Reviewed by A. Jarrell Hayes
People are molded by their experiences. Some of the experiences are pleasant and are joyous to remember and express to people we know. Then there are the experiences that are unpleasant; we keep them to ourselves, hoard them from loved ones. These are secrets and shame.
In Sunny Rain, the debut novel from actress Ci Ci Foster, the adult lives of three women, Natalie, Monica, and Leslie, are shaped by childhood experiences they just can’t shake – and in some instances, tell their loved ones. The three women are successful social workers, helping children and adults navigate the system.
Of the three women, Natalie grew up in the foster care system, having been taken from her alcoholic mother and raised by her grandparents. Her childhood demons came in the form of a wheelchair-bound grandfather who had a taste for young flesh. She’s married, but kept her past a secret. She feels like a kindred spirit with the kids in her case, especially a frequent runaway named Kim.
Monica is a burn survivor who feels self conscious of her body. She stays within her shell, unable to free herself sexually as a woman. Now divorced from her ex-husband, her first and only love, she’ll try to do anything to win him back so that the two, along with their child, could be a family again. She doesn’t think anyone else would want her – not with her scars.
As a kid, Leslie’s family gets evicted and had to move into her aunt’s cramped, roast-infested apartment. Her aunt is a prostitute, and at a young age, Leslie saw what showing a little skin and flirting can get a woman. But Leslie isn’t a hooker; she’ll get expensive gifts and go on fancy dates with men, but only sleeps with them if she wants to.
The book is broken up into chapters for each of the women, and told through their point of view. For the most part, the women speak the same, though what they say is different. The pattern of their thoughts and speech don’t vary enough, and this otherwise interesting novel chapter breakdown loses its effect.
The book as a whole could use more editing and revising; but the subtleties in the storyline make up for the typos and errors. Combined, the three women are dynamic, as in they don’t sit and let things happen, but go out and make moves. Even shy Monica has a tenacity about her that is fun to read.
The sex scenes are average. They don’t detract from the novel, nor are they explosive. They fit well in novel. Separated, the individual aspects of the book are mediocre; combined, they create a decent debut effort.
Read the Black Urban Times interview with author Ci Ci Foster by clicking here.
In Sunny Rain, the debut novel from actress Ci Ci Foster, the adult lives of three women, Natalie, Monica, and Leslie, are shaped by childhood experiences they just can’t shake – and in some instances, tell their loved ones. The three women are successful social workers, helping children and adults navigate the system.
Of the three women, Natalie grew up in the foster care system, having been taken from her alcoholic mother and raised by her grandparents. Her childhood demons came in the form of a wheelchair-bound grandfather who had a taste for young flesh. She’s married, but kept her past a secret. She feels like a kindred spirit with the kids in her case, especially a frequent runaway named Kim.
Monica is a burn survivor who feels self conscious of her body. She stays within her shell, unable to free herself sexually as a woman. Now divorced from her ex-husband, her first and only love, she’ll try to do anything to win him back so that the two, along with their child, could be a family again. She doesn’t think anyone else would want her – not with her scars.
As a kid, Leslie’s family gets evicted and had to move into her aunt’s cramped, roast-infested apartment. Her aunt is a prostitute, and at a young age, Leslie saw what showing a little skin and flirting can get a woman. But Leslie isn’t a hooker; she’ll get expensive gifts and go on fancy dates with men, but only sleeps with them if she wants to.
The book is broken up into chapters for each of the women, and told through their point of view. For the most part, the women speak the same, though what they say is different. The pattern of their thoughts and speech don’t vary enough, and this otherwise interesting novel chapter breakdown loses its effect.
The book as a whole could use more editing and revising; but the subtleties in the storyline make up for the typos and errors. Combined, the three women are dynamic, as in they don’t sit and let things happen, but go out and make moves. Even shy Monica has a tenacity about her that is fun to read.
The sex scenes are average. They don’t detract from the novel, nor are they explosive. They fit well in novel. Separated, the individual aspects of the book are mediocre; combined, they create a decent debut effort.
Read the Black Urban Times interview with author Ci Ci Foster by clicking here.
Want to have your book reviewed by The Black Urban Times? Click here for submission guidelines.
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