Customer Reviews

A Girl Like Me

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

 

 

APOOO Rating: 4 stars
Amazon Rating: 4 stars

A GIRL LIKE ME by Ni-Ni Simone tells the story of sixteen year-old, Elite Juliana Parker who has a sultry voice like Keyshia Cole and the range of Mariah Carey. When the local radio station, Hot 102, has a singing contest on the radio to win tickets to the mega-hot singer Haneef's concert, she blows the contest away with her vocals. Having this stars' poster hanging on her ceiling above her bed, and being able to meet Haneef in real life is a dream come true. When they meet face-to-face, their chemistry cannot be denied and a whirlwind romance begins.

Elite tries to hide her "real life" from Haneef. The life of having a crack-addicted mother and raising her sister and two brothers on her own; working a part-time job and using her paychecks to buy the neccessities for her brothers and sister. All this pretending comes to a screeching halt when reality quickly slaps her in the face.

A GIRL LIKE ME kind of reminds me of THE WAY IT IS on BET, the Keyshia Cole story. Like her previous novels,Simone has some characters that will have you shaking your head and laughing out loud. For all those young girls out there, that do not believe in dreams....Dreams Do Come True. It may just be a book, but is shows you that the possibility and opportunity is there if you just go for your dreams.

Reviewed by Leona R.
APOOO BookClub

Ms. Ni-Ni Simone did it again. This book is a must have. I felt like I was right there with the characters, Mom-Mom, Mica, And Naja's family were crazy. It was an easy read.

Get yourself A Copy......

Ni-Ni Simone has blessed her fans with another fabulous coming-of-age tale

In "A Girl Like Me", Elite is a sixteen year old beauty who's not able to enjoy her youth due to her mother's crack addiction. In addition to school and work, she's single-handedly raising her younger siblings on a measly salary.

Given the opportunity to sing for the boy of her dreams, the superfine, Haneef, Elite is beginning to experience a fragment of happiness.

Elite manages to keep her mother's addiction a secret. Slowly, life as Elite knows it, begins to crumble. Unexpectedly, Haneef is there to see that Elite doesn't weather the storm alone.

As in Ni-Ni's previous reads, there are memorable characters that we tend to fall in love with: Naja, Sydney, Aniya, Mica and Mom-Mom. Naja's dad was hilarious too with his limited dialogue (yup-yup). LMAO!!!!!

Lastly, it's a wonderful tale of a young girl's heartfelt pursuit of happiness. I'm rating it 4 ˝ stars.

A Girl Like Me is, a great inspiring read and certainly, representive of the added pressure of so many young girls, today.

Young girls who are saturated with the ordeal of taking care of younger brothers and sisters, adopting parental duties well before their time. Life doesn't come with directions and Elite learns about life the hard way. While her mother has the "monkey" on her back along with her trifling boyfriend...

Elite, who sings like Keisha Cole, is forced to play mother to her younger siblings...Life to Elite is challenging....until the moment she wins a radio contest and has the possibility of living the life that every teenager desires...

Will she be forced to give it up at the expense of doing her mother's job...will she have to forgo her chance of normalcy because she may have to choose between telling the truth or living a lie...

A Girl Like Me should be read by parents as well as teenagers...it will definitely open up ones eyes to the fact that parents should be parents and let their children not be burden with their responsibilites.

NiNi Simone has written another book that will touch the essence of your soul. She gives us food for thought and allows young reader an opportunity to read refreshing and renewing literature.

It would be remiss of me if I were not to mention the humor, that NiNi supplies us with in this novel. As her previous two books did as well, she entertains us with humor, while digesting a serious situation. The humor is well done and tasteful as NiNi implements a lighter side to this weighty situation that so many young girls are in.

Kudos again for this book also is another winner!

Have you ever heard or read the book A Girl Like Me by Ni-Ni Simone? Well this book is about a sixteen year old teenage name Elite. She lives in the ghetto having to raise her brothers and sisters because her mom was addicted to crack and dad was not around but suddenly comes up on her big break. The sad but yet happy story will leave the readers flabbergasted. This story is amazing because it gives you an almost realistic situation that a lot of young adults may be going through. This girl has big dreams for her life and intends to fill them.

Her story starts off with her winning a singing contest on the radio that allows her to meet the guy of her dreams Haneef a huge R&B star at his concert. At the concert she sang and the crowd and Haneef went wild. Shortly after that she and Haneef continuously hung out. And her long term boyfriend of 3 years started getting jealous but she didn't like him anymore so she pursued Haneef and left her boyfriend.

Elite and Haneef spend time together almost every weekend and got really close. They get so close that Elite ends up telling Haneef her true story. She tells him about the crack addicted mom and no father in sight where she lived how she had to be the mom in her family. Then come to find out Haneef's mom was on crack to just like her and shared common lives.

As time continuously runs out for her she has only one chance to save her family and change her life. With her secreat out about her caotic life she must find some way to fix it with the whole school knowing about her life. As she denies help from her loved one Haneef.She refuses because she was embarassed and rather take care of her life on her own. She wonders what to do with her life.
She's not sure if she should accept help from her boyfriend Haneef or handle it on her own. She wonders what will happen to her life next. Will something go wrong or right in her life? Will her life go up in flames. Or will she get help from her boyfriend Haneef be able to take care of her, her younger brother and siters, and take care of her mom. What wil she do? Looks like your going to have to read the book and find out.

Unlike most teens that Elite knows, she's the mom in her family, while her mom is busy being a crack-addict. Elite doesn't really mind taking care of her siblings and being so responsible, however, she does wish just once she could be a normal teen.

With a voice like an angel and a plan to win tickets on Hot 102 so she can be front and center with Haneef, her major crush, Elite is too embarrassed when her mom breaks her down on the air. Luckily, her girl Naja hooks the station up with the info and for one night Elite is the hood version of Cinderella.

Being pulled up on stage to perform a duo with Haneef slings Elite's life into a whole different world. People she's never talked to are all of a sudden her closest friends. She's lying, stealing and manipulating things to keep her real life from being exposed. Can Elite learn to deal with the truth about who and what she is? Or will she be defeated by rumors?

A GIRL LIKE ME is the third book I've read by Ni-Ni Simone. A little reluctant at first, I found myself easily engaged in the story. Not only that, there was a real story, issues and hopes. I love that Ni-Ni has put her on unique spin own a classic. There were some editing issues; otherwise, this is definitely a book I'd recommend to others.


Shortie Like Mine
If I Was Your Girl

This book was absolutely GREAT! i jus loved it! i just finished it a few minutes ago and i was soo pleased. i loved Naja,Mica,Sydney,Aniyah, and Mom-Mom because they surely did make me lauhg out loud n the different events goin on with Elite really inspired me n will inspire others. This book shows Everything definently happens 4 a reason!...definently a Must Read! Kudoos to Ni-Ni

Reviewed by: Ambriea
for Readers in motion book club
www.readersinmotionbookclub.ning.com