Customer Reviews

My Life Is All I Have

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I started this book without any knowledge about its contents. This book completely surprised me. This is the story of a young girl Leesha, struggling to find her way out of an abusive environment created by her mother. Leesha's grandmother was her anchor giving her all the love that was missing from her relationship with her mother. When her mother's latest love interest moved in, Leesha became a hostage in her own home. Grammy was her salvation. When death came knocking Leesha loses the one person that loved her beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Torn between the need to get a quick fix to her living arrangements, Leesha meets two very different men that become protective of her. One was leading the ganaster life and the other was a geek. I don't want to give away too much about this book but I guess what surprised me most about this book was the lack of sex. While Leesha entertains the idea of stripping, her protectors keep that life away from her. The book is very moving and leaves so many unanswered questions that I feel V. Anthony could easily do a sequel. Big ups to V. I totally enjoyed this book.

I always get a good laugh when books are compared to the likeness of The Coldest Winter Ever with hope that readers will be impressed. My Life Is All I Have is one-hundred pages too long and contains non-stop babble from a whiny teenager with a shockingly bad attitude. Leesha made me want to slap her! There's nothing likable about this character at all. It's hard for the reader to want what's best for her.

So life isn't a bed of roses. Do something about it! Reach out to your estranged father rather than push him away. Especially since that was the final wish of her dearly departed beloved grandmother. The author didn't do a convincing job writing from a female perspective. Leesha lacked emotion. As bitter as she was, I couldn't feel her pain or even envision it. The prologue of the book contradicted with the actual chapters. Didn't Leesha refer to Blaze as Scottie? The character Treyvon was ridiculous and unbelievable. After the fruitless robbery scheme and reckless gun behavior, Leesha speaks intelligently for the first time and then she's off to God knows where with cash that won't last unless it's invested and a high school diploma with no job skills whatsoever. Nice!

This book sends the wrong message to teens growing up poor and/or in broken households point blank. (no pun intended)

In this "Set It Off" meets "Boyz in the Hood" tale, My Life is Not My Own, author V. Anthony Rivers depicts the day-to-day life of a lonely girl named Leesha living in the area of Los Angeles known as "the Jungle". Leesha's life is centered on her grandmother, or "Grammy", as she has never known her father, and she and her mother are far from close. She also befriends Scottie, a young gangster, who looks out for her and treats her like a big brother, even to the point of risking his life and freedom.

Rivers paints a good picture of Leesha's surroundings; the reader will definitely feel as if they are in the heart of "the Jungle". However, the author does not provide enough criteria to establish the faulty relationship between Leesha and her mother, especially since Leesha's grandmother was an absolute angel walking on earth. It was also difficult for this reader to believe the choices that Leesha made - one day, she is g trying to finish high school and then go on to college, and then she wakes up wanting to be a criminal. It is just not clear what the turning point for her was.

The storyline was difficult to follow because it just went on and on. It took too many words or too much dialogue to give different scenes, which got to be frustrating. In addition, the author tried to put the reader into the mid-90's era by giving examples of what people were wearing or what music was playing but the lingo was more conducive to 2006 (i.e. "ya feel me" after ever other sentence by Scottie and "getting your mack on"). With a clearer storyline, more intense character development and research, it would have been a better read.

Lena Willis
APOOO BookClub

Author V. Anthony Rivers really does an amazing job in latest fictional effort My Life Is All I Have. The novel tells a story of Leesha Taylor growing up in a not so desirable section of L.A. and her daily trials and tribulations from girl fights to the constant advances that come from her mother's boyfriend.

Leesha often does try to escape her somewhat chaotic life by looking out the window and along her way to self discovery she meets Scottie AKA Blaze. Life doesn't always seem that bad as long as she had Blaze and her grandma but when she dies this makes Leesha's road to self discovery an uncertain path and while trying to "do the right thing" she does meet a handsome admirer Treyvon, unlike the guys she has grew up around is different and is a talented artist and all he simply wants to do is just love Leesha.

Wanting to escape the ghetto life she has seen all of her life she evinces this plan to do the unthinkable and with no other than Treyvon by her side, he does something that changes both of their lives forever.

V. Anthony Rivers weaves a wonderful tale of self discovery while combining that classic street literature that many fans will enjoy. I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. I was beyond a doubt hooked when the author took us back via flashback and you truly felt you were there in the early nineties from the style of dress down to the music.

It was truly a pleasurable book and look forward to many more from the author and there is no doubt in my mind that Mr. Rivers is here to stay in the literary world.

What initially begins with details of a robbery turns into our 25-year-old protagonist, Leesha Annette Tyler, placing those plans on the backburner while she details the pangs of her adolescence.

As an only child, Leesha and her mother live in Los Angeles, in the jungle. She's not too far from her Grammy, but far enough that she can always go to her Grammy's house to flee. Basically, Leesha has had to be the responsible one. Making sure she got to school, ate and kept herself from harm's way. Leesha is destined to free herself of her mama's household and vows to never be anything like her foolish mother, who allows her life to diminish as the result of a man.

Leesha is a beautiful young woman. Though she isn't as social as the other girls her age, she is content with her schedule of school, home and Grammy's. Leesha is privileged enough to meet two real live standup dudes. Scottie "Blaze" Franklin, a local hustler who always has some knowledge to share, the two instantly connect. Leesha wrestles with her emotions of being more than a platonic friend to Scottie, but she learns that with a friend like Scottie she could never go wrong. Treyvon "Trey" is a young talented brother destined for greatness. Although the attraction for Leesha isn't strong, she does realize that he would die giving her the world.

Determined to get far away from California, Leesha decides that she has a master plan to get her enough cash to go. The problem now becomes will the love Leesha has for Scottie and Trey be changed, challenged or condemned because of it?

My Life Is All I Have is a coming of age story that rehashes Leesha's life and the choices she makes while looking for an escape. In doing so readers see first hand how her decisions affect those around her as well. I really enjoyed Grammy and Scottie. Unlike the others who've read and recommend this book, I didn't feel the same. It was slow and dragged on and on and on. I was desperate for scenes with Scottie and Grammy and once I finished the book I can only count twice where my interest was really piqued with the drama.

Leesha Tyler's main goal is to leave LA. She wants to leave the hopelessness of her childhood which her own mother is a part of. Leesha and her mother are always at odds especially when her mother runs after no good men. When her mother decides to move in her latest loser boyfriend, Leesha decides its time to move on and make something of herself. She wants to move to Atlanta but first she needs the cash to do it. Leesha soon comes up with a dangerous bank robbery plan and involves two of her close male friends to get the money she needs. All of those plans could change when she finds out a devastating secret about a close family member that will change her perspective on life forever.

My Life Is All I Have is a powerful novel by V. Anthony Rivers. Rivers did a masterful job in telling this story through the eyes of Leesha Tyler. I felt the frustration of Leesha about her home situation and how through it all she still wanted to make something of herself. I also felt the anger and sympathy she felt for her mother. I would love to see if Leesha makes it on her own and if her mother ever comes to her senses. This author really showed how the making the right or wrong decisions can determine the path of your life. This novel has the perfect blend of grittiness and deep emotion that grabs the reader from the first page and doesn't let go. My Life Is All I Have is gripping and insightful. V. Anthony Rivers is definitely an author on the rise.

Money always seems so much to you when you haven't got any; of course you'll deny it to the bitter end, as did Leesha Annette Tyler. Since her childhood she always noticed the girls at school whose new clothes changed every week, and were nothing like those seen down her end of the town, even if she could afford them. So when she hit upon the idea of pursing her dream, and escaping the ghetto she'd become tired of, Leesha decides that the only way to get what she wants and to make a new life, is to rob a bank.

Meanwhile, as she contemplates how to do this, she looks back on the time of her life where she met Scottie 'Blaze' Frankin. He's a nice guy, and although he has been involved in some gang related incidents he is trying to stay away from all that and only doing what is absolutely necessary in order to make money and survive. Scottie, who is older than her, takes it upon himself to look out for Leesha as a big brother would. Over time their relationship, although platonic, strengthens to the point that they are always there for each other. No matter what. This is a blessing in disguise, because Leesha's home life is pretty hard, and although she has her Grandma (Grammy) who she loves and respects very much, she doesn't know her father, and her mother is too preoccupied with her latest, alcoholic, out-of-work boyfriend to bother about what she is up to.

When Leesha finds herself an admirer, Treyvon , a public school boy with a talent for drawing, she's unsure what she really wants. She likes the attention, but is not sure if she really cares for him as her boyfriend. He is an artist with a rare talent, and in the back of her mind thinks Trey should be going places, making a name for himself, not wasting his time with her. Trey, on the other hand is smitten, and will do anything for Leesha, even if it means laying down his life for the woman he loves. Can love change everything, before it's too late to try?

This is a vivid portrayal of life in the ghetto, and I'm not sure if the author has a similar background or not, but he certainly knows how to write about living on the wrong side of L.A. I felt I really understood Leesha, and the issues she had to deal with. I cared about what happened to her, and how the things in her life affected her, both the good and bad. In fact, I'm not ashamed to say, I was so wrapped up in this book, I even shed a tear at the end! I haven't read many books that can do that. It's a very moving and powerful book. As you can tell, this is a very character orientated story, and one that I won't forget in a hurry. I'm so pleased I had the opportunity to try out a book by an author of whom I had only heard of, but never read any of his work before. It's gritty, and there's a lot of street talk and gang related aspects that really set the scene, yet at the same time, this book is full of emotion, and tender in places - it's a contrast, which not only works but makes it a pleasure to read. I loved hearing how Leesha coped with the various other characters, Grammy, her mum, her dad, Scottie, Trey and Luther. The way V. Anthony Rivers developed the plot that tied all the characters together, made a fantastic read.

When this reader shut the book, she couldn't help thinking about how the choices people make, and the lessons we learn when we own up to our mistakes, really do have an impact, and the ability to change our lives forever. It's a very thought provoking book, and now I'm hooked on the talent of V. Anthony Rivers! Y'all gotta read this - it's bumpin'!

MY LIFE IS ALL I HAVE

Leesha Tyler has not had an easy life. Disappointment becomes a part of her every day existence as she watches her mother slowly deteriorate, her wise grandmother die, her long lost father resurfacing and the all too common life of drugs and crime on the streets of L.A.

Leesha decides early on that her adult life is going to be different. Because of her mother's dependence on men Leesha is determined to stay in control. Her best friend, Scottie is a hustler but he has her back. Her boyfriend--of sorts--Treyvon is a talented artist with dreams and aspirations of his own. Leesha's tumultuous young life culminates in her deciding to commit a robbery. This, to Leesha, will solve all her problems. The money will give her the chance to move away and start a new life. However, things don't always go as planned...that may be one of life's cruelest lessons.

This was a very emotional story from beginning to end, which is mostly due to Rivers' well-written prose. Normally, I am not a huge fan of urban/street fiction and that's what I initially thought this book was. But from the first page I was instantly propelled into Leesha's life and ultimately affected by her decisions. This was a part of the lesson that Leesha also learned: how her decisions affected others. When I closed this book I felt a mixture of sadness and disappointment for the characters and what they went through. What I didn't feel was any regret in reading it. I am glad to have shared in Leesha's story and would readily recommend this book to others.
Reviewed By: A.C. Arthur, Black Butterfly Review

V. Anthony Rivers wrote a great Coming of Age story that we can all relate to. Whether its someone like me reminsicing days in High school growing up or someone being taught the life lessons while growing up.

The author captured your attention throughout the book and filled with many laughters and reminders of good times back in the day. You will be reminded of this era as if you were in it all over again with a smile on your face. This book you will feel like your in L.A. even if you've never been. Great read!

Leesha has dealt with the hurdles that life has mercilessly thrown her way. With an abusive mother who only thinks of her own trials and tribulations and an absentee father, Leesha knows that leaving the projects will just be another hurdle for her to climb. While she waits for the inevitable day, can visits to her grandmother's house to keep her stable enough to deal with her present circumstances?

Scottie knows what drugs and alcohol can do to a person. He has lived with his brother long enough to understand that what he is doing is wrong, but he has to make a living someway to keep a roof over his head and support his brother's habit. Meeting Leesha was not in his plan, but instantly takes on the roll as friend and older brother. Will their longtime friendship be broken by his past regressions and her present frustrations?

"My Life..." is a non-memorable read that seems to last forever and ever. When you are hoping situations and characters will spark a more interesting chapter, or even story for that matter, you are left with a desire to wonder who compared this to Coldest Winter Ever or any other story worth five stars. This was certainly not a five star rating.


Reviewed by: LaDonna
2 ˝ stars