Rating: 
Summary: A BUP soap opera
Review: This is the continuing drama of the type of folks we met in "Good Hair"; in fact, a couple of the characters were conceived on the pages of Little's first book. Like the characters on soaps, the dramatis personae in "The Itch" have great style but limited substance. As a result, the book has few surprises. It is, however, a great improvement over "Good Hair"; it is entertaining and well-written, and it moves at a fast pace. Although I am glad to see books with black characters that have achieved "the American Dream," I would like to see them portrayed in greater depth, dealing with real and complex issues and conflicts. "The Itch" is a step in the right direction, especially when compared to "Good Hair," but there is still a long way to go. I don't know if the problem is the publishers, who, like The Itch's Griffin Smith, may not believe that there is an audience for anything beyond the "Waiting to Exhale" type of story, or with the author's own decision to take "the easy way" (as Abra concludes that most of her friends have done).
Rating: 
Summary: Tastefully done. Better than Waiting to Exhale.
Review: Little's writing can reach a variety of women at different educational levels. She touches on complexity of the relationships women have with the men in their lives. Intimacy was handled tastefully. She also leaves food for thought by not making the ending " and they all lived happily ever after." Bravo!
Rating: 
Summary: Just call them the Talented Tenth
Review: Benilde Little revisits the African American upper-crust with her sophomore effort. Little is such a refreshing author because she forsakes all the pathology in which media has blacks dwell. No crack addicts or unemployment lines here, this is a touch of reality. Our heroine Abra has perfect life, she is a succesful TV producer, shared 5 years of marital bliss, she and her hubby are trying to have a baby, are the envy of their friends and Cullen is going to make partner any day now. But she discovers that this is not enough. The cool thing about this novel is that it is a veiled sequel to 'Good Hair.' I think readers will have to pick up the first novel to really appreciate 'The Itch' We find out what happens to Sherry Steptoe and Miles Browning. It will take a few rounds of Negro Geography to place some characters, but if you've read Good Hair, you're memory will eventually jog. As engaging and funny as 'Good Hair,' this novel is about searching.
Rating:
Summary: Not exactly a message of hope.
Review: Little returns in The Itch with a cast of bicoastal buppies whose lives are bankrupt in spite of stellar educations, turbo-power careers, great looks, and a lack for nothing material. They have all bought into the lie "what you have is who you are" or my favorite rendering, "what you got is who you is." They have all the trappings that we're brainwashed to believe will make us happy, but they all have holes in their souls because they live for nothing greater than glorifying self, a sure path to abysmal disappointment. The women in Little's story appear a little better than the men, but they're still after self-gratification, they merely choose procreation to achieve their ends while the men choose the obligatory route of sex, money, and power. No one seems to have a moral compass; one character in the story chants to himself "only good thoughts" when he thinks he's on the verge of making partner at the firm, even though he just dumped his wife of 10 years for a model who's incapable of loving anyone other than herself (he just doesn't know it yet). The men are all womanizers ("dogs" and "players"). Through processing their failed relationships, the women emerge somewhat healthier for the moment, but the men remain lost and continue chasing their tails (and everyone else's). The Itch made me grateful not to be a part of the MBA buppie world with its insatiable appetite for material consumption and never-ending quest for self-glorification. If your life resembles that of anyone in The Itch, I feel sorry for you. It takes hope to scratch the itch; unfortunately this book does not provide any.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good relationship drama
Review: Abra and Cullen live the ideal life as they are both professionals, who seem to be deeply in love with each other. They are the envy of all their friends because of their perfect relationship. However, everything is not what it appears to be, even to Abra, who feels she is a partner in an ideal marriage. Cullen is having an affair with Cynthia. If Abra finds out that Cullen is cheating on her, she will be fully shattered. Her single mother raised her on her own, while her biological father, married to someone else, occasionally visited them. This childhood scar, makes her desperately need Cullen in her life as she seeks to have some semblance of a father figure. When she does learn about his indiscretions, Abra hits rock bottom. Can Abra surmount her reinforced distrust of men to become a confident and complete woman, or is she destined to linger in misery? THE ITCH is a tremendous ethnic relationship drama, starring a fantastic female protagonist, whose motives are quite understandable. The story line is intriguing and all the characters are very attractive and well-developed. Benilde Little fails to live up to her name as she shows a great amount of talent in scribing a novel that will be loved by fans, who enjoy a top rate drama. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: A BUP soap opera
Review: This is the continuing drama of the type of folks we met in "Good Hair"; in fact, a couple of the characters were conceived on the pages of Little's first book. Like the characters on soaps, the dramatis personae in "The Itch" have great style but limited substance. As a result, the book has few surprises. It is, however, a great improvement over "Good Hair"; it is entertaining and well-written, and it moves at a fast pace. Although I am glad to see books with black characters that have achieved "the American Dream," I would like to see them portrayed in greater depth, dealing with real and complex issues and conflicts. "The Itch" is a step in the right direction, especially when compared to "Good Hair," but there is still a long way to go. I don't know if the problem is the publishers, who, like The Itch's Griffin Smith, may not believe that there is an audience for anything beyond the "Waiting to Exhale" type of story, or with the author's own decision to take "the easy way" (as Abra concludes that most of her friends have done).
Rating:
Summary: Not very good
Review: I just finished listening to this book on tape, and I wasn't all that impressed. I expected something more. I think the end could have been a little better, but it ended really soft, not leaving you looking forward to her next book.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring
Review: This is the follow-up to Good Hair. Benilde is a terrific writer and keeps you wanting more. Another fast read if you are looking for a book that will keep your interest.
Rating:
Summary: PURE ESCAPISM
Review: "The Itch" is not a book that will change your life or give you profound depth of thought. It will, however, amuse you with it's enjoyable story line about upper class blacks grappling with romance, finance, and guilt. Moving at a clip pace, it only briefly offers insights into the psyche of each character. Other than "Waiting to Exhale" I have not read many books based on African American success stories, so I found this very refreshing. I read it in two sittings and really enjoyed myself. As good of reason as any for reading a book.
Rating:
Summary: I wanted more!
Review: This was a good novel, but toward the end you want more out of it. I haven't read "Good Hair", so maybe that is what I'm missing, but I still feel the ending should have been written a little fuller. Don't get me wrong Benilde Little is a great writer and her characters in this book had full description, which made it a great read. Please take my advice and read "Good Hair" first and you probably get more out of it then I did. If you don't I would borrow this book from a friend.
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