Midnight: A Gangster Love Story (Hardcover)

by Sister Souljah (Author)
Key Phrases: heavenly paradise, New York, Umma Designs, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Souljah's follow-up to her bestselling novel, TheColdest Winter Ever, is another gritty coming-of-age tale, picking up the story of Midnight (a character in Coldest Winter) as he tries desperately to navigate American culture, Brooklyn streets and the dicey business of growing up. The novel begins as seven-year-old Midnight and his pregnant mother, Umma, are forced to leave their privileged life in Sudan for a hardscrabble American existence. Midnight spends his formative years in Brooklyn guiding and translating for his loyal, loving and talented mother, helping her get a factory job while encouraging her to start a clothing line. Eventually, Midnight starts working at a Chinatown fish shop, finds love, joins a dangerous hustler's basketball league and tries to disentangle his ambivalent feelings toward romance, family and personal honor. Souljah's sensitive treatment of her protagonist is honest and affecting, with some realistic moments of crisis. Unfortunately, a slack plot and slow pacing cause serious bloat, and Souljah's distinctive prose is woefully unpolished. Frustrations aside, Souljah has obvious talent and sincere motives, making her a street-lit sophomore worth watching. (Oct.)
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Product Description
Sister Souljah, the hip-hop generation's number one author and most compelling storyteller, delivers a powerful story about love and loyalty, strength and family. In her bestselling novel, The Coldest Winter Ever, Sister Souljah introduced the world to Midnight, a brave but humble lieutenant to a prominent underworld businessman. Now, in a highly anticipated follow-up to her million-selling masterpiece, she brings readers into the life and dangerously close to the heart of this silent, fearless young man.

Raised in a wealthy, influential, Islamic African family, Midnight enjoys a life of comfort, confidence, and protection. Midnight's father provides him with a veil of privilege and deep, devoted love, but he never hides the truth about the fierce challenges of the world outside of his estate. So when Midnight's father's empire is attacked, he sends Midnight with his mother to the United States.

In the streets of Brooklyn, a young Midnight uses his Islamic mind-set and African intelligence to protect the ones he loves, build a business, reclaim his wealth and status, and remain true to his beliefs.

Midnight, a handsome and passionate young man, attracts many women. How he interacts and deals with them is a unique adventure. This is a highly sensual and tremendous love story about what a man is willing to risk and give to the women he loves most. Midnight will remain in your mind and beat in your heart for a lifetime.

Her "raw and true voice" (Publishers Weekly) will both soothe and arouse you. In a beautifully written and masterfully woven story, Sister Souljah has given us Midnight, and solidified her presence as the mother of all contemporary urban literature.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: Atria; 1st Atria Books Hardcover Ed edition (November 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416545182
• ISBN-13: 978-1416545187
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (256 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,818 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Midnight, November 5, 2008

By	jacobys girl (BRIDGETON, N.J.) - See all my reviews

First off if you are looking for a sequel to The Coldest Winter Ever, this aint it, you will be very disappointed. Though the story is about the charachter Midnight from the Coldest Winter Ever, this book is about his life before the Santiagos. As a matter of fact the oldest he gets in this book is the age of fourteen. But let me tell you he happens to be a very mature fourteen yr. old, who lives the life of a well bred man who instead if giving into temptation resist it. I found him so captivating the way he lives his life, the culture, the religion, though I do not agree with everything of muslim faith i do believe that if we all could just live by this one law, no fornication!!! we would be much better off as a people, Dont You Think? My favorite charachter in this book after Midnight of course, is Bangs I found her as he did funny but also bold. As much as I respected Midnight for staying true to hiself and his beliefs I found myself a little upset that things could'nt and would'nt come together for Midnight and Bangs i really believe he would have made a big difference in her life a positive difference. so even though I was a little disappointed that this had nothing to do with the Coldest Winter Ever. I was not disapointed with this book not at all. All ive got to say is Sister Souljah you better be working on part2 Because you can not leave me hangin like this!!!!!!!

35 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars mixed emotions about this, November 10, 2008

By	Urban Fiction Journalist - See all my reviews

Like others have said, it is a prequel, it does get boring at times, and does appear unbelievable at others. However, it is a very ambitious and provacative novel. It's literature. It will make you think, it will make you question yourself. It may even have you considering changing the way you operate. It does calls American born blacks out about their behavior and beliefs - hell, all Americans for that matter. Midnight is vicious. Was it worth the wait? No. Is it worth $26.95? No. However, it is worth the read. It can generate some serious dialogue in our community. It's a very intellectual read that can and should be appreciated. It provides plenty to talk about if you can manage to finish it.
My biggest problem is it left me with too many questions, more questions than I had going into it. And, I'm just hoping it doesn't take another ten years get the answers.
Also, I don't think it should be referred to as a gangster's love story becasue nothing about Midnight, in this story, is gangster. Yes, he is a killer - solely for the protection of himself and loved ones - but NOT a gangster.
So, if you're looking to reunite with Winter and her family and will be highly disappointed if they are not there, don't waste your money. If your don't mind be taken on a journey that's overly informative yet sometimes dull along they way, then gear up. Midnight aint for everybody.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars midnight: a gangster love story, November 23, 2008

By	watch commander "lovetoread" (atlanta) - See all my reviews

I guess shocked, embarrassed, hurt and anger can discribe the emotional roller coster Sister Souliah took me on while reading this book. While she attempted to open ours eyes to other cultures she also succeeded in denouncing every other culture we as black american have been taught. NOOOOOOOOO culture, religion and or race is perfect, and everyone has its issue. But the way she protrayed the young black sisters in this novel was down right hateful, I have three beautiful daughters at home whom I usually pass my books onto when I'm done,this wont be one of them. I wouldn't want them to see that going to college and maintaining their scholarships are all in vain because this is how a well respected black female in our community discribes you. There are uneducated, mislead and whorish women in every culture and for her to label her on kind that way, while raising up another culture who is know for selling sex for $2.00 in thier country to our men overseas is hurtful. I am a big fan of the book No Disrespect, Well Sister No Disrespect I have lost an enormous amount of respect for your writing. But I will give this book a 3 star rating because you had to put a lot of time and effort in beating down and berating all of us who grew up in the hood.