10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent!, January 18, 2006
This review is from: The Last Ten Percent (Paperback)
There really are no words to describe how awesome God is and how he has used Michelle to bring quality fiction to women of this century. This book tackles friendship, racial issues, dating, marriage, womanhood, motherhood, generational concerns, and most importantly having a relationship with Jesus. I sat down to read this book and did not move. Four hours later I was done, and ready to read it again. If you are looking for something new, fresh, exciting, real, without perversion or profanity, this is for you!
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Looking for Mr. Do Right, June 1, 2006
This review is from: The Last Ten Percent (Paperback)
The "Diva" author of Christian relationships has taken the principles and life lessons that she wrote about in her twenty non-fiction books and turned them into a novel. The Last Ten Percent by Michelle McKinney Hammond explores dating in the 21st century. She recognizes dating and marriage is difficult, but when you are trying to lead a Godly life, the challenges are somewhat different. While she could not cover the gamut of relationship issues, the four sister/friends featured in this novel deal with some of the more pressing issues.
Tracy is single, beautiful, well dressed and a successful businesswoman. So why can't she find a good man? The novel opens with Tracy witnessing her current boyfriend in a romantic tryst with another woman. Instead of getting mad and storming into the restaurant, she decides to take a sabbatical from dating. Focused on her career and her friends, Tracy finds that loving her self can be just as rewarding as seeking love from another.
Following the example set for by her mother, Adrian is the picture of the perfect wife, As the homemaker, she keeps the house clean, dinner on the table and is available to her husband at all times. When he leaves her for another woman, she makes changes in her appearances and lifestyle. The changes make her a more appealing woman and gives her the courage to go out and fight for what is hers. .
Felicia is another beautiful single woman and unlucky in love. She has been hurt so many times by so many different men, she decides to cut her losses before she can be hurt again. Felicia has a secret. When her boyfriend, the renowned plastic surgeon finds out, she finds he is just not going to walk out of her life, no matter how hard she pushes.
Muriel was so traumatized by the actions of her college boyfriend, that she has not been involved in a relationship since her sophomore year of college. Now, hitting close to forty, she is introduced to the perfect man. Muriel has a lot of baggage that she holds in front of her, but Brad is committed and breaks down every barrier she puts up. Once, Muriel is frees herself of her past, she finds that she can love this man just as much as he loves her.
McKinney-Hammond covers the topics of male/female relationships, single parenting, interracial dating, building self-esteem and date rape. One thing this reader really liked was that although not all the women were Christians but the author was able to use biblical principles for each woman's situation. With their various backgrounds, each situation was viewed differently demonstrating that dating in these times is difficult no matter Christian or not. I would have liked for there to have been less telling and more showing by having the characters use more dialogue. While this reader has not read any of this author's non-fiction books, I have heard her speak and found her to be interesting and many of the things she spoke about I see she used in this novel. I think Ms McKinney Hammond makes a fine transition from non-fiction to fiction. . I am now anxious to pick up one of her previous books.
Jeanette
APOOO BookClub
Motown Review Book Club
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Soul stirring fiction with snap!, June 10, 2006
This review is from: The Last Ten Percent (Paperback)
Now this is some soul-stirring fiction. Spiritual truth brought out by the perils experienced by five gorgeous women who all struggle with the same thing...the meaning of true love. As each woman suffers through their individual trials, they learn to trust each other, and more importantly, they find God in the midst of their pain. Though I think the author had one too many characters' points of view, overall the story was fabulous. I felt their pain, longed for healing in their futures, and grew with them in my heart. Ms. Hammond has a gift for conveying the true struggles most women have in regards to matters of the heart. She does it in such a smooth way that you feel like you learned something, yet it was so seamlessly woven into the story itself, that it's not obvious. I loved the sistah' teasing and the cultural snap she brought out in their relationships. Of all the chick lit I've read this past year, this one really pulls you in. I want to read a sequel because I feel like these ladies are my friends. I want to see them get married and grow with them some more. I didn't want the story to end, yet the conclusion was truly satisfying and didn't leave me hanging. Though far from perfect, each woman in this story developed true inward beauty, and for that, I feel blessed to have been a part of their spiritual journey. This is not a sappy, preachy attempt to convey Christian themes to the reader. The Last Ten Percent deals with the humiliating, ugly things in life and brings the reader to the point where they want to see these ladies find love in Christ alone. I can't say enough great things about this story. It's a must read in my book! Check it out!
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