Customer Reviews

Cheaters

5 star:		(391)
4 star:		(59)
3 star:		(22)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Cheaters is the first book by Mr. Dickey which I've read. It's truly a SUPERB piece of work, and I literally can't wait to read everything he has written! Once I started reading this book, I would of never put it down, if it wasn't for those few hours of sleep I needed at night. Even with all the "cheating" going on, I found the main characters to be engaging, easy to relate to, and their situations mesmerizing. The detail in the erotic scenes captivated me; for the simple fact that Mr. Dickey kept it intense & HOTT! That was a refreshing change from other African-American fiction I've read which seemed to be, ummmmmm, devoid of sexual imagery. As if.......... Anyway, in closing, I would just like to thank Mr. Dickey for keeping it funky and also the enjoyable trip he took me on! PLEASE don't make us wait too long to see, CHEATERS, THE MOVIE!

Wow! I thought Friends and Lovers was his best book, but Cheaters is head and shoulders above it! EJD did an excellent job of taking me into the world of Stephan, Darnell, Chante, Tammy, Karen, and Jake. The were all funny, interesting characters who did some crazy (and oftentimes self-destructive) things in their quest for love (and sex - let's not forget the sex!) I love EJD's writing style, and he is at the top of his form in this book. I was engrossed in this book from page one, and pretty much ignored everything and everybody until I finished it. One thing I hate about EJD's books is that, they are so engrossing that you end up finishing them too quickly, and then you're wanting more! But, I haven't read Liar's Game yet, so I have something to look forward to.

I'll just say about the outcome of the character's lives in Cheaters: I was VERY happy for how things turned out for Stephan and Chante; I was pleasantly surprised by how things turned out for Darnell (although that part was a bit dramatic and far-fetched); I hope everything worked out just fine for poor Tammy; and I hope Karen and Jake seek professional help RIGHT AWAY! And I like how EJD brings in characters from previous books - I think it's cute. I've been a fan since reading Milk in My Coffee last year (my first EJD book), but just in case you ever happen to read this review, I want to let you know you have a fan for life!

CHEATERS by Eric Jerome Dickey

CHEATERS was my introduction to the writing of Eric Jerome Dickey. I found it a refreshing novel, taking the reader into the world of hip affluent African Americans living in Southern California.

In CHEATERS, Dickey uses three voices: Stephan Mitchell, who is single and can't seem to be faithful to just one woman. He juggles a number of women, all of them oblivious to this fact, and so far he's doing ok with it. So Far. Then there is Chante Ellis. She's single too, and also seems to have problems with the opposite sex. And finally there is Darnell, the lawyer who wants to be a writer. He's married, but not happily, and his wife probably feels the same way.

Through these three, we get to know each of them but also are introduced to some of their friends and lovers. Stephan's latest conquest is Toyomi, an African-Japanese-American woman who was becoming very needy. This didn't bode too well for Stephan, as he was also trying to spend some time with his other women. Toyomi soon becomes the b***h from hell, when she catches him saying "yes" to her best friend on the phone. I found myself chuckling as the battle between Stephan and Toyomi got uglier and uglier.

Stephan's best friends are Darnell and Jake, who is single but is engaged to be married to the lovely Charlotte. There is an obvious problem with the relationship, as Jake and Charlotte evade questions to "when are you getting married"?

Chante's got two best friends: Karen, who seems to be a very negative person and also seems to have a cash flow problem. Tammy is their famous beautiful singer/actress friend. The three of them are tight, but their friendship starts to weaken when their true colors start to show.

Through a twist of fate, Chante and Stephan meet, and they bring their worlds and their friends together. Chante and Stephan appear to be perfect for each other, or are they? And Darnell meets Tammy and they find out they are kindred spirits. It's too bad he's married...

I really enjoyed CHEATERS. It was a combination of his writing style, his characters, and the outrageous story lines that had me laughing out loud as I read. I am looking forward to reading more by Eric Jerome Dickey. My next book will probably be MILK IN MY COFFEE.

Let me tell you....this book is on the real! I saw myself, the person I was involved with, people I know, everyone is a mirror in this book. The games people play in relationships are so unnecessary, and this book brings some of those things to light. Along the way, you are brought to laughter when some of the predicaments Stephans' friends get him into, Chantes' girls drama and the parents of the two main characters. Eric Jerome Dickney is definitely an author to keep your interest.

If this book was not meant to be taken too seriously then the author has done quite well. Otherwise I found the main characters shallow and boring. I also felt that the sexual encounters described in practically every chapter obscured a poor story line and plot. In short, this book is for people who like soap operas or a quick light read at the beach.

Before reviewing this powerful novel, let me caution potential readers that this book contains very explicit sex and violence, extremely foul language, and explores the gamier side of the club and dating life. If such things offend you, consider another novel.

The book's theme is that we are torn between wanting true love (to be loved for ourselves) and our desire to enjoy the maximum pleasure from the opposite sex. This theme is reinforced by childhood experiences, observing family and friends, and following our own emotions in social settings. The book goes on to raise the important question of how we move beyond that to get the mature love that we truly want.

A major subtheme looks in a similar way at the nature of friendship. Is a friend someone who makes you feel like you're in charge, or someone you care about and who cares about you?

The book develops primarily from the perspectives of Stephan Mitchell, a man who loves to keep a large number of women on the string, and Chante Ellis, who is in love with falling in love . . . and keeps finding herself with exploitive bums. Each of them comes to question their primary way of dating and relating to the opposite sex, their friends, and finding lasting companionship.

The book also chronicles the experiences of their married and unmarried friends who struggle with variations on the same issues. It's like a jazz piece that contains many versions of the main melody reconstructed throughout on different instruments.

The book's main appeal is that it holds out hope that we can improve ourselves, change our behavior, and acquire the love we want. In essence, we get the love we deserve except from our family. I found it very moving that Mr. Dickey chose some pretty pathetic hedonists as his characters. In the beginning, these are the anti-heroes, but they mature and move towards being loving adults.

Now, all of this could come across in a very heavy, moralistic way. But Mr. Dickey has a light touch, and colors his points with careful exaggeration and humor to make the lessons easier to swallow. Stephen Mitchell's last visit to Toyomi's home in Palm Springs and Chante's last date with Michael are both excellent examples of this.

The character development in the novel is outstanding. You will feel like you know each character quite well, probably better than their lovers and potential lovers do.

Mr. Dickey has an astonishing ear for dialogue. You can feel yourself in almost every scene because the dialogue is so realistic.

Having lived in San Bernardino while I was growing up, I especially enjoyed the many descriptions of the towns and freeways around the Inland Empire. I think I even picked up on a few better routes for avoiding traffic.

Since the characters are Afro-Americans, some potential readers may want to arbitrarily assign this novel to some sub-genre concerning Afro-American culture. That would be a mistake. It would be like thinking of Romeo and Juliet as a soap opera. Regardless of your connection to or interest in contemporary Afro-American culture, you will identify with and enjoy reading about these characters.

After you have enjoyed this superb novel, you should use it as a mirror to think about the ways that you show and provide love and friendship in your life. How could you improve? How could you connect these changes to your spiritual beliefs?

Give the love and friendship that you would like to have.

I have read all of the books written by this author. Before reading Cheaters, I thought Friends & Lovers was the best book he ever wrote. But now, I have changed my mind.

The characters are "real" men and women like you and me, and deal with the hectic world of "dating in the 90s." I'm sure that his character Stephan will remind most women of a man they know; not admitting to anyone (not even their best friends) that they really want a monogamous relationship, but still chasing everything in a skirt. Chante will remind most women of themselves -- especially any woman that has been really hurt and is tired of trying to find "Mr. Right."

I really enjoyed the compassionate and mature way he handled the relationship between Tammy and Darnell. He could have written it a lot differently, but I liked the way he showed that "all men are not dogs," and that "some men actually do take their wedding vows seriously." Most importantly, I like the way the friendships and the morals of the characters are tested. You will definitely ask yourself "how far you would be willing to go for a friend and a relationship?"

Also note that there are very explicit sexual scenes in this book that will definitely get your blood boiling!!!!!

One suggestion: If you have not read Friends & Lovers, I suggest you read it first before reading Cheaters because there are characters from Friends & Lovers that he reintroduces in this book. Knowing the characters of Friends & Lovers will help you follow the story line and understand the feelings that certain characters in Cheaters experience when characters from Friends & Lovers are reintroduced in this novel.

I'm not really big on reading but if it's written by Eric Jerome Dickey, I'll read it. I've read Cheaters, Liar's Game and Sister Sister but Cheaters is my favorite. I think that the reason I like it so much is that it has so many twists. It kept me on my toes. I never wanted to put it down. If you like a lot of action, you'll love this book. You never know what is going to happen next but you won't be able to wait to find out.I'm a college student and my schedule is a little hectic but I read it every chance I got (Even if it was 3 am). I would sit down and tune out everyone around me just so that I focus on this book. I am very impressed with his work and I look foward to reading the rest of his books.

What can I really say besides "I loved this book"? Eric Jerome Dickey never ceases to amaze me. He has a natural talent to write not only believable books but he also makes you laugh in the process. Stephan's character and his problems with some of his women made the book literally a laugh-out-loud riot! I usually read during my train ride into work and back home and I'm sure I had stares several times as I could not stop laughing at some of the stuff Stephan went through. Darnell was also another character that I enjoyed thoroughly and although I'm sure one of his "major" decisions won't settle too well with some people who read the book, I was happy for him in the end. I really could go on and on but I'll just finish with these words...... Buy this book. You'll LOVE it!

I've read five novels by EJD. I started with Friends & Lovers which was really good. But this one is his best effort. Mainly because of the way each character is drawn out to look at each of their lives and make a choice to change. Parts of the book to me were touching(and it didn't even involve the main two characters). That's also a great thing about the book. The fact that his side characters have stories of their own. Friends and Lovers did that too, but not on the scale in this book. And in the conclusion, the book does flip on you, but if you know the value of never letting your dreams go, it will all make sense.