Customer Reviews

Shame on It All: A Novel

5 star:		(79)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

I betcha my Memorial Day weekend was freakier than yours! Well, if you're in a conversation with the Whitfield sisters, be prepared to lose that bet!

Shame On It All (SOIA) introduces us to the wildly eclectic Whitfield sisters: Harmony, the eldest, owner of a temporary agency AND a big secret; Bryce, the middle child, outspoken, boisterous and a LOVER of men; and Lucky, the baby girl of the fam, who is in the midst of medical school AND a controversy.

The reader is immediately thrust (no pun intended) into the sexual escapades of the sisters as they share their Memorial Day exploits with one another over lunch...exploits that will ultimately change each sister's life forever. The novel encompasses all that one would expect to find in that wonderful relationship between sisters -- love, spite, crazy conversations, humor, and enough drama for you AND your mama.

SOIA is THE funniest novel I have ever read. Zane kicks some serious butt in her snappy dialogue and comical exchanges between the characters...and the inclusion of commercials throughout the novel is innovative and perfect for the novel.

SOIA is full of comedy, realism and drama, and is definitely a novel you won't want to put down until you're DONE. Zane's characters are so real, so three-dimensional, I felt as if I was rolling my neck and smacking my lips along with the sistah girls.

On the lighter side, SOIA is packed with crazy sexual exchanges and comedy, but it is firmly grounded with a tight drama full plot line that will toy with your emotions.

Anyone who has read Zane's previous novels will most definitely seek out SOIA...and to all the Zane newbies, this is a great treat to begin with.

What can I say? It was worth the wait and a long wait it was. I don't think I have ever waited so anxiously for a book to come out. Other than knowing that Zane could write her tail off, I really had no idea what to expect. She has penned another winner, totally different from her other novels but just as entertaining. Shame On It All is about three lively, wild, freaky sisters that indulge in some of the wildest sex that I have ever read about. On top of that, Zane develops their characters in such a way that you really feel close to them and when trouble rears its ugly head, you can't help but jump in their corner. The commercials in the novel are hilarious and something else I have never seen. Zane is definitely a risk taker and a ground breaker. Shame On It All is the read of the summer!

This was my first by 'Zane'. I found it to be very entertaining. These sisters were "out-of-control". Although each had their own personality, they were similar in a lot ways. I found the "quips" to be original and funny. Even though I enjoyed the book, the commercial breaks could have been left out. The relationship between the sisters and their friends demonstrated what "true" friendship is all about. The book was a fast read (less than 24 hours for me). After completing I found myself going back through the book and laughing at some of the things they said. I enjoyed the book and will definitely look at some of the author's other works.

Shame on it all is a story of three sisters that go through their sibling rivalry but when they really need each are there for each other. Zane is by far one of the best authors I have read. She knows how to take a story and run with it. This book has serious drama in the name of illness,marriage problems and revenge. But through it all these sisters stick by each other as well as their friends. It reminded me of my friends that are close to me now and only a phone call away.

A quick read, these characters left a little to be desired. They lack the depth I look for in a good book- a bit too much bickering, stereotypical banter and lack of true emotion in the beginning, but as the book goes on, the ladies of Shame On It All become more interesting and worth getting to know better. Not one of the best by Zane, but not worthy of total disregard.

Shame On it All was hillarious from the beginning to the very end. The story begins with three sisters that you don't want to mess with. Even though they disagree with one another they love each other and there isn't anything they wouldn't do for one another. The commericial breaks were somewhat distracting and did take away from the book but there weren't too bad because they were funny too!!!

For those people out there who don't like erotica or profanity I suggest you don't even think about buying this book cause you will be knocked off your feet...for those that can hang then buy this book because you will not be disappointed.

Shame on it all, I must admit in the beginning I kept asking myself where's this story leading to? There was an abundance of sexual scenes explicitly described almost to the point of overkill. My only thoughts were, and...so???

However, the three sister's Harmony, Bryce and Lucky did share a strong bond, and throughout this story their sisterly love is proven. IMO their individual personalities (other than how they got their groove on) could've been more indepth and developed.

I did find myself amused by the comical words of the commerical interruptions included in this story, "by its sponser," that was humorous and unique. This prolonged the anticipated suspense of the entire story. Plus, made for a good laugh. I also applaud the author for mentioning (a few times) reference and promotion of her other book in this story. That was a clever advertising move!

All and all, even though Zane wrote of serious issues with added spice and humor, I did immensely enjoy this book. The ending was a total surprise to me. I thought the donor kidney responsible for saving Harmony's life was Bryce's. But, I was wrong! The preceding scene where Harmony is hospitalized in ICU and ready to "go home," was written with such intense emotions expressed. I actually found myself wiping tears from my face.

I certainly do look forward to reading more from Zane and encourage her to definitely Keep the Creativity Flowing! Btw, who is Zane? Why does she keep herself in hiding? Just an ending thought to this review. :-)

I thought the book was at best entertaining, but masterpiece, as described in an editorial review, was a little too strong for me. I read Addicted a month ago and was disappointed after reading Shame on it All. The last few chapters attempted to drum up emotions for characters that were never previously developed. The only glimpse of a semi-multi dimensional character was in her supporting character, Zachary. On 2 occasions, Zane opened a small porthole into Zachary's emotions over Harmony's "illness". Since I was never emotionally attached to Harmony my interest in the nature of her illness was at best curiosity. Zane's self-promoting references to her previous book were unnecessary to the story. The final straw was the commercial breaks. If this book was categorized as "soft erotica", I wouldn't mind it's lack of emotion, direction, and downright "simple" characters with educational degrees. I wouldn't tell anyone not to read Shame on it All, but I would advise them not to expect much.

Prior to buying this book, I had heard rave reviews about Zane's "Addicted". However, when I went to purchase the book, it was sold out everywhere. So, I did a search for her other titles and came up with "Shame on it All".

This book started out quite funny, and was very entertaining at times. However, even though I expected a "can't put down" book, I found myself reading it in spurts. It was hilarious at times, but it could have done without the "commercial breaks" and the characters could have been a little more defined.

"Harmony" was depicted as "strong, dependable, etc", however, her character was lacking emotion at times. And for the "mature, professional, black woman" the character of "Bryce" was trying to be, she was very unprofessional in and out of her work place and left the impressionable stereotype that corporate America gives us as black women. I couldn't related to the character "Lucky" personally, but I do know young girls get caught up in situations they haven't thought through.

Overall, the book was pretty good, and Zane definitely has potential. For the fact that she kept laughing, if nothing else, is enough to make me read more of her books. With her writing flare and 'way with words', once she develops her characters a little more, she will soar. From one sistah to another "Keep up the good work!"

I've only had the chance to read a few of Zane's writings, but I've got to say that she DEFINITELY did it with this one!! Only in different points of the point can it be said that some things were truly unrealistic in the average person's eye, but one has to definitely admit that they know SOMEONE out of all of their girls that reminds them of the sisters in this book! You can find humor, guilt, seriousness and understanding to a degree that is phenomynal and a sexual rising that is real. But then again, in most of Zane's writings, you will feel a heat that is undescribed.

Personally, I definitely enjoyed this particular book and passed it on to my daughter and my husband. Believe me, you will be laughing to the point where if you're surrounded by anyone, they will definitely wonder what in the WORLD could you possibly be reading that would make you go into a gut wrenching state of laughter......Trust me......Get the Book!!....(laughing) and believe me, you will not EVEN think twice about purchasing another Zane book....I definitely will be purchasing as many as I can get my hands on!!