Customer Reviews

Be My Sorority Sister-Under Pressure

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3 star:		(5)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

To be honest, sororities have never appealed to me -- it seemed like an elite clique arrangement with too many regulations. So it was a bit of a surprise to see a totally different perspective in "Be My Sorority Sister: Under Pressure," a book that takes a look at the struggles and friendships of a well-known sorority.

Eva Perkins's mother and sister both were in Beta Gamma Psi Sorority, so when Eva enters Edwin Carver University, she's desperate to enter the mostly African-American sorority. After struggling in pre-pledging activites, Eva finds herself on line to become one of the girls -- but soon finds that the sorority can be a lot tougher than she thought.

The "older sisters" are rough to the point of being abusive on Eva and the other new girls, and there is internal strife among the older girls. One ex-pledgee even writes a scathing tell-all article. But the worst thing happens when a girl falls from a rooftop during a pledge ritual, and abrasive Connie lies to the police about what happened. But no one knows how far the lie will go -- or how it will threaten the existance of their sorority.

Dorrie Williams-Wheeler crafts an enjoyable light read for teens, maybe giving them something to look forward to in their college years. Not to mention a warning -- Williams-Wheeler doesn't skimp on the abusive hazing rituals, which aren't limited to physical abuse. She doesn't dip into paddling (despite the cover) and similar black'n'blue abuses, but she does mention them. But she also takes care to mention the friendships and bonding that come from the sorority's teamwork.

Her writing style is a bit bare and un-descriptive for my taste, but it moves along at a brisk clip. And the dialogue-heavy writing seems like listening in on the girls at the sorority; there are some spelling and grammatical errors, but nothing too major. She also has a talent for making the feel of the book grow tenser and more frightening -- the main flaw is that the final two chapters feel VERY rushed, packing too much into too few pages. Ms. Williams-Wheeler should have stretched it out for several more chapters.

Eva is an unusual lead character -- rather than making her a goody-two-shoes, Williams-Wheeler gives her flaws and internal conflict about the goings-on at the sorority. The supporting girls are pretty well-done, with individual quirks and flaws. And the older girls range from the nasty Connie to the likable Cassidy.

Even those who haven't yet tackled the subject of sororities might be interested in "Be My Sorority Sister: Under Pressure." It might give you a look at what to look forward to -- and avoid -- on a sorority.

Be My Sorority Sister-Under Pressure is about one woman's quest to become join a fictional sorority named Beta Gamma PSi. The main character is named Eva Perkins. Eva's mother, sister, father and brother are all greek so when she goes away to college she basically becomes obsessed with joining Beta Gamma Psi, the sorority her mother and sister belong to. Written in first person, it is easy to become enthralled in Eva's journey. Dorrie Williams-Wheeler is a very detailed writer and she takes her readers along every step of Eva's journey. The book is quick paced and exciting. There are several unexpected twists and turns. Although there are several charcters the book is written very clearly and I had no trouble following the storyline. The reader gets to know sevreral of the pledges and the big sisters. Overall this was a very good read. It reminded me very much of the climate at my college. The only complaints I have are that it seemed to end rather abrubtly and that there was no clear resolution about the main characters family situation. This is one of the better greek books on the market. The author details the stress of going to rushes and hoping to hear something. This is a good book, a keeper. It is the best sorority fiction book that I have ever read.

I know that some of the reviews have said the same, but rightfully so-hats off to my fellow Chicagoan, Dorrie Williams-Wheeler for telling it like it is! This book gets dirty, revealing the ins and outs of how pledging an African-American sorority is. If you are interested in pledging, please get this book, read it cover to cover and follow the do's and NOT the do not's of Eva's road to Beta. I appreciate the honesty and forthright attitude from Mrs. Williams-Wheeler. She writes with such truth and refreshing candor that I sped through this novel and was sorry it was over. I know that the book is fiction, but I couldn't help but wonder which sorority the author belongs to? Please tell us, Dorrie! Your fans want to know!!!

I read this book in less than a day. This book is written in great detail about sorority life without telling too much. I am glad this book had both postive and negative outlook on greek life. Dorrie Williams-Wheeler proved a lot of people wrong. She really did a great job with this book. I haven't read Sparkledoll yet but I have read some previews and I can't wait to get it. I am looking forward to her future projects as well. I strongly suggest people interested in her books to go view her websites (www.bemysororitysister.com) She seems to put 100% in what she does. She does alot of other projects as well but she never forgets her fans. Dorrie Williams-Wheeler is a great author. She needs way more recognition than what she receives.

Be My Sorority Sister-Under Pressure, where shall I begin. I learned about this book after I read an interview with the author in a magazine. The story is one that many young college women can identify with. Eva, the main character wants to join Beta Gamma Psi, an elite sorority on campus. She doesn't know how to go about joining so she tries to let the members know that she is interested the best that she can. She gets shafted, betrayed and finally has the opportunity to participate in intake. This book is gritty and has guts.

Some sorority fiction books gloss over the process but Williams-Wheeler has written a book that will give readers and up close and personal look at what really goes down when monies and exchanged, papers are signed and when people actually "go on line." As a member of an African-American sorority I can say that the author got down with this book. My only complaint is that it ended, I wanted to see more and read more. The characters were so alive and vivid, I would love to see more of them, especially Ashley and Carmen and Troy, even if the sequel had nothing to do with sorority life.

This book is the bomb! I am an African-American college student who is in a Greek organization. How many ways can I say this book is pretty darn good. It is mad exciting, my favorite chapter was "Eva Has A Boyfriend."

Throwing Troy into the story was a nice twist and it would have been great if he was a bigger part of the story, but the story was about the sorority thing. The Troy chapter to me was like, "Ohmigosh, this is like so true to life around campus." I also could relate to the friendship that Eva had with Ashley. The events and emotions detailed in this book so mirrored my own emotions and actions in going through the sorority process. Eva, the main characters really wants to be in a sorority, heck don't front most girls in college, especially Black women want to join sororities? The Black college society is about frats and sororities and if you are not Greek, you are a secret wannabee. I heard this author on the radio on Chicago's WGCI a few weeks back. If you are a college student you won't be disapointed in this book.

I have always wondered about College/Sorority life and this book explains everything to the outsider with a view from the inside. It has an easy to follow story line which twists and turns at every corner. The book had an African American main character and theme but made me, as a Caucasian, feel as if I could relate. An awesome book for anyone preparing for college or pledging a sorority!

I am glad that I had the chance to read this book. I am Greek and this book brought back so many memories of my own pledging experience. "Be My Sorority Sister-Under Pressure" takes the reader on every step of the main characters journey into the fictional sorority in the book. I admit-I kind of didn't like the way that the character Carmen was portrayed, but her addition to the story was true to life about how often people of other races try to join a sorority where they aren't the majority. The main character Eva was well developed and engaging. One thing I thought was accurate about this book is how it is not easy to join a sorority, getting the other members to accept you and so on. The situations seemed authentic. I read the authors first book and knew she was destined for success and this latest novel confirms my belief that she is headed for big things. You go girl!

In the novel, "Be My Sorority Sister Under Pressure", Dorrie Williams-Wheeler takes us behind the scenes of pledge life, through the eyes of Eva Perkins. Even before enrolling into Edwin Carver Science and Technology University, Eva had her sights set on becoming a member of Beta Gamma Psi, an elite sorority where only the best need apply. With stars in her eyes, and the desire to sport Greek paraphernalia in her heart, Eva can't shake the thought of following family tradition of shouting the Beta call and enjoying the benefits of being a fellow sister. Eva becomes so overly zealous to impress the Beta sorors that she begins to neglect her academic responsibilities and ultimately finds herself being used by those who hold the power to make her dream come true.

After Ursula makes amends with Eva after a "misunderstanding" between she and the Betas, Eva finally makes her way into the Beta Gamma Psi house and begins her journey to pledge life. The pressure builds as Eva is forced to bond with other pledges, endure mind games, and navigate her way through ups and downs, determined that she would be one of the lucky few to "cross over." Through Eva's journey, she discovers what sacrifices must be made, what freedoms she must trade, and what secrets must be kept when things spiral out of control.

When the ultimate quandary presents itself, Eva finds herself mixed up in a tangled ball of mess that she was not prepared to handle. A secret threatens to tear Beta Gamma Psi apart- sisters turn against sisters, and pledges turn against pledges, as everyone points fingers to save their own hides and escape blame and consequences. Is Eva able to become a sorority sister under pressure, or will all of her efforts prove to be in vain, and her name be ruined? If you would like a sneak peak into the quest to become Greek, or even reminisce about your pledge days, Mrs. Wheeler's novel is well suited for your reading pleasure. With a conversational style that possesses many qualities of thoughts recorded in a journal, Eva's story will prove to draw you into her world while making you question your views on today's sorority practices.

-Andrea Blackstone, author of "$chemin': Confessions of a Gold Digger"
Flavah Reviewer

I enjoyed this book...read it in 1 day.
It is an insightful and FICTIONAL look inside a FICTIONAL African American sorority - Beta Gamma Psi. The author includes a disclaimer that her work is a work of FICTION, Beta Gamma Psi is a fictional sorority and is not based on any occurences.

The author does not try mix and mingle characteristics from current BGLO's. Rather she's created a separate FICTIONAL organization...while trying to give readers a slight glimpse inside. It's an insightful look into rushes, membership intake (that'w what it is - PLEDGING is ILLEGAL), sisterhood and hazing (in today's world).
The story is REALISTIC and the characters are believable...yet it portrays what COULD go wrong with an intake process. All intake processes are different and it should not be rendered as true fact.
As a member of a BGLO I recommend this book whole heartedly to any young lady who is considering pursuing a sorority, as it provides good common sense do's and don'ts.