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Taboo
New York City’s Riker’s Island has a reputation as one of the harshest and roughest prisons in the United States. Within Riker’s, there is a jail within a jail, known as The Bing. It houses the most dangerous inmates—criminals who are so dangerous that they must be confined to their cells for 23 hours and 15 minutes a day.
It is in The Bing where Sierra Howell, a sexy female corrections officer from Brooklyn, meets a charming and manipulative prisoner. Sierra falls so hard for him that she soon finds herself fornicating on the job with a man she’s supposed to be guarding. She becomes embroiled in a mix of turmoil, drama, and investigations that turn her world upside down, and she becomes, in many ways, a prisoner of love.
It is in The Bing where Sierra Howell, a sexy female corrections officer from Brooklyn, meets a charming and manipulative prisoner. Sierra falls so hard for him that she soon finds herself fornicating on the job with a man she’s supposed to be guarding. She becomes embroiled in a mix of turmoil, drama, and investigations that turn her world upside down, and she becomes, in many ways, a prisoner of love.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
3 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
About the author
Yoshe
14 books20 followersYoshe is a native of Brooklyn, New York, where she resides with her young son. She is a former New York City corrections officer and hairstylist. Tabbo is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 24, 2009
Can anyone say amatuer? I can. And I am. I don't work. I stay at home with my daughter. I don't like work. I like not working. Reading this was WORK. A lot of it.
What makes this even sadder is the story could have went somewhere. The plot line, for the most part, and the characters were fine. Hell, I'll even go so far as to say good in some cases. But everything, and I do mean, everything, else sucked.
There was so much slang that it actually needed deciphering. (I'm white and I still know my slang so lets not go there either.)
A petty annoyance of mine was the slight usage of military terms but I could have easily gotten past that because it wasn't a lot. The author trying to make like she knew something, anything, about some gangs....I could have got past that as well. Luckily that was a very small part and didn't continue.
On page 131 we find out that Lamont has a long lost sister. Mind you, there was no mention of this anywhere in the first 130 pages. Then, on page, (can anyone guess?) 132 we find out Lamont screwed his sister. Wow- suspenseful. It took about a total of 3 pages for the whole long lost family to meet, have a conversation, and all be cool, so cool in fact that they were depending on each other now. The videotape- please. Another major twist that could have taken up a decent amount of pages and really added to the story whittled down to a half a page of nothingness.
This shouldn't have even been published. I can't beleieve Urban Books published it. I would have guessed yoshepublishers was behind it. God only knows there will probably be a sequel and I'm done. I'm tired of reading trash and if this can get published and urban fiction than I may as well start writing now.
GR- PLEASE give us the half star ratings! This has a whole half a star more than it should have! PLEEEEEEASE!!!!
What makes this even sadder is the story could have went somewhere. The plot line, for the most part, and the characters were fine. Hell, I'll even go so far as to say good in some cases. But everything, and I do mean, everything, else sucked.
There was so much slang that it actually needed deciphering. (I'm white and I still know my slang so lets not go there either.)
A petty annoyance of mine was the slight usage of military terms but I could have easily gotten past that because it wasn't a lot. The author trying to make like she knew something, anything, about some gangs....I could have got past that as well. Luckily that was a very small part and didn't continue.
On page 131 we find out that Lamont has a long lost sister. Mind you, there was no mention of this anywhere in the first 130 pages. Then, on page, (can anyone guess?) 132 we find out Lamont screwed his sister. Wow- suspenseful. It took about a total of 3 pages for the whole long lost family to meet, have a conversation, and all be cool, so cool in fact that they were depending on each other now. The videotape- please. Another major twist that could have taken up a decent amount of pages and really added to the story whittled down to a half a page of nothingness.
This shouldn't have even been published. I can't beleieve Urban Books published it. I would have guessed yoshepublishers was behind it. God only knows there will probably be a sequel and I'm done. I'm tired of reading trash and if this can get published and urban fiction than I may as well start writing now.
GR- PLEASE give us the half star ratings! This has a whole half a star more than it should have! PLEEEEEEASE!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2014
Im sorry but I could not get into this book at all.It started off too slow and by the time I got to the middle of the story it was still slow.I had to put this book down and couldn't even finish it. IT was very disappointing.
September 22, 2022
I went into this book blindly, needing something to listen to on a long car ride. I had no idea what it would be about. But I’m not a fan of books concerning baby mama drama and/or gangstas. The story felt like one of those B movies on BET with bad acting…. Unnecessary killings, gangs, drugs, calling women bitches and whores, all the clichés of a gangsta storylines. I gave it a 3 star only because it held my attention to the end. But if I knew what I was getting myself into, I would’ve never started the book.
February 16, 2018
I liked this story it was touching and suspenseful. Love comes in many forms and for si it was unexpected and different, but I'm ready to see if they can make it or not. I liked how the ending made me want to read book 2, and left me guessing what was to come. Onto book 2!
May 19, 2023
That ending was unexpected.
March 31, 2009
Can you mix with business with pleasure?
Newcomer Yoshe brings us a raw novel. While it’s” hood “and has a street edge to it I say it’s a different read as it shows the ins and outs that correction officers have to deal with on the job. I like the fact that each chapter is a character telling their side of the story. The book goes from first person to third person and is done in a way that works well. The way it’s written, you either hate the characters or love them.
We meet Sierra Howell a correction officer at Rikers Island on 5 North. She is independent, has a great job and a plan for her life. She has some haters and takes it all in stride. Sierra has some baggage steaming from a past failed relationship. Sierra takes her career seriously and doesn’t break rules…that’s until she meets Rasheed Gordon a true product of his environment. Rasheed has a swagger about him that not even Sierra can resist, but there is more to him that the eye can see. I have to admit I found myself wishing they could get over their hang-ups and become a couple. Tune in to see if that happens. The supporting cast is connected in one way or another - this makes for a good story to see how they all intertwine. It was good to see that some of the characters learned from their mistakes and made changes for the better. Yoshe does the writing in a way that you are not able to pin point who will come out on top. There are many twisted plots that will make you shake your head and say, wow I did not see that coming.
This story was a good story however; the biggest drawback for me was the fact that every single character talked slang 24/7. While most were from the streets and that was understood, it just made for some hard reading. Even the grandparents talk slang so I am thinking ok they know they too old for that! So I was saying as I was reading “nobody talks slang all the time”. At some point you have to turn it off - like at work maybe???
I look forward to reading more from Yoshe in the future as she has the knack for storytelling. I just hope she tones down the slang next time so it will be an easier read.
SiStar Tea
ARC Book Club Inc.
3.5 Star Rating
Newcomer Yoshe brings us a raw novel. While it’s” hood “and has a street edge to it I say it’s a different read as it shows the ins and outs that correction officers have to deal with on the job. I like the fact that each chapter is a character telling their side of the story. The book goes from first person to third person and is done in a way that works well. The way it’s written, you either hate the characters or love them.
We meet Sierra Howell a correction officer at Rikers Island on 5 North. She is independent, has a great job and a plan for her life. She has some haters and takes it all in stride. Sierra has some baggage steaming from a past failed relationship. Sierra takes her career seriously and doesn’t break rules…that’s until she meets Rasheed Gordon a true product of his environment. Rasheed has a swagger about him that not even Sierra can resist, but there is more to him that the eye can see. I have to admit I found myself wishing they could get over their hang-ups and become a couple. Tune in to see if that happens. The supporting cast is connected in one way or another - this makes for a good story to see how they all intertwine. It was good to see that some of the characters learned from their mistakes and made changes for the better. Yoshe does the writing in a way that you are not able to pin point who will come out on top. There are many twisted plots that will make you shake your head and say, wow I did not see that coming.
This story was a good story however; the biggest drawback for me was the fact that every single character talked slang 24/7. While most were from the streets and that was understood, it just made for some hard reading. Even the grandparents talk slang so I am thinking ok they know they too old for that! So I was saying as I was reading “nobody talks slang all the time”. At some point you have to turn it off - like at work maybe???
I look forward to reading more from Yoshe in the future as she has the knack for storytelling. I just hope she tones down the slang next time so it will be an easier read.
SiStar Tea
ARC Book Club Inc.
3.5 Star Rating
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June 20, 2009EXCELLENT
April 11, 2012
Can't Wait For PT 2 !
June 10, 2011
This was a decent read..... can't wait to see what happens next......waiting on Taboo 2...just ordered it....
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews