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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Divine Intervention, January 31, 2004
This review is from: A Life to Remember (Paperback)
We've all heard horror stories about life behind bars, but Azarel brings these rumors to a harsh reality in her novel A LIFE TO REMEMBER. The narrator, Divine Jones, came from a decent upbringing, good education, and decent job. He was the model of affluence, working in the financial sector until he started hanging with the wrong crowd and got caught up in illegal activities. Now Divine and his buddy Niko are paying for their sins in a state penitentiary - to the tune of twelve years. In the fashion of true brothers, Divine and Niko look out for one another in the prison. That is, until a murder is committed and the truth about what Divine agreed to after the trial that put him and Niko away comes to light. It seems that Divine made a deal with the judge to snitch on Niko in order to reduce his sentence. Niko, a strong and rough brother, is not happy about this discovery, and soon Divine's life becomes an even worse nightmare. The rapes, the shanks, the drugs, the beatdowns that take place in the prison where A LIFE TO REMEMBER takes place are vividly portrayed. Azarel constructs her narrator well, and the reader feels sympathy, empathy, and outrage at the things he endures. The book reminded me of the HBO series Oz, translated into prose. A LIFE TO REMEMBER is certainly not a book I will soon forget. Reviewed by CandaceK
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Book You Will Certainly Remember, January 30, 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: A Life to Remember (Paperback)
A Life to Remember is a book I will never forget. This piece of realistic fiction takes you behind the bars of the Dundridge Correctional Facilitiy into the lives of some very colorful and interesting characters. As you interact with the characters be cautious not to anticipate a predictable outcome and get "played" by Divine and his boys. ALR will give you the low down on lives in lock down.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Wild Ride & Highly Recommended, December 14, 2003
This review is from: A Life to Remember (Paperback)
Azarel's debut, A LIFE TO REMEMBER, is a remarkable fictional story of life in prison at Dunnridge State Correctional Facility. Divine Jones and Niko were running buddies on the streets of Portsmouth, Virginia in between embezzling $1.5 million from U.S. Savings and Loan. Divine proclaims his innocence to anyone who will listen, all while Niko adapts to life on the inside and quickly gains respect from other inmates. When convict and rival Ed Jones is found murdered in a shower stall, Divine is Dunnridge's prime suspect and immediately ushered to protective custody. Proclaiming his innocence once again, Divine reaches out to Niko for answers and support only to find Niko uncommunicative, leaving Divine to stand alone. Fearing retaliation from Ed Jones' crew and additional sentencing, Divine is not sure whom he can trust when he receives word he has been labeled a snitch, murderer and the reason for Niko's incarceration. Rumors and lies are being spread all over Cell Block C and Divine is caught in the middle of a conspiracy to indict other felons. Whom can he trust and who is plotting his demise? Divine realizes he can trust no one, not even the unscrupulous Correction Officers at Dunnridge. A LIFE TO REMEMBER is an exceptional piece written by a prolific author. In one instant a man's life is changed when he looses his manhood and later offers it to another without hesitation in lieu of protection for his life. Astounding! The distinctive voice of each character was phenomenal and it was interesting in the end how they all played an integral part in the story. Azarel's ability to write from a man's point of view with ease makes A LIFE TO REMEMBER a book worth reading. Only the strongest survive, but at Dunnridge survival comes with a price.
Reviewed by Nicki Lancaster
APOOO BookClub
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