Customer Reviews

Payback with Ya Life

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Payback With Ya Life by Wahida Clark is the anticipated sequel to Payback is a Mutha which found Shan in the grips of conflict after conflict. Being an educator in the prison system is hard enough, but when you add pregnancy and drug smuggling to the equation, the end result is catastrophic. As Shan played the role of crooked teacher, the ends justified the means if it meant her brother, Peanut, would be set free and able to re-establish himself in the dope game. After it was all said and done, she planned to leave Memphis, Tennessee to head for Detroit, Michigan, in hopes of a new start.

Peanut had plans to return deep in the drug world but how could he when Shan continued to make bad decisions? From being pregnant by a married man to not dealing with the grief caused by a friend who committed suicide, would he really be able to be successful in all he wanted to accomplish while being her step-in father? Not to mention he had old debts to cash-in on that would definitely lead to bloodshed with the possibility of Shan being a victim.

Wahida Clark has done it again. She created a tale with believable characters, unexpected plot twists, and even threw in a little homo-thug loving for dessert. It was well-written and it did not have too many characters to keep up with; which has been the case in her past novels. The ending left it open for a third installment but it was not the usual cliff hanger. The major conflict was resolved and I did not feel cheated. I recommend Payback With Ya Life to all urban fiction fans.

Reviewed by Darnetta Frazier
APOOO BookClub

Payback With Ya Life starts where Payback Is A Mutha left off.Shan is pregant by a married man who is locked up and her best friend committed suicide.Shan is ready to move and start over but her brother Peanut doesn't want her to go.After reading this book,I have come to the conclusion that Payback Is A Mutha could have stood alone.I have read all of Wahida's books and they have been pageturners.Payback With Ya Life held my attention but it is no pageturner.I feel like the story was all over the place.There are old characters as with a few new ones who really weren't needed.This book lacked something that all of Wahida's previous books had.This one just didn't do it for me.I would rate this book a 3...as in just being an okay read.

Reeling from the suicide of her best friend, Shan is at a crossroads. She wants to move clear across the country and start over while her brother, her only family left, doesn't want her to leave. A blast from the past convinces her to stay, but with her decision comes consequences. Will she pay the ultimate price and payback with her life?

No doubt about it, Wahida Clark is wicked with her pen game. But I can't help but be a little disappointed with this novel. A fan of Clark 's customary style, something just seemed to be missing here - the power that vaulted her to the top. "Payback With Ya Life" has its moments but not enough. Despite not living up to my expectations, I look forward to her next release.

Reviewed by: Toni Mac
For Sexy Ebony Book Club Reviews

Wahida said she had no plan for a sequel and I thought she was dead on. I'm a huge fan of Mrs. Clark and this book was really not great at all. I don't know why, but it didn't have an authentic Wahida feel.In Payback is a Mutha Shan was sort of an airhead and she is in this one as well. Peanut Shan's brother comes in the story and he's trying to get revenge on everyone who backstabbed him. Briggen is the same person he was in the first book always looking to make that money, but this time he's a little bit softer.I also found characters difficult to keep up with, I had to turn back on several occasions to see who was who and how did the fit in the story it was a mess.I hope Wahida comes back in future book and brings the fire like she normally does!

This was an ok read for Part 2. Still had way too many unnecessary characters and jumped all over the place but was tolerable.

Pregnant by a married man and having lost her best friend to suicide, Shan doesn't know if she's coming or going. With the support of her brother, Peanut, and a new man in her life, things are looking up. What goes up must come down. Old scores have a way of rejuvenating themselves. Someone wants payback in the worse way.

PAYBACK WITH YA LIFE was a bit of a slow read compared to its predecessor, Payback Is A Mutha. At times it was hard to get a good grasp of the characters because they weren't really fleshed out in this book. Curious as to know how things would turn out, PAYBACK WITH YA LIFE held my attention but this was definitely not a page turner, which is what I'm used to with Wahida Clark's books. The elements that characterized her early material (drama, thug loving, good character development and great dialogue) aren't evident here. I know Wahida is with a new publishing company, which I'm sure was a good move for her, but I'm wondering if they had too much say in this story.

Reviewed by: Tracy

Pregnant, distraught, and seeking refuge in new horizons, Shan is running from the chaos in her life, while grieving her best friend Briana's suicide. In her rush to leave, a pit stop brings her face to face with Briggen, a man she has unfinished business with. Briggen notes Shan's distress and halts her plans to head west for a brand new beginning with an ulterior motive that could prove to be beneficial to him. A scorned Janay leaves Shadee to meet his maker as his vengeful, drugged side-line ho (who he knowingly blessed with HIV due to his down low fixation) plays the role of arbitrator of his fate.

Shadee's laying in a pile of sh!t fighting for his life, while his comrades are fighting for the newly vacated HNIC. Peanut has hit the streets with a vengeance as he attempts to re-claim his throne as well as pay back those who left him for dead, and in the midst of all this madness, Shan might happen upon love with the brother of Forever. Nyla, Forever's wife, is weakened by the discovery of Forever's infidelity while incarcerated and finds solace in the attention of a new man. Skye is jacking ballas and has infiltrated Big Choppa's organization while dallying with his two prized possessions.

Wahida Clark has laid it down in this joint starting fresh from the ending of Payback Is A Mutha and her skills are shining immeasurably. The plot thickens with the development of other connecting characters. Once again she mesmerizes her faithful readers with another shocking, yet exhilarating novel consumed with gangstas, the drama that encompasses their lives, and the tremendous consequences that they face on a daily basis. Personally, Payback Is A Mutha wasn't one of my favorites, but I most definitely feel redemption in this one! My girl delivered gangsta-style and I'm loving every page! It's a must read and most definitely deserves a 5! Great job Wahida!

Reviewed by Tazzyt2bossye
for Urban Reviews

I love Wahida Clark's work but this was a mess. There were too many story lines. It was also too dependent on part 1. It never really introduced a new story. It just continued on with part 1. Not like the Thug series. They were sequels but each could stand alone because they started new stories, new drama. I highly recommend her work but do not judge it by this book.

i really liked this book i read it several years ago and I was like HOT!!! I expected a part 3.Would like to know whats up with shan, briggen, and his bro.

I read all of Wahida Clark's thug series and LOVED them, so I thought I'd try reading her other books. Payback Is A Mutha was okay, but Payback With Ya Life was horrible in my opinion. Once again, there were too many different and unnecessary characters. The whole situation with Shan and Briggen was confusing. According to the story, Briggen really did care for Shan but we knew what his intentions were as well (to have her run one of his businesses like the other women did). Throughout the story he was still having sex with other women, and then at the end they end up married? Shan was always skeptical of Briggen and it was obvious that Briggen never changed, so I am confused as to how everything was perfect at the end. I also didn't understand the storyline about Big Choppa, Janay and Crystal. All of the sudden Janay and Crystal go to jail and Big Choppa is no where to be found? This book seemed rushed to me. I read on one of Wahida's sites that she is unsure as to whether or not there will be a sequel to Payback With Ya Life. Although it would be interesting to hear more about Shan and Briggen's relationship, what else could she elaborate on? Forever is paralyzed and back in the pen, Peanut (Shan's brother) is dead ... Please do better next time Wahida. I thought this book was a waste. I gave it two stars for the effort.