Sins of the Father

Rating:
Summary: Have you thought of the consequence?
Review: "Poppa was a rolling stone" best characterizes Samuel "Street" Jamieson, the father portrayed in Sins of the Father. During the course of his lifetime he fathers four sons by three different women and when he and his wife die tragically, those attending his funeral have many different perceptions. Words such as "caring, devoted father" don't ring true for his three oldest children --Terrence, Malik and Bernard. They mourned his passing years before his death, when he unceremoniously walked out of their lives. His youngest son Sammie feels differently since he is the only one to benefit, even for a short time, from a father in his life.Sammie was forced into a different lifestyle when he was orphaned at such a young age. He moves from spacious and comfortable dwellings into the projects with his father's only surviving relative, a crack head sister. Plagued with troubles of her own, she only sees dollar signs when taking in her nephew. Surprisingly, young Sammie continues to thrive and show promise in his new school. The teachers and principal take notice of his achievements and want to assure his continued academic success. He finds refuge in an after-school program where he can seek safety and shelter, talk out issues and nurture his passion - basketball, sometimes even with Bernard Christian, an up and coming NBA draft hopeful. This is the highlight of Sammie's dismal life. Through his interaction at the center everybody comes to love this mild mannered, smart but lonely kid.The plot thickens and the "sins of the father" can no longer be hidden. The emotions of the older sons and the younger son collide dramatically. There is plenty of physical as well as emotional action. Enough passion to keep the reader turning pages to find out which path Sammie's life will take. Character development was paramount in this story. I think each character was sufficiently developed to engage the reader. You felt something for each character mentioned and although there were many, each added successfully to the story. The dialogue flowed to make reading a breeze and you come away from the reading experience with a different perspective on how children develop with and without father figures. I'm not sure the original intent of the writing of Sins of the Father was to walk away with a moral, but one is clearly present, and to me I find its inclusion a bonus.

Rating:
Summary: Great Debut Book-Recommended Read
Review: I read this book in less than two days, and thoroughly enjoy it. The previous reviewer was totally in left field,but she has a right to express her opinion. The subject of "absentee fathers" were explored through the voices of his sons, and I definitely felt the anger and bitterness from Terrance and Malik, and the grieving from Sammie. WOW! I could literally picture the surroundings of the projects that Sammie was forced to live in with his crazy a** aunt, Crystal. The pages kept turning for me, and i will definitely tell my friends to run and get this book "Sins of the Father". Felicia put me on your mailing list, I eagerly await your next novel....Urban Books definitely have a winner in this talented writer.


Rating:
Summary: A double life...
Review: Samuel "Street"Jamieson has led a double life. From the beginning, he has been hated by his sons Terrance, Malik and Bernard. Although Bernard had a different mother, they all shared the same bond: abandonment. As fate would have it, "Street" Jamieson and his wife are killed in a car crash. Although the boys were happy about it, someone else is grieving not only the loss of his mother, but also the loss of a father who has been by his side from the beginning.

Sammie Jamieson is thrown into a world of devastation after the loss of his parents. Having nowhere else to go, he is forced to live with his aunt, who is a known drug addict. Ironically, he is introduced to the overseer of the Boys and Girls Club: Terrance. As the two become closer, Sammie is overwhelmed by Terrance's admission of hatred for his father, not realizing that the two men were one and the same.

This story was very confusing and detached at first. It moved very slow but picked up speed toward the ending, where it got really good. There were some questions that lingered, which gives the reader reason to wonder why certain situations even came up. A realistic story, SINS OF THE FATHER is one that many people can relate to, but needs a little bit of work. (RAW Rating: 2.5)

Reviewed by T. Belinda Williams
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers


Rating:
Summary: Sins of the father reviewed
Review: Sins of the father is a feel good book. The author captures your emotions and draws you into the life of Sammie. I could not put the book down until I knew the fate of this character. The ending gives a good mix of suspense and then closure...... A real feel good book.

Rating:
Summary: Edit!
Review: This book is the exact reason why I'm always so skeptical of reading new authors. On top of me being unfamiliar with her work, I'm always weary of one sex writing about another. And this book proves that my skepticism is deserved. By the time I reached page 55, I wanted my money back. Madlock needs to buy a tape recorder, go to the areas that she speaks of (projects, suburbs, basketball court) and LISTEN to how people really talk. The problem with her writing is that she doesn't know how to write like real people talk. Nobody (in casual conversation) says: 'Why you ask her about my whereabouts?' 'These seats are sometimes uncomfortable' 'Please do not start b**chin' like a baby' 'She comes by the house unannounced and leaves numerous messages' The humor is inappropriate for the situation as well. In the middle of a boy getting jumped and robbed, I'm supposed to laugh at his joke about a FUBO jacket? After an apartment gets robbed and a boy finds out his aunt is a crackhead, I'm supposed to laugh at her friend reenacting a Temptations move? And the 'showing, not telling' technique is never used. Before Madlock explains any emotion, she tells us what to think. (ex: 'He hated his home, his aunt, his school, his neighborhood, and his parents for deserting him). But that was evident from his dialogue, his actions, and the drama in his life. (2nd example: 'Sheila sang with her arms outstretched like a bird in a hilarious attempt to portray the essence of the Temptations song). A writer cannot TELL the reader it was hilarious, she must SHOW us. Make Sammie smile and say 'My aunt's house got robbed and you got jokes?' And I don't know why writers think it's a good idea to write about writers and throw in bad poetry. It didn't work in Stephen King's 'Secret Window', in Karen E. Quinones Miller's 'I'm Telling' and it didn't work here. The only time that works is when it's beneficial to the story (ex. the writer in Goines 'Never Die Alone' that listened to the drug dealer's tapes in order to get out of writer's block and find out about the dead man's murder). Adding in corny poetry and career aspirations for no reason makes the book cliche. I'm mailing the book back today for a refund.

Rating:
Summary: Missing An Important Link
Review: This book was missing an important link. You did not get to hear the father's point of view because he was a silent character, he was dead when you started the book.

The book was about 4 of his sons and how not being in 3 of their lives affected all of them, but you never get to hear the father, whose name is Street's side of the story. You hear about two the boys who are now men, mother Nadine who held a torch for him for over twenty years even though the deadbeat left her, had another son, married another woman and had a son with her. She had it for him so bad after all those years that she was seeking theraphy, now that is pathetic!!!!!

The story had some twist but nothing that really holds you. If you are interested in novels about deadbeast dads, like I am because my sons have one of their own, you might take an interest in reading this one, but don't think you're going to get a story with a whole lot of drama where the father gets his in the end. I will say that this book does not have its typical happy ending.

Later!!!!

Rating:
Summary: God read, surprise ending
Review: Very good book, I thought that this was a good subject to touch upon, because it is a very common one. (absentee fathers). Another good subject was about "holding on". Again the book was defintely one to reccommend! Great work