Official Review: Cry Baby Cry or Not by DeWandus Johnson

[gen_g]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Cry Baby Cry or Not" by DeWandus Johnson.]

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1 out of 4 stars

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DeWandus Johnson’s Cry Baby Cry…or Not tells the story of a girl named Trina, who has led an eventful life by the tender age of fifteen. Physically abused by her mother and sexually groomed by her mother’s boyfriend since she was a child, Trina has developed a perverted understanding of love and the world around her. Moreover, this is only the tip of the iceberg. The reader then follows Trina as she tries to escape from her abusive circumstances by entering into a relationship with Mistro, the heir of one of Chicago’s underground crime syndicates.

Frankly, I was excited to learn more about Chicago from the book, but I have to be upfront and state that I found the book disappointing. Before explaining my reasons for thinking as such, I will first give DeWandus Johnson’s Cry Baby Cry…or Not a rating of 1 out of 4 stars. There are many problematic issues present in this story, which I found lamentable.

Firstly, readers please be warned: there are numerous explicit descriptions of and references to highly sensitive issues in this novel, such as child pornography, prostitution, rape, torture, drug use, assault, and gun violence. Whilst I usually do not shy away from such books, said issues seem to be included only for the shock factor, even if Johnson has stated that his desire is to “provide unfiltered mental visuals and testimonies about the untold truths of the ghettos of America”. Whilst I can understand this desire, Cry Baby Cry…or Not is unfortunately a story that does not provoke much thought. In other words, Johnson has sadly spent neither time nor effort to explore these sensitive topics in his book in order to raise worthy questions for discussion.

Next, I have a huge bone to pick with Johnson about the way women are portrayed in his book. All the women (save for a very minor character who is mentioned twice and only in passing), no matter their age or race, are objectified and sexualised. This is further exacerbated by the fact that Johnson then implicitly blames the women for their own sorry plight after being used by men. Since the women are mere objects in the story, I found it hard to relate to them. Hence, I also became unable to immerse myself deeply in the story.

In addition, with regard to structural technicalities and editing, Cry Baby Cry…or Not is not without its problems. Johnson tends to drift from the main narrative to engage in various subplots, which makes the story unfocused, resulting in the reader’s break in immersion. There are also numerous grammar and punctuation blunders, such as tense errors and misuse of punctuation, that are peppered liberally throughout the book. All of these unfortunately and significantly contribute to the novel’s lack of flow and clarity.

To conclude, Johnson is in serious need of an editor to help with fixing the technical errors and the unfocused plot. Still, the issue of paramount importance at this point in time is the highly suspect portrayal of women in the book – instead of recommending potential readers to this book, I urge Johnson to first take a short course in gender and sexuality studies.

Subsequently, I would then recommend an extensively edited and reworked version of Cry Baby Cry…or Not to those interested in learning more about the lives of people who are a part of Chicago's underground crime scene. It will also be best if these potential readers are not put off by tricky issues such as rape and child pornography.

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Cry Baby Cry or Not
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[Crazyreader01]

It's sad that such a good idea was lost when it came to actually putting it on paper. Considering that the book is meant to be about a girl, you'd think at least that character would be created with respect, but apparently not. Think I'll pass.
Thanks for the review!

[Bianka Walter]

Well done for persevering. I don't think I could have. Especially with the issues that you've mentioned.
Awesome review, as always

[kandscreeley]

Wow! This seems to have some huge issues. This author strikes me as one who blame women for being raped, which is just not something I'm going to further by reading his book. Sorry you had to deal with this one. I'm definitely going to pass.

[Prisallen]

It's too bad that he portrays women in such a way as to objectify them, especially since the main character is a woman. This one is not for me. Thanks for the review!

[gen_g]

It's sad that such a good idea was lost when it came to actually putting it on paper. Considering that the book is meant to be about a girl, you'd think at least that character would be created with respect, but apparently not. Think I'll pass.
Thanks for the review!

I agree - it is really a pity. I did get quite worked up when reading due to the ways in which the women were portrayed. Thanks for stopping by!

[gen_g]

Well done for persevering. I don't think I could have. Especially with the issues that you've mentioned.
Awesome review, as always

I was so close so many times! It's really a pity though, since I thought the author's goal quite admirable. Thanks for stopping by, Bianka! (:

[Gypsy-soul]

I thought about reading this one and I still might. After reading how he views women though, that is a major throw off.
Great review! I actually learned about what you thought of the book.

[gen_g]

Wow! This seems to have some huge issues. This author strikes me as one who blame women for being raped, which is just not something I'm going to further by reading his book. Sorry you had to deal with this one. I'm definitely going to pass.

I definitely wouldn't blame you! The way in which the author portrays women is certainly quite troubling, and there sure is some unwarranted "I told you so" going on. I was quite worked up - it became really difficult to try to fit all of my emotions into a 500-word review! Thanks for stopping by!

[gen_g]

It's too bad that he portrays women in such a way as to objectify them, especially since the main character is a woman. This one is not for me. Thanks for the review!

It is a pity indeed, it would have been much better if the female characters themselves were not so dependent on men. Thanks for stopping by!

[Manang Muyang]

All women unite! This book reminds me of a former cabinet official's advise to potential rape victims: Just relax and enjoy it! Deplorable!

I agree with your rating 200%.

[unamilagra]

This sounds like a very heavy and important topic, and it's so disappointing to hear that it was handled so poorly by the demeaning manner in which the author handled his female characters. Thank you for your honest review.

[Alice Heritage]

This sounds like horribly misogynistic tragedy porn! I don't want to read about such subjects unless they're handled pretty sensitively. Great review, though!

[kdstrack]

Well, the first paragraph was starting to look pretty interesting. The rest of your review made me cry - NOT! I appreciate your honest and insightful comments. Great job!

[gen_g]

All women unite! This book reminds me of a former cabinet official's advise to potential rape victims: Just relax and enjoy it! Deplorable!

I agree with your rating 200%.

Hey Miriam, thanks for stopping by! (: Omg, that's gross and wrong on so many levels! I wanted to enjoy reading it, but I honestly couldn't.