The story of a young woman with everything to lose and everything to gain; depending on how she plays her cards.
Caiza Bell has a wealthy fiancee, a career that's taking off and she's beginning her dream, finishing school. All that is taken away when she ends her relationship and suddenly finds herself destitute and willing to do just about anything for money, When Caiza decides that stripping- her last resort and last chance- is the way to go, she jumps in headfirst, without thinking about the immediate or underlying consequences. Things go from bad to worse and Caiza must figure it out on her own, when she's never had to do so before. But will she figure it out too late.
Excerpt
Trina ain’t hardly the baddest bitch.
Trust me, the diamond princess ain’t have a damn thing on La Perla. She, no matter how many songs she writes, will never be me. She claims that shit; I lived that shit. And then some.
Furs kept me warm. Diamonds weighed me down. My ass got permanent jet lag from all the trips I was taking. Parking lot full of cars, safe full of money, cabinets full of liquor. The finest men in the world beat my door down trying to get a taste. All I had to do was smile to get whatever I wanted.
I can still smell the blaze they used to hit with me; the champagne that flowed for me is still on my lips. I’m still smiling thinking about how fun those parties were. I had been a good girl my whole life, and when I finally broke out of my shell, I was ready to give ’em hell.
They say life has a way of making you live it. No truer words have ever been spoken. At the peak, at the very top, the height of my fame, something happened. It’s called life. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, it went and got worse.
I don’t blame anyone else but myself. Too busy ballin’ outta control to notice what was going on with the real world. I thought I was slick, thought I could outsmart life, but the Good Lord looked me in the eye and like Biggie, said, “You dead wrong.” By the time my high came down, I was out of it, left and right. The queen had to give up her crown and go back to stomping grapes with the rest of the kingdom.
I’ve come a long way in the past few months. No doubt I’ve still got a long way to go. I’ll never get over it but I can try and move on. I’ve buried my demons and made peace with my past. If anyone didn’t like it, they can kiss my honey-brown ass.
I’m not proud of any of it. But I did what I had to do to survive. I heard a funny statement the other day. Something like, “It’s a cold world out there, and if you ain’t under the umbrella, you gonna get rained on.”
Lord knows I was soakin’ wet.
Professional Reviews
Urban-Reviews.com
Caiza Bell is a young law firm secretary and business school student. She was living the glamorous life while living with her fiancé Jacey and didn't have to worry about things like bills and money. Caiza's world comes crashing down on her when a stupid mistake forces her into a life of poverty and an eviction notice. Caiza turns to her best friend Myeshia to help her get out of this financial turmoil. Myeshia introduces Caiza into the seedy but lucrative world of stripping at The House of Sin. Caiza quickly becomes the star of the club and gets more money lavish gifts than she ever expected. But all that glitters isn't gold and Caiza soon finds out that all of this money and new found fame comes with price...a price that could be deadly.
Stripped is an exciting debut novel by Jacki Simmons. Simmons gave us an engaging story about a young woman's struggle to survive by any means necessary. I loved the realistic storyline. I really saw how fast Caiza had to grow up after she's forced to be out on her own. There were also good supporting characters like Caiza's best friend Myeshia that made this story soar. Stripped is fast-paced and entertaining. This is a wonderful start to Jacki Simmons' career.
Urban Book Source
Don't be fooled by the title or cover. This is far from your average story about a young woman lost on the wrong path. Stripped is your gateway into the life of Ciaza, a young woman who had it all and lost it all and is determined to do whatever it takes to keep it all. Overall this book is a pretty fast read with enough of a hook to keep you reading until the end. Although the ending seemed a bit rushed and some of the suspense wasn't fully explored, Jacki Simmons has indeed lived up to all the hype surrounding her freshman effort.
1. What did you like best about this book?
I loved that Jacki was able to turn a tired, over used scenario into her own.
2. What did you dislike about this book?
I liked the book overall, and although the author took a very common plot and added her own story to it, it does boil down to another book about a young girl lost trying to make her way.
3. How can the author improve this book?
Stripped would be better if the book didn't end so quickly.
Real Divas of Literature
CAIZA BELL WAS A YOUNG LADY WHO HAD IT ALL! A RICH FIANCEE, A SECURE JOB OF THREE YEARS, AND EVERYTHING HER HEART DESIRES. SUDDENLY EVERYTHING FALLS APART AFTER SHE CATCHES HER FIANCEE CHEATING. SHE LEAVES HIM AND FOR ONCE IS IN THE WORLD ON HER OWN. REFUSING TO GO HOME TO HER MOM, CAIZA STRUGGLES TO KEEP HER HEAD ABOVE WATER. IF LOSING HER LIFE SUPPORT WASNT ENOUGH, SHE LOSES HER JOB AS WELL. TAKING ON NUMEROUS JOBS THAT BARELY KEEP HER AND HER DOG FED, SHE IS FACED WITH A EVICTION NOTICE. WITH HER BACK AGAINST THE WALL, SHE TURNS TO STRIPPING. SHE IS OPEN TO A WORLD SHE WAS NEVER ACCUSTOMED TO. THIS NOVEL KEEP A GOOD PACE FILLED WITH ENOUGH DRAMA TO KEEP YOU LOCKED INTO THIS PAGE TURNER.
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