Official Review: Beauty Secret Blues by Sylvia Hardie

[amybo82]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Beauty Secret Blues" by Sylvia Hardie.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Beauty Secret Blues: Uncensored is a unique urban fiction novel that ties in supernatural science fiction elements. The author sets the dark tone for the book in the first chapter: “Between the fights, killings and drug overdoses, no day was promised.” The book is split into four sections. In each section, a girl shares her part of the same story. The overall story is complicated and confusing at times, but the different viewpoints help make it easier to understand without getting repetitive or boring.

In the first section of the book, Joyce describes growing up and the real-life nightmares she has to live through each day. Joyce, Mindy, and Annie, are each born into poverty in a housing project called Loving Holms. Everyone who lives in the housing area knows it as the hood. By day, it is a seemingly respectable neighborhood with ten houses, two blocks, and five kids. By night, it is a single-entry red light district, where no one is safe. From an early age, the three girls are taught that their lives are worth only the money they can bring in with their bodies. The two boys—Henry and Rodney—learn pimping, the family trade, from the four “daddies” of the hood. As a young girl, Joyce suffers an unspeakable tragedy. It is so terrible that it takes her voice away. She can only communicate with people she is very close to by letting their hearts speak to each other. As Joyce grows older, she learns that things are not always what they seem in the hood, and there are more forces at play than she previously understood.

The second and third sections are from the points of view of Mindy and Annie, respectively. They give their versions of growing up in and finally escaping from the hood. They also interact with supernatural forces of evil in their struggles for money and power. Synthia, or Syn, story brings the novel full circle and brings all to light in the last section. Her story, like those before her, reveal great hardship, but she also brings in some uplifting elements.

This book is rife with struggle, and it contains some very graphic scenes, as you might expect with a book focused on prostitution and hard living. These situations throughout the entirety of the book make it an emotionally taxing read. However, there are moments where people are turning away from evil, making their lives better, and helping others. These moments give you a mental break, and they make the book feel less heavy as a whole.

The writing is very detailed, and you can picture each character, each place, and each scene. Mechanically, the writing is acceptable, but there are a few repeated errors that sometimes interfere with reading the book. For example, in some places, there are periods where commas should be, breaking up the thoughts. There are inconsistencies with names (Rubert switches to Rupert; Mama interchanges with Mamma), and occasionally, words are slightly incorrect (worst instead of worse; patient instead of patience). Overall, these errors are minor, and they are only slightly distracting.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Technical errors and the graphic nature of the book make it difficult to completely enjoy, but the story is told well. It is interesting, and the deeper I got into the book, the more I wanted to read! I would recommend this book to someone who likes urban fiction with a twist. It is a good crossover book between science fiction and urban fiction, so it would also be good for readers of either genre who are looking to expand their reading into other genres.

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Beauty Secret Blues
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[Max Tyrone]

This was a interesting review on a seemingly interesting book. The multiple narrators remind me of Faulkner--and I know how confusing and mysterious he can be; so any venture in that style intrigues me. I will say, however, from this review, I really couldn't tell what components made the story half science fiction. You mention a "supernatural forces of evil", but I don't know if that classifies respectively. I will admit that it intrigues me more to read it, actually, just to find out what it is.

Nice review!

[amybo82]

Hi Max,
Thanks for your comment! The sci-fi elements are difficult to explain but basically, throughout the novel, evil forces are at work. At several points, people are possessed by evil ancestral spirits. It's a good story, but it's not for the faint of heart. The author goes into great detail of some very controversial and difficult topics such as rape, incest, and prostitution.

[Max Tyrone]

That's interesting! I'm speculating that it's some sort of play on inherent vice.--might be wrong, but I like giving credit in advance when given enough time and thought prior to reading.

Now, given your warning, does the content of the novel reach a point of absurdity? I think this was (and is currently, if I'm not mistaken) being discussed on the forums this line between works that lack "merit", meaning purely for entertainment and/or smutty, and those that don't. I know some instances of classic literature that sort of addressed controversial issues are Nabokov's Lolita, a lot of Cormac McCarthy novels, and some people give flack to Garcia Marquez and a certain action one of his characters performs in Love in the Time of Cholera. My question for this novel, as convened through you, the reviewer, does this story breach that line? Would you say that it has its respective merit?

[Levi]

Interesting review, I too was curious about the sci-fi elements and the lack of explanation. Overall though it did not detract from a thorough and interesting review. In fact the explanation of these things would possibly keep me from reading it more than the original review.

[amybo82]

Escapeartist-Thanks for your comments. It's hard to go into too much detail about the sic-fi parts because I think they would give away too much of the story. I should also mention that these elements, while key to the story, wouldn't make me call it a sci-fi book overall.

Max-I don't think I'd go so far as to compare this work to Lolita (which I recently read and absolutely loved), but I would say that the graphic scenes fit in with other works I've read in the genre. Urban fiction tends to focus on people rising up from extremely dire situations, and there are often detailed and painful accounts of terrible scenarios. In that vein, Beauty Secret Blues is totally justified in having those descriptions. I don't think they were just thrown in there for the heck of it. They did help move the story along, and they played a significant role in character development. However, I like to warn people of these things ahead of time because some people are strongly against this kind of graphic violence, and it would sour their opinions of the novel as a whole, especially if it were a complete surprise.

[Max Tyrone]

Max-I don't think I'd go so far as to compare this work to Lolita (which I recently read and absolutely loved), but I would say that the graphic scenes fit in with other works I've read in the genre. Urban fiction tends to focus on people rising up from extremely dire situations, and there are often detailed and painful accounts of terrible scenarios. In that vein, Beauty Secret Blues is totally justified in having those descriptions. I don't think they were just thrown in there for the heck of it. They did help move the story along, and they played a significant role in character development. However, I like to warn people of these things ahead of time because some people are strongly against this kind of graphic violence, and it would sour their opinions of the novel as a whole, especially if it were a complete surprise.

I'm not saying it's comparable in that facet, but they do address controversy. (Heck, I love Lolita as well--to a certain extent.) But you did answer my question. I asked because there are certain readers that care about a book's merit and justifications--and I am one of them. Thank you for answering! I might pick this book up

[bluemel4]

Great review. I find lack of continuity with names to be extremely frustrating. The book sounds very interesting. I am going to add it to my to-read list.

[gali]

Nice review, but I am not sure the book is for me.

[amybo82]

Thanks to everyone for the comments! Bluemel-I think the changes in names were probably an oversight, but it was one of those things where I was reading along, and I had to re-read a little bit because I wanted to make sure I didn't miss a new character being introduced. It's the little things sometimes that make a difference!

[Jesska6029]

Really nice review! I'm not sure I would enjoy this book, so I will skip it.

[bookowlie]

Nice, detailed review. The book doesn't seem like it would be my cup of tea, although you made it seem interesting.

[amybo82]

Thanks, Jesska and Bookowlie!

[zeldas_lullaby]

Great review. I think this book sounds way too depressing for me. I prefer more upbeat stuff.

[Jojowrites4All]

Great review.