Customer Reviews

Autumn Leaves: A Novel

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

...I just finished Autumn Leaves and found it a deeply moving, socially conscious and a truly laugh out loud read. It is the kind of novel you can visualize in your mind as you go through each situation. It is the kind of novel that will pull a tear from you eye. It is the kind of novel that leaves you wanting more. I absoluted adored Legacy and found Simpson the kind of man you just want to ...well, you have to read the book. I 'aint giving it away. lol.

Mr. McGlothin read an excerpt of this book at a salute to African American writers here in Austin earlier this year and he left everyone in the room in complete anticipation of what would happen next and trust me, the scene he read from is a WHOPPER!

I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a story that is real with characters you will either love or hate. What's also great about AL is how a famous diva we all know and love is written into the story and I found that too cool!

With that said, go out and get this book. Mr. McGlothin, continued success and keep it up. CLB.

Autumn Leaves is the love story that as a matriculating college student or college graduate, we can say but for the grace of God there go I. College students Roary Garland and Marshall Coates are the famous salt and pepper team of UTC's football team, both destined to become pros. Legacy is an artist struggling to get through college by working in a toll booth at night.

Thinking they have no worries or cares in the world, love and lust lead to casual sex, unprotected sex, and AIDS. Victor tells an unnerving story that should make us all think before we act. At time the story seems to drag, however it shows us AIDS has no respect of person, age, gender or race. ...I wish evrey teenager, college student, and young adult would read Victor's book and have the realization set in; being careless and not protecting yourself will end your life in a split second.

The subject matter in this story is one we deal with daily, Victor, stepping up to the plate writing about AIDS, on the college level has earned him a shout-out from this old lady.
Reviewed by Toni Bonita, APOOO Bookclub

I read this book over a course of 3 days during my hour commute. Autumn Leaves starts out with a lot of drama that drags on until the last 5 chapters where it makes a great attempt to tie all the loose ends. Though the plot was drawn out, I kept reading because the characters and their situations were real. No superhero action, no mind-blowing sex, no "everyone lives happy" ending - just people easily found in any city. Issues such as AIDS, emotional abuse, suicide, identity confusion, and low self-esteem are common themes among many of our lives.

- Marshall's self-destructive behavior that he chose to deal with the suicide of his best friend Rorey was handled in a realistic manner. Though Marshall's self-negotiating a multi-million dollar NFL was over the top in fantasy land.

- Kennedy choosing to remain in a relationship because of Simpson's social status and looks is representative of superficial things women are willing to accept to be in a relationship. It took Kennedy's gay pal, Morris to show her that a man, like Legacy, with nothing much more than morals and good heart can bring happiness into her life.

- Several areas in the book touch on how individuals dealt with being diagnosed with HIV and full-blown AIDS. The reader is allowed to experience the emotions of denial and acceptance and the anguish of coping or living with the disease.

This book has many other strong points, but it always delves into too many topics to adequately cover all of them. I didn't see a need to bring in Legacy's lost racial identity...it was enough that he and Kennedy had similar misfortunate childhoods and a love for art. Knowing that Simpson came from a wealthy family, there was no justification on why he dealt drugs. I also felt that Jasmine and Marshall's relationship as well as the encounters with Erykah Badu caused the book to drag longer than need. With the elimination of that excess baggage would make this book 5 stars.

I had seen this book in the bookstore a few years back but neglected to buy it. After reading the reviews I was interested in buying it but was unable to get it. When I looked again the book was being republished, I was happy to finally get the chance to read this book.

There were so many different characters in this book and each one contributed greatly to the story. When I began reading the book I couldn't figure how each person was involved in the book, I thought Mr. McGlothin was just throwing people in the story. I was totally wrong.

The story centers around the lives of Marshall, Jasmine, Kennedy, and Simpson. All of these were young people with a promising future until they encounter certain obstacles. The question is which one will make it and which one won't.

I would love to say more about the book but then I would be giving the story away. I will say that everyone needs to read this book, you will not be disappointed.

I would recommend this book to anyone teenager or adult that is sexually active and not practicing safe sex.

This book is a wake up call for all.

I am eagerly looking forward to Mr. McGlothin's next book.

If I could I would give this book 20 stars.

Victor McGlothin methodically lays out two different stories with the common link of love, friendship, and secrets. This is the story of Marshall Coates, star football player, Kennedy James, a beautiful art dealer, and the people who weave in and out of their lives. Marshall is the man on campus and Jasmine is his girlfriend, but his reaction to a tragedy inadvertently jeopardizes their relationship. Kennedy is involved with a man who is everything that she thinks she should have and everything that she does not need (or want). Eventually these lives will connect through people and predicaments.

Mr. McGlothin's creation of wonderfully vivid characters is the glue of this story. The characters in this book interact with each other, react to each other, and then are ultimately forced to respond to life and its unpredictability. We discover that although Marshall and Kennedy do not have a personal relationship in the story Mr. McGlothin definitely utilizes the six degrees of separation phenomenon (although he didn't use all six). With all these vines twisted in the tree of life he tells the story that life and love isn't always fair.

This book was engaging. The characters and their issues were real and their story well told. There were bits of over the top high drama but I must admit these are the parts that had me talking to the book. Also some character reactions I felt didn't go with his writing of their personality and as a result the ending seemed a bit too neat considering the storyline. Despite that foible Autumn Leaves; Loves so Deep is a book that I would recommend.

Kotanya
APOOO Bookclub

Autumn Leaves: Love So Deep Victor McGlothin
In the Company of My Sistahs BRC ...

I read this in 1999 and I am so glad the book has been re-released. It is worth it. It is refreshing to read a good novel by a male author that is not all about between the sheets. Now sheets are part of life and are included in this book and done well. There were a lot of real life issues in the books that face young and old people. Friends and lovers with AIDS
and drug use, abuse and selling. I felt comfortable with Marshall, Jazz, Legacy, Kennedy, and Simpson. I wanted a little more depth about Rorey, but the Rorey character served its' purpose. It was the catalyst for Marshall's undermining
and infidelity. V. McGlothin writes about love lost and mis-placed but deep enough to to re-surface or return like a Phoenix.
I want ITCOMS to read it. ...

Autumn Leaves is a well thought-out, realistic and powerful depiction of social and health issues relevant in today's society. It is a "must read" for sisters and brothers and will provoke some introspection that is truly healthy and necessary. This author did a wonderful job of weaving together the issues along with real-life characters, believable ones that will get you caught up all in their stuff! The story was so intriguing that it was difficult to put this novel down.

Can't wait for the next book, Mr. McGlothin, you did real good.
I am proud of you.

My review of the fiction novel Autumn Leaves is
> OUTSTANDING. I must say that I experienced so many
> levels of emotions, which includes being intrigued in
> the beginning, to crying with a tissue near the end.
> The one emotion that I believe best describes this
> book is AWARENESS. I appreciate that the author gave
> the reader an ending not of sadness, but of awareness
> of the seriousness of life and the choices one will
> make.
>
> On a 5 star scale, I give Autumn Leave *****!
>
> Thanks to Mary and all of the wonderful people at
> Pageturner.net and the Good Book Club for introducing
> me to the excellence of this outstanding author

Autumn Leaves is indeed a page-turner. I found myself laughing and also unleashing a few tears.
It's amazing how true to life this book really is. It's an eye opener for poeple out there sleeping around unprotected. This book let's us know that we are not immune to contracting AIDS. All it takes is ONE careless sexual encounter to turn your life around in a totally different direction. I actually shedded some tears because I felt soooo sorry for Kennedy. She wasn't sleeping around even though her better half, or so she thought, Simpson Stone,"Mr. Stuck Up" was. And get this, he didn't even have a preference. Too bad Kennedy didn't meet Legacy first.
Oh my god!!!Morris is hillarious. I would love to have been in the Limo with Morris and "his friends" during their night out on the town. I'm sure there were no holds barred. I found myself laughing aloud several times.
Autumn Leaves is indeed a well-written book. I would recommend this book to anyone. All I can say to Victor McGlothin is EXCELLENT JOB!!!! Keep up the good work and may God continue to bless you to enhance your talent.

Oh my goodness! Intriguing, sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat, thought provoking and heartwarming all in on. Mr. McGlothin has definitely gone where no man has gone before. The characters are put out there for you - there is shock with some, sympathy for others and contempt for one. Let me just say that you HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK! You will definitely know what it's like to have loved, lost and loved again - discover and rediscover yourself and more importantly what depths you will go to for people that you love. -JN