SUMMARY:
Big E’s dream is to open an all male strip club. He is finally being released from prison after 10 years and the future looks bright. But instead of his sister Kay, his brother and big time hustler Lil Jon picks him up from prison. While Big E does not agree with Lil Jon’s life choices, he respects him as Lil Jon was financially taking care of his daughter “Babygirl” and sister Kay for ten yearas while he was in prison. When Lil Jon goes to jail for murder the first week Big E is released, Big E takes over Lil Jon’s cars, houses, and entourage of women. With his newly found freedom, all eyes are on Big E. He is being watched…but not all eyes have good intentions.
The BookViral Review:
A powerful character-driven offering from authors Montreal Evans and John Isom Original Player delivers a real sense of place, which in part is down to their painstakingly composed narrative and its overarching sense of cultural identity.
Anchored in this social context there’s everything fans of the genre could want. There’s tension, intrigue, sex, questions of self-confidence and relationship problems revolving around a first-class ensemble of characters. With a fluid story arc that favours a degree of complexity and integrates them so well that you’ll feel you know each one intimately as you’re quickly drawn into their lives.
What’s particularly impressive is how Evans and Isom tell Big E’s story without making him seem either the hero or victim. His world view is narrow but he has the values of his immediate circle, and an abundance of imagination and drive as he envisions a life outside the limited existence of guns, cars, drugs and swagger.
On this level Evans and Isom prose is intense and mature with a terrific sense of energy whilst supporting characters like Sunni, Ms. D, Raheem and Lil Jon are filled with life and conviction. Allowing Evans and Isom to take an unblinking look at a culture that offers its members few choices that are not self-destructive.
Highly enjoyable with a cliff hanger ending that promises more of Big E’s story to come Original Player is a highly recommended five star read.