Arlene Brathwaite explodes onto the scene with two drama/action packed novels with characters so real that readers sometimes forget their reading fiction. In her debut novel Youngin’ (Brathwaite Publishing May 5th, 2007), the main character Brian Moore is suffering a mid-life crisis at the age of eighteen. His life revolves around getting money. For him, that means armed robberies and stick-ups. He has baby mama and baby mama family drama. The only thing stable in his life is his fiancée, Sonia. She is a college student with a relentless passion to make it out of the hood with or without Brian. For the first time in his life, Brian can’t straddle the fence. He has to make a decision. Will he be loyal to the streets which raised him and made him who he is today? Or will he be loyal to a girl who is promising him a better tomorrow?
Nedine Hunter of The RAWSISTAZ reviewers says “Youngin’ is a crazy street fiction novel that delivers intrigue in the form of drama, drugs, relationships and more drama. Money, money and mo’money is the motto of the lead character, Brian Moore. Due to his chosen lifestyle, Brian matures quickly, far beyond his young 18 years of age…what plays out on the pages of Youngin’ is anyone’s guess. At first, I thought it was somewhat of a typical read, but there are unexpected plot twists, which engages the reader. If you’re a fan to street fiction, Youngin’ is not to be overlooked.”
The follow-up to Youngin’, entitled Ol’Timer (Brathwaite Publishing September 10th, 2007) delivers the same too-real-to-be-fiction-flavor. Brian Moore finds himself serving a fifty to life prison sentence. But that’s the least of his problems. The inmates in the Department of Corrections call it the Department of Corruption. Imagine criminal minds from all over New York State being shipped and warehoused in various facilities up north and being left to their own devices. In this overcrowded world of misery, oppression, addiction and violence, Brian must buy into insanity in order to remain sane.
Chrissy of The RAWSISTAZ reviewers says “Arlene Brathwaite doesn’t disappoint with the follow-up to Youngin’. This story allows us to see what happens when your past comes back to haunt you in the worst way…street fiction readers should add this to their piles of books to read, the won’t be disappointed.”
Arlene Brathwaite owes her growing success to the sagacious advice of contemporary trail blazers Eric S. Grey, Anthony Whyte and to the dedicated readers of Urban Fiction who have come to expect nothing from her but the very best. Her books can be purchased in book stores now or on line at Amazon.com, Borders.com and arlenebrathwaite.com.
