The Queen of Harlem

Rating:
Summary: You gotta be kidding!
Review: I borrowed this book from the library and I must admit, although it seemed to drag a bit, at the same time it kept you intrigued enough to keep reading.

Mason is a brother who comes from a well to do family. But he is not comfortable in his own skin and decides to adopt a more ethnic name to use in Harlem. Mason transforms himself to "Mallik" and upon searching for a place to rent meets Carmen.

Carmen is from money herself and is also trying to escape part of her past. She's mysterious, gorgeous (having been a model), yet very dark and withdrawn. I don't want to give the plot away, because it is interesting, but I will say that Mason wakes up in the end and Carmen turns out to have a secret of her own.
All in all it's not a bad book to read.

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read
Review: I just finished reading the book entitled the The Queen of Harlem and the book is a must read. The book provided the reader with history, family, friendship, classism and relationships.
What Michael Eric Dyson is to African-American non-fiction, Brian Keith Jackson is to fiction. I generally recommend and/or purchase books for my brother, this book will definitely be in his gift basket on Father's Day (Smile).

Rating:
Summary: Definite Pageturner
Review: I just finished reading this book by Brian Keith Jackson. I most definitely without a doubt will give it five stars. The story takes place in Harlem and is about a young black man trying to find himself. He meets a lady named Carmen and stays in her house with her under another name. Matter of fact, he lives a totally different life than the one he was raised up to have. It really starts to crumble when he meets a young lady named Kyra. An at the end there is a twist that you would have never guessed. I could really believe something like this happening in real life. Keep up the good work, Mr. Jackson. I will definitely check out his other titles.

Rating:
Summary: WILL THE REAL YOU PLEASE STAND UP?
Review: The Queen Of Harlem is a literary treat. This story is funny, melancholy, food for thought, and a relaxing read with substance. It also holds mystery and suspense thanks to the character Carmen England who is definitely a chameleon in disguise and the spice of this novel.

A general synopsis of The Queen Of Harlem is Mason Randolph, who is a part of the upper echelon in soceity sojourns to Harlem. Upon arriving in Harlem, Mason transforms himself into Malik Randolph, this hip hop, slang using homeboy wanna be. Malik answers an ad for a roommate in Harlem and encounters the enchanting and seductive Carmen England, who is a piece of work herself.

The primary issue The Queen Of Harlem deals with is escapism from self. Leaving what YOU are made of behind and adapting a new self; a LIE. A YOU that is a facade, and of course there's always a price to pay, because NO LIE CAN LIVE FOREVER and Mason finds out the hard way.

The Queen Of Harlem is teemed with eclectic characters you are sure to enjoy. Although this book is not as poignant as his other novels it is still a very worthy and enjoyable read with a message. Mr. Jackson's writing is that of an artist (painter). He definitely has a way with words and MAD SKILLZ.

Also recommended: Walking Through Mirrors and The View From Here by Brian Keith Jackson.

Enjoy this MIND CANDY!!!

Rating:
Summary: Blending
Review: This is a comical, yet serious story of a guy trying to fit in and find his place in the world, even if it costs him a few friendships in the end.

Remarkable!

Rating:
Summary: What you see is NOT what you get!
Review: This is the first book by this Author that I have ever read. It is very well written. The author keeps the characters crisp and in sequence. The book flows very well. I esp. like the way the authors paints such graphic pictures about the scenes,places and charaters.It did however take me a while to complete this book. Approx 1 month. It is not what I would call a pageturner. I absolutley loved Mason. I would love to see his chracter in another book. If you are looking for something to read on a trip this would be a great read. The best part of the book was the ending. It was a total surprise ending.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting
Review: This was a book that was assigned by my book club, a book I probably never would have picked up otherwise. The plot sounded good enough...and it didn't disappoint.

The story was a short & sweet read, which worked. The only thing I would have added was a bit more description and experiences from the Harlem side of life. It would have been funny to have him move there & have to learn the lingo, the way of life. Instead, the person that he chose to live with had a background similar to his. I don't think the character really experienced what he set out to do.

It was a good book though. I'd recommend it. Ending was a good as well!

Rating:
Summary: Interesting
Review: This was a book that was assigned by my book club, a book I probably never would have picked up otherwise. The plot sounded good enough...and it didn't disappoint.

The story was a short & sweet read, which worked. The only thing I would have added was a bit more description and experiences from the Harlem side of life. It would have been funny to have him move there & have to learn the lingo, the way of life. Instead, the person that he chose to live with had a background similar to his. I don't think the character really experienced what he set out to do.

It was a good book though. I'd recommend it. Ending was a good as well!

Rating:
Summary: Stilted and unconvincing, but some nice parts near the end
Review: Unlike Kirkus Reviews and several other reviewers here on Amazon, I didn't think this book was particularly well-written. I think Jackson had the surprise ending, and some deep parts about himself that he wanted to share with a broader audience, both of which are interesting and insightful (although he could have spent more time on them), it felt like the rest of the book were hastily scrapped-together pieces assembled to give his central message and ending some sort of context.

For example: his relationship with Kyra. I didn't get any clue from the text that he was anything more than mildly interested in her, until they go on their first date. What?!? And then, while I'm not crazy about authors that dwell on lengthy physical descriptions, a bit more would help set the mood.

I think if Jackson had spent a bit more time making a fuller, more well-rounded work, this could easily have merited a 4-star (or even 5-star) rating. The way it's written, it just comes across as terribly shallow.

Rating:
Summary: Believe None of What You See
Review: You know the cliche sayings: "Don't judge a book by its cover ", "There is more than meets the eye", and "What is done in the dark will surely be brought to the light". Well all of these sayings and more apply to the two main characters in the Queen of Harlem.

Mason needs to reinvent himself. Prove that he is down with the brothers and the hood. Sans preppy clothes, groomed hair and private schooling persona; dons baggy pants, dreadlocks and a homeboy swagger and we have Malik, just another boy n' the hood instead of the rich kid on his way to Stanford Law School. Anxious to escape his privileged southern upbringing, Malik embraces all that Harlem has to offer including the Queen of Harlem, Carmen.

This mysterious lady gives an aura of a fading movie queen. Furs, evening gowns, name dropping, playboy boyfriends, she does it all and with class. She chooses Malik over other prospective renters because he appears needy. Malik is in like flint, makes new friends and he is enjoying the masquerade until the proverbial mess hits the fan. His days of exploring New York and loafing in cafes writing in his journal comes to an abrupt end when the lies start running together.

The characterizations and writing is superb with rich phrasing details, metaphors, and similes that won't quit, yet they are real and not contrived. There are even some old time sayings like 'stepping in high cotton'. Jackson places you in contemporary Harlem with glimpses of Marcus Garvey Park, the restaurants, and the people who inhabit there. On an APOOO scale this was a 4.5, rounded off to a 5 for review. A definite 2002 must read, this offering is sure to cause a buzz.

Dera Williams
APOOO Book Club