Baby Brother [Paperback]

I would first like to start by saying, "What Happened." I loved all three of Noire's other books however this book was a total blur. It had a decent plot, no rising action, a predictable climax, and a twisted ending. It would have been wise to concentrate on one or two characters. However, this books was maybe 300 pages but had like 20 different characters. Prince is the only artist that I know who has the ability to drop new material every three monthes. Word to the wise Noire, "All money ain't good money." In other words, putting 50 Cent's name on a book doesn't mean anything to an intellect. 50 cent can afford to flop he's rich, however you are not established yet.

Baby Brother is the story of the Davis brothers, seven boys from New York who have all had their run-ins with the law with the exception of the youngest--Baby Brother. Since the boys' parents died when they were young, they made a promise to their mother that they would take care of Baby Brother and teach him right from wrong. Baby Brother, also known as Zabu, has taken their lessons to heart and made something of himself. He's leaving for California in two days with a full scholarship to Stanford and has plans to become a surgeon.

The book begins with Zabu struggling to say goodbye to his girlfriend Sari, a half-Puerto Rican half-black girl who he's been with for the past three years. Zabu knows it's going to be hard to leave Sari, but believes that going to Stanford and making a life for himself outside his brothers' world of drugs and corruption will give them a chance at a real future together. Sadly, on their last night together Sari is brutally gunned down in the streets of New York and Zabu is nailed for the crime. When an unsympathetic judge refuses to hear his brothers' pleas about Zabu's bright future, and instead sends Baby Brother to Rikers, the rest of the Davis boys band together to get their little brother out of jail and to find the real culprits behind Sari's murder.

Baby Brother was less than two hundred pages and was pretty quick-paced and exciting. The Davis Brothers have long been on the wrong side of the law, but when the only innocent one among them is punished for a crime he didn't commit, they use their street connections and hard backgrounds to figure out a way to get him out of this mess. It wasn't the most well-planned and executed book I've ever read, but it was entertaining and easy to read so I was able to look past the excessive sex scenes, needless descriptive acts of violence, and street slang I couldn't understand to see the heart of this story. If you've seen the movie Four Brothers, you more or less know what the plot and outcome of this book will be, and since I liked that movie, it made it a whole lot easier to like this novella.

In Baby Brother by 50 Cent and Noire, Antwan "Priest", Malik, Raheem, Kadir, Farad, and Finesse make up six of the seven Davis brother clan, who are on a mission to protect the youngest, Zabu a.k.a Baby Brother. This was a promise made to their mother on her death bed.

Each brother chose a different path of life to travel. The eldest brother, Priest, was formerly ` Monster', a downright gritty thug who pimped, killed, gang banged, and hustled until a prison bid set him on the path to being spiritually saved. Malik was one of NYPD's finest, attempting to manage a life of upholding the law whilst being enmeshed with his law-breaking twin brothers, Farad and Finesse. The twins were drug lords who terrorized the streets of New York ruthlessly. Kadir followed in his father's footsteps and took to the game of gambling. Farad was a correction's officer at Riker's Island trying to stay on the straight and narrow with his nine to five. Baby Brother, the pride and joy of the family, was their hope for a better future. He obtained a scholarship to attend Stanford University, had never been in trouble with the law and the brothers made sure to protect him from the lessons the streets had taught them so harshly.

The novella starts with Baby Brother having a little fun with his Puerto Rican girlfriend, Sari. The two wanted to enjoy each other because it would be two days before Baby Brother would board the airplane for California to attend Stanford. Winding down their day, Sari was getting into Baby Brother's car when she was shot. Attempting to capture the shooter, Baby Brother picked up the gun that was dropped by the assailant and took chase but was met by headlights and gun barrels as the cops caught him. Baby Brother understood that under the circumstances, he was the perpetrator of the murder.

The other Davis brothers found out about Baby Brother and attempted to get their brother out of jail, to no avail. That is when the plot thickened. Baby Brother was alone in prison; a world unknown to him. Would his brothers succeed in using their inside connections to protect him until he hits the bricks again? Or would he become a victim of his brothers past crimes? Would their mother rest peacefully for a promise protected or would she turn over in her grave? 50 Cent and Noire leave none of these questions unanswered.

Baby Brother was a quick, intense read. Though it started out slow, once you delve into the pages you quickly understand the plot and begin to care for the brothers and their struggles. It was tough for me to stay connected with each character because there were so many. The slang used was also a barrier because it did not cross territories. Most of the words are probably used in New York and understood by New Yorkers, so someone not from that area may be
slightly confused as to their meaning. I am recommending this novella to readers who have short attention spans and who are unconcerned about not being able to visualize the setting. It does possess a strong plot and adds a `family' story to urban literature which is not the norm. I also recommend that 50 Cent and Noire expand this novella into a novel to give the story the added depth it needs.

Reviewed by Darnetta Frazier
APOOO BookClub

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