Review: fast by Millie Belizaire
fast by Millie Belizaire Published by LLC on June 26, 2020
Genres: African American, Romance
Pages: 334
Format: ARC
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fast
adj.
1. A girl or guy who is quick to engage in sexual activities.
--Oftentimes used to shame. Oftentimes used to blame victims for their own abuse.After the untimely death of her mother, Caprice Latimore has to move in with her grandmother. At eight years old, life as she knows it is turned upside down. The trauma of losing her mother is made worse with the introduction of Marcel, her grandmother's adult son who still lives in the home.
Her uncle Marcel takes an inappropriate interest in her that ultimately results in a tragic breaking point for the child. The only silver lining is that shortly after what Caprice calls "that night", Marcel is booked by local police with a drug possession charge. He's sentenced to prison for twelve years.
Seven years later, however, Marcel is released on good behavior.
Caprice is now sixteen, still dealing with the emotional scars of the past. But things aren't like they were before.
Because now she has Shaun Taylor, the boy across the street who will do whatever it takes to make sure no one ever hurts Caprice again.
fast is a standalone that spans twenty years. Separated into three acts, we watch Caprice grow from eight years old to sixteen years old to twenty-eight years old. She gets hurt, she falls in love, she grows, and she just might overcome.
fast is a story written about victims who were made to feel like their abuse was their own fault.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Child abuse, assault in prisons, mental instability, etc.
Some themes touched upon in this story may trigger you. Please protect your mental health.
You know, sometimes you just meet people and know that they’ll be an important part of your life forever. That no matter what happens and how much time has passed, it’ll be you and them until the end. Shaun Taylor had that feeling about Caprice Latimore since was 8 years old.
In Millie Belizaire’s fast, Caprice has had to endure a lot of trauma at a very young age. Trauma that weighs on, that you have to carry around like unwanted baggage, that changes the way you view people and life. In a world where she feels alone, in the most pivotal years of her life, her best friend Shaun was a source of light Shaun has loved her for years but believes she doesn’t see him that way so he tries to find a way to be content with her friendship. In the early stages of their friendship, he doesn’t know the full story of her pain – he just knows that he and his mother need to stick close to her.
Millie does a great job of showing us the intricacies of Caprice at a young age. Her coping mechanisms, her stark fear, and her pain. All of the characters, including secondary, are developed pretty well and evoke some sort of emotion out of you.
While fast is a romance, it’s also a story of resilience, of the importance of mental health, and fighting your way to the life you want even when there are those who don’t believe in you. Family isn’t just blood, but it’s the people who come into your life and never leave, who protect you and care for you when you need it the most. The chemistry isn’t in your face but in this story, I don’t expect it to. There’s a bond there that makes their love gentle and understanding.
Natalya is the author of All The Things I Never Said, a soul-stirring collection of short stories, prose and love letters for the soulful wanderers, the brokenhearted and the hopeless romantics.
You can follow her rantings and occasional sparks of brilliance on Twitter @NatalyaMuncuff.
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