Review – White Lines III: All Falls Down by Tracy Brown
White Lines III: All Falls Down by Tracy Brown Published by St. Martin's Griffin on November 17th 2015
Genres: African American, Contemporary Women, Fiction, Urban
Pages: 336
Format: eBook
Goodreads
The ultimate love story began in White Lines, and now, in this stunning conclusion, Jada and Born come full circle, but not without paying a hefty price in White Lines III: All Falls Down by Tracy Brown. On the surface, Jada's life is back on track. She's battled her demons, her son is a permanent part of her life-and yet, it still feels like she's on shaky ground. What she really needs to settle her soul is to have Born back in her life-and in her arms-again. But reuniting with the man she loves is proving to be the hardest thing she's ever fought for. And when a brutal and shocking event tests the foundation of Jada and Born's resolve, it will take every drop of willpower they possess to stay on top.
I vividly remember buying the first White Lines book. I hadn’t heard of the author before and picked this book up on a whim while in the bookstore. The same night, I stayed up until the crack of dawn reading about Jada and Born. I was addicted to the characters and the storyline. I don’t know if it was the content that kept me intrigued as much as it was the way the story was told. It was a love story, true, but it was told with a certain grit and edge that I wasn’t accustomed to at the time.
This has been a book I’ve recommended quite a bit and just recently loaned my copy to a good friend. Initially, I didn’t think that the original book needed a follow-up but I definitely wasn’t mad when she released the second one three years ago. While I didn’t LOVE it, I could appreciate it.
On to the latest novel; I had planned to read it this weekend but what is it they say about the most carefully laid out plans? One thing led to another and I found myself up until 1 a.m Thursday morning finishing this book. I didn’t realize just how much I was interested in rekindling with Jada and Born.
When we ended White Lines II: Sunny, Jada and Born were separated and Sunny found herself in some very deep trouble while vacationing Mexico.
White Lines III: All Falls Down picks up RIGHT where we left off. It was full steam ahead and Tracy Brown did not take her foot off of the gas until the very end. This book provided everything that has been trademark White Lines; love, sex, drugs, and betrayal. There was a death in this book that admittedly knocked the wind out of me. While it wasn’t a surprising one given the circumstances, I was very much taken aback.
Without giving anything away, I will say that White Lines III: All Falls Down was a solid read and was worth the long wait. I only had a few minor issues with this book. While Jada and Born continued to be the main focus, there were so many additional secondary characters that I couldn’t always keep their stories straight. They all had fulfilling stories and it wasn’t fluff by any means, it just wasn’t a necessity for me. I would have been happy wit just Jada, Born, and Sunny’s stories. Jada, as she normally did, still pissed me off to no end. You would think that after 15 years she would finally have it all together, but she didn’t. She almost lost out on Born after she walked away from him but wanted to get upset because she thought he was moving on.
Jada. What part of the game is that, boo?
However, Brown stayed true to Jada’s character so I can’t stay upset for too long because I shouldn’t have even been surprised. Jada’s past also came back to bite in her an almost deadly way. Before this even happened, Jada and Born already had so much drama to deal with that I didn’t think it was needed. However, it served as a lesson that there can always be demons lurking from your past ready to come back and haunt you. For Jada, while I think she always knew that; the reminder didn’t hurt.
The only other thing that took me for a loop was the way Born dealt with Sheldon (Jada’s son) and got him to accept Born being a part of the family. If you read the previous book, you are aware of the issues Sheldon has. While how Born handled it was true to his upbringing and how he lived his life, I’m not sure it would have happened like that or even been effective in real life.
Speaking of children, if Mercedes isn’t the exact replica of her mother, Sunny, then I don’t know what to tell you. Her mannerisms, her speech; everything! The scene where she tried to put Sheldon in his place was a classic Sunny move.
Longtime fans of Tracy Brown and Jada and Born’s story will appreciate the latest foray into the White Lines saga. Those who haven’t read this trilogy as yet, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
The title is very indicative of what happens throughout this book. When it says White Lines III: All Falls Down, it was definitely the truth. When I say it all falls down, IT ALL FALLS DOWN.
White Lines III: All Falls Down is very emotional; its street, it’s gritty, and it is a page turner. It gave me everything I needed to say goodbye to these characters.
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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