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Rating: 
Summary: A Believable Queen
Review: I'm a virgin to Brian Keith Jackson, and although this was my first venture into his literary world, I rather enjoyed it. Jackson has a wry tongue in cheek brand of humor. He meticulously plays with words making them define Carmen for the star studded, well-dressed diva we fell in love with more and more as we turned the pages. His edgy writing style allowed his novel several moments where it shines all too brightly. The dialogue was raw and gritty, the description so vivid you'd believe that you'd lived in the infamous townhouse de Carmen with Carmen and Malik. The character Mason, who becomes Malik when he disguises his uppercrust past to blend into a life in Harlem that he finds most intriguing was refreshingly honest. It came as no surprise when he fatasizes about Carmen day and night only to fall for a college student whose background mirrored his. The moral of the story? Does he keep up the charade of being Malik or miss out on someone who it seems will appreciate him for who he really is and wants to become. Nearing the end of the story the novel took on an almost psychotic twist and the ending left me perplexed. But just like a lover who doesn't fully know when they've been kicked to the curb, his writing style had me caged and of course I had to pledge that if he writes another novel I'd most definitely give it a shot.
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: 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
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