Customer Reviews

Casting the First Stone

5 star:		(167)
4 star:		(61)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

After reading this book, I went back and read the reviews. I totally disagree with the bad reviews of this book. I found that this book may not have captivated Curtis' reason for all of his lies and betrayal, but why does a man cheat we will never know. I thought that Kimberly brought to the forefront the issues surrounding the church and its pastors. We should not worship the man behind the pulpit but the spirit and son of God. I enjoyed this book from cover to cover as well as all of her books. It makes you think whether you are a man or women. Why do we make decisions to stay in bad relationships? Why do we let another person control us? Maybe the bad reviews were the result of some of the characters hitting to close to home. Thanks Kim for the happy ending!

I was truly sorry to read that the topic matter was of a Baptist Minister with a promising congregation, but the story was good because it could be true. I was proud of the main character, Tanya, for sticking to her guns and looking out for herself and her daughter, because they are who matters. Curtis, who is no-good anyway, got what he deserved. The ending was surprising and had a good finale. I was intrigued througout the entire story and was hoping and praying for James the whole way through. This is a worthwhile book and a good weekender if you want something to keep your attention and is easy to read.

Ms. Roby has truly outdone herself. I mean Lord have mercy I just could not put this book down. I have recommended it to everyone and I plan to start a book club and this will be the first book we read. Oprah needs this on her "TO READ" list. Thank you for addressing the concerns of the church that many people are aware of but are afraid to speak on. You hit the nail right on the head and then some. Curtis was slimy & grimy and what goes around comes around. Tanya was a victim and God always takes care of His own so she ended up right where she was supposed to be. Poor little Alicia had to suffer for her father's selfishness. When will we ever learn how to be good to each other and love each other? Its sad really. A wonderfully written book by a wonderfully talented author. I applaud you for having the courage to write about this VERY sensitive but very REAL issue. It does NOT apply to all pastors but it does apply to many of them. Trust me I know from whence I speak. Will there be a sequel? I would LOVE to know what happened to Curtis, Tanya, Alicia and the rest of the characters. HINT HINT. Whatever you do I will be on the lookout for it and I will get it as soon as its available. I am and forever will be an avid fan. By the way I saw you on Cable TV (The Unblinking Eye) talking about this book. Very good. May God continue to bless you and your family and keep you forever in His loving care.

I was very disappointed with this book. I consider myself to be a great fan of Lawson-Roby's previous novels, but this book left a lot to be desired. The same points and ideas were belabored again and again and it took away from the interest of the book. While I LOVED 'Behind Closed Doors' and 'Here and Now' I wonder why the wit and skill reflected in those books was not seen in this one. And if I had to read one more insignificant detail...To the Editor or whoever advised her to add more scenery or bulk to scenes: READERS DO NOT LIKE INSIGNIFICANT DETAILS THAT DO NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THE PACE OF THE STORYLINE. Kimberla, get a new editor..

the book could've been better. I wish the author would work on her writing skills before attempting another book. The repetitive use of words and ideas, as well as the number of totally distinct ideas joined by the word "and" was distracting from the storyline. The story was interesting but it failed to flow as the characters backtracked over the same ground.

After reading this book and the earlier works of this author, I can understand why she was originally self-published after being told that she had some talent by publishers she approached. She weaves a good tale, but unfortunately lacks the skills to carry it off. Her editor was not much help; the writing is still amateurish.

I've personally never been a fan of the all-knowing narrator who tells what the characters are thinking, i.e., "she asked, remembering what day it was" or "he commented, obviously shocked to hear that her husband was a minister." As a writer she is supposed to paint a visual picture of the shock, not merely narrate; anyone can do that. I also got tired of sentence fragments beginning with the word "which." She's also quite fond of the word "and."

Another big issue was that of character development. The man Tanya flirted with had no personality whatsoever; I suspect his only purpose was the part he played in the end of the story. I thought the book started out with a bang, with Tanya and Curtis being so happy after his proposal and then fast forwarding eight years to her glaring at him in church. I expected to learn what happened in those eight years to change their feelings via flashbacks, but nothing was explained. It's not as interesting when you have no idea why characters behave the way they do. I thought Curtis was merely a raving lunatic.

In my opinion, this writer needs to learn her craft. I expected to see improvement when she was picked up by a major house, but I guess the editors feel that it will sell, no matter how badly executed it is, and they're probably right. I'll continue to check out her books from the library and hope they get better.

Although I commend the author for tackling an important issue of hypocracy within the Baptist church, I felt the author spent much to much time on mundane details and repetitive concepts which ultimately detracted from the novel. More significantly however, I think the author should have spent time discussing the factors and issues which led Curtis to be the person we see throughout the novel. The authors failure to discuss or give any insight whatsoever into what happened during the 8( eight) intervening years left a significant 'hole' in the storyline. At the conclusion of the novel, I didn't feel that I had anymore insight into the characters or storyline than I did when I started the novel.The discussion of situations faced by the characters seemed to be incredibly disjointed. I did not feel the author took the time to develop the characters and/or situations in a meaningful and significant manner. All in all, very disappointed

I never considered the happenings in the church would make such a great storyline! "Casting the First Stone" is listed as fiction but could easily be nonfiction by making a few name changes! This book hit close to home! I was "reeled" in by the first paragraph of Chaper 1 as the "preacher's wife" described her feelings while watching her husband in the pulpit. In my own experience, I would often look over at the "preacher's wife" and wonder what's going on in her mind or did "he" have her fooled too! Maybe her thoughts were similiar to Tanya's!

"Casting" will have thoughts racing through your mind the next time you enter the doors of the church! It may even have you reflect on how much power we are giving our church leaders and remind us of Who we are really supposed to be worshipping!

What a fantastic story! I enjoyed the book from cover to cover! I was surprised and pleased that someone took the courage to write about this very controversial topic, one that is making headlines in our world today! The characters were incredible and unpredictable! This book is an excellent choice for book clubs! I appreciated the Reading Group Discussion Guide at the end of the book. Ms. Roby definitely deserves the praise for this one!

This could have been a better book if the author spent more time on character development. For example, Tanya's boyfriend was not a well developed character. He was just thrown in for a happy ending. Curtis was far more interesting. I wanted to know what made him tick.

Kimberla Roby has set her place in contemporary fiction as a 'master storyteller' with 'Casting the First Stone'.This novel jumps out at the reader and grabs you from page one. The African-American church as a time honored institution, very rarely comes under scrutiny. Roby reminds us that there is a distinction between the establishment and the man who runs the establishment. This novel is not just another sistah-girl piece of fiction. The characters are strong and revealing. The underlying message, though subtle, will rock the reader to his foundation. This novel is an enjoyable story with substance. I highly recommend it as a selection for any bookclub.