Rating:  Summary: OPENED MY EYES TO AN UNKNOWN WORLD Review: Crack addicts are accused of a murder they did not commit. Now they have committed many crimes, but none of them is capable of murder, according to their police profiles and the testimony of their families. That's a pretty good premise for a story--a crack addict as a hero--and it keeps the pages turning as they are pursued by cops and they learn to depend on each other for their mutual protection. Trust me, you have never read anything like this book. The scenes involving crack smoking are excellent, instructive, and insightful. The only problems is that the writer bit off more than he could chew with the police corruption plot, and he was not able to resolve it effectively with the conclusion he gave us.
Rating:  Summary: I did not like it Review: I could not get into it and I found myself not feeling sympathetic for the druggies. I am in the minority I know, but this is how I feel.
Rating:  Summary: A thrilling debut Review: I read this book months ago, but I haven't reviewed it on this site until now. Nonetheless, I've never read a suspense/mystery before this, but this book is unbelievable. I've never read anything like this. It goes up there among the best. You have to be open-minded to be able to understand all the characters. It is amazing and this cat Solomon Jones has earned a fan for life!
Rating:  Summary: Excellence Review: I'm usually relieved when I get books from the library because they're not worth buying. But this one was worth ALL the money I didn't spend and the money I will be using to purchase ALL of this author's books. Solomon Jones is excellent at his craft. Being an aspiring writer, I NEED to read good novels to make me want to write. This is a definite ten. It deals with the life of three crackheads who get accused of murder and kidnapping but who are innocent. It goes into their past lives before drugs, love, manipulation, behind-the-scenes look at police, and a story that unravels smoothly. I was impressed!
Rating:  Summary: Up In Smoke Review: Imagine witnessing a murder, being in a car crash, than being in a shoot out with police. Then taking your mind off all your worries by smoking a little crack. Can't imagined it, neither could I but that's just a day in the life of Black, Leroy, Pookie, and Clarrise. All crack addicts in Solomon Jones new novel Pipe Dream.The book begins with everyone getting high in a crack house, in North Philadelphia on Pike Street near Broad & Erie. Black and Leroy are in the wrong place at the wrong time. They soon find themselves suspects in a murder they did not commit. They are being sought after by Philadelphia Police for the murder of a city council person Johnny Podres. Even though they know they didn't commit the murder they go on the run, because they know no one will ever believe two pipers. They take their girlfriends Clarrise and Pookie with them. As they elude the news media and crooked cops who want to pin murder charges on them. They travel all through Philadelphia trying to escape the city limits while dealing with their own demons in the process. I won't spoil the ending, of this book but like real life, some make it. While others fall in trying to make it. Pipe Dream is very realistic; you will look at crack addicts in a totally different light. The suspense and action is incredible. You will envision every characters motion and thought as if they where in front of you. The only thing that could come close to the portrayal of the addicts in this novel is the HBO movie "The Corner" In Pipe Dream you learn why addicts a do what they do. Why they leave their families, and careers, just for that next hit. The author does a wonderful job of bringing a true identity to the usual faceless addicted. Pipe Dream is a book you won't put down to the very end.
Rating:  Summary: Pipe Dream Review: Pipe Dream by Solomon Jones is riveting, fast pace and realistic. It is a must read. It captivates you like a first class movie. Solomon Jones writing draws you into the action and you become totally engrossed. I highly recommend the book, and particularly, if you want to see the human side of a piper.
Rating:  Summary: Totally Blown Away! Review: Pipe Dream by Solomon Jones totally blew me away. The story has real depth...it's a Book Club kind of book! I couldn't put it down and, therefore, finished it in a day and a half. I was so totally unprepared for the realism portrayed by and through the characters. Plus the fact that the backdrop of the story is in Philly, made it much more personal. I could actually visualize the street corners. Solomon Jones put a face to the victims of addiction and homelessness. I see homeless people almost everyday because I work in Center City, and I typically ignore them or try to ignore them. The day after I read this book, I saw a homeless person sleeping in a corner and my heart contracted. I realized for the first time that that could be my son or my brother or my sister or my niece or my nephew, or me even! My level of awareness was immediately increased. I love books that make me think and wonder, and ones that challenge my perspective. If you're anything like me, I highly recommend Pipe Dream by Solomon Jones! You won't be disappointed.
Rating:  Summary: Stark Realities of Drug Life, but Slowly Paced Review: Samuel Jackson, aka Black, has gotten himself caught up in a situation that even the high of drugs can't take him away from. Once a family man, Black has lost himself to drugs. His journey for the next high leads him to his "piping friend," Leroy, through which he becomes a prime suspect in the murder of a prominent politician who is found dead in a North Philly crack house. Soon, Black finds himself on the run with Leroy and two fellow crack addicts. The police are hard pressed to pin this murder on somebody. Will Black go down for the crime? Will the real killer be revealed? Will any of them realize the dark paths their lives of addiction are leading them to? These are all questions that are answered in Solomon Jones' novel, Pipe Dreams. I have to say that right off the bat, I was entrenched into the Philly word of drugs and the corruption of the police department. I could see and smell and feel the atmosphere of the story, and Black's character was complex enough where I enjoyed going through the story with him; however, the story read slow to me, so slow that I had to keep putting the book down and coming back to it. The slowness kept me from giving this book a higher rating, ut I did stick with it and enjoyed the story's finale. I would suggest others to pick up Pipe Dream and get lost in its realism, and I look forward to reading other works by Jones. Reviewed by Shonie Bacon
Rating:  Summary: Pipe Dream: A Novel by Solomon Jones Review: This book is excellent. Lot of suspense, adventure and creativity. The book was exciting from beginning to end.
Rating:  Summary: the best Review: this book is the only one that has had what it takes to keep me motivated enough to read it. It made me feel like I was making every move with them. overall it was well worth my money and is a must have!
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