Waiting in Vain

Rating:
Summary: I can't remember when a book has affected me this much.
Review: Channer's well-crafted development of character and plot is simply beautiful. He pulls you into the story immediately and you just can't get out...you don't want to. His description of Jamaican life, topography, culture, food, music and people is unlike any I've ever experienced. It's poetic and passionate.

Channer draws you into the cut-throat world of the arts and takes you into the picture he has so masterfully created of New York, England and Jamaica.

The story was so real that I had to keep reminding myself that it was made up. I can't remember when a book has affected in this way. There are some parts that made me laugh so hard, I thought I would bust a gut and other parts that made me stop and think and cry.

If you don't get to read any other book this year, make it your duty to go out and get this one. You'll never forget what you've read in 'Waiting in Vain'.

Rating:
Summary: Best of waiting to exhale, love jones, sisters & lovers...
Review: I throughly enjoyed this book which is a the best of waiting to exhale, love jones, sisters & lovers from a man's perspective. This book does a great job of capturing the language and culture of Jamaicans and the characters are real. In fact, as I read to lines, I could pictures friends and my husband saying them.

Most of all, the writer presents all sides of the issues facing Jamaicans never oversimplifying the answers nor passing judgement on those who choose one option over another. This is best seen when he talks about making it and the choice of living in Jamaica or abroad.

The story is sensual, sensitive, and poignant. A great read.

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Summary: A Wonderful First Time Novel
Review: Waiting In Vain is a keep you moving kind of book. You are drawn into the complexed lives of artists, writers and musicians. A world that is unfamiliar to mine. I found the book at times so erotic, I had to escape from its pull before I too, fall under the spell of Channer's eroticism and passion. The characters are complexed, educated and full of emotion; good, bad and ugly. Their struggles with love are recognizable by all who have ever felt the pain, fear and happiness of love. Although there is a lull before the end of the book, hold on, the end is like the beginning, you just can't stop reading. Great work. I am proud of this first time novelist.

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Summary: LYRICAL AND SEXY:A POWERFUL COMBINATION TO EXCITE THE SOUL
Review: Waiting in Vain is an excellent novel, with just the right combination of places and faces to keep one enthralled from cover to cover. The passions and vulnerabilities of the main characters are so eloquently described by the author, that you walk away feeling like you know them personally. The chemistry between Fire and Sylvia is so strong that it just leaps of the page, causing the most skeptical critic to become aroused. This one is a gem. Excellent job Colin Channer!

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Summary: The Best Written Love Story I've Read in a Long Time
Review: The writer deserves "enuf respect" for this novel . The writing works on a lot of levels, including as a hot romance novel; a travelogue; and a language primer. He teaches us about family, in every sense of the word. I wish that the books and writers getting all the play on the Essence top 10 list wrote half as well.

Rating:
Summary: The best novel I've read this summer!
Review: Channer's debut is one of the freshest I've seen in years. His characters are developed, and the plot has just enough twists to keep you glued to your seat. It shows another side of African-American romance that the public has been missing. A very erotic novel--I couldn't put it down!

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Summary: Love and Lust -- Yard Style
Review: The prologue alone of this novel is enough to seduce the reader: emersing them into the world that only Colin can illustrate. Set in Cuba, Jamaica, England and the US; Colin takes us through an intricate maze of circumstance flavored well with friendship, betrayal and revelation. The characters are ones that we can relate to, the love triangles familiar and the stereotypes of sexual behavior and preference is well challenged. The main character, Fire, is strong and sensitive character -- one that seems to be lacking from the modern genre of romantic novels. Blanche, on the other hand, is definately a lady I would like to know .... Respect Colin, five stars and two shots!

Rating:
Summary: a wonderful blend of storytelling, culture and philosophy
Review: I met the author at a book signing in Atlanta. After he sketched the story I purchased the book. It is a book about the lives of several friends with the center being a love story. This is not your predictable love story though. The author also uses this as an opportunity to open the reader to different cultures and philosphies. Definitely a good read. This is a must for avid readers of the African diaspora

Rating:
Summary: The best book I've read in a very long time.
Review: A friend recommended this book and I rushed out to buy it. Waiting in Vain is worth every penny. After reading the first chapter, I was hooked and could not put it down. The love story was real, the incestuous circle of friends and lovers rang true. Lyrical in its cadence. Lots of excitement through travel. Funny. Sad. Enlightening. Encouraging. Uplifting and a happy ending. Mr. Channer managed to infuse the book with sex, music, food, art, literature and made it all make sense. He has written a super book, and I hope he has many more books in him. You done good, Colin.

Rating:
Summary: Take An Exciting and Romantic Trip Without Ever Leaving Home
Review: "Waiting in Vain" is a different kind of novel that not only allows you to enter the lives of the characters but to travel with them around the world. The plot follows a relationship between two people of color who meet by chance and fall in love through fate. The characters are naturally artistic and truly successful but nontheless they are real people with real issues. The story reiterates the fact that money and a successful career does not equal happiness nor do they "slay the dragons" that can haunt each and every one of us. Issues addressed in the novel include: control, homosexuality, drug abuse, and child abuse. This novel is a must read and will keep you coming back for more. If you are a good book junkie like myself, you must add Colin Channer to your collection. A definite two thumbs up!