Customer Reviews

Conception: A Novel

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As the title implies, Kalisha Buckhanon's sophomoric offering, Conception, is nothing short of outstanding. Initially, I was truly concerned if she could deliver as strong and solid a follow-up to her hit debut Upstate - but with this second novel, she removes all doubt. She is truly a talented writer.

Buckhanon returns to familiar territory - the trials of adolescence set in 1992 on the South Side of Chicago where the story focuses on the unpopular, unpretty, undereducated, unmotivated 15-year-old Shivana Montgomery. A product of a single-parent home with a verbally and physically abusive mother, she naively becomes a victim of molestation which results in an unplanned pregnancy by the unemployed, drug-dealing husband of the family she baby-sits for weekly. She is a typical troubled teen hiding behind "ghetto-girl" attitude and street-wise bravado who grapples with school bullies, a despondent, distrusting mother, and humiliating, clandestine trips to the free clinic as she considers her family planning options. Complicating matters further is her budding love affair with a new guy in the building, Rasul.

Blended between Shivana's daily drama is the voice of the unborn spirit child who has been searching for the perfect womb to allow its birth to come to fruition. The child tells of its previous conceptions in 1842 to Yoshi, a young slave girl, impregnated by the plantation stud; 1892 to the homely and newly emancipated Darlene who is smitten with Tuck; and lastly in 1942 to recently widowed Southerner, Tawana, disillusioned by the promises and hopes that the North (Harlem) offered. To reveal more would spoil the plot for the reader; however, I will say, I found these passages equally as engaging as the present-day plotline. The wisdom and dreamlike sequences of the child are beautifully written segments of lyrical prose. The breath and depth of the story is not lost with the rich and heart-breaking stories behind the supporting characters. And the ending - well, I will simply say...Brilliant!

The book is masterful in that it combines age-old themes of abandonment and its embittering effects on those left behind, particularly the women and the children. The author seemingly has her pulse on the mindset of the youth and delivers to the reader a realistic glimpse of the obstacles, the sense of hopelessness and despair that runs rampant in their world. More evidence of her genius is the clever use of metaphors and symbolism sprinkled throughout the story. The use of color (i.e. the recurring white head scarf) and aquatic references (e.g. drowning and the use of water as a medium for purification, escape, and rebirth) yields nothing short of a page-turner that will appeal to fans of the urban, contemporary ficton, and literary genres. I reviewed an advanced reading copy in 2007 and this novel has solidly earned a place on my Top Reads List for 2008. Well Done and Bravo!

Reviewed by Phyllis
December 28, 2007
APOOO BookClub
Nubian Circle Book Club

The author, Kalisha Buckhanon, touched upon so many important life-themes within 277 pages: teen pregnancy, love, fear, cyclical complacency, risk-taking and faith.

These themes were brought to life through the poignant story of Shivana. We see her wade through the turbulent waters of each day as a teenager dealing with school bullies, being an outcast--not part of the popular crowd, feeling neglected and unloved by her mother and not knowing (or caring) about her future. As I read Shivana's day-to-day struggles, I had to reminiscence about my childhood and how blessed I was. My concerns as a teen were to go to school, get good grades, do my homework, do my household chores and eventually get a job when I became of working age. More importantly, I was able to be the child that I was and dream--even if my dreams weren't realistic but simply to dream is a luxury that kids like Shivana couldn't revel in. She wasn't encouraged to do so neither at home or at school. She was just simply living each day without any sign leading her towards any type of future. The moment that she began to really contemplate her future and began to dream a good dream was at a moment when we all think that a teen's dreams are deferred (indefinitely). Shivana became pregnant under the worst circumstances and had to confront this hard reality head-first in a local clinic. She was in denial and in the utmost disbelief--not because she took every precaution for this to not happen but because she didn't think that it could happen (or wouldn't happen) to her. I felt her fear, loneliness and sorrow. How could she provide for her child when her mom is struggling to sustain a livelihood for the two of them? The author takes us on a journey throughout Shivana's life decision. What she ends up deciding didn't come easy!

Simultaneously as she is thinking about what to do with this baby that is on its way, she began to really sit down and think about what on earth she would want to do with the rest of her life, especially if she decided to continue this pregnancy. Living in the projects, for her wasn't something she envisioned herself continuing as she got older. She wanted to live in a place that speaks opportunity and in her eyes her dwelling was far from voicing that sentiment. Her eyes were opened because of this situation and widened as her life story progressed.

I wholeheartedly enjoyed Kalisha's depiction of this character--Shivana was a flawed, loving and wondrous teen just like many whom I have crossed paths with. This novel, although fiction, is the eyes of the real life of some adolescents of today who are struggling to be teens, dealing with pressures that are beyond our understanding and, more specifically, trying to figure this world out to make a place for themselves within it.

I urge you to run out and get this work by Kalisha--it has made me (even more so) to want to read her debut book release, Upstate!

I am usually all for reading books by lesser known authors and when I picked up this book I honestly felt like it would be a keeper. Unfortunately, I feel that the plot of this story may have had a lot of potential but fell short and was a bit underdeveloped. It became uneasy to believe Shivana, the protagonist and the motives behind her actions. I dont think she fully realized the gravity of her pregnancy. Shivana's relationship with her mother and friend were also never fully explained. I ultimately fell in love with the spirit of her unborn child though. Buckhanon used some very brilliant language (very Toni Morrison) to describe the fetus stride however when it came to exposing Shivana to the reader I felt like the protoganists' ideas were trumped with choppy and unsophisticated language (very Zane like). Moreover, there is no real resolution to the story....or maybe it was there but without any real sense of closure or reasoning. Shivana's relationship with her mother, her baby daddy's wife....all remained unresolved. The ending seemed a bit overdramatic and forged. OMG, I was so loving the first half of this book but then it flopped, and I just hate that. If youre like me and like a good read please pass on this book.

This was beautifully written but at times troubling to read. The author's voice seemed to echo through the pages and dominate the protagonist's journey. You have a 15 year-old who speaks to the reader with such wisdom and intellect coupled with ignorant dialogue and actions. It was too two-dimensional. This was a worthy soul-searching effort written uniquely with a disheartening deeper meaning, but didn't trump the author's first effort, Upstate in my opinion.

All three stars are for the talent of the author.

I'm not well versed in the rules of writing but did have some concerns that during the first person narrative, the protagonist is articulate, yet when the character is actually speaking, the dialog is that of an uneducated person.

The author is extremely gifted. Her prose is beautiful but in parts where the voice is that of the unborn child, I feel she works so hard at sounding good that words get in the way of the story.

One more thing--while I don't enjoy sappy books with implausible happy endings, I found this one entirely TOO depressing. Call me a wuss, but I get no enjoyment from something that leaves me feeling as though I've been run over by a truck.

I updated you all a few days ago that I would be digging deep down in my TBR pile and pulling out some jewels. Conception is the first of my random choices. This book has been in my possession for approximately two years and so I decided it would be the first to escape the pile.

"Planning pregnancy was for white women...(pg 12)"

Buckhanon has put together a coming of age story that is set in 1992 inner city Chicago. The odds seem to be stacked against fifteen year old Shivana who is growing up with her mother in an apartment complex that she describes as "not quite" the projects. Shivana and her mother have the normal rebellious teenager, protective mother relationship. Their already rocky relationship really takes a turn for the worse when Shivana gets pregnant by an older married man. The shining light in Shivana's life is her mother's baby sister Jewel. Jewel is a well traveled free spirit that enjoys life. Jewel gives Shivana the love and practical advice that she longs for from her mother. Annette, Shivana's mother, is a bitter woman stuck in a rut that can't push past her past hurts. While Shivana frantically tries to deal with her pregnancy, while only sharing the news with her best friend Natasha, a new piece is added to this puzzle named, Rasul. Rasul was a breath of fresh air to this whole story. Rasul is this lanky, splotchy faced, seemingly unwanted nineteen year old that is also gentle, kind, and full of wisdom.

"...because birth always brings the consequences of confusion, sadness, disappointment, then death. (pg 1)"

The twist to this entire novel is that there was a second voice which was that of the Shivana's unborn child. This addition really makes the story confusing at times. This child is a soul that has never been "anchored" to any of the women that have previously conceived it. The stories of these women that dated back to slavery were quite interesting. I got so wrapped up in these stories that there were moments I hated to go back to the main narrative. The main narrative was kind of bland compared to the "richness" of these stories.

I believe I would have enjoyed a collection of short stories with the theme of "conception" more so than the back and forth of this novel. The ending was abrupt and it also felt rushed. I just wish there was more depth to the main narrative.

I checked this novel out from the library on a whim, interested to invite a new author into my collection of literature. I didn't know what to expect and as soon as I hit page 100, I was hooked. This novel drew me into every scenario. Well written but what a tragedy. I have never cried at the end of a novel before, but this one broke me down. Definitely a must read.

If Shivana were real she and I would have been very close in age. In her own words and mind she seemed wise beyond her years with above average intelligence. Her actions were unlike anything I would expect from someone that smart. I enjoyed the characters and the secondary storyline. This was a good book but not nearly as great as 'Upstate'. I still look forward to more work by Buckhanon.

I read and LOVED Ms. Buckhanon's first novel 'Upstate'. I've been looking forward to reading this book for sometime, but was a bit skeptical that I would enjoy this book as much as I did her first. Well, I certainly was not disappointed. Ms. Buckhanon is an amazing storyteller. It was near impossible to put this book down. The struggles of Shivana Montgomery and her unborn child (yes, even the unborn child has a story to tell) are heartbreaking, yet hopeful. You find yourself rooting for Shivana, wanting so bad to see her achieve her dream of a 'Cosby Show' kinda life, and rise above her tough South Side Chi way of life.

As for the ending...very emotional, and not something I saw coming. I really don't want to give anything away, but, it was a memorable one. I find myself still thinking about it days after finishing the book. If you're at all interested in reading this, go for it. It's an extremely satisfying read...and when you've finished this one, go ahead and pick up her first novel. I absolutely look forward to future works from this super talented author.

At the tender age of fifteen, Shivana already has her mind set on what the life of a black woman is. She thinks that eventually all black women get stuck in the losing battle of getting pregnant by a man that never sticks around. Shivana's own mother has followed the same path so that's all she's ever known. Shivana is suddenly pushed into adulthood when she becomes pregnant by an older man. She now has to make a decision on weather or not to keep the baby. In this journey, Shivana also becomes friends with a troubled teen named Rasul who gives her life new meaning. Will Shivana realize how precious her and her baby's lives are?

Conception is an awe-inspiring novel by Kalisha Buckhanon. Buckhanon created an extraordinarily haunting tale about an impressionable pregnant teen. This is not your typical black teen mother type story. What makes this story stand out is that readers not only get to see Shivana's side of the story, but you also get to see this story through the eyes of her unborn child. You see how this unborn child's spirit has traveled through time to find Shivana and to show her how important it is to bring this child to life. The imagery in this novel is so emotionally gripping that it will truly touch your soul. Readers will see the transformation of Shivana as she learns about self-love and self-preservation. Conception is thought-provoking and insightful. Hopefully, we won't have to wait that long for another novel by Kalisha Buckhanon.

Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert
for Urban Reviews