Situations is an Urban/Street Literature novel that follows the story of two cousins, Deontay "Dee" Curry and Jayson "Jay" Bryant, as they become involved in the drug game in the small town of Saginaw Michigan. Each of them have different reasons for their involvement, however their lives are so intertwined that each of them rely on the other's involvement to continue.
James D. Sanders is an African American author of literary fiction. He was born and raised in the small town of Saginaw, Michigan. Although he was raised in some of the tougher areas of the city, it was his upbringing through the experiences in those areas that leads to the depth and backgrounds of several of his characters.
In 2005, James began working on his first novel, but was forced to put it aside for nearly a decade due to a demanding career. He officially made his return to writing in 2014, and in January of 2015 successfully publish his debut street lit novel, “Situations”. Although a work of fiction, the book and its characters are based upon some of the earlier experiences in James’ life.
Sanders now lives near Phoenix Arizona with his wife and daughter, where he continues to work on several projects across multiple genre.
Situations was a very "easy" and enjoyable read. It's as if you flow through the pages. The characters were relatable even if you are not familiar "the drug game", which I am not, beyond being a reader of Street Literature. Sanders does an excellent job telling one complete story through the point of view of two cousins, Deontay and Jayson.
Any reader of the genre will enjoy this read as the author pens it in a way where the reader can clearly envision the events that take place that lead up to the perfect ending. No cliff hangers. No "to be continued."
What I enjoyed most about this story was the character Deontay. I feel as though his story could easily be "real". He was a smart young man who got sucked into the wrong lifestyle due to lack of funds but used his "brains" to help navigate his way through it. He was the opposite of his cousin Jayson who got involved into the drug game because he felt it was his only option.
I am happy to have read Situations by James Saunders. This is my first time reading his work. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading more of this author in the future.
This book was excellent, I could barely put it down once I started reading. The way Mr. Sanders told the story through the eyes of two people, while keeping the storylines together and still maintaining each characters' individuality was simply amazing. From the beginning until the end, I couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen to each character, right down to the plot twist. I look forward to the next novel he releases.