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Violence, drugs, revenge, power and survival all vital for True to the Gameby: Zebeen
Raw, intense, action packed. Hold on tight because you are in for a rough, rocky and violent ride into the urban streets Teri Woods’ True to the Game. Violence, drugs, revenge, power and survival dominate the game. You are either in or not. If you’re not, get the fuck off the streets. Well, having set the scene with some authentic dialogue, let’s describe the plot of this first part of a series of three. The story revolves around Gena. Trapped in a violent relationship, she decides to leave the MOFO before she dies at his hands. We learn that violence against women is nothing new and women are seen as commodity. But the women themselves know how to play the game and at times it seems they have it going on, more than the men do. She soon meets up with Quadir, a drug lord with money, smarts and all the right connections. The author offers a glimpse at the softer side of Quadir and you are right there with him when he falls in love with Gena. She loves him back, along with his money and the freedom it brings. Money is nothing but a commodity that is thrown around and traded for bling and the finer things in life. But the money is drug money and the desperate, poor, needy, are the ones that ultimately pay the price with their lives. However, none of this really matters to Gena. She spends like the flow will never end. All the characters involved in the drug industry demonstrate the same sociopathic lack of conscience. If there is a hint of guilt, it soon dissipates behing the wheels of a Mazarati, other fast cars and blinding jewelry. The story about the streets portrays the reality of inner city neighborhoods across the United States. It is shocking and the language gets some getting used to. The violence is not palatable and it never seems to end, even when a bullet brings down Quadir, at the top of his game. There is always one person waiting in the wings to take top place; the cycle and recycling continues.
The sequel picks up right where the first novel ends, which I found quite interesting and well planned out. The author does not skip a beat. The reader is not left guessing and does not have time to forget the story in the first book. It is a smooth transition. In this sequel, Gena is trying to make it on her own without Quadir and his money. But somewhere along the way, she discovers his treasure trove, fills pillowcases of money, throws them into the trunk of her car and heads out to make another life for herself. Her old spending habits emerge from her past. We are shown once again the frivolous ways she throws around money as if it is just paper, which she can trade for a whole lotta bling, a fast car and ultimately, another man who loves her money and wants more than a piece of it. Unbeknownst to Gena, Jay is actually Jerrall, the man who took Quadir’s life. She finds out during a night of violence when Jay is about to kill her. A knock at the door saves her life, because when he goes to open it, his plans are thwarted. This action-packed second book centres around Gena’s coping mechanisms for widowhood The ending will leave you breathless and wanting more. The good news is that a third installment will be out in 2008. |
