Rising

Rating:
Summary: Behind Closed Doors
Review: At eight years old, Symone has known nothing but poverty and chaos. She is a biracial child living in the projects with her drug addicted prostitute mother. While other children are outside playing with their friends, Symone is forced into being the "adult" in the household. Symone tells us her story of taking care of her mother, helping her through the night sweats, having no food or hot water. She shows us the unconditional love a child has for their parent.

When her mother dies of an overdose, Symone is shipped off to an orphanage. A rich white family adopts her and whisks her away to a huge house and better life. But, is this life really better? The Hudson house may look perfect on the outside, but there are many dark secrets on the inside.

Ridge and Madeline Hudson have two other daughters, Audrey and . We get to know each member of the Hudson< family along with their stories of emotional and sexual abuse through flashbacks during a mandatory family meeting called by Ridge Hudson.

The characters in 'Rising' are well developed and realistic. The intense story line will make your heart ache for the children. I read the self-published version of this book and was a little disappointed in the changes that were made. I prefer the original ending over this one because it seemed to be more realistic for this story. This is still an excellent read and real page turner.

Tina
R.E.A.L. Reviewers

Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking,enjoyable page turner
Review: Before reading this book I felt compelled to write Darnella Ford to tell the reason I brought her book was because we shared the same first name!!!!! I promised to comment on Rising after i read it. My name is Darnella Anderson. I am an avid reader of many books especially books by African American writers.
Rising proved to be a very entertaining book. The main character Symone is born into a very miserable situation. Her herion addicted mother has put Symone though a very traumatic childhood because Symone is subjected watching her mother slowly kill herself little by little each time she shoots up, or prostiute herself to support her habit. Symone is in fact, at a preshool age, the caregiver to her mother. She if forced to watch over her mother during her withdrawal periods. She is living below proverty level,and althogh she is dealt one of the most horrific hands in her hard-knocked life, Symone still manages to find good in her pre-orphaned childhood.
After her mother dies, Symone is raised by a wealthy white couple. She is now subjected to a different kind of hell. Life in the ghetto has given her strenght but it is interesting to see what unfolds for this young woman after being subjected to many years of torture from the town's richest and envious family. I can't wait for the next Darnella Ford novel and strongly feel that Rising would make an excellent "Oprah book".
I urge readers to purchase this emotional, entertaining Novel.
Darnella Your Book Has truly touched my heart. Darnella Anderson

Rating:
Summary: A Story Rarely Told, But Desperately Needing To Be Read
Review: Darnella Ford has penned an untold story of many women's life. "Rising," is a story of the pain and hurt haunting a woman named Symone. Symone is a woman who is dealing with demons of the past haunting her: living in chaos of the projects, a mother who has gotten caught up in the street life and who is unable to give her the nurturing she needs, the horrendous tragedy of waking up to an overdosed mother at a very tender age, being bi-racial, adopted, and being molested as a child.

Symone not only told her story. She allowed us to know her mother Dolores. Although Dolores did not provide Symone with a stable home-life, we were able to understand Dolores as a woman placed in chaos and desperation. We were able to travel with Symone through her present and past life with her adopted family the Hustons. We came to know each of them.

Darnella has told a story which is rarely heard, but oh so desperately needs to be read. With her poetic background and great storytelling style, she allows the character to take you through her present and past life. You feel Symone's heartache; you feel her pain, confusion, rage, self-battles and battles with others, as well as her desperation.

Darnella did an excellent job with her freshman novel. This was truly a very different read. The plot was very well put together. I think everything she placed into the story was needed, because in reality there are many women out here who has and is going through what all of these characters faced and dealt with. The characterization was great!!! It was very apparent Darnella did her research before penning this unbelievable novel filled with psychological and sociological scarring. If you have not purchased your copy, you need to do so today. A very sad story, but again it really needs to be read and heard. You will find yourself happy, sad, crying, angry, feeling everything each of these characters is going through. What I loved the most was she was able to show tremendous growth in the characters. But, in the end you will understand how one is able to survive the cards life has dealt him/her.

~Tonya Howard

Rating:
Summary: Darnella is damn good
Review: Her first novel "Rising" is a GREAT book. It's a must read. I could not put it down. It's about a young girl who is raised by her crack-addicted mom who dies of an overdose when she is 8 years old. She is then sent to live with a upscale White family. It has tons of surprises and it is written very well. I can't wait to read her next book which I hear is coming in March 2004.

Lei

Rating:
Summary: This Author Rose To The Top
Review: I was very impressed with Darnella Ford, her book was so strong. Her book is what I call a "Survivor's Book".

I have read a lot of books of the genre but this one stuck with me by far. I couldn't believe how her words made me feel as if what was happening to her main character was happening to me.

I recommend this book to anyone who has overcome a tragedy of any kind, whether it be from a stranger or a family member. Even though this is a book of fiction, it is far too real in someone's reality.

Later...

Rating:
Summary: An Incredible Novel
Review: Rising is a beautiful novel which begins with young Symone, who has just gone through the loss of her mother caused by a drug overdose. Symone is adopted by the Huston's, "a shameless family with a house at the top of the hill." Symone starts her new life with Ridge and Madeline Huston as well as their two daughters, Audrey and Chandler. When Symone discovers that the Huston's are not the good-intentioned people she thought she knew, she escapes. As time passes, she goes back to face the demons of her past. If you want to find out more about this awesome book, check out Darnella.com.

Rating:
Summary: Incredible Novel
Review: Rising is a beautiful novel. It all begins with young Symone and her life in the Dorchester Projects. Her mother Dolores in my opinion wasnt the best role-model for Symone. Her moods would change by the minute and as little as Symone was, she understood that Dolores used her body for money and was a Heroin addict. It isnt long before Dolores dies caused by a drug overdose. Soon Symone is put up for adoption and before long she continues life with the Hustons. Not long after, she discovers that the Hustons are not the good-intentioned family she thought she knew. She escapes and after two years of separation, she returns to face the demons of her past. Many horrible secrets are revealed from the past and Symone takes a look back at the terrible things the Hustons have done to her and the Hell she's been through. If you would like to know more about this book, check out Darnella.com.

Rating:
Summary: Sins of the Father!
Review: Rising is a disturbing yet lyrically written novel from debut author Darnella Ford. It is a novel that will touch even the most cold-hearted individual and easily bring tears to those who are more sensitive.

Symone is only eight years old, yet she's already led a hard and horrific life. Born three months early to a teenaged, unwed, drug-addicted, prostitute strolling mom, Symone's life has been primarily one of poverty, blight and having to be mature enough for both she and her mother. Symone's daily routine consists of cleaning up body fluids left behind by her mom, avoiding her mom's drug jones, scrounging for food, showering in filthy sub-zero water, dodging falling ceiling tiles while she eats, sharing a toothbrush with her mother, and befriending two rats that she considers pets with the names Honkee Honkee and Nigga Nigga. Even though Symone considers her mother, Delores, chemically imbalanced, suicidal, self-destructive, neurotic and an alcoholic drug addict, Delores was all Symone had as she never knew her father and loved her mom with all faults unconditionally as only an innocent child, not yet scarred by the world could do.

But one day, Delores does something really bad. She dies prematurely and Symone is forced to move to the local orphanage and wait it out there until a nice, rich family from Michigan comes along to rescue her. But all that glitters is not gold and all that is pretty is on the outside is not pretty on the inside. And all children that come from two-parent, well-to-do households are not okay. And every child that comes from the Huston household will be dysfunctional and have some serious issues because things that are done in the dark do affect ones sanity during the day.

Rising by Darnella Ford, although lyrically written, is also very graphic, raw, dark and gritty. The details are so sharp and crisp that I often wondered whether I was reading a novel or someone's actual life story because some of the incidents were just too bizarre to only be imagined. I kept wondering whether some things so incredible could only be imagined! Real or imagined, Symone's story reinforces that all children need to be protected and that the system needs to be more aware, concerned about all children regardless of the family's economic status and more involved in the lives of those who are least able to defend themselves. Rising by Darnella Ford is a compelling and engaging read that is creatively crafted and uniquely written. My only issue with the storyline is that some of the happenings were just a little too over the top to be realistic or believable even for a fictional novel. That aside, I recommend Rising to those who have eclectic reading taste and can withstand dark stories regarding child abuse and molestation.

Yasmin
APOOO BookClub

Rating:
Summary: Best New Author Award 2003
Review: Rising is the story of Symone, a nine year old biracial girl living in the projects with her drug addicted mother. When her mother dies Symone is adopted by the Hustons, a rich white couple and moved to a wealthy community. Now she lives in a huge house far from the Ghetto and that is where her nightmare begins. Symone finds out that all that glimmers is not gold. The Hustons are anything but glamorous. She finds herself a victim when her adopted father sodomizes her. She later learns that he has done the same to his" own" children. Symone, now adult has left the Hustons home but can't escape the abuse, she finds herself broken,bruised,shattered and used. Her boyfriend Teek doesn't have it easy either, when they make love he becomes the victim to her rage, his pain becomes her pleasure. He doesn't understand her hazardous sex routine. When the family gathers for Thanksgiving, Symone returns to the Huston house with Teek. The abuse is confronted, the sisters plan revenge and Symone learns a shocking family secret... Darnella paints a bittersweet novel that will keep you glued to the very last page..
We Gave Darnella Best New Author 2003 for Rising....

Rating:
Summary: Gripping, tragic, revealing
Review: Symone has had one hell of a life. From birth until nine years of age she grew up destitute in the housing projects of Boston with a crack addicted, prostitute mother. Oddly enough Symone found happiness being a "rare and beautiful bird", a description used by her mother Deloros to describe her, amongst the ruins of her life. United at a young age with her friend Ina they made the best of a bad situation up to and including that tragic day when Symone's mother overdosed and died. Life changed then for Symone. She always knew that she wasn't black. Her light skin, the color of her hair told a story nobody needed to verbalize. She questioned her mother many times but the answers were never clear, there was always a question of who she was. Rising is the tale of climbing from the depths of uncertainty into the vast world of the unknown and how Symone finds her way.
Symone finds herself a ward of the state after the county burial of her mother. It is then that she is one of the lucky children in state custody for she is immediately transformed from a project wharf into a high society girl. She is adopted by the rich Hurston family- "a shameless family with a house at the top of the hill"- in the ritzy section of town, Eden in Michigan. Her English becomes better, she is transformed from illiterate to a functioning member of society. She dresses better, she gains her own room which is much bigger than the rat infested tenement that she grew up in, she is transformed into a productive person -on the outside. Inwardly though, the demons rage. What seemingly is a life that any of us would envy is pure torture. It is this torture that is vividly captured in Rising. I couldn't put the book down, for Symone's life was a winding and twisted strand. It would unravel and repair itself countless times a literary journey through the mind of a woman who was tortured mentally more than I could imagine. Spellbound throughout the book, it wasn't until the last few chapters that this gripping tale came together in a fiery ending. During a Thanksgiving trip, funny how I should pick this book up in November, secrets that will forever change the lives of everyone involved are revealed and dealt with once and for all. You won't be disappointed taking a few hours to read this book. I suggest that you push it to the top of your To Be Read list.