Customer Reviews

Change for a Twenty

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Change For a Twenty introduces readers to Seleste and the friends with whom she interacts. Seleste has an off-campus apartment and is studying law. Just when she is comfortable with the way her life is, she starts getting attention from some of the most sought after guys on campus. She must make a decision on what is better for her. She knows what she wants and is willing to tell it like it is. Seleste is faced with having to tell her best friend, Cara, the secret she has been keeping for some time. Will she lose her friend when she tells her the truth?

Then there is Travis, also known as Memo, who is trying his best to get next to Seleste. He is dealing with family issues that just may keep him from starting a relationship. Will he win over Seleste and keep his family together?

Change For A Twenty is a very entertaining novel. It is filled with drama. I would recommend this book to readers looking for a fast-paced read. I look forward to reading Ms. Vaugn's future offerings.

Phyllis Ann
APOOO BookClub

In CHANGE FOR A TWENTY, Shamontiel L. Vaughn has spun a coming of age tale at a Chicago college campus. There are six friends who are totally different from each other. Travis, known as Memo, is a troubled young man, running from the fact that his policeman father was jailed in New York for selling drugs. Seleste, who actually loves him, is standoffish, has an attitude and is determined to remain a virgin until she is married. Her good friend Cara loves to have sex anywhere, anytime, anyplace. Arnez is Cara's sometimes boyfriend who can't keep his eyes and hands off other women. Jermaine, who had been Cara's high school boyfriend, is wildly trying to join a fraternity and he must endure pain and suffering in order to pledge. O, the football player, likes football better than he does school and has stayed in school for six years just so he could play.

These friends interact with one another, and cause each other grief and joy. The greatest drama is for Arnez, possibly because he is such a wanderer, and tends to be jealous of all his male friends, sure they are attempting to take Cara. And Travis who keeps his twelve year old brother sometimes and is helping him mature into a man. Trouble begins when their father is released early from prison.

This is just a story of coming of age in college but doesn't seem to really have a plot. We follow the lives of the students and wonder what they'll get into next. The characters are well developed and it is easy to relate to them, even angry Seleste. It would certainly be an interesting read for young people headed for college in the near future.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Shamontiel Vaughn has written an entertaining new book called "Change For A Twenty" that offers vivid characterizations and realistic dialogue. Literary agents and critics advise people to write what they know and this novelist understands exactly how to do that. Go to www.lulu.com and read the free preview and you'll know why book buyers have something to get excited about.

At first I had my qualms about reading this book as I was told that it was primarily for the younger crowd and college students to be more specific but so many people raved about this first time author and Change for a Twenty that I felt almost compelled to take a gander. And once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. It was simply mesmerizing. Her characterizations are flawless and the author really knows how to spin a good yarn. This book is rare and I am certainly glad that I had the opportunity to have read it. Trust me!!! If you pick it up you won't put it down. Great summer, vacation book!!! Great anytime book!!! Accolades to this first time writer!!! Now bring on the sequel!!!

Change for a Twenty is a seriously funny, real-life kind of novel that takes it's readers on a journey through it's character's lives. The characters are memorable and lovable, just like your own friends from college. This novel introduces young adults into the college life through experiences of college parties, fraternities and pledging, college assignments, and most of all: relationships, sex, and emotion.
Change for a Twenty is highly recommended to the students who want some insight on college life, and to the adults who want to reminise of the times they've had in college.

I Loved It!!

Change for a Twenty, was a blast from the past. I felt twenty-two years old again without pulling the old photo albums out. I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end. It was captivating, exuberant, suspenseful, funny and provocative. I really look forward to reading "Round Trip." Great job!!

One of my favorite scenes? When Memo is trying to show his little brother what a women shouldn't be like. Hilarious, and very clever how you referenced the title of the book in that scene too. Very nice. But the scene that put me in stitches was Big Brother Sweets disciplining one of his frat one-a-bees looking to cross. Knee slapping moment.

Memo, solid brother.

Cara, naive and insecure but found her self-worth after Jermaine showed her some respect.

Seleste is the one I really like. She reminds me of a deer trying to drink water from a pool, but is so afraid she might get eaten and so remains thirsty. I won't spoil it for you but to say the least one righteous brother does have what it takes to quench her thirst.

I can't wait to find out what happens with Seleste and her internship in New York. I should know in just a few days because Round Trip as just been ordered.

This is an entertaining novel, and one that is also easy to read and believable. It's easy to get caught up in the story with all the great detail (although the movement of the story would have benefited if some details were left to the imagination). It's a great drama, not only of college-aged individuals, but of the dynamics of friendship, regardless of age. I highly recommend this book. You won't regret it!

From one Lulu author to another, I loved Change for a Twenty. The title is what caught my attention but reading it was great. I felt like I could relate to the characters. When you have a group of friends with all different personalities, it's a story in itself. I really enjoyed it, especially Seleste. She's opposite of me so it was nice to read someone different. 5 stars!!!!

What are the ingredients necessary to make a good novel? An age old question. Heres my take on it. A well-thought out story, with a beginning, middle, and an end. Interesting engaging characters, that are stepped in reality, and you can relate to. I'll apply these criteria's, to this novel. Yes, this novel has been well thought out. It's has a nice flow to it, and is easy to get into. My big problem with novels (and this might be due to my memory as I get older) is remembering all the names of the protagonists, particularly if they are introduced in a speed like manner. The characters here are introduced in a straight forward manner, and I had no difficulty in this regard.
The main ( or middle part)of the story had me gripped, to the point that I had to check that I hadn't over run my intended station, on my daily commute to & from work ( when I do the majority of my reading) Another good sign of my enjoyment of this novel.
If I'm honest, I was a little disappointed with the end. I'm a romantic at heart and some of the main players' relationships in this novel were left open ended. Also Seleste fate at the end (I don't want to give up the ending) left me thinking that was a bit of a big coincidence. That apart, I really enjoyed this novel, so much so that I will be promoting it to my sisters' book club. There is some cursing in this, but to be honest, as much as I dislike cursing, it was an integral aspect of the characters make up. Next up: Round Trip

I thought that this book was quite entertaining and easy to read. I REALLY liked how the author described all of the characters (oftentimes the descriptors were very poetic, allowing the reader to conjure up vivid images). I enjoyed the fact that the book is set in Chicago. I could personally identify with all of the areas that were included. Seleste was a very sharp young lady who had her head on straight. The book's dialog was witty and amusing. Memo's family drama added an interesting element to the story and made the reader think about familial impact (especially on Memo's little brother). The author is a very talented writer and I look forward to reading a future book of hers.