Seoul Revelations

by Bobby Cenoura

Marcus Richardson wants to escape the snares of the inner city. Growing up with a strong work ethic, he proves to be an industrious young man. He reconnects with Kim Han, a young Korean American college woman whose father runs Sunbeam Market, the neighborhood corner store. Marcus builds a friendship of trust and fresh perspective with Kim, which threatens to be something more, save for other challenges that occur in Marcus’ his best friend and a neighborhood thug.Marcus must manage his best friend Tyrell Jones’ emotions because Tyrell feels that he lives his life in Marcus’ shadow. Worlds collide when neighborhood thug, Delonte Harris needs to recover money that he cheated a local kingpin out of. Delonte sets his sights on Sunbeam as a target for a robbery to recover the money and gets Marcus indirectly involved.Interaction beyond the bulletproof glass that divides Black customers and Korean merchants is what drives SEOUL REVELATIONS. Race, culture and inner city survival are examined and revealed. It takes place in late 90s, Washington D.C., which was recovering from the crack epidemic and the label of “murder capital”.

279 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 13, 2013

Reviews

[Sidne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Back cover summary: Chocolate City known in the 90's as Washington D.C. was recovering form the crack epidemic and the label of 'murder capital. Seoul Revelations is a story of friendship and betrayal; one that analyzes the challenges of a budding interracial relationship between a young Black man an a young Korean woman whose family runs a liquor store in his inner city neighborhood. Interactions beyond the bulletproof glass that divides Black customers and Korean merchants is what drives Seoul Revelations. Race, culture and inner city survival are examined and revealed.

My Review: Sidne (Reading Rendezvous Reviewz)
Washington D.C is the story setting and the protagonist, Marcus, is a young boy living in a single family home with his mother. His mother is strict and living with the fear that her son could become a victim of the streets and raises him with the determination to stir him from that path of destruction.
Marcus has both a strong mind and a street life nestled in his mentality. Marcus friend, Tyrell is a flat character in the novel. He is the kid that have no goals for life and feels hopeless. Then there was the hellion by the name of Delonte. He love to instigate fear into most of the neighborhood children but not Marcus.
Other characters in the novel were interesting also. Marcus neighbor and his buddy both from a different culture,argued mostly about culture differences and living in America. The author brought those two characters alive with the usage of their native speaking tongue twisted with the pronouciation of american words,that was skillful.
The story line is centered on the characters regular day to day life of friendships, good times, and betrayal. The interracial relationship between Marcus and the Asian girl was somewhat Flat for me. I think the author could of added a bit more substance to the story in order to meet the words 'analyzes the challenges ' that is used to describe their relationship. There was one instance in the novel where the story 'zoned out'. (left me confused, section appeared out of place)
As soon as the story was beginning to engaged me on the level of a great read it ended. My reading pace was slow to moderate through out the book. I enjoyed the author writing style.
The ending was good and I wished it was the middle of the book. I believe the author plot was to show how cultures lack of communication and trust within a community sends the wrong message and bitter events are usually the results. The book title and the story line was comparable and I give that a 3/5. Book Cover a 3/5 and Seoul Revelations sits on my book shelf as a Darn Good Read with a 3/5 review rating.
(Reviewing for: EDC Creations)