it is not for everyone. Kotanya
APOOO Bookclub
Rating:
Summary: You'll either really love or hate this book...
Review: Every so often, either by accident or on purpose, I read something that is way outside of my normal patterns. It could be that I want to try something different, or it may be that I misjudged a book. Chasin' It by Tony Lindsay is one of those "far left field" books for me...
In this case, it was a misjudgement that caused me to read it. I received an email from the author pointing out the book (I'm assuming he got my name as an active Amazon reviewer). It looked mildly interesting, so I checked it out from the library. Looking at the back cover, it sounded OK... Terri Parish is an ex-Vegas headliner who has ended up on the streets. She still craves the attention, and is looking for a big score. She ends up ripping off a lover and head of a Chicago street gang. She then has to figure out how to stay alive before he finds and kills her. Sex, drugs, crime... typical stuff. :-) It's also described as an "urban story". Hmm...
The parental advisory on the cover for explicit content should have been a clue. Terri Parish isn't a "she". Parish is a he, a gay black man who crossdresses and works as a performer. His life on the street is filled with smoking crack cocaine and turning tricks (which are often described in graphic detail). He does a stint in prison where he's the head queen, and it's where he first meets the head of the street gang. He's beaten badly, and the abuse continues when he's tracked down outside of prison. The gist of the story is Parish learning how to come to terms with his gay lifestyle, the lifestyles of the men he dates, and how his grandmother and mother raised him into a life of prostitution.
So how do you rank a book like this? There are many conflicts here, but I want to be fair to the author. I give it low marks for deception on the back cover. Nowhere is there any mention that the whole basis of the story involves transgender issues. The writing isn't bad, so that brings it up a bit. I wasn't overly impressed with the plot line, but I'm not sure why. Is it because the plot was pretty basic? Was it because this is a culture and lifestyle I can't even begin to relate to? Is it because most of the characters are African-American and either gay or bisexual (of which I'm neither)? Dunno...
I'll give this a three star ranking, as it's a book that will only appeal to a certain readership niche. And depending on your cultural background or lifestyle choices, you may either really hate or really love this book.
Rating: 
Summary: This is the One
Review: I brought this book because the author sent me an email and I enjoyed his first book, One Dead Preacher.
I didn't read Chasin' It right away because it didn't seem like my type of book; street stories seldom hold my interest; however I couldn't put this book down. It wasn't what I expected, the main character Terri Parish is a drag queen, and after I found that out I almost stop reading it, I didn't - because of the story.
I became totally engrossed in the life of Terri Parish, there is a scene in the story where Terri is waiting to go to trail; that scene will stay in my mind forever because of the author's skillful writing and play on words. He comments on the injustice of our current judicial system through the emotions and fears of the protagonist. He does the same with addiction, a reader will feel Terri Parish's desire to use drugs and one will also experience the lost of self associated with drug addiction.
The protagonist, Terri Parish suffers in this novel, this is not a rated G story and the parental advisory sticker is deserved. Although Terri goes through hell, he grows. We see him learning and rethinking his life. He learned that the Madear he loved was not perfect and the mother he hated did have a heart.
By the time I got to the end of the story it no longer mattered that Terri Parish was a drag queen, honestly at the end I did think of Terri as a female but more important than his gender was the fact that at the end of the book, I cared about the character, Terri Parish.
Chasin' It very real story about prostitution, family secretes and sickness, addiction and love. This was a very satisfying ADULT read.
Rating: 
Summary: Why, Tony? Why?
Review: I've been a fan of Tony Lindsay since his first book "One Dead Preacher" so I just had to grab this book when it came out. Well, I can't say that I totally like this book. The main character Terri is this transexual prostitute that's also a crackhead trying to make it big. If I knew that's what this book was going to be about I would not have bought it. There's alot of drama in this book but the story and plot didn't really grab me. I only finished the book to see what would become of Terri. This is Tony Lindsay's first urban street novel. I don't understand why Tony Lindsay felt the need to jump on the street "hood" books bandwagon. The writing he did in his first book was better than this. Please go back to your eariler writing like in "One Dead Preacher". There are alot of urban street novels out there, some good, some bad. This is one of the bad ones.
Rating: 
Summary: A wild and dangerous ride!
Review: One of the hottest trends in African-American literature has been street lit or literature involving life on the streets. Oftentimes, this life includes hip-hop themes, the drug culture, and even prostitution. In "Chasin' It," a new novel by novelist Tony Lindsay (One Dead Preacher), the author takes the idea of street lit to the extreme.
The novel is based on the wild and dangerous life of Terri Parish, a gay drag queen who has been in and out of jail. When Parish is released from prison after a seven year bid for fraud, he is faced with life on the streets once again. Terri gets caught up in prostitution which includes selling his body for drugs. When Terri gets involved with a former inmate, Mo-red, who mistreated him in prison, Terri decides to get even by stealing his drugs and money, and leaving him for dead. When Mo-red shows up, battered but alive, Terri must decide if he will run for cover or stand up and fight.
The story is told primarily in flashbacks. These flashbacks include Terri's first sexual experience with the boy next door, his growing up under his grandmother's guidance, and his troubles in prison where he was forced to prostitute himself. When the story returns to the present, we find a crack-addicted Terri, longing for love yet chasing money, drugs, and sex. While Terri dreams of moving to Birmingham to escape the mean streets of Chicago, there always seems to be something pulling him back.
Lindsay's style of writing makes the story feel authentic and even funny at times. It is very interesting the way the author mixes pronouns, sometimes referring to the protagonist as she, other times as he. When Terri is on his way to prison once again, the author humorously writes:
"All Terri heard the judge saying was fifteen to life. He said it as easily as if he were ordering a drink: scotch, no ice; fifteen to life; scotch, no ice; fifteen to life...scotch, no ice; fifteen to life.
Terri's stomach was twisted as tight as one of Madear's dishrags. He found it difficult to breathe. He could no longer distinguish between what he imagined the judge was saying and what the judge actually said.
Bring the prisoner here or Get all the picaninnies out of here.
We're getting behind or Kill all their kind...."
"Chasin' It" is a one-of-kind story that is hard to put down. The idea of commingling the street culture with the gay lifestyle is a risky yet successful endeavor. When the material gets sexually explicit, it's almost like being a fly on the wall. Though the material may make a few people uncomfortable, those readers who enjoy stories of brothers on the down low, life in and out of prison, and stories from writers like E. Lynn Harris will no doubt enjoy this fast-paced, no holds barred story. Lindsay has not only crafted an intriguing tale but may have also added a new genre to the field. It will be worthwhile to discover if the book (or the genre) finds an audience.
Recommended
Rating:
Summary: Different!
Review: Sometimes I got confused while I was reading this book. Especially at the end. Was he dreaming or was it really happening?
When reading the synopsis or insert of the book you may get confused about the gender of the main character (Terri). The only thing I can say is you have to read it to understand it.
If you're into ready unusually things you'll probably love this book. This book was a little too abnormal for me though. It took me a minute to get into it and I had to go back and read a couple of pages because I was confused.
But overall this was a good first book for Tony Lindsay. Aside from a few grammatical "leave outs" and in one instance Payton is referred to as Patrick. Where did that come from?
Rating:
Summary: Appearances Can be Deceiving
Review: Terri Parrish's career as a stage performer took her from the bright lights of Las Vegas to the stages of Europe. Men fell at her feet and material possessions were hers for the asking. She had a dazzling personality that endeared her to audiences around the world. Life was perfect for Terri and nothing could bring her down from the pedestal she sat upon, or so she thought.
The saying everything that goes up must come down is a lesson that Terri learns the hard way. The once desired and sought after entertainer becomes a slave to the crack pipe and nothing else matters but getting high. With her money dwindling Terri turns to prostitution and other illegal vices to obtain drugs. After landing in jail, she thinks her life is over, but her hell is just beginning. What follows is a tale of danger, drama, and murder.
CHASIN' IT by Tony Lindsay is an urban drama with a twist, because things are not as they seem to be. This story takes readers to the depths and desperation of addiction and also teaches the lesson that being true to self is important. Even though Terri is twisted, selfish and at times pitiful, I found myself hoping that things would come together for her. Mr. Lindsay has a way of making readers care about his characters and I commend him for that. I am not a big fan of urban drama but after reading CHASIN' IT, I'm ready to give it an honest chance.
Reviewed by Simone A. Hawks
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers
Rating:
Summary: HOOD LIT AT ITS FINEST!!
Review: This book was very good and just plain REAL. I love the way Tony Lindsay paints the picture of urban street life to his audience. You can truly get a sense of each character's thoughts and emotions with the turn of the each page. The storyline was fast paced, action-filled and just off da hook! I also recommend "One Dead Preacher" as well. Definitely a GREAT READ!!
Rating: 
Summary: Too Dark a Tale for Me
Review: This is not a book I would recommend spending a lazy summer afternoon reading. It is a dark story about a black man turning tricks as a woman, being strung out on drugs, living in terrible conditions and stealing money from a street gang. I don't find a "moral in the story" or any other redeeming qualities to recommend it to others. It is a depressing read.
None of this came out in the synopsis written on the back cover. This bit of writing gave you the impression you would be reading about a female. Not true. It talks of "right of passage" which by the way the book ends could be true.
To give the author his do, the writing itself was well done but the story line was little more than what you can read in the newspapers today. I haven't read any other titles by Tony Lindsay and can only hope his other books have more class and are less dark in nature.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed...
Review: This is the story of a transvestite who feels he is a woman within. Throughout the story he's/she's chasing the spotlight of a long gone Vegas headliner and a one-time spot on the Oprah show; money and gifts provided by her many "lovers"; and overlooking the one relationship that seems to be the closest to love as this book gets. Unfortunately, the main character, Terri, continues to make bad decisions that almost cost her life and surely cost her a little, if not all, of his/her soul.
This book came highly recommended by several co-workers. I didn't see it. I am not impressed/amused by the gay/transgender/jail element of this book. I would like to have had such information up front, as I would never have bothered purchasing/reading this book.
That said, the editing was off and it seemed to me that there were several occasions where the wrong character was referenced. Bad editing is a pet peeve of mine; it makes the story that much more difficult to follow. Furthermore, it makes me feel as if the author has no regard for his readers.
As for Carl Weber's liken of this author to Walter Mosley, E. Lynn Harris and Donald Goines, I beg to differ.
I give it 2 stars for effort.
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