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The Bezel Brothers #0.5
First Laugh
First Laugh is the 27,000-word novella and prequel to Laugh Now. It is the back story of Kareem Bezel to highlight why he became such a prolific thief by high school, and why Andre Bezel decided to sell drugs. First Laugh will also get into why the brothers have such a love/hate relationship. The is a must read for all Laugh Now lovers and those anticipating DIE LATER!
89 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 19, 2011
21 people want to read
About the author
Rahiem Brooks
31 books126 followersRahiem Jerome Brooks is the breakout novelist and is a member of the Mystery Writer's of America. His debut thriller, LAUGH NOW won 2010 African-Americans on the Move Book Club's (AAMBC) Book of the Year & he earned 2011 AAMBC Author of the Year. LAUGH NOW also the Most Creative Plot at the DMV Expo's Creative Excellent Awards. Rahiem was also nominated at the 2011 & 2012 African-American Literary Awards for Mystery of the Year for Con Test and Murder in Germantown.
Rahiem Brooks worked on a Film/TV certificate program at University of California, Los Angeles; however, he currently studies English at Harvard University.
He permanently resides in Philadelphia, PA. with a manx.
Rahiem Brooks worked on a Film/TV certificate program at University of California, Los Angeles; however, he currently studies English at Harvard University.
He permanently resides in Philadelphia, PA. with a manx.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 17, 2012
Being the younger sibling is always hard but when you are Kareem Bezel you take your lemons and make lemonade and make it taste like Cristal.
Kareem Bezel is fourteen years old with the heart and soul of someone much older. He lives with his paternal grandmother Jean-Mary and they have they perfect relationship, they are best friends. Jean-Mary encourages him to be his very best and he stays out of trouble, keeps his grades up and keeps her smiling. Kareem is an honor roll student who is now attending Upper Merion Area High School in King of Prussia, a suburb of Philadelphia and on the track team with going to an Ivy League college in his sights where his older brother is just the opposite. Fifteen year old Andre Bezel lives with their mother Delores and her new husband Eli and their daughter Dawn who can do no wrong. Andre doesn’t really have it bad living with his mother except for the fact that he is treated more like a houseboy than a son and he doesn’t like his stepfather. Andre has no desire to go to an Ivy League college like Kareem, he would much rather be a street hustler like their father James “Dope” Bezel. Kareem is having dreams of being Mr. GQ and being wealthy while reading all of these books and magazines and since he has the smarts he knows these are things that he can easily accomplish, all in due time. But when things at home start to get rough financially Kareem have to make some changes in his plans and he will see how easy it is to work and have the things that you want and need, but at what cost?
Rahiem Brooks has you engrossed in this storyline from the very first chapter with the style in which he introduces the characters to you and makes you want to know more about them. They are very likeable characters and that in itself keeps you in the story. The flow of the story is very easy and makes you want to continue reading right through to the very end. I love Brooks’s style and I look forward to reading more of his work. Continued success Rahiem!
Kareem Bezel is fourteen years old with the heart and soul of someone much older. He lives with his paternal grandmother Jean-Mary and they have they perfect relationship, they are best friends. Jean-Mary encourages him to be his very best and he stays out of trouble, keeps his grades up and keeps her smiling. Kareem is an honor roll student who is now attending Upper Merion Area High School in King of Prussia, a suburb of Philadelphia and on the track team with going to an Ivy League college in his sights where his older brother is just the opposite. Fifteen year old Andre Bezel lives with their mother Delores and her new husband Eli and their daughter Dawn who can do no wrong. Andre doesn’t really have it bad living with his mother except for the fact that he is treated more like a houseboy than a son and he doesn’t like his stepfather. Andre has no desire to go to an Ivy League college like Kareem, he would much rather be a street hustler like their father James “Dope” Bezel. Kareem is having dreams of being Mr. GQ and being wealthy while reading all of these books and magazines and since he has the smarts he knows these are things that he can easily accomplish, all in due time. But when things at home start to get rough financially Kareem have to make some changes in his plans and he will see how easy it is to work and have the things that you want and need, but at what cost?
Rahiem Brooks has you engrossed in this storyline from the very first chapter with the style in which he introduces the characters to you and makes you want to know more about them. They are very likeable characters and that in itself keeps you in the story. The flow of the story is very easy and makes you want to continue reading right through to the very end. I love Brooks’s style and I look forward to reading more of his work. Continued success Rahiem!
November 4, 2011
After reading Laugh Now I just had to know more about the Bezel brothers. I fell in love with Kareem’s charm, intellect, and sense of fashion. This book gave some insight of how and why Kareem started his identity theft to make money. I was really into the book when it abruptly stopped. I was kind of at a loss for words “like wow this is it”. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the book but I’m still confused why Dre and Kareem have the type of love/hate relationship they have. It seems Delores is a good mother to her kids so I don’t fully grasp why Kareem lives with his grandma. I also tried to figure out how and why Kareem is driving without a license or some type of permit and Dre’ seems to be of age with no car. The book is a great read I was just hoping to have some questions answered that I had from Laugh Now. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read a great story. I would also suggest you read Laugh Now and Die Later as well. I’m off to read Die Later so maybe my mind can be at ease. I have to find out what’s going to happen next!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews