Official Review: Facing the Reality by C.J. Greene

jenny delacruz · Post by **jenny delacruz** » 05 Aug 2020, 02:57

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Facing the Reality" by C.J. Greene.]

4 out of 4 stars

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A novel based on a true story. Facing Reality by C.J. Greene is about a woman who faces massive catastrophes in her life due to unwise decisions and actions she took in the past. This book touches on one of the most sensitive yet rampant issues of society – AIDS.

This book is narrated from a first-person perspective. The “Preface” states the author’s sincere hope to spread the message of this book to the people of the Earth. The brief introduction narrates her story where this novel was based out of.

Other distinctive characters are fictional although the author intentionally chose to use her name for the principal character. CJ Greene is a former celebrity turned businesswoman. Her interior design business requires her to frequently travel to meet with potential clients. She was once invited to travel to Africa and meet the King of Swaziland for a business venture. While there, she committed one of the gravest mistakes of her life – she had an affair with the King. She vowed to keep it a secret and not tell her then-fiancé, Sly. After a few months, her mother died and she had to go to New York for the funeral. A day after the funeral, she was sent to the hospital due to severe stomach pain. She later found out that she was HIV positive. Was it Sly who contracted the virus and transmitted it to her? Did she get it from the King during that one intimate moment that she had with him? What will happen to their marriage? Does this story have a happy ending?

The book will benefit from another round of brief proofreading and editing. Although there are no grammatical errors, the issues with spacing are numerous and visible. Few notable examples are “twentyfiveyears” on Page 80, and “plasteredsmile” on Page 89.

Some quotations from famous people at the beginning of each chapter were inspiring and relevant. One chapter particularly stood out for me. In Chapter 15, CJ discusses the reality of today with women. Her words hit the nail on the head. Here are a few lines that really resonated the reality that we are in:

Young people no longer care about what type of “reputation” they develop. On the contrary, the nastier they are the more popular they become. Women lose their “virtue” at a seemingly younger and younger age these days, and I doubt that the young men they socialize with truly respect them, at all.
And, I can understand the pressures that these women are under to have sex because that is all they see in the media. They don’t see women being praised for being virtuous. They only see the attention that men give them for being “nasty girls.”

I was emotionally engaged with this book and the first-person narration made it even more effective. The book comprises of 327 pages, nonetheless, it can be read quite quickly. Some explicit content may not be suitable for young readers, however, I guess it might be good to have young adults read this book to learn from it and make wiser decisions.

The only thing that I did not like about the book is the introduction. The introduction is a whole story by itself; it could’ve been shorter. That is my personal preference, and I still commend the author’s bravery for writing this book based on her own story. I appreciate the author for injecting lectures about the current reality and the direct contribution of the media on this issue. I agree that media is one of the most critical influences in our lives.

With that said, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. This is a story where we can have key takeaways, a story where we can learn from and probably use to teach our children. Parents and young adults (men and women) will find this book useful and informative. Some may not enjoy reading this, but the point of this book and the goal of the author is not to have an enjoyable reading experience, but to spread the message and to encourage others to learn from her mistakes.

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Facing the Reality
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Ellylion · Post by **Ellylion** » 09 Aug 2020, 08:14

Sounds like a read, carrying out a strong message and appealing to large audience. Sorry about the editorial issues, hopefully they will be fixed. Thank you for a great review!

grgmrn · Post by **grgmrn** » 09 Aug 2020, 08:43

HIV/AIDS is truly a terrifying disease. Books such as this one could have a profound influence on many people's lives.

jardenjarden · Post by **jardenjarden** » 09 Aug 2020, 17:23

I think it's wonderful that the author was able to touch on such a serious, and saddening topic, especially as it comes from her own personal experiences. I also like the fact that she includes different quotes at the beginning of each chapter, it's a unique way to add even more substance to the book. Thank you for your enticing review.

Elvis Best · Post by **Elvis Best** » 09 Aug 2020, 18:07

I appreciate the author's efffort in telling this true life story. Thanks for the insightful review, Jenny. Good job!

MsH2k · Post by **MsH2k** » 09 Aug 2020, 18:39

This sounds like a powerful story. I commend the author for her courage. Hopefully, others can learn from her mistakes.
Thank you for a great review!

Kanda_theGreat · Post by **Kanda_theGreat** » 09 Aug 2020, 21:27

As young as I still am, I jealously guard my reputation because I know the negative impact that a bad reputation can have on one's future engagements. I'm grateful to the author for sharing her experiences with readers, who will benefit from the insight that she has provided.
Thank you for the amazing review.

akhira10 · Post by **akhira10** » 10 Aug 2020, 00:29

people stay stuck in resistance rather than moving forward towards change. And sadly, this resistance can sometimes last a lifetime. thanks to the author for inspiring review

jenny delacruz · Post by **jenny delacruz** » 10 Aug 2020, 09:48

Ellylion wrote: ↑09 Aug 2020, 08:14 Sounds like a read, carrying out a strong message and appealing to large audience. Sorry about the editorial issues, hopefully they will be fixed. Thank you for a great review!

Thank you so much for stopping by, Ellylion

jenny delacruz · Post by **jenny delacruz** » 10 Aug 2020, 09:49

grgmrn wrote: ↑09 Aug 2020, 08:43 HIV/AIDS is truly a terrifying disease. Books such as this one could have a profound influence on many people's lives.

I hope that this book reaches as many lives as possible. Thank you for commenting

jenny delacruz · Post by **jenny delacruz** » 10 Aug 2020, 09:50

jardenjarden wrote: ↑09 Aug 2020, 17:23 I think it's wonderful that the author was able to touch on such a serious, and saddening topic, especially as it comes from her own personal experiences. I also like the fact that she includes different quotes at the beginning of each chapter, it's a unique way to add even more substance to the book. Thank you for your enticing review.

She was really brave to use her own story as the basis of this book. Thank you for stopping by, jardenjarden

jenny delacruz · Post by **jenny delacruz** » 10 Aug 2020, 09:51

Elvis Best wrote: ↑09 Aug 2020, 18:07 I appreciate the author's efffort in telling this true life story. Thanks for the insightful review, Jenny. Good job!

She's admirable, indeed! Thank you, Elvis Best

jenny delacruz · Post by **jenny delacruz** » 10 Aug 2020, 09:52

MsH2k wrote: ↑09 Aug 2020, 18:39 This sounds like a powerful story. I commend the author for her courage. Hopefully, others can learn from her mistakes.
Thank you for a great review!

Like the author's goal, I also hope that this book reaches more people to learn. Thank you, MsH2k.

jenny delacruz · Post by **jenny delacruz** » 10 Aug 2020, 09:53

Kanda_theGreat wrote: ↑09 Aug 2020, 21:27 As young as I still am, I jealously guard my reputation because I know the negative impact that a bad reputation can have on one's future engagements. I'm grateful to the author for sharing her experiences with readers, who will benefit from the insight that she has provided.
Thank you for the amazing review.

True that, Kanda_theGreat. Thank you so much for stopping by

jenny delacruz · Post by **jenny delacruz** » 10 Aug 2020, 09:53

akhira10 wrote: ↑10 Aug 2020, 00:29 people stay stuck in resistance rather than moving forward towards change. And sadly, this resistance can sometimes last a lifetime. thanks to the author for inspiring review

Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my review