Customer Reviews

A Life to Remember

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

 

 

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

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.

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

Kudos to Azarel! I read this book in 24 hours. "A Life to Remember" was a good read. Once I started reading I was not able to put the book down. Azarel kept it real and gave us a true but sad insite into prison life. The characters were well developed and Azarel kept you wondering what was going to happen next. I must admit I was a little disappointed with the ending but overall this was a good book.

Chiquita of PSSST!! Book Club
www.pssst.1colony.com

If you want to curl up on the bed and read a good book then I suggest you get A Life To Remember. I've read tons of books that have always been based on love or cheating relationships and I wanted to read something a little different this time. I must say that I was very impressed as soon as I started reading the first page. This book is full of laughs, jaw dropping surprises, and cool characters. Azarel's book could easily be compared to The Coldest Winter Ever or True To The Game, but this book out scores them both. Ladies (and gentlemen) put down those romance novels, and get locked down with A Life To Remember.

Freshman novel by Azarel is not that good a read, her story telling style is rather bland. Having worked in the Virginia dept of corrections and being a witness to some of the scenarios the character Divine Jones spoke of was somewhat comical, though mostly accurate, most were not realisticly told in my opnion. The editing could have been a little better as well, all told I wouldn't break my neck reading any more of her books and definitely would not purchase another.

This is a story about brotherly best friends who ends up in a correctional institution who turns into throat-cutting rivals on each other.One leaves and the other stays being a target from beat downs to being broken down. This is a thrilled of a book. Read it in two days!

This is an interesting book. "A Life to Remember" is a page turner. This book shows you that a criminal life style is not beyond anyone's reach. Even a man with an good education and good up bringing can get mixed up in some shady business. Azarel tells the story of what happens when Divine Jones gets mixed up in an illegal occupation.

Divine Jones and friend Niko have relocated to their new home at Dundridge State Facility. They are sentence to serve many years behind bars due to their easy get rich scheme. During his first five years at Dundridge, Divine insisted that he was an innocent man and his lawyer has a way to set him free. When Divine's plan is found out, he becomes the most wanted on Block C.

Divine once being one of the most feared on the block, it is now Divine who has to worry about his own safety. During his time at Dundridge, he realizes that he should have just done his time like a man. Instead Divine tries to do everything that he can to get away with the crime he has committed. Even if it means that he loses friends in the process.

"A Life to Remember" is a novel that tells you about the different types of illegal activities that goes on in prisons. This can be used as an eye opener to put fear in people so that they can think twice about what career path they want to have. I recommend this book to everyone especially our young people in hopes that they can learn from other people's misfortunes.