This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Vincent F. A. Golphin for Readers' Favorite
Readers open to Hip Hop or urban literature will find a very good example of the genre in Eric Reese's There and Now (Vol. 1). The 76-page introduction to the life of the self-described "Lil E" is a tale of hope and discovery amid the turbulence of urban Philadelphia in the mid 1970s to mid-1980s on the surface. Nonetheless, the main character's voice reflects alienated attitudes and disconnected tones prevalent among today's young people from even suburban and rural backgrounds. The book is only an introduction. That is one reason the book will leave a reader hungry for more.
Lil E grows up as a target for put downs, and shares a lot of hard feelings about how it feels to be berated and bullied. The story is laid out in a manner very similar to expressions from today's teens. The author disregards traditional paragraph structures and employs terse and seemingly rambling prose. I wondered whether those touches were innovation or accidental. By the end of the volume, I decided there is a keen insight and careful construction in the strong narrative. The writer builds a character with which readers will engage, from which they might gain insight to the mindsets of youths that feel alone and unloved. There and Now offers hope to young people who despair because of bullies, crime and the burdens of everyday life. The first volume clearly shows that Reese's encouragement - do not give up on life - goes far beyond those hard times.
