BOOK REVIEW- RAISING KANE BY DARRIEN LEE (5 STARS)

Raising Kane By Darrien Lee  

Everyone deserves a second chance.

Denim is back and she has crossed the path of someone else that needs her help. Denim meets her new neighbor in the weirdest way. Kane is a sixteen year old student at a private school. She has a father cares who for her deeply and a mother that is addicted to drugs. The paths of Denim and Kane cross as Kane decides that she is going to run away from home. Drama at McDonald’s between Kane’s mother (Yolanda) and her gets so out of hand that the police are called and her father has to place a restraining order to protect his family. Kane is frustrated with having to be a second mother to her two younger brothers. She tells her father that she wants a normal teenage life but that is impossible with all the responsibilities that she has. This is where Denim comes in. Denim starts to spend time with Kane and her brothers. At this time Kane’s father notices that she is growing up and that she needs to be around others her own age. Yolanda sees the damage that she has caused her family and really wants to overcome her addiction. Devin sees all the pain and beatings that Yolanda is taking from the hands of Leon and decides it is time to help her overcome her demon. With the help of Devin, Yolanda overcome the drugs but also falls in love with him.

Will the relationship between Kane and her mother be mended? Does overcoming an addiction means a happy family? Will Kane be able to have a teenage social life or will she always be a second mother?

With this novel Darrin Lee deals with the subject of addiction and the dynamics of the family. He nailed it on the head with making sure he includes the feelings of the whole family. The handling of the subject matter was very much at a level that many teens can understand. Lee places words in a way that the teenage reader is not feeling like a young child but as an adult that they are growing into.

Raising Kane by Darrien Lee receives 5 stars.

Book Review Alert. 5 ***** Read!!! Denim Diaries 2: Grown in Sixty Seconds by Darrien Lee

Denim Diaries 2: Grown in Sixty Seconds by Darrien Lee

The second installment of the Denim Diaries, Grown In Sixty Seconds, brings us back to the lives of Denim, Dre’, DeMario and Patrice. All I can say is never burn a bridge cause you never know when you will have to go over it again…

This time around Demin and Dre’ are so in love. The relationship between these two has them feeling like they are on cloud nine. One morning Demin wakes to see that the man that she is in love with is gone without a trace. His whole family has left and he has not even said goodbye. Where can he be? What has made him leave so quickly? Will Demin and Dre’ ever have a drama-free relationship?

With everything that is going on Demin starts to take things out on everyone. One of those people has been her long time friend, Patrice. Patrice and DeMario have been together for quite sometime and have a baby girl that is on the way. Well, Demin is not too fond of the things that have been happening in  the life of Patrice and a heated argument ends the relationship between these two friends. A chance meeting in the mall brings the two exfriends face to face after months of silence. Will Demin be able to be there for Patrice in her time of need or will she make the rift between her and Demin even bigger… Watch for the twist that answers this question.

Darrien Lee has another page turner. I could not put this book down. Enough drama to keep you wondering what will happen next. He gives his characters a real life sense. You can really see this happening to someone that you know. Also he brings in the family unit  and shows that what happens to one can effect everyone in the household. I would recommend this book to either gender that is between the ages of 15-18 because some of the situations in this book are very mature.  5 star read... All day long...

Book Review 5 ***** Read!!!! 16 Going on 21 by Darrien Lee

16 Going on 21 by Darrien Lee

Teenage love is such an innocent thing but at the same time it can be such a trying time for both parent and child. Meet sixteen-year old Denim Mitchell. She is very smart and has a great head on her shoulders. This all comes from the guidance that she gets from her family unit. But Miss Denim has a serious crush on a childhood friend and neighbor, Andre Patterson. Andre aka Dre’ is the star on the basketball team. He is what you think of as the big man on campus. Dre’s family life is the total opposite of Denim’s. His family is involved with some illegal activity. One night changes the feelings from a simple crush to something much more. Denim and Dre’ are wanting to explore the love that is presented to them but because of the differences in lifestyles, Denim's mom and dad are not really in favor of this. Denim goes to Dre’s birthday party and the night goes bad. First she goes without her parent’s permission and then someone gets shot. Who is the person that was shot and what do he/she have to do with Denim.  Will the trials of family life, school, friends, and a crazy one night give the relationship a chance?

Darrien Lee gives a breath of fresh air to African American young adult literature. He gives younger readers the same drama you would see in adult novels but more on a level in which they can understand. Also he shows respect to the parents for not making the book over indulgent with sex and drugs. This book is given 5 stars. being a thirty-year-old woman it had me on the edge of my seat and brings back the memories of my teenage years.

This book is apart of a series that is called the Denim Diaries. The next book in the series is Grown in Sixty Seconds…. Look for the review on this one pretty soon.