Customer Reviews

Mama Dearest (Thorndike African-American)

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I was so glad to hear that we would get another dose of Yancey and Ava the mother and daughter that you love to hate. Mr. Harris did a fine job in developing the story and allowing us to see a character that is not mainstream or seen in a lot of stories. The ruthless way that Ava dealt with her daughter and the jealously was classic. I found myself laughing and crying at some of the treatment. Ava was a villain to the nth degree and I was so happy when she got hers at the end. I had the opportunity in getting an advance copy and I couldn't put the book down. The drama and the plot twists of the story were brilliant.

E Lynn Harris definitely knew how to keep you guessing and wondering what was going to happen next. I hope this will not be his last book even though he is no longer with us. I am praying that there is more books out there that just have not been released. I recommend this book as a must read, there was even appearances by Raymond Tyler and Basil Henderson that was very compelling in the story. I loved the way it ties up a lot of loose ends from previous books. I am the author of My Eyes Are Green and this author pushes me to become a better writer.

Very entertained and satisfied, after a long week this was a refreshing getaway from all the stress of life.

Mama Dearest by E. Lynn Harris is the final known book by the famous author, who recently passed away. Avid fans waited with anticipation and in many ways they are given what they want. Mr. Harris has brought back, uber-diva, Yancey. Though she is a bit hard on her luck, she is still playing the system and has amazing belief in her talents and looks. Yancey's hope is that she will get one last big break. On the other hand, her mother, Ava, has been released from prison and shows up on Yancey's doorstep. Though Yancey tries to be a good daughter, she soon learns that Ava only has Ava's best interests at heart. As usual, Mr. Harris brings drama and scandal to the pages to keep the reader interested. There are also a few new characters added to the lineup to help the story along and a few surprise players as well.

Though, the book read quickly, and was filled with drama and shenanigans, there was something missing that did not quite read E. Lynn Harris. The narrative was done in a style somewhat different than his usual style. The difference was enough to slow the story down for me. However, I recommend this book to all E. Lynn Harris fans to complete their library of works from a very prolific author. I also recommend it to those who have never read his work. They will be able to enjoy it as a stand-alone novel without making comparisons.

Angelia Menchan
APOOO BookClub

I have read all of E. Lynn Harris's novels and just finished Mama Dearest. I must say that he will truly be missed. Although the story was a good one. I noticed an abundance of typos throughout the novel. This has never happened in any of his other books! The mistakes were so bad that some parts hindered my understanding of the book. Two paragraphs are totally in the wrong spot. And on the page where Cale is introduced. He is first referred to as Cole Cantwell. Then a few lines down he was called Cantrell. The at the bottom of the page and for the rest of the book he is called Cale.

I am not sure who edited this book but they should be fired. This is not of true E. Lynn Harris caliber.

Mama Dearest was a fast read for me. The story was very interesting and kept my attention, but the book lacked consistency. I could definitely tell that E. Lynn's writing was tampered with. For example in chapter 20 of the 2nd part of the book Derrick called and told Yancey that Madison has agreed to meet up with her, then three chapters later Yancey is with Derrick asking him if Madsion would be willing to meet her, mind you three chapters earlier he had set up a lunch date and everything. Now here we are and Yancey is asking for something that was already solidified. And that wasn't the only thing that didn't add up and run smoothly throughout the book. I'm glad E.Lynn's book was released but wished his new editor would've stuck to E. Lynn's original style of writing.

This was the worst of all of his books to me. It does not seem as if it was really written by him. There were so many things that just didn't gel together. Number one is "how did Ava meet S. Martin". Don't get me started on the typo's.

Personally, I love any and everything written by E. Lynn Harris. RIP to my favorite author. I've read 9 of his novels and his memoir. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book the way I thought I would. The plot consisted of an evil character that has become typical in his latest books. I was very excited about the guest appearances of Raymond, Basil and Nicole (THOSE ARE THE CHARACTERS THAT I WANT TO READ ABOUT) This was the most predictable of them all. I grew so annoyed with Ava and wondered why Yancey hasn't given up on her long before now. I wanted to put the book down when Yancey basically let Ava put her out of her own house. Maybe this book wasn't for me because it didn't seem real enough. However his earlier books were complete classics. I love E Lynn Harris and his books will be greatly missed.

I'm a die-hard ELH fan (May he RIP)! I've never been disappointed in any of his books. That is, until now. I do love the plot and love what it could have been had ELH had the opportunity to complete it. It is obvious that he did not. Too many typos, inconsistencies, and loose ends. Throughout the read, I was constantly asking "Okay, who really wrote this?" It clearly wasn't 100% ELH, but it was good. Those who haven't read ELH's books would enjoy it, having nothing to compare it to. It would be wonderful to discover that he left other works that have yet to be published and that can be shared with his fans. However, I do hope that those works will be released on the ELH par that we fans are accustomed to.

Bad....just plain bad. As many other reviewes have noted, this book could not have been completed by ELH. The childish amateur writing is evidence of rushing completion to capilalize on Mr. Harris' untimely death. What a rip-off. Mr. Harris' fans deserved better. This book should never have went to print. Mr. Harris' legacy should have been left as it was as his earlier works were much more reminiscent of his writing style. This was pure nonsense! Where was his editors and proofreaders? If you're looking to read something by Mr. Harris, run from this nonsense and look for his earlier works.

I am a big E. lynn Harris fan. But this book was not good at all. Its has if someone else try to write the book from his notes but missed the mark big time. I'm comvince this was not written by him at all. Sorry, but still a fan.

The book was a page turner. i couldn't put it down. it was great to see characters from the past revisit this story since I assume it will be his last book. He writes with depth and emotion so youget to know the characters not just superficially. I loved thnbis book. E Lynn Hassis does it again!