Triple Take: A Novel [Paperback]

Y. Blak Moore (Author)

Book Description

Series: Strivers Row | Publication Date: March 11, 2003

After serving ten years for armed robbery, Jonathan “JC” Cole is about to get out of the joint, and he has one thing on his mind: revenge against the three men—former childhood friends, now powerful crime lords—who betrayed him to save their own skins. Richard “Richkid” Kidman is a Playa with a capital P, at one time controlling a stable of twelve women. Alonzo “Zo” Johnson is one of the richest drug dealers in the Windy City. And Eugene “Lil G” Pierce ranks among the most successful con men on the East Coast.

JC feels that the time has come for him to claim what is rightfully his. His misfortune was his ex-friends’ stepping-stone, and now it is time for them to pay up—in spades. He doesn’t want to kill them, he just wants to take everything away.

He does this with the help of his woman, Champagne; his best friend, Rat; and Rat’s girlfriend, Shaunna. They form a family of sorts, with JC as the leader and Champagne as the fierce mother hen, together embarking on an exciting journey into the underworld of Chicago.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Moore has created a tough, street-smart character who is intelligent, dangerous, and willing to use explosive violence to achieve his aim. When Jonathon "JC' Cole is released from prison, he is determined to get revenge on the three men he committed a robbery with 10 years ago. While incarcerated, JC kept up with his childhood friends: Richard "Richkid" Kidman has become a pimp with several women working for him, Alonzo "Zo" Johnson is one of the most connected drug dealers in Chicago and on the East Coast, and Eugene "Lil G" Pierce is a revered criminal. JC does not want to kill them, but with the help of his woman, Champagne, a former stripper; his best friend from jail, Rat; and Rat's girlfriend, Shaunna, he executes a calculated plan to strip each of these "playas" from their exalted positions. The engrossing story takes the reader on an adventure through the hard-knocks life of Chicago's underworld. Lillian Lewis
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

“Triple Take explodes off the page—a blood-soaked, guns-blazing literary assault on the senses. In Triple Take, novelist Y. Blak Moore proves himself the reincarnation of Donald Goines. In the years to come, this literary prodigy may just prove himself the voice of his generation.” -David Isay, public-radio producer and co-author of Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Villard; 1 edition (March 11, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375760660
• ISBN-13: 978-0375760662
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.5 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #613,803 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Urban Poetic Justice..., March 13, 2003

By 

Readers Paradise "Book Club" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Triple Take: A Novel (Paperback)

On Chicago's South-side, the drugs are plentiful and the money is flowing. Alonzo "Zo" Johnson is one reason the crackheads are happy and the dope fiends are nodding, Richard "Richkid" Kidman pimp of Chi-town once had the respect of his prostitutes until he made one too many mistakes and lastly Eugene "Lil G" Pierce, a confidence man whose head is larger than life and a reputation of the same size.

In their youth, all three of these cats encompassed the streets of the Windy City, along with Jonathan "JC" Collins, until a robbery changed their friendship and lives forever. For ten years, JC sat in his cell harboring thoughts of revenge against his childhood friends who gave him up to save themselves.

Triple Take will astound you; it is not an innovative read, but the writing certainly is. You can tell the author is a poet by his eloquent writing style. Moore creatively draws you into each chapter, giving you the reader just enough to have you guessing who this chapter will be about and what fate will beset them.

Donald Goines wrote from memory of how his neighbors lived and how some died. Moore uses this same style of writing easily because he grew up in the projects on the far South-side of Chi-Town. He has the language and lifestyle photocopied to memory. One of my favorite genres is `Ghetto Realism" and Y. Blak Moore is certainly one author to watch out for. I look forward to his future works and plan to save a space for them on my bookshelf.

Triple Play is for the reader who can handle an intense and explosive read, in addition to a page-turner.

Missy

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible, March 13, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Triple Take: A Novel (Paperback)

A brilliant, raw, and powerful novel. If this story had been written by anyone else, it wouldn't have worked. In Moore's hands we are taken for a walk down paths most of us know little about, and hope to never experience. His life in the projects of Chicago with all the violence it comes with is the emotional well from which this story is drawn. The novel is a tale of the spiritual revenge and redemption of a man just released from prison. The writing is rough and unpolished, but I swear it reads like poetry. Though I know little about the American ghetto, I've lived in some of the darker places in this world, and I can tell you this story is universal. It is rare to hear a voice from this world that I encourage you to grab this chance to hear a story that rarely rises above the din. There is nowhere else you will here it (at least nowhere you would want to go).

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Take No Prisoners, June 6, 2003

By 

Yasmin Coleman (PENNSYLVANIA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Triple Take: A Novel (Paperback)

Triple Take by newcomer Yanier Moore is Intense. Intriguing. RAW. Gritty. In Your Face. Action-Packed. Fast Paced. Triple Take is all of that and more as we travel through the mean streets of Chicago with main character, Jonathan "JC" Cole. JC has just been released from prison and he is out to seek revenge and right the wrong of three individuals who set him up and betrayed him ten years ago in order to save themselves.

I must preface my review by saying that I do not usually read books where the storyline is centered primarily on characters that appear to have no redeeming qualities and exist primarily to be thugs, drug addicts, dope pushers and prostitutes. However, I was more than a little intrigued and inquisitive regarding whom was the author that could bypass the self-published route and go straight to a national publisher, and have their street life novel published! While these types of novels are growing in popularity (and many are even being compared to Donald Goines), most of them are "underground" and primarily self-published. I must admit that Moore didn't disappoint me. I started Triple Take at 2:00pm and was finished just shy of three hours later.

Not since Sister Souljah's Coldest Winter Ever have I read a novel about street life (or as some call them ghetto fab reads) that captivated, fascinated, and held my attention until the very end. Thinking about living vicariously and walking on the wild side? Then check out Triple Take by Yanier Moore and get ready to experience a world that most of us hope to only read about and experience as a voyeur. Triple Take is an explosive and energy charged novel that many will enjoy especially young readers and the male audience. I'm glad I took a chance on Triple Take and I look forward to future novels by Yanier Moore!

Yasmin
APOOO BookClub