Marsha D. Jenkins-Sanders
Jealousy: A Stranger Company Keeper
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How much should beauty determine a person's worth in society, and how far will one woman go to gain approval?
In this compelling and thought-provoking novel, Marsha D. Jenkins-Sanders explores the stigmas, labels, and fears that contribute to people's feelings of unworthiness, confusion, resentment, and plummeting self-respect, as well as the complicated issues of sexual identity.
Rochelle Jackson is a woman born without, as she calls it, the "pretty gene." She more closely resembles a man and harbors a forbidden secret. This mix of volatile emotion and the simmering resentment bred by years of rejection becomes the destructive force behind her scheme to dethrone Dakota North, Rochelle's beautiful cousin and a prima donna in her own right.
When Rochelle lets loose with her vicious plan, it becomes an all-out war that will leave both parties changed forever. In the tradition of E. Lynn Harris, Jealousy has an emotionally wrenching plot and characters dealing with tough issues, such as bisexuality and homosexual relationships. Marsha D. Jenkins-Sanders' powerful novel questions the world's standards of value and provides a fresh perspective on the fight for power and identity.
2 comments:
I loved this book! Hopefully, when people read it, if they have self-esteem issues, it will help them see how being jealous can turn into an illness. The book can help shine a light on several topics: domestic abuse, child abuse, insecurity and still entertain. I am making my neighbor read it so he can see how shallow he is.
This comment is actually not supposed to be a response to "avid reader," but if it appears this way it is because I can't figure out how to post a comment as a new one.
I KNOW THE REVIEW IS LONG YALL, BUT READ IT, JUST READ IT
Well...this book is all over the map. Too much happening, no transitions, and a little too far from reality to be relatable. Why?
Here are just a few reasons:
Dakota: her character is supposed to be strong. Why does she never confront Rochelle? I do not see any black woman putting up with the mess Rochelle put her through. Described as some strong prima. Came off like a punk to me.
Rochelle: Where do I start? Oh, yeah. She’s a virgin at 30 something. Rare nowadays, but not as uncommon as people think. With that said, surely she is old enough to not lose her virginity juvenile manner (as some of us have done). Someone who waits that long to have sex has a level of conservatism that would not allow them to lose their virginity the way she did. It’s something I expect an immature nineteen year old character to do, and be scared the whole time. Her first sexual encounter: Not realistic for someone her age.
Also, this encounter had absolutely NOTHING to do with the story. It played no relevance at all. Sometimes characters do things so we know what type of person they are and their particular actions don’t actually change the plot. This wasn’t that either. It seemed like a desperate attempt to heighten the energy of the book. Her sexual encounter was so random, so out of the blue, unrealistic. I was waiting for the person involved in her encounter to turn out to be a key character in the plot! Blackmail her in some way. Her second encounter is more relevant, but the first one seems like an attempt to excite the book. It works temporarily, until you are disappointed when you realize it plays no relevance.
The back of the book talks about her struggling with her sexuality. It doesn’t appear that way. Has no relevance. Never do we see her cry about it, try to tell someone. Just some random freaky encounter, which is willingly participates. Some “struggle.” Someone struggling would be shy, timid, unsure, and afraid.
Dakota’s fiancé: I’m so over this book I forgot his name. Is he a good guy or a bad guy. This is never made clear.
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