I Wish I Had a Red Dress

Rating:
Summary: red dress: a good read...
Review: red dress: a good reading book when you want a moving story. i really enjoyed this book and liked its way of addressing gender issues. i thought the james earl jones observation truly unique!

Rating:
Summary: Missing Imani
Review: The Joyce we met in "What Seems Like Crazy..." would never have told the whole story without mentioning Imani and explaining what's happened to her. Who is this person? No word on her sister either. Looks like Ms. Cleage just wanted to sell one more book based on the first one. Very disappointing.

Rating:
Summary: Where is Imani?
Review: Like many other readers, I would guess, I read this book because I loved "What Seems Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day", and what made that book so special was Ava's personality. OK, so her sister Joyce is different. Why not. But this book has the taste of so many other sequels - never as good as the first one. However, I felt cheated. Foul play, Ms. Cleage! You can't take us back to Idlewild and pretend that Ava, Eddie and especially Imani never existed. Why not make up a whole new character and place then? I haven't finished the book yet, have about a third left to go, but it is already too late, I've already spent too much time waiting for Imani and Ava to show up. There isn't even an explanation as to what happened to them, nothing. That's called cheating in my book.

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Summary: I Think I Need That Red Dress
Review: Is the red dress a symbol of freedom, chances taken, or womanhood? You'll have to read to find out. In Pearl Cleage's latest installment and what I assumed was a follow up to What Look Likes Crazy On An Ordinary Day, the focus is on Joyce Mitchell, Ava's older sister. This is not a sequel to Crazy; this is Joyce's story.

The setting takes place in Idlewind, Michigan, once a resort town for the black elite, now a dilapidated small town with all the ills of the inner city. Joyce Mitchell is a woman who has experienced much loss through death. She is social worker who directs a community program for teenage mothers. She attempts to teach the members to be "free women". Again, you'll have to read it to understand. She also is a surrogate mother to the members. At the same time Nate Anderson (vice principal of the local high school) comes into her life and breaks down her barriers of having a relationship. This is not an easy task because Joyce flip-flops between not needing his help and needing his help. She becomes angry when she feels that men are not stepping up to the plate, but the men in her circle feel that she doesn't want them or any man involved with her "free woman" message.

The story is written in many short chapters that will keep you turning the pages. There is some tragedy that is overcome and learning that takes place among all the participants. A quick and descriptive read with characters that are full of themselves.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Summer Read...
Review: I thought this book was very well written with a cast of interesting characters, witty on-liners, and cleaver dialog. Cleage's writing style is truly enlightening and inspiring - she focuses on "life issues" like self-love/acceptance, courage/inner strength, and self reliance - delivering messages through the scenarios and characters in Idlewild. Although I would have liked her to have deeper defined the concept of the "free woman" and the shared more background of some of the supporting cast, like the Lattimores, Sister, and the twins...but perhaps that's for another book. Overall, it was a great summer read with a happy ending. I enjoyed it and look forward to her next release.

Rating:
Summary: The Review
Review: I finished the book last night.

To those die-hard readers, I took my time as I neared the end as I did not want it to end.

I found the book funny, serious, engaging, and the characters very relateable even from a small town in Michigan.

What's nice about this book and although its a follow up to Ms. Cleage's previous book, you could read this book by itself. It stands by itself.

I look forward to reading more from this gifted storyteller.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Read....I Missed Ava
Review: "I Wish I Had A Red Dress" It was a fast read.

CLeage Takes us back to Idlewild... this time she is traveling without Ava, Imani none of the main charaters in "What Looks Like Crazy On An Ordinary Day".

We are now focusing on Joyce Ava's older sister who in the first book lost her husband and her kids. She still has the Circus trying to keep everything under control with the girls.

The Circus is for women only which consits of teenage girls who are single mothers. Joyce is trying to help them to see that they do not have to put up with there abusive baby daddies.

Just when Joyce is just fed up with trying to get money for the circus in walks mister tall dark and handsome.......if you want to find out who the mystery man is make sure you pick up a copy of this book.

Rating:
Summary: Manifesto
Review: How are we supposed to believe the character of Joyce was an English teacher when her grammar is so awful? I am glad to see that feminism is alive and well in African American literature, but I felt conned when I finished reading the novel, ... and too much like a manifesto for my liking.

Rating:
Summary: I agree... No where near....
Review: I agree with one of the other reader's comments. " I Wish I Had a Red Dress" was no where near as great( of a read ) as What Looks Like Crazy....... . Pearl did an outstanding job with Ava and Eddie's story. I'd expected the same .

I was hoping I Wish .... the sequel would be just as great. It briefly touched on Ava , Eddie and the baby.

While this story was to be about Joyce and getting on with her life. It left me feeling her relationship with Nate was not at all what I had expected.

After reading the story I thought it would have been a much better idea for this book to be in tradesize ( book) compared to the price of hardcover books.

I also hope other readers do not come away feeling like I wish I had ......, or not .... a Red Dress so soon after reading it.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I was really disappointed with this book. Where it was well written,it was not however very true to itself. What I mean by that is, in the beginning of the book, Joyce mentions Imani, her adopted daughter. She never mentioned her again after that. I thought that the reason for Joyce's relating so well with the Young Ladies at the Circus was primarily due to the fact that she had a daughter and in dealing with her daughter she was able to deal with other young ladies. It never happened. It was as if Joyce was not a Mother. She never related her fears of the Lattimore brothers into concern for her own daughter.

Also I didn't understand the whole "Free Woman" concept. She wanted to be a free woman but she also wanted men to protect her without her having to ask? I just wasn't convinced with this free women thing. But doesn't it just make sense that the only sane, available man in the book is sensitive to Womens issues. (I would love to believe it, if it's true or not. But I am leaning more towards the untrue side of that debate!) Also in the opening of the novel, Joyce needs funding to keep the Center open. My question is for what? The main character nor any other characters ever mentioned the center needing anything. The author failed to convince me what a small center, such as the Circus would need money for. Did the Film Festival cover the need for the centers funding? That point was never made clear.

Finally I would like to say that I applaude Ms. Cleage for taking "day to day" events and NOT making them ghetto, like so many other "contemporary" authors. I would actually give this book 2 1/2 stars if that was possible. I felt as if there were too many unanswered questions and I just didn't believe validity of the main character... Oh how could I forget this one, I was really shocked that Sister, a minister, would suggest that the main character in this story engage in fornication. She told Joyce to leave her mind open for a sexual encounter. I wasn't bothered by the Sister drinking wine, or listening to secular music, I wasn't too taken aback by the prayer where she said Mother/Father we ask... (What Christian church allows her to pray like that?) But I just could not believe that she would suggest Joyce be open to pre-marital sex. That was too much for me. I think Ms. Cleage should have did a little more research on this one.