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Review of The level up

Posted: 07 Aug 2021, 11:57
by Bertha Jackson
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The level up" by Billz.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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After being released from prison, Amir Moore (Hitta) is shot by a former gang member named Matt Murda. He wakes up in a bedroom in the Royal Estates mansion that belonged to his prison friend, the former drug kingpin, Rolex Rich. He leaves the estate and joins up with his best friend, Ty Peso. They are both head members of the Untouchable Gorilla family. They have 100 men willing to kill and die for them. Now working for Rolex Rich, the two believe they are on their way to earning millions of dollars killing and running drugs for the ex-kingpin. Murda wants to take Hitta and his gang down, Hitta intends to take over the city of New York, and Peso has a dream of becoming a Grammy award-winning rapper. Who will succeed? Can any of them leave their hood lifestyle? Read The Level Up: Bankrolls & Gunplay by Billz to find out.

If you enjoy reading the lyrics to rap music, you will enjoy this book because Billz has incorporated some of them in this book. There are many life lessons to be learned in this book. One of them is that you are a fool if you keep making the same wrong decisions. One bad decision might be a mistake, but not if you keep repeating it. I like that the author portrays the male characters as men who respect their women and believe that no woman should get used to getting beaten up. Billz did a fantastic job with character development and showing that just because someone is part of a gang does not mean they do not have a heart or the potential to better themselves.

One of the biggest negatives in this book is also what makes the book authentic. Throughout the book, the author uses ebonics (Black slang). Some readers may have trouble understanding the dialogue if they are not familiar with ebonics. I was not too fond of the concept that women visit their men in prison, but women prisoners do not get visitors. The ending of this book was a disappointment because it ended with “to be continued” when there was no indication that this book was part of a series.

This action-packed, fast-paced, and well-edited book has five minor errors that a professional editor could have easily overlooked. Overall, this book deserves 4 out of 4 stars. Although readers may dislike certain aspects of the book, these aspects make the book authentic and should not reduce the number of stars awarded.

I recommend this book to mature adult readers familiar with ebonics and who enjoy reading about drugs, murder, and gangs. I do not recommend this book to younger readers because of the non-borderline profanity, erotic sexual content, and its potential influence on young want-to-be gang members.

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The level up
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Re: Review of The level up

Posted: 04 Sep 2021, 14:27
by marta baglioni
Not really my kind of book. Good review, nonetheless!

Re: Review of The level up

Posted: 04 Sep 2021, 14:56
by Amy Luman
I don’t like to read novels with erotic content, especially if I know about it beforehand. I do, however, think that I’d enjoy a culture foreign to me. Thanks for the review.

Re: Review of The level up

Posted: 04 Sep 2021, 18:19
by Barbara Perini
It sounds an intriguing book, and the fact that it contains rap music lyrics made me curious to take a look. I'm aware of the non-borderline content, but I'm sure I would enjoy it.

Re: Review of The level up

Posted: 05 Sep 2021, 12:43
by Chiwelite O
A foreign culture with a mixture of romance may be the book I've been itching to read. Thank you for your wonderful review!

Re: Review of The level up

Posted: 10 Sep 2021, 02:53
by Astral Magi
Well, I hope the rapper is the one that succeeds because I don't like violence. Thank you for the great review.

Re: Review of The level up

Posted: 12 Sep 2021, 18:04
by Stephanie Runyon
Unfortunately, I have noticed a lot of books are being written in ebonics. I guess I find it asinine as I believe proper grammar isn't just White people language. The only gang that I am aware of where the members lack true heart, s the Mexican Cartel. Most of the time, if you leave the other gangs alone, you don't have any problems. The media has overglamorized a lot of the gang life. I am on the fence about reading this, but amazing review!

Re: Review of The level up

Posted: 15 Sep 2021, 19:14
by Hyacinth Bella
I think this would be very entertaining, this plot is something I don't see a lot in books and I think that it is pretty interesting. Your review got me curious on how people freed from prison get their lives back. Thank you!

Re: Review of The level up

Posted: 22 Sep 2021, 15:08
by Luchris_michael
The book is a fascinating one. The plot isn't really paranormal. Good review.