Customer Reviews

Using What You Got : A Novel

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Reggie Bynum has a long and hard road to toll; he is a single father raising two teenage daughters in Harlem. On top of this, his sister Charlene (Charlie) visits often to cook and offer her own brand of discipline and advice. The novel is prefaced with a brief story of Reggie and Charlie as teenagers and the responsibilities put upon them. We get a glimpse of Reggie and his interactions with women, which sets the stage for his adulthood relationships. Reggie promises himself that he will never leave his family, like his father did, and will always provide what he can for them. Because of this affirmation, Reggie, a former professional gambler, takes a job as a garbage collector; it is honest and steady work. Reggie's wife Sharon and the girls' mother, abandons the family because of this decision.

Nineteen-year-old Tiara Bynum is a beautiful and smart college student and she knows it. She uses her looks to get what she wants; it is all about Tiara and she damns anyone who gets in her way. Sister Josephine (Jo-Jo) is a basketball phenomenon suffering through the growing pains of adolescence. She is typically Tiara's punching bag. Tiara is caught in a dangerous game because she has her eyes set on two young men; one who is interested in her and one who could not care less. Rashad presents a challenge to Tiara because no man has ever resisted her charm. Rashad is a cab driver and film school student. Lionel presents a different challenge to Tiara; he is rich and able to provide her with any tangible item her little heart desires. Lionel has a dark side and the entire family is caught up in his web of deceit.

Using What You Got offers some life lessons that can be enjoyed by both teenagers and adults. Miller has offered a very realistic and engaging look into the trials and tribulations that many families can go through based on poor decision making; the meaning of family first and forgiveness.

Reviewed by Dawn R. Reeves
APOOO BookClub

I have to start this by saying that book definitely wasn't all that. It was very, very shallow or maybe I am getting it mixed up with her main character Tiara Bynum, who is definitely shallow. One thing I can say is that Karen E. Quinones Miller made Tiara so real that I couldn't stand her through out the whole book.

I think Karen E. Quinones Miller is colorstruck to some degree. She stresses the people that are light skin curly hair and light eyes. I'm sorry that doesn't make a person at all. She also makes is seem that since Tiara had hazel eyes made her the bomb diggity, which to me she was not; I felt she was a conceited witch. Ms. Miller mentioned in the book that Tiara wore a weave, well, that's telling me right there that she wasn't all that. When every situation went her way, she would say "cause I got it like that". She was very rude and nasty to mostly everyone around her except her father and that was only because he bought her nice things and gave her money when she wanted it.

I didn't like how Ms. Miller had so much physical fighting surrounding her story,it seemed that every situation, someone had to fight their way out of it, even her father a grown man and her aunt a grown woman was in the book fighting people. What type of example are they setting for Tiara and her little sister Jo-Jo.

In the book's acknowledgements, Ms. Miller thanked her daughter Camille and her daughter's friends for helping her right the story and keep her on point. Pleeeeeeeeeeze...its seemed like a bunch of immature girls wrote that story instead of a grown woman protraying a story of a young girl. I am just saying that it was a poor style of writing for her third book.

I don't mind when author's have similar story lines but the difference is how they tell their story, but Ms. Miller did a poor job at this one. Her first two books I love, but this one left a lot to be desired. I think she may have lost a fan.

This book was a total waste of time, all that went on in the book was Tiara and her friends arguing and talking to each other like dogs. She was also a spoiled brat that whined so much, I could've slapped her myself. I don't know what's going on with the author, but her books haven't been worth anything since Satin Doll.

Using What You Got by Miller PLEASANTLY surprised me. (I don't usually read this type of genre ... it's my LEAST favorite as a matter of fact.) I was doing a little "required" reading. This book stirs up quite a few emotions. Reggie is the doting father of Tiara and JoJo. He as done his best to give his girls all they ever wanted in this world and as you read you will understand why he try to give them so much. Aunt Charlene is Reggie's sister and is quite a character. JoJo is Tiara's younger but much taller sister, with some issues of her own. The story essentially revolves around Tiara. Tiara thinks,
"she's got it like that" (basically she's conceited), but unfortunately she soon gets more than she bargained for. In the end, however, BOTH Reggie and Tiara will learn a valuable lesson.
Using What You Got was a quick and easy read, it made me angry, it made me laugh and it made me cry. How much I enjoyed this book, tears and all, pleasantly surprised me. I would definitely recommend Using What You Got by Karen E. Quinones Miller.

THis book got on my nerves I don't know maybe it's just me but who wants to read a bok about some self-centered girl named Tiara, well I did. I'm not that mad though it did have a lot of good part for example when jo-jo, and Tiara and her girls whip home girl ***. Or when she met her mom and didn't even know it was her, or when her aunt Charlie whip her mom ***.But most of all it still dosen't compare to "I'm Telling" Ms. Miller please make another book of that caliber. PLEASE!

With her third book firmly under her belt, readers will learn that Karen Quinones Miller is absolutely here to stay! In "Using What You Got," Ms. Miller uses a much gritter style of writing than previously seen in her first two books. But the language and situations ring crystal clear and utterly true for who and where her characters are: where they live, how they live, and where they come from.

In this book, we meet the overindulged, self-absorbed Tiara. Girlfriend is smooth as silk and fine as wine. A legion in her own mind. Just when you think this chick doesn't have one redeeming quality, we find that she is nothing short of a brainiac and sporatic bouts of random acts of kindness that has nothing to do with how it is going to benefit her. Like everything else in her life, learning comes as easilty to Tiara as the latest pair of designer jeans or whatever she can conjole out of her father. Men have also been easy for Tiara to acquire, whether she wanted them or not. That is, until she meets the one that doesn't seem to be that impressed with what she has to offer. Should she be satisfied with the man with the money, the car, the clothes and the style to give her the lifestyle she wants or will she throw it all away to get the one that got away? Also, while it seems that Tiara and her younger sister, Jo-Jo, who loves sports almost as much as irritating Tiara, have nothing in common, we learn that when push comes to shove, Tiara is more than ready to throw down to defend and protect her baby sister.

Next, we also meet the handsome and very responsible Reggie, Jo-Jo and Tiara's father who has raised them almost entirely by himself when their mother runs off shortly after Jo-Jo's birth. Reggie is the kind of man any woman would love to get her hands on. He's an ex-boxer who is still fine and sexy as all get out. He is assisted by his seemingly forever cranky sister, Charlene, whom everyone calls Charlie. Charlie has her own substory and probably could carry her own book. There is a lot of unspoken, undealt with pain over an accident from when she was a teenager that forever changes how Charlie sees herself, and has clouded how she lives her life. However, through her own changes and disappointments in life, Charlie is right there to help Reggie with raising his beloved daughters.

Using What You Got is about what it means to be a sibling, a family, a friend and a lover. Its about learning to love your family, even when you don't always necessarily like them, finding out who your true friends are as well as learning to be a friend, and everything that glitters is not gold. Quinones Miller covers all the bases with this one, and she covers them well!

This book deserves all the stars. It grabs you and doesn't let you go. Each character is so unique. In reading this book I thought I was going to smack Tiara right off the pages, but the books tells a story that you can both relate to and learn from. Tiara was definitely using what you had to get what she wanted, but is she wanted worth it???? To answer that question, pick up the book. You won't be disappoint!! And old saying is everything that glitters ain't gold. And everything that looks good to you ain't good for you. Just ask Tiara Bynum!! Karen Miller keep doing your thing. I look forward to more from you.

I read this book and I was disappointed. It focused on a girl who is very superficial and only seems to care about herself. I think in the end she really did not deserve to be happy. She still had the same attitude toward everything and the only reason she did not accept the money is because she did not want Rashad and her father to figure out she hasn't changed.
I thought the novel "I'm Telling" by Ms Karen Quinones Miller was much better.

I really enjoyed this fastpaced read. This is my second book by this author. She has a way of weaving a tale that makes you think you are watching a movie. Tiara was a trip with her "yeah I got it like that". The only thing that was wrong with Tiara was that she was spoiled. I read another review where the reviewer states that if Tiara was all that why was she in the projects still. Hello duhh her father was working very hard I might add to get them out of their situation and also living in the projects does not mean that you have to have low self esteem. Because before I grew up and bought my own house I realized it wasn't where I lived but how I choose to carry myself. I still have friends that are single moms living in the pj's that are doing the Dayuum thing. Anyway........I am anticipating Ida B. GO Karen,Go Karen and by no means listen to the haters.........Peace Topazzz

In USING WHAT YOU GOT, Karen Quinones Miller uses a deceptively simple palette to paint an intricate portrait which delves into the dysfunctional dynamics of a single parent household headed by a father with a questionable value system. Harlem is the backdrop for this gritty story, with its vibrant colloquial style, but at its core is a theme of family love and loyalty.

The centerpiece of this provocative work of fiction is glamour girl extraordinaire Tiara Bynum. Tiara is a college student whose vain preoccupation with her physical appearance is only matched by her determination to find a wealthy man. Tiara and her tomboyish younger sister JoJo's only parental role models are their father Reggie, an ex-gambler/ex-prize fighter turned sanitation worker, and their whiskey imbibing Aunt Charlie, whose once beautiful face was disfigured in an auto accident. Reggie is fiercely devoted to his daughters and is indulgent with them to a fault. He has, however, instilled less than stellar values in Tiara regarding the importance of finding a man who can spoil and provide for her materially.

When Tiara meets Lionel with his sleek Porche and designer clothes, she is immediately mesmerized by his flashy lifestyle and sees him as her dream man. Matters become complicated when she finds herself attracted to Rashad, a down to earth, community oriented cab driver whose seeming indifference to her good looks only serves to peak Tiara's interest in him. Soon Tiara has to make a choice which will change her life forever.

In USING WHAT YOU GOT Karen creates characters that are at once endearing and exasperating. At the end of the story the reader is left with the impression that Tiara has somehow been reformed by her experiences, which makes the story a bit incredible. Overall this book is a very thought-provoking read.

Reviewed by Autumn
of the RAWSISTAZ Reviewers