Three Sides to Every Story: A Novel [Paperback]

Clarence Nero (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 3, 2006

Growing up in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, Johnny and Tonya meet in high school and fall for each other. Yet their romance falls apart when Johnny seriously injures Tonya’s ex-boyfriend in an altercation. Johnny is imprisoned, and Tonya starts dating a rapper who fulfills her dreams of dancing in videos.

Depressed and deflated in jail, Johnny comes back to life thanks to the help of Pandora, the prison’s “den mother,” and James, who helps Johnny study for his GED. What starts as a platonic friendship between the sexually repressed Johnny and the openly gay James soon develops into a tender love that’s put on hold when James is released on parole. A year later, Johnny is freed as well, haunted by his feelings.

Meanwhile, Tonya, no longer with the rapper, has a new dream of reuniting with Johnny. And James, who wows crowds as a legendary drag queen performer, is furious that Johnny hasn’t reached out to him.

Their lives soon become a twisting roller coaster—secrets are revealed and assumptions are shattered in ways never imagined. Inviting comparison to E. Lynn Harris, Clarence Nero has created a compelling story about the social and sexual challenges black people face today.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Nero's second outing (after Cheekie), set against the backdrop of New Orleans's pre-Katrina Ninth Ward, deploys three deftly drawn narrators to tell a wrenching story of desire and survival. Tonya, a stripper at Club Circus in the French Quarter, dates a shifty, up-and-coming rapper while her true love, Johnny, a former football star and preacher's son, serves time in an upstate prison for roughing up Tonya's ex. In prison, Johnny meets James, a sassy, educated drag queen from the same side of the tracks, doing time for petty theft. Worlds collide when Johnny admits to his feelings for James and becomes torn between his long-repressed homosexuality and the woman and life he had before. Once on the outside, James and Johnny become tangled in intrigue involving former and potential lovers, parents, friends and the ever-present specters of jealousy, homophobia, spite and simple misunderstanding. Nero has an excellent sense of pacing and nails each character's voice with a distinctiveness that's both illuminating and, by turns, hilarious. He moves easily from drag queen balls to church pews, and though the plot strands are tied up too neatly at the end, the book's mold-breaking characters and myriad subplots will hook readers. (Oct.)
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Review

“Nero kicks it off the hinges with this bold new urban drama.”
—Omar Tyree

“The idea of the story is wonderful—man and woman have problems told from each other’s point of view. Then a third character comes into the story to ‘clear up the mess.’ This is not my generation, but I must admit that it held my attention to the end.”
—Ernest Gaines

“One of our most promising young authors.”
—Dr. Maya Angelou

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Broadway (October 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767921364
• ISBN-13: 978-0767921367
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #956,637 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Love Triangel, October 11, 2006

By 

Sharel Love "Sharel E. Gordon-Love, Author" (North Plainfield, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Three Sides to Every Story: A Novel (Paperback)

Three people tell this twisted story of love and deceit, taking the reader through this 3D journey of sex, love, lust, lies and no video tape. But who is telling the absolute truth and will anyone come out the winner?

Tonya's version of what happens depicts a young woman doing what she gotta do to get what and where she wants in life. Dancing and stripping at Club Circus to finally realizing her dream and clapping her booty in videos for Rico, the new up and coming rapper in the NO (New Orleans). In spite of the fact that Johnny was doing time for almost beating Tonya's ex-boyfriend to death, her need for the paper and desire to leave her childhood project home caused her to drop Johnny and pursue her career goals. That is, until Rico found someone else to take her place once he became known rapper.

Johnny's heart and eyes reveal a totally different story as he sits in jail trying to stay strong and keep the men off his [...], literally. He was a star football player at his high school when he was sent up to do time at Sierra Lionne, fighting it all the way until one day he gave in to the fact that he would be there, so he sought to educate himself in order to do something with his life when he was finally released. This changing point occurred after he was able to get past the hurt and betrayal that Tonya's leaving him caused. His love, his heart had abandoned him and he had no one.

In steps Amari St. James, Mr. Flamboyant (Flaming) himself. Having been sent to do a stint in Sierra Lionne along with his "Mother" Pandora Craft, who was the mother to a lot of "children" in the NO. She made sure nobody messed with James and was the link who introduced Johnny and James. That is when the very thing Johnny defended hard since he was sent up - his manhood. James finally found someone who would love him unconditionally and deserving while Johnny was coming into knowing and excepting who he is, who he has always been.

Once James was released, he picked up where his mother left off, nurturing and loving the "children" while she waits for Johnny's release. Tonya is waiting on him too since everything was gone with Rico and she was back home with her mother and working at her friend's shop doing nails. But when Johnny gets out, everything hits the fan, families are affected by the decisions made, lives changed by the choices made. Through it all, what has happened may have changed lives forever, but a new level of what is has been reached and everyone can go on from here

Review by Sharel E. Gordon-Love
Apooo Book Club

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What does a man really love?, February 6, 2007

By 

M. Bruner ""Deltareviewer" Real Page ... (Oklahoma!) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Three Sides to Every Story: A Novel (Paperback)

Everyone defines love in a different way. Our expectations of love are colored by our past. Why is our definition of love so narrow? THREE SIDES TO EVERY STORY looks at a love triangle through the eyes of all involved.

Johnny is the central character. He was head over heels in love with Tonya during high school and he planned to spend the rest of his life with her. Until an ex-boyfriend attacked Tonya, Johnny nearly killed him with his bare hands. This ended Johnny's football career and college prospects landing him in prison. Johnny would soon learn that love is patient.

Tonya wanted to be a superstar with all the money in the world. She is an outgoing, talented beauty with a killer body that could out dance everyone on the block. Johnny would be in prison for years and she could not continue to pine for him all that time. Tonya knows that time is money and she doesn't have much of either. Tonya plans to use her body to pay the bills - first stripping then video vixen. Tonya would learn that love is forgiving.

James is an exceptional man, one who loves to flaunt his feminine side while sporting a tough exterior. He was part of a family of men that dressed in drag and worked the local club once a week. James worked his magic every chance he could while being safe in the love and sex department. Then James gets caught slipping well stealing from his job and was sent to prison. James would learn that love is kind.

THREE SIDES TO EVERY STORY is a love story that stretches the imagination. Nero has written a sexy story rich with lessons of love and life. The reader will learn about the good and bad of being in love and living a life worth writing home about. The details of the story and surprising character development allow the reader to get inside the head of each lover. As the story unfolds, the flashbacks force the reader to pay attention to the progression of this love triangle. There are some racy sex scenes that will make you say WOW - people really do that? THREE SIDES TO EVERY STORY is a page turning novel definitely worth discussing with your book club, co-worker or lover.


M. Bruner, 2005 Marguerite Reviewer of the Year
Reviewing for Real Page Turners

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional..., December 18, 2006

By 

S. L. Reed (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Three Sides to Every Story: A Novel (Paperback)

Nero has written a very poignant, well thought out book that flows very well with precision. I enjoyed this book thoroughly, for the drama was so captivating. Well worth a read. Praises most high to Mr. Nero.