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.