Chasing Destiny~EJD

[stardusttwin]

Billie - glad she was able to see past Keith's words and finally TRULY see what he really was through his actions - and what her life would have been like had she stayed with him!

Keith - punk to the 10th degree - how you gona let Carmen walk all over you? You claim you would fight for the house and your life if your child was a boy but you leave your girl child to be raised by a woman who is so unstable I wouldn't leave my dog with??

Carmen - I understand that West Indian mentality that once married you stay together til death do you part - but if you see your mama ain't happy and daddy limping WHY continue the cycle?? I tried to feel for ya but I couldn't. I would have left you sucking for air on that floor. Do what everyone else does - never grant the divorce but live separate lives like every other West Indian does only then when he dies a "natural" death show up at the funeral as the legal wife and cause trouble at the funeral home and hospital (LOL).

Destiny -I think this character needs a lot more disecting than I have time to do right now. On the one hand she is afforded all the "right" opportunites yet she is still trying so hard to be "down" by speaking ebonics and ends up doing worse than she might have had she just gone to Crenshaw High (is this entire genration of children lost?). She realized that her parents were better off apart yet she still resented her father for being happy with Billie....She is sheltered yet knew just how to get gangsta when she needed to?? I admit my revenge repetoire has improved since watching CSI but ole girl managed to go from zero to 60 overnight (but I applaud her for blowing ole boy parts up). Again - amazing how in the end all of her victims were all related to people through Billie.

I was disappointed in how neatly it was all tied up - I wonder if Carmen will ever realize that had she NOT dragged her child to the mall that day the entire chain of events could have been avoided. Keith sitting in the house staring at a poster instead of living life - well that's the bed he's made so IMO he doesn't deserve any better. I also wonder if anyone is actually listening to Destiny or if she still believes that "Baby Boy" should be her example of what a loving relationship should be?? So many questions EJD...you better refer to these characters again in a future book.

[Gina1201]

Well, I definitely enjoyed reading this novel. I was starting to think that EJD was going the Omar Tyree route.

Tony, you commented on how the baby was a metaphor for B & K's relationship. I never thought about that while reading but i does make sense. I also saw the motorcycle chick, Marcel, as a reflection of Billie as well. I think that Billie was probably a ride-or-die hard chick like Marcel. Her death was probably the death of the old Billie. She needed to realize that things in her life HAVE to change.

I also LOVED the connectedness of the novel. The way everyone was interconnected, whether they knew it or not, was great. And the way all of their actions affected everyone.

I really didn't have a down point for the novel. Destiny was a bad ASS girl. I think EJD could give her a novel. She has ISSUES!

[TonyB06]

^^
very good analysis, Gina. you came with it.....finally.

[Gina1201]

And I also was thinking about the title. It's got a double meaning as well.

[StarFish106]

I finally finished the book (sat after getting it Wednesday). Billie was cool with me but I wanted to beat the crap out of the rest of them. Carmen was beyond crazy and so was her momma..I want to know what Ruthless did to her hubby to make him limp...

Destiny...I was suprised no one pieced together she was the girl who did the stuff to Lupe, Q and Mo..Her parents really don't have a clue as to how deep that rabbit hole goes. But what really scared me was the activites that those kids were into ( the videos, the drugs etc.) I have a feeling all that really happens somewhere in this country on the regular and our kids think that is fun and normal.

Keith...needs to be shot like the dog he is. C'mon dude Man up! If you don't have anything, what can Carmen take from you? Oh yeah your dignity but you gave her that as an appetizer years ago..

Now I wonder if/where Raheem will surface again perhaps with Billie....


and I loved Vivane...she was truly off da hook!