Customer Reviews

Fast Forward (Kimani Tru)

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

 

 

After all she went through in Pushing Pause, especially the family tragedy, Kenisha Lewis is ready to leave all the drama behind her and Fast Forward. But drama seems to follow her wherever she goes or she puts herself right in the middle of it.
Kenisha is kicked out of the school she went to all of her life, Hazelhurst Academy for Girls, and she makes a choice to attend public school. She hangs around the wrong people and changes, but not for the better. She starts making bad choices and doesn't seem to get it when her "real" friends are concerned. Someone she cares about is affected by her careless decisions, and that is when she takes a good look at herself.
I had to overlook quite a bit of profanity, but this was a good read. It would be nice if Kenisha didn't use bad language so much, but I do like her. She's an angry girl (understandable under the circumstances)in this story, but she is also very intelligent and talented. Li'l T is cool and I really like the grandmom; a wise woman who loves and supports her granddaughter, but never condones any bad behavior.
Norfleet included words of wisdom and valuable lessons and that's a good thing, but there was something mentioned that I totally disagreed with: It was suggested that a particular person's death was God's will. This person committed suicide. I realize this is not a Christian novel, but I really have to say that God is loving and life is a gift. I do not believe it would ever be God's will for anyone to take his/her own life. Satan comes to kill, steal and destroy. God wants us to live life to the fullest. I feel a responsiblity to readers and, most importantly, the heavenly Father to make the truth known.
Norfleet does send a message that is very important: Suicide affects the people left behind.

Kenisha Lewis was still trying to come to terms with her mother's suicide and the changes that caused in her life and relationship with her immediate family. In Fast Forward, author Celeste O. Norfleet shares with readers how death and other life-changing situations affect the lives of teens and how they respond to them.

It was bad enough that Kenisha had to deal with her mother's sudden death, but when her father moved his mistress into the house the family shared which included Kenisha's two half brothers, it was enough to have her acting out in school, which she certainly did. Kenisha's anger issues spilled out in every aspect of her life until she ended up getting kicked out of the private school she attended since kindergarten.

Deciding on her own to move in with her grandmother and attend public school, Kenisha began to make decisions about her life and the people in it without looking back or counting up the cost of her actions. In spite of what she was taught by both her mother and grandmother, Kenisha found herself in situations that could have definitely meant losing her freedom or her life. Will Kenisha find a way to stay true to what she was taught and find a way to come to terms with her situation? Or, will she continue to spiral out of control, suffering the consequences of her actions?

I enjoyed reading Fast Forward because sometimes adults forget that children are affected by life-changing events and need an outlet to express themselves and come to terms with what has happened. I recommend this book to coming-of-age teens and young adults.


Review by Sharel E. Gordon-Love
Apooo BookClub

`Fast Forward' and Kenisha Lewis are back. While she's a little more seasoned, unfortunately, due to the death of her mom, the fact still remains, she's hurting. The school year has just started and she can't seem to get into full gear. While things look the same, it just isn't in Kenisha's world. Her cousin Jade is actually her sister. LaVon, her ex-boyfriend, was cheating all along with her so called friend Chilli and they have a baby on the way. Then if that weren't bad enough, she's forced to live in a house that used to be her home with her mom and dad with his new family. Expulsion is the final thread and Kenisha decides that Virginia just may not be the right fit for her.

In D.C. she has a chance to start anew. Unfortunately, with public school comes a new cast of characters, shenanigans and issues. Things seem to keep pivoting in the wrong direction. Can Kenisha learn to navigate her life before she gets in over her head?

Again, `Fast Forward' is a great read. I could fully understand and relate to this character's emotions. I enjoyed the fact that the story wasn't perfect and that there were consequences to her missteps. I do hope that this isn't the last that we've seen of this series.

Reviewed by: Lauren

Kenisha Lewis appears to always be smack in the middle of trouble. If it's not a fight at school, it's a battle of wits with her dad's live in girlfriend, Courtney, or fighting off vicious rumors surrounding her mixed up life. It appears everyone around Kenisha is convinced that she's angry. And she isn't. Is she?

Her mom died, life changed, and instead of crying about it, Kenisha dealing with it. After her expulsion from Hazelhurst Academy in Virginia, she transfers to Penn Hall High in D.C. and moves in with her grandmother. As she tries to remain optimistic, it's apparent to even her that the girl inside of her is slowly deserting her, and drama has definitely moved in. Sneaking out, hanging with the wrong people, and not thinking before acting puts Kenisha in repeated dangerous situations. Will Kenisha hit the pause button before her life spins too far out of control?

I enjoyed Fast Forward tremendously, yet I somewhat feel cheated. I was told that Fast Forward could be considered a stand alone, but I think reading Pushing Pause first would've allowed the readers to connect to key characters and fully understand what had transpired. Nevertheless, Fast Forward was a great read.

Reviewed by Nardsbaby
for Urban Reviews

Celeste Norfleet presents with another installment in the turbulent life of Kenisha Lewis with Fast Forward.

Kenisha is still reeling from the sudden death of her mother and is trying to piece her life back together; but things just won't seem to fall into place. She is barely standing her father's live-in girlfriend and at every turn is covertly sabotaging her authority with her two boys. Meanwhile the tread that was holding her school life together was on the verge and finally snapped. To make matters worse she got expelled from her private school, the only school she has ever attended.

After making the decision to move back to her grandmother's and attend the local public school; she discovers that public school was more than a notion. The school work was relatively easy; but the student body and the drama that came with them; was more than she bargained for.
Ms. Norfleet introduced us to mad drama in Pushing Pause and I thought it couldn't get any better. But to my utter surprise, Ms. Norfleet has taken these characters and this storyline to a level that will be almost impossible for other young adult writers to reach.

I highly recommend this series to anyone. Although it is slotted for young adults; it is just plain good reading for everyone that loves a good story and exceptional writing. I bow to this author for her creativity and ability to write current storyline with a phenomenal message.

Eleanor S. Shields, Black Butterfly Review

The book was receceived before the scheduled time but was in horrible condition. The front cover was faded and very worn and the pages were all curled. It was a very worn book. I have purchased books from Amazon for a penny ($0.01) and were in better condition that this book. Very disappointed about the condition of this book.