Customer Reviews

Simply Divine

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

 

 

Grading Scale:
5 Snaps = Excellent! Read this book, it's all that and then some!
4 Snaps = Very good book; go buy it!
3 Snaps = It's okay; average, but still recommend
2 Snaps = Kind of slow and boring
1 Snap = Not recommended

We are a new teen reading group. This is our first review. Our moms are members of an adult reading group and helped us to develop and select our first books. We have eight new novels we are starting with:

Simply Divine (October '06)
Nothing But Drama (November '06)
Staying Pure (December '06)
Foolish Virgin (January '07)
Jason & Kyra (February '07)
Like Sisters on the Homefront(March '07)
Shattered (April '07)
Who Am I Without Him (May '07)

Our review: We give Simply Divine almost 4 snaps.

We thought Simply Divine was a story that was a bit on the heavy side for teens because it's about a married couple where the husband cheats on his wife and he and his girlfriend have a baby together. Not a good example for their teen daughter. But Divine was a spoiled little rich kid because her parents were both rich Hollywood actors. Then her father commits a very serious crime and her mother gets sent away, leaving Divine to have to live with her country cousins. We got tired of Divine bragging about her big house, designer clothes and all her worldly possessions. As the story moved, after seeing how the other side lives, Divine came to the conclusion that being rich wasn't everything and being middle class wasn't so bad either. The book kind of gotten preachy near the end when her cousin was telling her that she needed to become a Christian. We felt that instead of telling her she should have showed her. We felt that the story veered too much on the adults and didn't focus entirely on teens.

Our reading group enjoys suspense and drama, drama, drama (like in Degrassi). Simply Divine didn't have much of either. It was a predictable story but still a good book to read. Adults would enjoy it more because it had adult-type drama. Our mothers read this author's adult novels and they like her books and they liked this book too. In our discussion, we all agreed that we wanted to beat-up Divine and her friend, Mimi. I mean, the story didn't jump out at us or anything, but we still would recommend it for teens to read.

The story's premise was: Just because you are blessed to have an abundant life financially, that doesn't give you the right to look down at those who doesn't have what you have.

3.75 snaps!!!.!
Teens'R'Us

Wearing expensive designer clothes, living in a fabulous estate in California, going to awards ceremonies - a person would think Divine Matthews-Hardison has everything she needs to be happy. But with a father (Jerome) who's considered `the bad boy of Hollywood' and a mother (Kara) who may be a Hollywood superstar but has serious issues to work through, Divine's family life is far from perfect. When Jerome commits a crime that lands him in jail and Kara has to spend time in rehab, Divine is sent to live with her Uncle Reed, and his family. They live in a small town called Temple, in the heart of Georgia. How is Divine going to cope now that she has to give up the material things she's grown so used to? And can she adapt to country living?

Divine was basically a spoiled brat when she arrived at her uncle's home. For fourteen years all this girl knew was glamour and glitz and getting whatever she wanted when she wanted it, and it seemed - after listening to many words of wisdom from her Uncle Reed, Aunt Phoebe and cousin, Alyssa - she was `transformed' too quickly. People do take the time to think about themselves when someone speaks the right words, and it was great that her family in Georgia cared enough to teach her many things, but I would have liked to have seen Divine- Black American Princess, as she called herself - experience something that led to what seemed like a `sudden' change in attitude; figured out some things on her own instead of having everything spelled out for her.

When Divine's friend, Mimi, came to visit, I think Divine should have handled the situation differently. Yes, Mimi was wrong, but when Divine first arrived in Georgia, she acted just as disrespectful as Mimi did. I understood Divine's loyalty to family and it was very good that she had grown so close to her cousin, Alyssa, that she felt the need to speak up for her, but I was disappointed by the way she treated her friend.

I loved spunky Alyssa. She was not the least bit phased by Divine's superior attitude and she wasn't afraid to speak up to her cousin or anybody else. And she had no problem talking about her faith; a young lady who truly loved the Lord.

Jerome: The first mistake he made with his daughter was asking her to call him by his first name. He was her dad, not her friend. And why did he have a gun when he went to visit Shelly Campbell? Maybe I missed something, but I wasn't clear on that.

Although predictable at times, Simply Divine was a good read. It didn't have much oomph, nothing to really grab me or move me emotionally, but I liked it. Among other things, Divine learned the meaning of family and forgiveness, and Kara and Jerome learned lessons of their own. In fact, the author teaches quite a few lessons that teens and adults can benefit from. I particularly liked the advice about boys that Phoebe gave Alyssa and Divine on page 149.

I would highly recommend this for teens, it's a very good read! Ms. Thomas did an amazing job with "Simply Divine"!

In my personal opinion, it sounds like a calmer version of what I would imagin Bobbie Kristina's life to be like! Take a little bit off her, add a little bit there, and WOW! Being Bobbie Kris...

I have to say that I did enjoy it though! Great job Ms. Thomas!

What a nice change of pace. The storyline was predictable and the main character was a brat, but because I'm such a fan of Ms. Thomas' work, I enjoyed it.

SIMPLY DIVINE written by expert Jacquelin Thomas introduces Divine Matthews-Hardison, a snobby teen, who is all about the spotlight! As Divine thoroughly enjoys the hobnobbing, the paparazzi and the glam that she has been fortunate enough to be born into, life quickly becomes less fun when the headline goes from glam to brutal. While all families have issues, Divine's family business is aired out in the media daily causing ridicule and shame. Can the teen drama queen and her comfortable cushioned world survive the disturbance?

From Hollywood, CA to Temple, GA, Divine is distraught as she goes from the lap of luxury to the confines of normalcy. Foreign to Divine is what life is like for an average teen minus the glitz. When Divine has to suck it up and learn to adjust to a simpler lifestyle, is she mature enough to handle it? Or will Miss Drama Teen kick and scream the entire way there?

I have to say SIMPLY DIVINE is simply great! I love that the book features a young character set in her snotty ways, but comes to love and embrace family, friendship, forgiveness, love and God! Simply stated, SIMPLY DIVINE is an easy read that I would definitely recommend to my cousins, nieces and others.

In Simply Divine, we meet Divine Matthews-Harrison, a teenager that has the BEST of everything. Divine's parents are well known singer Kara Matthews and actor Jerome Hardison. Divine and her dad have a poor relationship thanks to his dishonesty. Always having lived the glamorous life, she's popular, owns designer clothes and her hair and nails flawless. Chores! Not for this spoiled drama queen brat.

Kara wins a Grammy and Divine's world is turned in a different direction.
Jerome and Kara's lives spin out of control. So where is Divine? She's sent to Georgia with Uncle Reed and his family.

There has always been a large house with a maid, cook, and driver where Divine has lived. But in Georgia, her family lives in a three bedroom house with only ONE BATHROOM and five people. Can things get any WORSE!?!?!?!

Simply Divine is a very good read that I would recommend to teenagers as well as adults.

Reviewed by: Carmen

Simply Divine is Simply Irresistible. Ms Jackie, has done it again! I finished this book in 2 days because I could not put it down. Divine, is a rich 14 year old "divine" diva that learns that their is more to life than designer clothes, big houses, and trips to the mall when she is sent to live with her uncle and family who lives a modest life style when her famous mother is sent to rehab and her famous father is imprisoned. Divine soon learns that their is more to life that material things like Family, Love, Forgiveness, and God. This story is a good read for any age group, teenagers and adults alike. I am 28 years old and I will say that I really honestly enjoyed this book and I just can't wait for the follow up. It was just warm and enduring and just plain GOOD!. Ms. Jackie just proved what a damn good author she is, it's not a lot of authors that can write books that appeal to both teens and adults. Go Ms. Jackie GO!

The sequel Divine Confidential, drops in February 07.

I'm a big fan of Jacquelin Thomas and her adult novels so I figured I'd purchase the Divine Series for a teenager at church (14yr old). She has thanked me over and over again for the books and said they were great! Her mom said that she wouldn't even come out of her room because she was spending so much time reading. If you're looking for books to interest your teenager without all the adult language and inappropriate substance, this is the series you're looking for. The books have great, teen relevant, story lines and are wonderfully written. You too will become a Jacquelin Thomas fan. Enjoy!

Divine starts out as such a spoiled brat! All of the finery and ease that (her mother's) money has bought is simply owed to her. She can't imagine life without a personal assistant, bodyguard, and chef, mostly because she's never had to but also because she deserves to have people do for her. Not that she's actually done anything to earn the money that pays those people or done anything to justify the fame she enjoys. Her mom has. It made me hate her a little in the beginning. She's just so entitled and that bugs me. Luckily, for me at least, once Divine gets to Georgia her cousin Alyssa has absolutely no problem calling Divine out for her snobbery, general bitchiness, and trading in on her mother's name. And good for her! Alyssa, that is. She does her best to make Divine comfortable, the whole family does, but Divine is determined to be miserable in Georgia and drag everyone else down with her. Eventually, though, she starts to settle into life with her aunt, uncle, and cousins and generally becomes a much more likable person and character. And, really, she wasn't sooo bad in the beginning that I couldn't get into the book, and it was pretty obvious (in the way teenagers can be, not in a bad writing way) that a lot of her snobbery was to cover up insecurities about herself. But she still drove me a little bit nuts before she started chilling out.

One of the many things Divine has to get used to at her aunt and uncle's house is going to church. Though her daddy was also a preacher, Divine's mom does not have anything to do with the church now. Divine never has; that's just not the way she was raised. Her Uncle Reed's family attends the church he preaches in every Sunday. At first, waking up early on Sunday and sitting through a sermon causes problems for Divine; the girl is really not a morning person. As she starts to listen more often to what Uncle Reed is preaching, her problems change to focus on the act of forgiveness. How can she possibly forgive her father for what he's done to her and her mother? And why should she have to? Divine's internal struggle with forgiveness and her feelings about her father in general continue throughout the book. Her resentment about going to church does not, and she eventually becomes a Christian.

Religion is never forced on her by her family, nor is it really central to most of the book. However it is often present, particularly in the way that Uncle Reed and Aunt Phoebe raise and treat their children, including Divine. Especially with regards to Divine and Alyssa and boys. Both girls have boyfriends, but they are little more than names on a page. Given how little time they're allowed to spend with their boyfriends, this is not surprising. I expect that they, and the girls' relationships with them, will play a bigger role in the next book in the series, Divine Confidential, as the girls finally become old enough to be allowed to actually date.

But I have no doubt that the second book will be just as clean as this one. Even though it is a book with an extra-marital affair, drugs, sneaking around to meet up with boys, and even a murder, it definitely qualifies as a "clean read." I don't even remember any swearing. Yet it still manages to feel a bit edgy, probably because Divine's parents are kind of screw ups. With the help of her uncle, aunt, cousins, and God, Divine manages to move beyond her parents mistakes to star in a series that promises to be uplifting and cute while still tackling serious issues.


Book source: Philly Free Library

So many things happen in this book. Babies, arrest, death, drugs, new lives, old lives, music, movies, love, kissing, church, savior... murder. You won't guess what happens next.