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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Maybe Not the Last, But One of the Best 4.5 Stars, August 18, 2007
The Last Street Novel by Omar Tyree was a literary journey into Harlem and it's street culture. As Harlem becomes more like uptown, the underworld is struggling to survive. Shareef Crawford is a New York Times, best-selling author who has come home to Harlem to promote his newest book. He has become famous and rich, writing romantic fiction for the ladies. Shareef is handsome and charismatic. He has an estranged wife, Jennifer, and two small children in the suburbs of Fort Lauderdale and a mistress ensconced in an oceanfront condo in Miami. He is living every player's dreams. However, he is conflicted because while he has defied the odds and is an educated, celebrated author he is concerned about what his work means and his ties to the street. He is also in turmoil about his marriage. He loves he and she loves him but he and Jennifer are separated because they are both strong-willed people with no ability to compromise.
At a book signing at the Hue-Man bookstore in Harlem, he sets up a rendezvous with a beautiful woman in attendance. Shareef is looking for sex but Cynthia has a hidden agenda. After a romp in the sheets, she convinces him to visit a prisoner, who was once a kingpin on the streets of Harlem and he does. Michael Stringfield has been locked up for ten years and is looking to have the `true Harlem' story written. But before a word can be written mayhem ensues and Shareef is caught up in the street game in a way he never expected. Friends become foes and foes are friends. People are dropping like flies and he is literally running for his life.
The Last Street Novel was an enjoyable, roller-coaster ride through Harlem and it's underworld. What was most interesting was the way Mr. Tyree allowed us into Shareef's head and heart and allowed us to know enough about peripheral characters to make them read like real people and not just stereotypes. He also did a wonderful job of showing the conflict of a black man who has done it the right way and left the `hood' but who is still very much attached to his community and its people.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in a well-written, well-told story. I thoroughly enjoyed the Last Street Novel.
Angelia Menchan
APOOO BookClub
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not his personal best, but better than most urban lit out..., July 13, 2007
Omar Tyree's had a few missteps in some of his selections, in my opinion, but never when he captures the male voice. In "A Do Right Man," "Capital City," "Just Say NO!" "What They Want" and now "The Last Street Novel," he has created characters with whom his female audience is unfamiliar. That's his specific point.
With his latest, he has a normal man, Shareef Crawford, who becomes a best-selling author peddling exactly what women want, salacious sex stories. He's a cheater, like so many, and has issues with his wife that so many men have. He reaches a turning point like so many of us wondering if he should take his art in another direction or keep feeding the pigs slop. Rather than live for the world, he lives for himself finally and gets into a lot of hot water for it. The way the story plays out is hilarious and very entertaining, albeit lengthy. For those with short-attention spans it can seem bogged down and drawn out, but I prefer drawn out to incomplete.
Surely women, especially those of color, will be offended by Shareef's constant excuse of behavior with the thought that because he is providing so much financial security, he is entitled to sex more frequently. This is only off-putting because women don't want to acknowledge that you don't get something for nothing, as if satisfying your man equals prostitution when he's taking care of the finances. If he was a poor man and demanded sex constantly, would she feel it to be an issue? So many women want to be "kept" women, but what are they doing to keep their man? His wife wants a man who is capable of satisfying her most basic needs and then some, but what is his payoff? Should he only be satisfied with her taking care of the kids and home? He can afford a housekeeper and if her were to tell her he's "taking care of the kids" she would say it's his duty. Where's her duty?
These ideas are irritating to most of Tyree's female audience because they want their fiction to be the fiction that they believe real life to be. They want the man to be a complete *no-good jerk* or a saint. People are not so black and white. Without apology, Tyree effectively portrays the silly games women play to keep men interested. I'm certain there are many who read this embarrassed that the little things they do are so transparent to men.
The encounters that fill this book are all situations that happen daily in various aspects of entertainment, just like those in "What They Want." Tyree doesn't pretend that his protagonist is a perfect man, but he ensures that you know he's a real one. Because women are never satisfied with the type of man they deal with, the thoughts coming straight from the mind of a seemingly good man are shocking. If your homegirl was married to him I bet you'd be green with envy and she's probably jealous of yours. Tyree shows that the grass ain't always greener on the other side which I find to be a great service.
Incorporating multi-faceted men in urban literature is a burden that Tyree is willing to take and I applaud him for doing it. He has a sense of humor that's lost on many and I'm glad I get it. Like it or not, Omar Tyree's here to stay. And he's bringing a slew of real men with him.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
(RAW Rating: 4.5) - Don't Let the Title Fool You, August 3, 2007
My first piece of advice is don't let the title fool you and go on any past notion of what you may have heard about Omar Tyree or his previous titles. THE LAST STREET NOVEL stands on its own and I doubt anyone who actually reads it will think otherwise. Yes, the title may throw you into a preconceived notion of what is meant by it, but until you read it, you're simply guessing. With that said, let me introduce best-selling romance author Shareef Crawford.
Shareef is married with children, but just can't get through to his wife about his needs. As she goes on and on about her wants and desires, he counters with his, but sadly, they don't seem to connect, neither knowing how to compromise. So, yes, he has a few women on the side, women who are interested in finding the romance, love and lust featured in his many books, women who will do the one thing his wife won't. And though Shareef has no qualms about his sexual needs, he is a bit more complex than what one sees on the surface. He's from Harlem, knows the streets, and wants to write about things that challenge the normal way of thinking. He wants to relate to other men through his books. On the flip side, he knows how his bread is buttered...writing romance.
While doing a signing in New York for his latest bestseller, Shareef selects the lucky lady for the evening. Though a simple romp in his hotel suite is what's on his mind, he finds a lot more than expected. He is even challenged to write a more thought-provoking book based upon the life of a NY gangster. Word gets out and Shareef finds himself the talk of the streets, and not in a good way. Friends turn on him, and eventually Shareef starts to question not only his reasons for wanting to write the book, but also other arenas of his life. These things show that Shareef really isn't a bad person, he just makes bad decisions occasionally; just as everyone else does. The problem is...some of his decisions may cost him not only his life, but also the lives of those he loves.
THE LAST STREET NOVEL was fast-paced and thought-provoking. And, though I didn't read any of the back cover or other corresponding media pertaining to the book, based upon the title, I had my own preconceived notion of the contents. This was, however, one of the best books I've read this year. Tyree has managed to perfectly blend contemporary fiction with street fiction and THE LAST STREET NOVEL is the best of both worlds. The characters are so well-developed, it's as if you're right there beside them step-by-step. When the bullets start flying, your heart rate ascends along with Shareef's and you actually share his experience. And, though all of those things were done really well, the dialogue was my favorite part of the book. Through Shareef and other characters in the book, Tyree displays wit, humor, intellect, and a need to truly communicate with others. Even the hardness and realities of the street came through clearly, and I'm a country girl from Arkansas.
I loved THE LAST STREET NOVEL and would highly recommend it to any reader as it doesn't simply sit in one genre. Those who enjoy thrillers and suspense will love it, as will those who like relationship-themed stories, and even those who like street life. It is, once again, a perfect blend of contemporary fiction and street fiction.
Reviewed by Tee C. Royal
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
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