Customer Reviews

Numbers: A Novel (Nikki Turner Presents)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The book starts out very, very slow and a lot of the action is very predictable. (I figured out early on what his friend Jarvis was all about, why couldn't he?) The predictability was frustrating at times. However, the book did pick up around the middle and it was hard to put down. Overall, I found it to be a very solid effort for Dana Dane's first book. I enjoyed it. Once it captured me I couldn't put it down.

Numbers by Dana Dane is set in Brooklyn, New York where readers meet a young man named Dupree "Numbers" Wallace and we find out his fascination with numbers and making money. Mentored by Crispy Carl, an old pimp from the block, he schools Dupree on how to read number sheets, place bets and survive in the streets. Carl gave Dupree his moniker "Numbers" and it stuck. Forced to be the man of the house because of the absence of his father, Numbers looks out for his mom and younger sisters to the best of his ability. He is technically too young for a job, but he runs a street hustle to earn pocket money by doing odd jobs for some of their neighbors.

Numbers sets up a crew to sling dope and he starts bringing in some large money; with fame comes jealousy. Not really sure who to turn to Numbers finds out the hard way that your enemy could pretty much be in your back yard. After losing two of his closest friends to bullets that were meant for him, Numbers goes into hiding to formulate a plan that would allow him to save himself and his family from the concrete jungle.

Numbers grew up fast in the hood because he was forced to; loving numbers just made it easier for him to get and maintain a profit. Will he be able to roll the dice one more time and get out of the game with his life or will he roll snake eyes? This book is fast-paced, easy-to-read and a great first book for rapper Dana Dane. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy street literature.

Reviewed by: Cheryl Hayes
APOOO BookClub

Hey I finished it... This was a very interesting book, it didnt end like I thought it was going to be. The book was a good read, but it could have been a lot better if more would have been told about the cousin's death, where did Javis go. Like I said, I finished the book. I guess I will have to wait until part two come out.

This book is so interesting that I missed my train stop! Dana Dane presented a well-written novel about a guy name Numbers. Numbers is his street name because he's very good in math. He's a street hustler and the leader of a drug ring. He's a smart guy that used his talent in the wrong way. Numbers has two women who would do anything for him. He cared about both women but he also loved the streets. This book is filled with on-going drama that will make you miss your train stop. Dana Dane did an excellent job on his first novel. I can't wait to read Dana Dane's second novel!

Dana Dane is a true wordsmith that has given the literary community a true classive with NUMBERS. The characters speak to you with their journey through challenges, and their story is one that many can relate to.

Few books in 2009 have been released by men that have been geared towards taking you into the lives of men and helping us to understand their complexities. Dana Dane's NUMBERS, however, does this and so much more with a male character that is explained, exposed and shows the layers of so many who have mirrored his struggles.

What I liked the most about the book is that it revealed that whether you are a product of the streets or from Wall Street, we all have been affected by the decisions that not only we make but are made for us by circumstances.

Dana Dane has used his way with words to craft a story that will bring the sexes together to talk about and reflect over what can happen when we count on a future that is unknown to all.

Simply a literary masterpiece.

This is a really good book I recommend it to others although it was short I think there is a second part if not there should be.

NUMBERS by Dana Dane is the story of Dupree Wallace's life as he finds his way through childhood and later as an adult. He has always been very good at math and he figures out how to keep money on hand by running errands for all the neighborhood women. When Crispy Carl, a slick hustler in Brooklyn, takes him under his wing, he earns the nickname "Numbers" because he is so good at figuring out odds. One thing Crispy Carl tells him is he must know when it's time to get out of the game and go straight. When it gets tight in Brooklyn, Numbers moves his operation south and aids his cousins in their drug hustle. While he is making plenty of money, it is even more dangerous than the numbers games he's been playing. Will Numbers heed Crispy Carl's warning and get out before it is too late?

NUMBERS started out a bit slow as card games were explained in detail, but it was no doubt necessary so Numbers himself would be understood. The action definitely picked up after the middle of the book and it became hard to put down. You could literally feel Numbers anguish as he pushed his way through the underworld. It is definitely worth reading.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

I understand that this is the authors first book, and it was excellent. The love and respect that he gave his mother and his mentor Crispy Carl, something we don't see a lot of these days. Trusting his childhood friend proved to a big mistake......Numb never took the blinders off....and things started to unfold. I love it!!!! Nice Work Dane...waiting for part 2.

I'm going to make this short! A good book grabs me from the beginning and hold my attention. This book didn't grab my attention at all, not even at the end!