The Way It Is

by Nicole Jackson

Girls in the hood aint always hard, but the saying holds true for girls growing up in the Ward. Raquel and Tae were both born into the hood. Their mothers were both babies having babies, so from the beginning the odds were stacked against them.
At an early age Raquel knew that she wanted more for herself, but somehow her circumstances always stood in the way. Tae grew up in an unconventional home, with little to no guidance. With these set of circumstances the two friends attempt to find their way in life.
Raquel thinks that she has found solace in Kevin. He’s the one for her, but after a dreadful night their lives are forever changed. Without her backbone, can she really handle this cold cruel world?
Tae loses so many close to her, and is afraid to let anyone in, until she meets Eric. Eric is the exact opposite of anything Tae’s ever experienced. So, now that she’s found a real man, can she become woman enough for him?
Raquel and Tae may appear to be average hood chicks, but they have an extraordinary story to tell. The good, bad, and ugly is a part of life and just simply The Way It Is.

429 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 19, 2014

Reviews

[thebookcritic_ · Rating 2 out of 5]

cool but a lot of errors

This book was cool. Hard, gritty coming of age story. It was somewhat of a hard read but this is definitely someone’s reality. I was disappointed Quel’s didn’t continue her education. Quel became just like her mom. Roz was a horrible mother. She was right a lot of the time but she went about it wrong. That plot twist at the end did get me though.

Quite a few grammatical errors and misspelled words. I don’t get why they kept switching Keyasia name? Who is Lil Daddy?

[Kami Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forever Love!

This is my first time reading Raquel's story and I didn't expect that at all. I knew she was tough but reading this story really added depth. Love is a powerful thing and when its real, it never dies

[💖📚BOOKZAMILLION📖💘 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just re-read this book for the fifth time. It was still as good as the first time. I love this author’s characters. I never get tired of them. I love how most of them are connected. If it one this author can do is write a good damn book!

Total Book Experience 10/10

Plot/Storyline (structure)10/10
Writing (Errors) 10/10
Characters 10/10
Again-able 10/10
Emotion 10/10
Book Cover 10/10
Visual/ Illustratable 10/10
Addictiveness 10/10
Threshold quality 10/10
Unique 10/10





If you’re wondering whether or not you should read… THE ANSWER IS YES‼️‼️


Nicole Jackson Books In Order by Publication
- [ ] She Got It - January 1, 2014
- [ ] Hold It Down Like Brother and Sister- February 18 2014
- [ ] The Way It Is February 19,2014
- [ ] Connected April 26,2014
- [ ] Can’t Trust These Bitches 05/28/2014
- [ ] Circumstances June 7 2014
- [ ] The Game Never Changes- July 2 2014
- [ ] She Got It 2 - October 15, 2014
- [ ] Can’t Leave It Alone 03/18/2015
- [ ] Shooting Blindly In The Dark 05/13/2015
- [ ] They Don’t Know Me 08/22/2015
- [ ] Can’t Trust These Bitches 2 October 29, 2015
- [ ] Can’t Trust These Bitches Amir and Zyrie 10/29/2015
- [ ] Promiscuous Girl 1 and 2 April 25, 2016
- [ ] Freeze June 23, 2016
- [ ] Promiscuous Girl Keyasia and Wale 10/15/2016
- [ ] Even When It’s Wrong June 27, 2017
- [ ] 21 Questions December 27, 2017
- [ ] Promiscuous Girl Craven and Jazel March 29, 2018
- [ ] He’s For Everybody July 30, 2018
- [ ] You Ain’t My Type October 24, 2018
- [ ] The Wild Child January 31, 2019
- [ ] So Many Tears June 29, 2019
- [ ] So Many Tears 2 September 16, 2019
- [ ] No Matter What December 24, 2019
- [ ] Can’t Trust These Bitches 3 April 30, 2020
- [ ] Promiscuous Girl 3 August 26, 2020
- [ ] Fat Ma October 6, 2020
- [ ] Resentment January 30, 2021
- [ ] Borrowed Love April 5, 2021
- [ ] Borrowed Love 2 June 29, 2021
- [ ] We Outside October 23, 2021
- [ ] We Outside 2 December 30, 2021
- [ ] Take It Down March 15, 2022
- [ ] Take It Down 2 March 15, 2022
- [ ] Foolish May 25, 2022
- [ ] Foolish 2 July 25, 2022
- [ ] His Boy Can Get It August 29, 2022
- [ ] His Boy Can Get It 2 September 30, 2022
- [ ] Deeper Than Love October 27, 2022
- [ ] Deeper Than Love 2 December 3, 2022
- [ ] Freaky Tales December 22, 2022
- [ ] Checkmate- Snowed In With You January 9, 2023
- [ ] Three’s The Clique January 27, 2023
- [ ] The Interlude February 14, 2023
- [ ] The Interlude 2 May 30, 2023
- [ ]     The Interlude 3 June 28, 2023
- [ ]   Trouble July 28, 2023
- [ ]    Trouble 2 August 31, 2023
- [ ]    Trouble 3 October 28, 2023
- [ ] More Than a Crush November 21, 2023
- [ ]    More Than a Crush 2 December 23, 2023
- [ ] Never Saw Her Coming January 22, 2024
- [ ] A Time Was Had March 17, 2024

[°BeauutiLovve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need to give this book more stars, Quel and Tae was something else. Key crack me up,that lil girl was a mess. I loved this book. I cried and cried. I wish the truth came out about the death of Mae- Mae. Way to go Nicole

[Bookzamillionpt2cuzilost · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s now 2026 and The Way It Is is STILL hitting just as hard as the first time I read it. 😭❤️ At this point I’ve reread this book so many times I honestly lost count, but it’s definitely somewhere around 10 or 11 rereads by now. And somehow it NEVER gets old.

Raquel and Tae’s story still feels so real and emotional. Nicole Jackson has a way of writing hood stories that don’t just feel dramatic — they feel HUMAN. The struggles, grief, trauma, friendship, love, and survival in this book still hit me emotionally every single reread.

And honestly, one thing Nicole Jackson always does perfectly is character connections. I love how most of her characters and stories are tied together because it makes her whole catalog feel alive. Seeing characters pop back up in other books or hearing about them later always makes the rereads even better for me.

Also… if it’s ONE thing this author is going to do, it’s write a good damn book. 😂❤️ Every time I revisit her catalog I remember exactly why she became one of my favorite authors in the first place.

📚 Total Book Experience: 100/100

✨ Plot/Storyline: 10/10
✨ Writing (Errors): 10/10
✨ Characters: 10/10
✨ Again-able/Re-read Value: 10/10
✨ Emotion: 10/10
✨ Book Cover: 10/10
✨ Visual/Illustratable Quality: 10/10
✨ Addictiveness: 10/10
✨ Threshold Quality: 10/10
✨ Uniqueness: 10/10




She Got It
   1. She Got It (2014)
   2. She Got It 2 (2014)
 
Hold It Down
   The Game Never Changes (2014)
   They Don't Know Me (2015)
   Freeze (2016)
   The Wild Child (2019)
   Just Listen (2026)
 
Can't Trust These Bitches
   1. Can't Trust these Bitches (2014)
   Can't Trust These Bitches: Amir and Zyrie (2015)
   2. Can't Trust These Bitches 2 (2015)
   3. Can't Trust These Bitches 3 (2020)
 
Promiscuous Girl
   1. Promiscuous Girl: Keyasia and Wale (2016)
   2. Promiscuous Girl: Craven and Jazel (2018)
   3. Promiscuous Girl 3 (2020)
 
So Many Tears
   1. So Many Tears (2019)
   2. So Many Tears 2 (2019)
 
Borrowed Love
   1. Borrowed Love (2021)
   2. Borrowed Love 2 (2021)
   We Outside (2021)
   We Outside 2 (2021)
   Foolish (2022)
   Foolish 2 (2022)
 
Take It Down
   1. Take It Down (2022)
   2. Take It Down 2 (2022)
 
Take It Down Spin-Off
   1. His Boy Can Get It (2022)
   2. His Boy Can Get It 2 (2022)
 
No Matter What
   1. Deeper Than Love (2022)
   2. Deeper Than Love 2 (2022)
 
Checkmate (with Jazz Moore)
   Snowed in With You (2023)
 
Interlude
   1. The Interlude (2023)
   2. The Interlude 2 (2023)
   3. The Interlude 3 (2023)
 
Trouble
   1. Trouble (2023)
   2. Trouble 2 (2023)
   3. Trouble 3 (2023)
 
More Than a Crush
   1. More Than a Crush (2023)
   2. More Than a Crush 2 (2023)
 
Three's The Clique
   1. Three's The Clique (2023)
   2. Extreme Toxicity (2025)
 
Doing The Unthinkable
   0. The Disloyal 2 (2024)
   1. Doing The Unthinkable (2024)
   2. Doing The Unthinkable 2 (2024)
   The Disloyal (2024)
 
Novels
   Hold It Down (2014)
   The Way It Is (2014)
   Connected (2014)
   Circumstances (2014)
   Can't Leave It Alone (2015)
   Shooting Blindly in the Dark (2015)
   Even When It's Wrong (2017)
   21 Questions (2017)
   He's for Everybody (2018)
   You Ain't My Type (2018)
   No Matter What (2019)
   Fat Ma (2020)
   Resentment (2021)
   Never Saw Her Coming (2024)
   A Time Was Had (2024)
   The Villain Era (2025)
   When It's Real (2025)
   Before I Let Go (2025) (with Jazz Moore)
   She Owes Him One (2025)
   Stepped (2026)
 
Novellas and Short Stories
   Freaky Tales (2022)
   A Season Called Us (2025)

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not your typical love story

Buy, Read it. You won’t be disappointed! You have to come from the hood to understand the level of dysfunction that exists in this book. The first time that I read this book was two years ago. Raquel was too damaged for me not to judge her as a parent. I gave the book only 4 stars. Fast forward to today and it’s a solid five stars. Why the difference? I’ve gone through some life changes and it has affected my perspective so I can relate better. Raquel’s childhood trauma of seeing the twin murdered, herself being harmed and not having consistent love from her parents did not allow her to develop healthy coping skills. Kevin was her strength and when she lost him it brought down her world. I didn’t like how she left him in the dust for defending her. Tae was my girl and I’m so glad she got it together before life caved in on her, albeit there was an unfortunate event. Roz really did a 180 and Fred was the man for coming through for Raquel in a clutch. Nykee is a female’s name and he sure was a bitch! This was a good book and Nicole did her thing with the pen. Her writing skills are immaculate! She keeps us coming back for more.

[Katrina and her Kindle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m so glad that when I discovered Nicole initially it was her newer material. Because had I started from the beginning, this would’ve been the last book for me.

The mc’s were apart THE WHOLE BOOK. The only time the fmc was intimate on page with the mmc is when she was a damn child. A pregnant ELEVEN year old. She didn’t reconnect with the mmc until 95%. She spent the whole book being a trifling, deadbeat skank who got her bff killed while neglecting her kids. And sorry I didn’t see any redemption for her. No talk of her going to therapy or making up the lost time with her kids that she neglected until their dad was released. Just years later she’s surprise… pregnant again! Nearly 500 pages of pure trauma. 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

I also hate when the mc’s have on page intimacy with people that aren’t the mc. This broad gave it up to everyone but the damn mailman (that we know of).

[Briana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible

This is my read from this author and my first ever book review. This book started out interesting but after Kevin went to jail the book went completely down hill. Every page was about Quel finessing and sleeping with multiple men. I got so tired of it I just skipped to the last few chapters of the book because it really had no plot. Glad I got this book for free and kind of skeptical to read any more from this author.

[Carla Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Whew these little fast tail girls be out here living dangerous & popping out babies like it’s a sport. I thought Raven’s story (Hold It Down by Nicole Jackson) was one for the books, but baby listen, Raquel’s story took me through there. I don’t know who my heart goes out to more … Raquel, Tae, Mae Mae, or Alex. Even lil Keyasia was a hot mess! Trust me this book is a must read! Definitely a BOMB 10 outta 10 read!

[Chandra Shinholster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karma

Okay I have read this series all out of order. I was so intrigued by Raquel and Kevin's story and so glad I found it. It did not disappoint in the least. Raquel was a wild girl and so funny. Kevin was the ultimate protector and lover. Things don't always go as planned but when it's meant to be it'll be.

[Dorian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg

This book just might be my favorite of the series. I had to take a two day break because this one stressed me all the way out. I loved the story line and the characters. I found myself tearing up while reading. The ending made me super happy. I'm so thankful that my coworker put me on to you Nicole Jackson. I love your books.

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whew this was a lot. So much trauma from loss, a twin, a piece of you. I can’t imagine. A mother who becomes a childless mother, in her eyes. Not having the strength to love and support the ones still living. The streets raising kids, to adults, the loss for bestie life. Then, in the end there’s redemption after revenge. So good Nicole. And, It’s just the way it is.

[Georgeena Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good emotional read!!!

Very good book had me in tears. Raquel went through so much. I was sad about Tae , I couldn't believe what happened to her. Nicole Jackson is an amazing writer!!!

[Kela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely A Good Read!

I liked the plot of the book it definitely took me back to days in my own childhood. It help me experience times in the 80s and how things were.

I would definitely recommend this book!

[Shahtia Gay-hairston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal

This is probably my 7th time reading this book although I always hesitate because of Tae! I love these characters so much and my favorite thing to do is re-read Nicole Jackson books!

[Mylecia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

This story was raw and uncut. It represents so many girls in hood that get caught up on the fast life. I was hooked from the beginning to the end. I’m glad that Kevin and Raquel were able to make it work in the end.

[Latoya Naylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book!!!

This book was excellent. I laughed, I cried, and it was very relatable!!! Definitely 5 stars and I cannot wait to read more from Nicole Jackson.

[tanessia ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

These stories is getting deeper and deeper. And even more crazier if that’s at all possible. I don’t know if I’m ready for the next book.

[Angelia Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Way Love Goes

This book actually had me sad. Tae was a sweet girl and didn't deserve what happened. Raquel was selfish and I'm still giving her the side eye.

[Shequana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this the best book ive read by this author

I say this each time I read a book by Nicole Jackson 😂. This one did hit a lil different. It was soooooooooooo good.

[Shatavia · Rating 5 out of 5]

100% Good read

I loved it ❤️ it gives reality in alot of black neighborhoods. I also the lessons you can learn from to prevent things.. 10/10❤️

[Abbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

an epic story

I don’t really feel that Nicole Jackson has to make the girls so young. But you can see Raquel really lost herself after Kevin went away. 4 stars

[Kris Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way it is

This is my first read from this author and this won't be my last. These girls went thru hell and high waters but came out on top. I was so sad about Tae. This was great read!

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Way It Is

This was a gooood read! Nicole Jackson did it with this one. My emotions were all over the place by the end of the book! Can't wait for my next read by her

[Renessa D Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had so much emotion and heartache that I could not put it down. Raquel and Kevin are the definition of a hood couple. In this book the incident or occurrence (rape) changed the life of so many. Raquel literally lost her mind. Her choices hurt so many people and ruined so many lives because she could not deal. Tae was the ultimate consequence. After she changed her life and found a man to love her the way she needs. Reading this book shows that true guidance from a parent needs to come from the gate. If Roz would have been a better parent she could have been able to guide Raquel back after Kevin got locked up. The love, sadness, and grief in this book can be felt. I could not put it down when I started. Good reading.

[Litisha Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this

I truly loved this book I literally cried. The fifth ward girls really stuck together their friendship was stronger than family. Nicole really did a great job with this book.

[Chelsea Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth 3.5 stars but it was all over the place

Nicole is a gifted writer but for some reason this novel was all over the place . It was indeed fast pace and entertaining but could have been executed s little more efficiently

[Kristie Kilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read but....

This was a good book but wasn't as good as the other ones I read by Nicole. I'm still a fan tho!

[Delicia washington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raquel and Kevin

We all remember that first love.. Here goes another one.... This book was so good, my 2nd time reading it,but it feeling like the 1st.... Keep em coming......

[Delonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Final Rating 4 Stars