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The Blackbirds
New York Times bestselling author Eric Jerome Dickey delivers his next delectable, erotic romance
They call themselves the Blackbirds. Kwanzaa Browne, Indigo Abdulrahaman, Destiny Jones, and Ericka Stockwell are four best friends who are closer than sisters, and will go to the ends of the earth for one another. Yet even their deep bond can’t heal all wounds from their individual pasts, as the collegiate and post-collegiate women struggle with their own demons, drama, and desires.
Trying to forget her cheating ex-fiancé, Kwanzaa becomes entangled with a wicked one-night stand—a man who turns out to be one in five million. Indigo is in an endless on-again, off-again relationship with her footballer boyfriend, and in her time between dysfunctional relationships she purses other naughty desires. Destiny, readjusting to normal life, struggles to control her own anger after avenging a deep wrong landed her in juvi, while at the same time trying to have her first real relationship—one she has initiated using an alias to hide her past from her lover. Divorced Ericka is in remission from cancer and trying to deal with two decades of animosity with her radical mother, while keeping the desperate crush she has always had on Destiny’s father a secret... a passion with an older man that just may be reciprocated.
As the women try to overcome— or give into— their impulses, they find not only themselves tested, but the one thing they always considered their friendship.
They call themselves the Blackbirds. Kwanzaa Browne, Indigo Abdulrahaman, Destiny Jones, and Ericka Stockwell are four best friends who are closer than sisters, and will go to the ends of the earth for one another. Yet even their deep bond can’t heal all wounds from their individual pasts, as the collegiate and post-collegiate women struggle with their own demons, drama, and desires.
Trying to forget her cheating ex-fiancé, Kwanzaa becomes entangled with a wicked one-night stand—a man who turns out to be one in five million. Indigo is in an endless on-again, off-again relationship with her footballer boyfriend, and in her time between dysfunctional relationships she purses other naughty desires. Destiny, readjusting to normal life, struggles to control her own anger after avenging a deep wrong landed her in juvi, while at the same time trying to have her first real relationship—one she has initiated using an alias to hide her past from her lover. Divorced Ericka is in remission from cancer and trying to deal with two decades of animosity with her radical mother, while keeping the desperate crush she has always had on Destiny’s father a secret... a passion with an older man that just may be reciprocated.
As the women try to overcome— or give into— their impulses, they find not only themselves tested, but the one thing they always considered their friendship.
528 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 19, 2016
366 people are currently reading
2924 people want to read
About the author
Eric Jerome Dickey
60 books3,624 followersEric Jerome Dickey was born in Memphis, Tennessee and attended the University of Memphis (the former Memphis State), where he earned his degree in Computer System Technology. In 1983, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in engineering.
After landing a job in the aerospace industry as a software developer, Eric Jerome Dickey's artistic talents surfaced, inspiring him to become an actor and a stand-up comedian. Yet Eric quickly found out that writing was something he could do and do well. From creative writing classes to avidly consuming the works of his favorite authors, Eric Jerome Dickey began to shape a writing career of his own. Having written several scripts for his personal comedy act, he started writing poetry and short stories. "The film work gave me insight into character development, the acting classes helped me understand motivation...All of it goes hand in hand," Eric explains. He joined the IBWA (International Black Writers and Artists), participated in their development workshops, and became a recipient of the IBWA SEED Scholarship to attend UCLA's Creative Writing classes. In 1994 his first published short story, "Thirteen," appeared in the IBWA's River Crossing: Voices of the Diaspora-An Anthology of the International Black Experience. A second short story, "Days Gone By," was published in the magazine A Place to Enter.
With those successes behind him, Eric Jerome Dickey decided to fine-tune some of his earlier work and developed a screenplay called "Cappuccino." "Cappuccino" was directed and produced by Craig Ross, Jr. and appeared in coffee houses around the Los Angeles area. In February 1998, "Cappuccino" made its local debut during the Pan African Film Festival at the Magic Johnson Theater in Los Angeles.
Short stories, though, didn't seem to fulfill Eric Jerome Dickey's creative yearnings. Eric says, "I'd set out to do a ten-page story and it would go on for three hundred pages." So Eric kept writing and reading and sending out query letters for his novels for almost three years until he finally got an agent. "Then a door opened," Eric says. "And I put my foot in before they could close it." And that door has remained opened, as Eric Jerome Dickey's novels have placed him on the map as one of the best writers of contemporary urban fiction.
Eric Jerome Dickey's book signing tours for Sister, Sister; Friends and Lovers; Milk in My Coffee; Cheaters; and Liar's Game took him from coast to coast and helped propel each of these novels to #1 on the "Blackboard Bestsellers List." Cheaters was named "Blackboard Book of the Year" in 2000. In June 2000, Eric Jerome Dickey celebrated the French publication of Milk in My Coffee (Cafe Noisette) by embarking on a book tour to Paris. Soon after, Milk in My Coffee became a bestseller in France. Eric Jerome Dickey's novels, Chasing Destiny, Liar's Game, Between Lovers, Thieves' Paradise, The Other Woman, Drive Me Crazy, Genevieve, Naughty or Nice, Sleeping with Strangers, Waking with Enemies, and Pleasure have all earned him the success of a spot on The New York Times bestseller list. Liar's Game, Thieves' Paradise, The Other Woman, and Genevieve have also given Dickey the added distinction of being nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the category of Outstanding Literary Work in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005. In 2006, he was honored with the awards for Best Contemporary Fiction and Author of the Year (Male) at the 2006 African American Literary Award Show. In 2008, Eric was nominated for Storyteller of the Year at the 1st annual ESSENCE Literary Awards. In January 2001, Eric Jerome Dickey was a contributor to New American Library's anthology Got To Be Real: Four Original Love Stories, also a Blackboard Bestseller. He also had a story entitled “Fish Sanwich” appear in the anthology Mothers and Sons. In June 2002, Dickey contributed to Black Silk: A Collection of African American Erotica (Warner Books) as well as to Riots Beneath the Baobab (published by Inte
After landing a job in the aerospace industry as a software developer, Eric Jerome Dickey's artistic talents surfaced, inspiring him to become an actor and a stand-up comedian. Yet Eric quickly found out that writing was something he could do and do well. From creative writing classes to avidly consuming the works of his favorite authors, Eric Jerome Dickey began to shape a writing career of his own. Having written several scripts for his personal comedy act, he started writing poetry and short stories. "The film work gave me insight into character development, the acting classes helped me understand motivation...All of it goes hand in hand," Eric explains. He joined the IBWA (International Black Writers and Artists), participated in their development workshops, and became a recipient of the IBWA SEED Scholarship to attend UCLA's Creative Writing classes. In 1994 his first published short story, "Thirteen," appeared in the IBWA's River Crossing: Voices of the Diaspora-An Anthology of the International Black Experience. A second short story, "Days Gone By," was published in the magazine A Place to Enter.
With those successes behind him, Eric Jerome Dickey decided to fine-tune some of his earlier work and developed a screenplay called "Cappuccino." "Cappuccino" was directed and produced by Craig Ross, Jr. and appeared in coffee houses around the Los Angeles area. In February 1998, "Cappuccino" made its local debut during the Pan African Film Festival at the Magic Johnson Theater in Los Angeles.
Short stories, though, didn't seem to fulfill Eric Jerome Dickey's creative yearnings. Eric says, "I'd set out to do a ten-page story and it would go on for three hundred pages." So Eric kept writing and reading and sending out query letters for his novels for almost three years until he finally got an agent. "Then a door opened," Eric says. "And I put my foot in before they could close it." And that door has remained opened, as Eric Jerome Dickey's novels have placed him on the map as one of the best writers of contemporary urban fiction.
Eric Jerome Dickey's book signing tours for Sister, Sister; Friends and Lovers; Milk in My Coffee; Cheaters; and Liar's Game took him from coast to coast and helped propel each of these novels to #1 on the "Blackboard Bestsellers List." Cheaters was named "Blackboard Book of the Year" in 2000. In June 2000, Eric Jerome Dickey celebrated the French publication of Milk in My Coffee (Cafe Noisette) by embarking on a book tour to Paris. Soon after, Milk in My Coffee became a bestseller in France. Eric Jerome Dickey's novels, Chasing Destiny, Liar's Game, Between Lovers, Thieves' Paradise, The Other Woman, Drive Me Crazy, Genevieve, Naughty or Nice, Sleeping with Strangers, Waking with Enemies, and Pleasure have all earned him the success of a spot on The New York Times bestseller list. Liar's Game, Thieves' Paradise, The Other Woman, and Genevieve have also given Dickey the added distinction of being nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the category of Outstanding Literary Work in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005. In 2006, he was honored with the awards for Best Contemporary Fiction and Author of the Year (Male) at the 2006 African American Literary Award Show. In 2008, Eric was nominated for Storyteller of the Year at the 1st annual ESSENCE Literary Awards. In January 2001, Eric Jerome Dickey was a contributor to New American Library's anthology Got To Be Real: Four Original Love Stories, also a Blackboard Bestseller. He also had a story entitled “Fish Sanwich” appear in the anthology Mothers and Sons. In June 2002, Dickey contributed to Black Silk: A Collection of African American Erotica (Warner Books) as well as to Riots Beneath the Baobab (published by Inte
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 240 reviews
January 16, 2021
BLACKBIRDS follows four African American women through their journey to find what they want and need in love and life. Dickey does a good job making his characters feel like real people who happen to be in unique situations. The first of the Blackbirds, Indigo, has two romantic relationships with men (one present and one almost in the past) who are both unfaithful, and she still attempts to play one against the other. She claims to be a strong woman who will only love and eventually marry a strong and supportive Nigerian man. Having a Nigerian husband is not only important to Indigo's parents, but to her as well, so as to preserve the purity of her heritage. That's all well and good if that is your preference, however Indigo has desires that she surreptitiously indulges in while struggling to deny them. I understand a young woman who is struggling to find her identity and place in the word, but I found it very hard to have any empathy for Indigo. I also didn't enjoy the way that Indigo's character 'teasingly' disparages African Americans for being watered down and tainted versions of 'real' Africans. Indigo's attitude and temperament made her the least likable character in the group for me. I actually didn't want her to find happiness because of her ugly personality.
Kwanzaa struggles to find a means of trusting again after a breakup that caused her both emotional and physical trauma. The man that Kwanzaa finds also has a uniqueness that I suppose is meant to be a nice twist in the story, but I just found it odd. Especially, the first scene with Kwanzaa and her new interest returning to his apartment for the first time. It was really a 'what was that' kind of moment. The sorta kinda romance that Kwanzaa falls into also feels like unfinished business by the end of the book. I think that there may be a happy ending for Kwanzaa, but Dickey doesn't exactly say.
Destiny is hiding from a past that still haunts her. She has survived a horrific trauma, but the past can still harm her when people figure out who she is. I understood why Destiny chose to hide who she is, but the way things played out with her love interest was off as well. Her deceptions were wrong, but her love interest's betrayal was worse. Destiny does take back some of her power when a man from her past comes back into her life, but yet again, her situation and it's resolution just came off as odd and definitely unfinished.
For me, Ericka was the most likable of the four women. A bit older than the other three, she is divorced from a man that she had truly hoped to spend the rest of her life with. Although a pastor, her ex-husband couldn't be strong enough to love and care for Ericka through a serious illness. Selfishness and self righteousness on her ex-husband's part caused Ericka to end up alone and struggling to make her way through a recurring challenge. Although Ericka finds love with a man who seems to genuinely care for her, a reoccurring health issue threatens her future happiness. The ending of Ericka's story was the most disturbing for me because I know what it implied.
I enjoyed it overall, but there were some issues that kept me from loving it. Naturally, all four of the women featured in this one had major issues in their lives that get (mostly) worked through as the story progresses. Even with the kinda/sorta resolutions to the issues that each woman faces I didn't have the sense of satisfaction and real closure after I finished this long book. For the length of this story I would have liked a more fulfilling experience. This may have been Dickey's intent to make the stories feel more realistic, but it left me a bit unsettled.The main issue that I had with this one is that not one of the women featured had, or achieves, a successful romantic relationship. Why couldn't just one of these women have earned a partner who believed in fidelity and love beyond the bedroom? None of these women have partners who seem to truly want to earn and hold onto their affections. It was a little disheartening when out of four beautiful and intelligent women not one of them earns a real happily ever after. That kind of reality sucks!
You can find more from me at
•(♥).•*Monlatable Book Reviews*•.(♥)•
http://www.monlatablereviews.com/
Kwanzaa struggles to find a means of trusting again after a breakup that caused her both emotional and physical trauma. The man that Kwanzaa finds also has a uniqueness that I suppose is meant to be a nice twist in the story, but I just found it odd. Especially, the first scene with Kwanzaa and her new interest returning to his apartment for the first time. It was really a 'what was that' kind of moment. The sorta kinda romance that Kwanzaa falls into also feels like unfinished business by the end of the book. I think that there may be a happy ending for Kwanzaa, but Dickey doesn't exactly say.
Destiny is hiding from a past that still haunts her. She has survived a horrific trauma, but the past can still harm her when people figure out who she is. I understood why Destiny chose to hide who she is, but the way things played out with her love interest was off as well. Her deceptions were wrong, but her love interest's betrayal was worse. Destiny does take back some of her power when a man from her past comes back into her life, but yet again, her situation and it's resolution just came off as odd and definitely unfinished.
For me, Ericka was the most likable of the four women. A bit older than the other three, she is divorced from a man that she had truly hoped to spend the rest of her life with. Although a pastor, her ex-husband couldn't be strong enough to love and care for Ericka through a serious illness. Selfishness and self righteousness on her ex-husband's part caused Ericka to end up alone and struggling to make her way through a recurring challenge. Although Ericka finds love with a man who seems to genuinely care for her, a reoccurring health issue threatens her future happiness. The ending of Ericka's story was the most disturbing for me because I know what it implied.
I enjoyed it overall, but there were some issues that kept me from loving it. Naturally, all four of the women featured in this one had major issues in their lives that get (mostly) worked through as the story progresses. Even with the kinda/sorta resolutions to the issues that each woman faces I didn't have the sense of satisfaction and real closure after I finished this long book. For the length of this story I would have liked a more fulfilling experience. This may have been Dickey's intent to make the stories feel more realistic, but it left me a bit unsettled.The main issue that I had with this one is that not one of the women featured had, or achieves, a successful romantic relationship. Why couldn't just one of these women have earned a partner who believed in fidelity and love beyond the bedroom? None of these women have partners who seem to truly want to earn and hold onto their affections. It was a little disheartening when out of four beautiful and intelligent women not one of them earns a real happily ever after. That kind of reality sucks!
You can find more from me at
•(♥).•*Monlatable Book Reviews*•.(♥)•
http://www.monlatablereviews.com/
July 23, 2016
I really did not enjoy this book. It was unnecessarily long and I thought the ladies in the book were really immature. I found myself rolling my eyes at many of their repetitive antics and dialogue. It was just too much but not enough. I stuck it out and it became more interesting at the end but I was mad I had to get through 75 chapters before I found a little spark. I won't recommend.
February 13, 2016
Reading The Blackbirds was like going on a 500 page journey with my closest girlfriends. Four women. Four experiences. Four backstories. One bond. A true sisterhood.
"I've traveled. I have BFF's. I've faced my biggest fears. I've lived alone. I'm independent. I made the first move on a man I wanted to be with. I've challenged myself. I've gotten fit."
Some folks prefer when EJD writes about Gideon. Some folks prefer when EJD writes sensual, sexy stories. Some folks say his style has changed and they are no longer a fan and that is very unfortunate because they are missing out on some of his best work. I've said it before and I will say it again: I am completely amazed by EJD's ability to write from a woman's point of view and completely nail every aspect of it. He nails the reactions, the thought process, and even the things we don't say aloud to another human being.
With The Blackbirds, he has shown again why he is my most favorite author and I can't wait for others to experience these four beautiful women.
"Just remember, you don't have to have a pretty past to have a beautiful future."
I could write so much more about this book and maybe I will once we get closer to the release date. In the meantime, head over to Amazon or whoever your favorite retailer is and pre-order your copy now. You won't be disappointed!!!
"I've traveled. I have BFF's. I've faced my biggest fears. I've lived alone. I'm independent. I made the first move on a man I wanted to be with. I've challenged myself. I've gotten fit."
Some folks prefer when EJD writes about Gideon. Some folks prefer when EJD writes sensual, sexy stories. Some folks say his style has changed and they are no longer a fan and that is very unfortunate because they are missing out on some of his best work. I've said it before and I will say it again: I am completely amazed by EJD's ability to write from a woman's point of view and completely nail every aspect of it. He nails the reactions, the thought process, and even the things we don't say aloud to another human being.
With The Blackbirds, he has shown again why he is my most favorite author and I can't wait for others to experience these four beautiful women.
"Just remember, you don't have to have a pretty past to have a beautiful future."
I could write so much more about this book and maybe I will once we get closer to the release date. In the meantime, head over to Amazon or whoever your favorite retailer is and pre-order your copy now. You won't be disappointed!!!
July 28, 2016
Bravo @EricJDickey, your best book thus far. I took my time and absorbed every emotion known to man. I saw me in the story. I felt me in the story. At times this story mirrored my story. A story or friendships and relationships and I am so glad I did not rush through it. I couldn't even if I wanted to.
Although these characters have appeared in the past, this book could be read as a standalone. Questions will be answer when the time is right. The writer style is to give the characters dimensions while allowing the reader to discover their own. I am convinced that the writer is that fly we all wish we could be a time or two, there's no other way he would've been able to tap into the female psyche on the level he does had he not been chillin' on that wall. Get to know Indigo, Kwanzaa, Destiny and Ericka, The Blackbirds and then prepare yourself to live out loud.
Although these characters have appeared in the past, this book could be read as a standalone. Questions will be answer when the time is right. The writer style is to give the characters dimensions while allowing the reader to discover their own. I am convinced that the writer is that fly we all wish we could be a time or two, there's no other way he would've been able to tap into the female psyche on the level he does had he not been chillin' on that wall. Get to know Indigo, Kwanzaa, Destiny and Ericka, The Blackbirds and then prepare yourself to live out loud.
June 21, 2023
What a book. What a story. Four women. Four totally different experiences. Four girlfriends with an unbelievable bond. This is what I love to see true sisterhood look like especially amongst Black women.
“Just remember, you don’t have to have a pretty past to have a beautiful future.”
I am truly in awe of this author. I’m so glad I took a chance and used a credit on the audio. What an incredible journey. I laughed, cried, held my breath and smiled huge smiles. The heartache of some of it, but oh the joy..the sensualness. The comradeship between these four women. This is truly ride or die right here.
“Just remember, you don’t have to have a pretty past to have a beautiful future.”
I am truly in awe of this author. I’m so glad I took a chance and used a credit on the audio. What an incredible journey. I laughed, cried, held my breath and smiled huge smiles. The heartache of some of it, but oh the joy..the sensualness. The comradeship between these four women. This is truly ride or die right here.
June 19, 2016
The Blackbirds is the latest release from Eric Jerome Dickey, known for writing contemporary novels about African-American life. Naughtier than Nice, the sequel to Naughty or Nice and One Night, a standalone were the last two novels he published in 2015. For me, It’s been a while since I’ve read anything from him so I sort of knew what I was going to be getting into with this one. Exquisite cover, 400 plus pages, this is that “girlfriend book” that everybody has been anticipating this 2016. Continue reading https://browngirlreading.com/2016/06/...
June 30, 2016
This was a 2.5 for me. This seems like EJD's version on "Waiting to Exhale". The story was really slow for me and a little too wordy, which i guess turned out ok because you were really able to see what each of the ladies were going through. I'm not really a fan of EJD, but this was ok. There really wasn't a plot, but I think that's what works for EJD.
April 29, 2016
Eric Jerome Dickey has a powerful command in the portrayal of relationships. This new story is no different then his other books. His characters was very relatable and the story was emotionally gripping. I laughed at some parts, shook my head sometimes and I cried at parts. This book was like Sex and the City or Girlfriends. This plot revolved around a sisterhood featuring Kwanzaa Browne, Destiny Jones, Ericka Stockwell and Indigo Abdulrahaman. These best friends have seen each other through various phases of their lives and now they have made a pact to celebrate each friend in a special way on their respective birthdays.
Kwanzaa is still reeling from the breakup of her six year relationship after he had given her an STD. She is torn between moving on and maybe listening to the pleas of her cheater fiancée.
Destiny has been going by the name “Kismet” to hide her identity because when she was a victim of a gang rape that was recorded and the video went viral. Since her name pulls up this traumatic and humiliating period of her life, Destiny actually avoids people all together.
Indigo, the Nigerian beauty is caught in a love triangle between two men and will need to make the decision between the one that she wants and the one she needs.
Erika was really the glue that held the friendship together but she was really coming to terms with dissolution of her marriage. She is a cancer survivor with a mother who treated her atrociously. She harbors a lot of pain from childhood but she tries to be strong for the Blackbirds.
This year is a pivotal year for the Blackbirds as they are trying to leave behind the pain and grab onto happy. They are doing things outside their comfort zone like sky diving and they are pledged to be rock if any of them are floundering. It was refreshing to see that were honest and real with each other, especially the sharped tongued Indigo. I felt like Indigo was the scene-stealer because she was hilarious. She was gave it verbally to the guys and girls equally. She was so entertaining.
The love the ladies had for each other really made this story endearing. The author writes really memorable characters and this one was no exception. I love the resolution in the conflicts each character was dealing with and felt each woman was in a much stronger place emotionally than they were at the beginning of the book. My only complaint, which is a consistent one with this author’s book, is the length. It was too long and it would have been even more powerful with a trim.
This story will still command your attention from page 1. If you want The Girlfriends experience, then pick up this book now.
*Special Thanks to Penguin via First to Read for the book given in exchange for an honest review.
Kwanzaa is still reeling from the breakup of her six year relationship after he had given her an STD. She is torn between moving on and maybe listening to the pleas of her cheater fiancée.
Destiny has been going by the name “Kismet” to hide her identity because when she was a victim of a gang rape that was recorded and the video went viral. Since her name pulls up this traumatic and humiliating period of her life, Destiny actually avoids people all together.
Indigo, the Nigerian beauty is caught in a love triangle between two men and will need to make the decision between the one that she wants and the one she needs.
Erika was really the glue that held the friendship together but she was really coming to terms with dissolution of her marriage. She is a cancer survivor with a mother who treated her atrociously. She harbors a lot of pain from childhood but she tries to be strong for the Blackbirds.
This year is a pivotal year for the Blackbirds as they are trying to leave behind the pain and grab onto happy. They are doing things outside their comfort zone like sky diving and they are pledged to be rock if any of them are floundering. It was refreshing to see that were honest and real with each other, especially the sharped tongued Indigo. I felt like Indigo was the scene-stealer because she was hilarious. She was gave it verbally to the guys and girls equally. She was so entertaining.
The love the ladies had for each other really made this story endearing. The author writes really memorable characters and this one was no exception. I love the resolution in the conflicts each character was dealing with and felt each woman was in a much stronger place emotionally than they were at the beginning of the book. My only complaint, which is a consistent one with this author’s book, is the length. It was too long and it would have been even more powerful with a trim.
This story will still command your attention from page 1. If you want The Girlfriends experience, then pick up this book now.
*Special Thanks to Penguin via First to Read for the book given in exchange for an honest review.
October 13, 2016
Quickly stated: A massive literary step backward for EJD. Not too uncommon for EJD. The story felt forced, overly sexual; as if written with little enthusiasm. Three stars only because it had familiar EJD moments. Storytelling genius greatly compromised for, possibly, another notch on the book release belt.
May 2, 2021
I DNFed this book a few years ago and decided to try again after author died. But when I tell you this I have read few books this bad! After getting 75% in and still not having hit a climax, I decided to just read the last 20 pages. And I’m glad I saved myself about 90 pages because it would have been a waste.
Like many others, I found the dialogue unrealistic and obnoxious. Lots of sex scenes described with so many words and metaphors that you literally don’t know what’s even happening. Lesbian sex clearly written by a man who has only watched lesbian porn. Plenty of victim blaming conversions that go on for whole chapters. Awkward foreplay conversations between an older man who knew the woman he was sleeping with when she was a child.
This was a book about a web of early 20s year olds over the top drama all slung together to be against stereotypes but it was full of nothing but stereotypical moves— duplicating phones to read messages, cheating on partners, getting what you can materially out of a man, begging to be married when neither party is ready or mature enough, children responsible for navigating and rectifying their parents’ emotions, abusive relationships (mentally, physically, sexually), fighting side chicks, destroying men’s property because they wronged you, juvenile detention…
This book had so much going on but still managed to have no real plot. Someone asked me yesterday what the book was about. I recounted each main character’s story line and the person responded with, “so nothing?” Right, this book is 500+ pages of dramatic nothingness.
Like many others, I found the dialogue unrealistic and obnoxious. Lots of sex scenes described with so many words and metaphors that you literally don’t know what’s even happening. Lesbian sex clearly written by a man who has only watched lesbian porn. Plenty of victim blaming conversions that go on for whole chapters. Awkward foreplay conversations between an older man who knew the woman he was sleeping with when she was a child.
This was a book about a web of early 20s year olds over the top drama all slung together to be against stereotypes but it was full of nothing but stereotypical moves— duplicating phones to read messages, cheating on partners, getting what you can materially out of a man, begging to be married when neither party is ready or mature enough, children responsible for navigating and rectifying their parents’ emotions, abusive relationships (mentally, physically, sexually), fighting side chicks, destroying men’s property because they wronged you, juvenile detention…
This book had so much going on but still managed to have no real plot. Someone asked me yesterday what the book was about. I recounted each main character’s story line and the person responded with, “so nothing?” Right, this book is 500+ pages of dramatic nothingness.
July 21, 2016
This was a crazy read. These four beautiful black ladies did not play around. This book reminded me of a retelling of Waiting to Exhale with a modern twist. The writing was sexy, feisty and sassy. This novel was borderline erotica. If you don't like a lot of sex scenes, this novel isn't for you. It can get raunchy real quick. But it didn't bother me. It was well done. The ending fell flat for me though, which was very disappointing. I felt a lot of things weren't solved and tied together properly. It felt rushed, especially when it came to Kwanza's and Indigo storyline. But over all, it was an enjoyable read. Not a must read though.
The story is set in Iglewood California during the time where BlackLivesMatter is surfacing. The story is centered around four beautiful black ladies: Indigo, Kwanza, Destiny, and Ericka, who are best friends. They each are struggling with their past and consoles one another as they face the truth.
The themes in this story are: Infidelity, abortion, rape, sexual-identity and colorism
I didn't find the story groundbreaking nor unique. But it was entertaining. The story is cohesive with crazy and exciting characters.
I would recommend this book if you are into erotica and girlfriend type of books. This is also good if you are getting over a nasty divorce or break up. This novel will make a great introduction into Eric's work.
The story is set in Iglewood California during the time where BlackLivesMatter is surfacing. The story is centered around four beautiful black ladies: Indigo, Kwanza, Destiny, and Ericka, who are best friends. They each are struggling with their past and consoles one another as they face the truth.
The themes in this story are: Infidelity, abortion, rape, sexual-identity and colorism
I didn't find the story groundbreaking nor unique. But it was entertaining. The story is cohesive with crazy and exciting characters.
I would recommend this book if you are into erotica and girlfriend type of books. This is also good if you are getting over a nasty divorce or break up. This novel will make a great introduction into Eric's work.
January 5, 2021
EJD! Is it you? I used to love Eric Jerome Dickey and his works when I was younger. His writing style is still very elevated as far as words and descriptions and his massive vocabulary, but having said that this book did not go well for me.
The Blackbirds is the story of four African American women and friends. The story is broken up into four sections - one section for each "blackbirds" birthday. And so begins the DRAMA! That is what this book was. This book was like an episode of The Real Housewives of something or other. And I did not like that. I get it, Mr. Dickey, these girls are supposed to be young, so they know not what they do. BUT I DO! They are violent, man-obsessed and a bit crazy. The only blackbird I semi liked was Kwanzaa; and that is a hard semi!
I enjoyed revisiting some of his old character, but they were characters from other books from Dickey that I did not like that well either.
This book portrays men as dogs and self serving creatures; and while some are they are not all that way. And men are not the only thing that four intelligent women should be thinking or worrying about.
And to make matters worse, this book dragged on for over 500 pages. No sir, Mr. Dickey. I am not pleased.
I would recommend this book to fans of Dickey and his recent works.
The Blackbirds is the story of four African American women and friends. The story is broken up into four sections - one section for each "blackbirds" birthday. And so begins the DRAMA! That is what this book was. This book was like an episode of The Real Housewives of something or other. And I did not like that. I get it, Mr. Dickey, these girls are supposed to be young, so they know not what they do. BUT I DO! They are violent, man-obsessed and a bit crazy. The only blackbird I semi liked was Kwanzaa; and that is a hard semi!
I enjoyed revisiting some of his old character, but they were characters from other books from Dickey that I did not like that well either.
This book portrays men as dogs and self serving creatures; and while some are they are not all that way. And men are not the only thing that four intelligent women should be thinking or worrying about.
And to make matters worse, this book dragged on for over 500 pages. No sir, Mr. Dickey. I am not pleased.
I would recommend this book to fans of Dickey and his recent works.
March 19, 2016
A little long, but great story. Full RTC!
April 29, 2017
This book was 500 odd pages and maybe only 350 maybe 375 should have been the actual book.
The Blackbirds is about 4 girls; Indigo, Kwanzaa, Ericka, and Destiny. The book follow each of the girls through their birthdays as they face their personal demons through the power of friendship.
Indigo is a Nigerian American (I am only telling you this because it is the biggest deal in the book) who is having difficulties deciding what she wants in a relationship.
Kwanzaa (Note I don't remember her last name, nor do I care to look it up) is dealing with the fallout of a six year relationship with Marcus Brixton (There is a reason why I know his damn name).
Ericka Stockwell (One of the more interesting characters) is a cancer survivor trying to achieve her bucket list...which includes sinful relations with the father of one of the blackbirds.
Destiny Jones (The other interesting character) is trying to reconcile with her sordid (not her fault) past.
Sooooo listen, the book was alright. It was predictable but it had moments where i was actually into it. My issue was the majority of the book that I had to skim through because the author would go into long tangents about history, politics, feminism, gender relations, race, racial relations, sexuality, culture....You see my point? Good. It was very difficult for me to go through this book because I felt as if I was being held hostage reading it. It was like the author was telling me "You want to read the actual story? Then you better first listen to me prattle on and on about information so you can be smarter!"
I honestly love to learn, but don't try to brow beat me with everything you have ever learned in the history of ever! The only two stories I found myself remotely invested in were Destiny and Ericka. The fact that we had to know so much about Yuroba culture from the 8 names and their meanings...YES 8 DAMN NAMES, and every chance the author got he would write in a list of names or songs that related to said culture, was annoying. I can appreciate someone doing research before creating a character to make the character more authentic but I swear this was overkill! Legit, everytime he would start going into the cultural descriptions I would just sit here like
It wasn't even just the nigerian culture he did this with, it was also the latin culture. Please spare me the dramatics, I'm Sierra Leonean so I enjoy African culture in books, but NOBODY ASKED THIS MAN TO TEACH CULTURAL ANRHTOPOLGY!
It has been ages since I read a book that i felt warranted a rating this low. I usually screen my books and now that I am older I know what I like and what I am willing to try but this....
The Blackbirds is about 4 girls; Indigo, Kwanzaa, Ericka, and Destiny. The book follow each of the girls through their birthdays as they face their personal demons through the power of friendship.
Indigo is a Nigerian American (I am only telling you this because it is the biggest deal in the book) who is having difficulties deciding what she wants in a relationship.
Kwanzaa (Note I don't remember her last name, nor do I care to look it up) is dealing with the fallout of a six year relationship with Marcus Brixton (There is a reason why I know his damn name).
Ericka Stockwell (One of the more interesting characters) is a cancer survivor trying to achieve her bucket list...which includes sinful relations with the father of one of the blackbirds.
Destiny Jones (The other interesting character) is trying to reconcile with her sordid (not her fault) past.
Sooooo listen, the book was alright. It was predictable but it had moments where i was actually into it. My issue was the majority of the book that I had to skim through because the author would go into long tangents about history, politics, feminism, gender relations, race, racial relations, sexuality, culture....You see my point? Good. It was very difficult for me to go through this book because I felt as if I was being held hostage reading it. It was like the author was telling me "You want to read the actual story? Then you better first listen to me prattle on and on about information so you can be smarter!"
I honestly love to learn, but don't try to brow beat me with everything you have ever learned in the history of ever! The only two stories I found myself remotely invested in were Destiny and Ericka. The fact that we had to know so much about Yuroba culture from the 8 names and their meanings...YES 8 DAMN NAMES, and every chance the author got he would write in a list of names or songs that related to said culture, was annoying. I can appreciate someone doing research before creating a character to make the character more authentic but I swear this was overkill! Legit, everytime he would start going into the cultural descriptions I would just sit here like
It wasn't even just the nigerian culture he did this with, it was also the latin culture. Please spare me the dramatics, I'm Sierra Leonean so I enjoy African culture in books, but NOBODY ASKED THIS MAN TO TEACH CULTURAL ANRHTOPOLGY!It has been ages since I read a book that i felt warranted a rating this low. I usually screen my books and now that I am older I know what I like and what I am willing to try but this....
January 6, 2017
I do not know the audience for whom this smutty novel about four African American girlfriends was written, but I am definitely not the audience. The Blackbirds are Kwanzaa, Destiny Jones, Ericka Stockwell, and Indigo Abdulrahaman who are best friends and harmonize musically. The book segements are written around each of their birthdays.
I don't know if I am more offended by the graphic and endless narrative about their sexual exploits, organisms, blowjobs, anal sex, the taste of semen, lesbian sex, etc. or by the novel about four women's graphic sexuality being written by a male author. Is this an examination of culture?
I am not a prude; however, I can assure you never in my life have I or my friends sat around and discussed our sexuality at this level. This is not normal girlfriend talk.
Either way, I do not see the purpose of this novel weighing in at 500 pages! Seriously? Too many books and too little time.
I don't know if I am more offended by the graphic and endless narrative about their sexual exploits, organisms, blowjobs, anal sex, the taste of semen, lesbian sex, etc. or by the novel about four women's graphic sexuality being written by a male author. Is this an examination of culture?
I am not a prude; however, I can assure you never in my life have I or my friends sat around and discussed our sexuality at this level. This is not normal girlfriend talk.
Either way, I do not see the purpose of this novel weighing in at 500 pages! Seriously? Too many books and too little time.
Read
September 25, 2016Sometimes my book club exposes me to new authors or intriguing storylines.
Not this time.
In a word: NO. In another word: DON'T.
I feel smart for not having purchased it but embarrassed that it's on my official library record.
I was done on page 1 but genuinely tried through to page 160.
And at page 160, I felt stupid for making the effort - made my brain hurt, and not because I had to think too much. the book goes up to page 500 or so. But I couldn't tell you why this is necessary.
I'm sure some people enjoyed or loved it.
Never met 'em.
Not this time.
In a word: NO. In another word: DON'T.
I feel smart for not having purchased it but embarrassed that it's on my official library record.
I was done on page 1 but genuinely tried through to page 160.
And at page 160, I felt stupid for making the effort - made my brain hurt, and not because I had to think too much. the book goes up to page 500 or so. But I couldn't tell you why this is necessary.
I'm sure some people enjoyed or loved it.
Never met 'em.
August 17, 2016
I have a love hate relationship with EJD books. One Night was a clunker. The Blackbirds was fraught with emotional twists and turns. Mother and daughter estrangement. Sexual identity questions. I love the relationships of Destiny, Erica, Indigo and Kwanzaa. Infidelity reared its head from an unlikely source. Sexual assault and surviving it in the internet age was addressed also. It was an awesome summer read.
April 27, 2016
This book is not what I thought. It was a long version of "Waiting To Exhale" with characters from previous writings of EJD.
June 23, 2023
Eric Jerome Dickey has a formula that he rarely strays from. It works for him and apparently his readers enjoy it. I was in my early twenties when I first started reading his work and I remember loving the stories and reading his books over and over again. I thought he was one of the best writers in the literary world.
I have not enjoyed his last few books. Again, the formula is usually the same. The characters are multiracial, beautiful, well educated and have lots of sex in between eating and working out. This is usually played out with LA in the background. I have nothing against any of these things, but it does get old and feels redundant. Nevertheless, I keep reading his work. The Gideon books felt like something new and refreshing, but those stories have not been continued.
I think it is the entertainment value of Dickey's work that keeps me reading even though I don't enjoy many of the plots of his stories. Usually, I find myself reading his work in the summer, when I need something light and entertaining to read. That's not a bad thing and coming off of reading 5 Games of Thrones books in a row, this story was a good reprieve.
I was about 100 pages in when I realized that The Blackbirds lacked a plot. I was 150 pages in when I was turned off by a scene and put the book down, but over the course of a week I did a little reminiscing and thought about my not so perfect twenties and decided I was being a little too harsh in my judgment of the characters. I went back and finished the book in a day.
I came away from it, touched by the friendship of the young women and intrigued while trying to figure out the parents of the women-spoiler: many of the characters are the offspring of characters in Dickey's previous books. I also love the title and the cover art is stunning.
There were a few things that I could not reconcile. I know very little of Nigerian culture, but the Nigerian characters in this book thought of themselves to be Queens-which is wonderful-but displayed some very violent and downright vicious behavior. That did not mesh well. I've been mad at "the other woman" before, but breaking the teeth of a woman with a boot over a man that is not your husband is a bit much. That's where I took a break.
Also, the mother of the main Nigerian character is well aware that her daughter has created this strong bond with her three friends and is aware that these women love each other and take care of each other and yet, she reminds her daughter that she is Nigerian and this places her value above theirs. I, obviously, am not in any way suggesting that this is how Nigerians behave. I certainly would not trust Dickey's depiction, but this was just awful.
The violence was also troublesome. You have four intelligent women, all working and some even in school and yet, they were fighting in the streets and each time was over a man. Again, I had to remind myself the twenties are rough, but I did not enjoy those portions of the story.
There was also a storyline featuring a male character with two penises and women lined up outside of his door hoping to be chosen for sex. I rolled my eyes at the entire plotline. The Dr. Dubois storyline did not begin to make sense and it was clear that he just wanted to her in the story.
The writing was average. Dickey's fans know that he is a walking library and loves to send his readers to the dictionary. There were a few lines that were so bad that I had to chuckle. In one scene, he describes a corner as looking like Jeffrey Dahmer and another serial killer. It was a terrible line.
Overall, if you are a Dickey fan, you will not be disappointed. This is more of the same fiction that he has been producing. If you are new to Dickey, I still say give it a read when you are looking for something lighthearted and fun.
Update: I stand by this review, but also am thankful to Eric Jerome Dickey for his work and miss his contributions.
I have not enjoyed his last few books. Again, the formula is usually the same. The characters are multiracial, beautiful, well educated and have lots of sex in between eating and working out. This is usually played out with LA in the background. I have nothing against any of these things, but it does get old and feels redundant. Nevertheless, I keep reading his work. The Gideon books felt like something new and refreshing, but those stories have not been continued.
I think it is the entertainment value of Dickey's work that keeps me reading even though I don't enjoy many of the plots of his stories. Usually, I find myself reading his work in the summer, when I need something light and entertaining to read. That's not a bad thing and coming off of reading 5 Games of Thrones books in a row, this story was a good reprieve.
I was about 100 pages in when I realized that The Blackbirds lacked a plot. I was 150 pages in when I was turned off by a scene and put the book down, but over the course of a week I did a little reminiscing and thought about my not so perfect twenties and decided I was being a little too harsh in my judgment of the characters. I went back and finished the book in a day.
I came away from it, touched by the friendship of the young women and intrigued while trying to figure out the parents of the women-spoiler: many of the characters are the offspring of characters in Dickey's previous books. I also love the title and the cover art is stunning.
There were a few things that I could not reconcile. I know very little of Nigerian culture, but the Nigerian characters in this book thought of themselves to be Queens-which is wonderful-but displayed some very violent and downright vicious behavior. That did not mesh well. I've been mad at "the other woman" before, but breaking the teeth of a woman with a boot over a man that is not your husband is a bit much. That's where I took a break.
Also, the mother of the main Nigerian character is well aware that her daughter has created this strong bond with her three friends and is aware that these women love each other and take care of each other and yet, she reminds her daughter that she is Nigerian and this places her value above theirs. I, obviously, am not in any way suggesting that this is how Nigerians behave. I certainly would not trust Dickey's depiction, but this was just awful.
The violence was also troublesome. You have four intelligent women, all working and some even in school and yet, they were fighting in the streets and each time was over a man. Again, I had to remind myself the twenties are rough, but I did not enjoy those portions of the story.
There was also a storyline featuring a male character with two penises and women lined up outside of his door hoping to be chosen for sex. I rolled my eyes at the entire plotline. The Dr. Dubois storyline did not begin to make sense and it was clear that he just wanted to her in the story.
The writing was average. Dickey's fans know that he is a walking library and loves to send his readers to the dictionary. There were a few lines that were so bad that I had to chuckle. In one scene, he describes a corner as looking like Jeffrey Dahmer and another serial killer. It was a terrible line.
Overall, if you are a Dickey fan, you will not be disappointed. This is more of the same fiction that he has been producing. If you are new to Dickey, I still say give it a read when you are looking for something lighthearted and fun.
Update: I stand by this review, but also am thankful to Eric Jerome Dickey for his work and miss his contributions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2022
Beautiful By Design’s (BBD) book club meeting was hosted by DeAnna. Thank you for inviting us into your home for great food and drinks, but more importantly, great thought-provoking discussion. BBD read “The Blackbirds”, by the late author, Eric Jerome Dickey. First, I’d like to say on behalf of BBD Book Club, RIEP to a remarkable and talented author. He penned some amazing books over the years. I’ve been a fan since his first book, Sleeping With Strangers. You will be missed!
This was the fourth read in this book cycle where the host selects a book she has been wanting to read. There was a lot to be said about this book. The Blackbirds received 3.92 out of a 5-star rating by BBD. For Goodreads, the rating rounds out to 4.0 out of 5 stars.
This was a very long book spanning over 500 pages with over 80 chapters, but the transitions between each friend were seamless. In the beginning, Eric Jerome Dickey introduced all the characters at once. While we understood the reasoning behind this, BBD found this to be a little overwhelming when trying to remember each character, especially when we did not know who we would need to remember details about and how it would make sense later in the story. Overall, he did an excellent job of weaving the four friends’ relationships together and making them flow as their stories continued into each chapter and sections. BBD believe the reason the book felt very long is because there were parts that felt like he filled in too much information and certain dialogues between people ran on longer than necessary.
This book was very stimulating. Eric took infinite care in his descriptive technique of certain scenes, events, and situations. The characters were well developed and we could envision each one. When a book can invoke all the reader’s emotions, it was well written. It made us laugh at times, angry, sad, and even aroused. The author created a story about these characters’ lives and the things they experienced that shaped who they were. Their sisterhood bond was tested, but unbreakable. It showed true friendships through the good and the bad and made it relatable to the reader. He educated us on a variety of cultures and beliefs while sharing viewpoints about world affairs. He opened opportunities to learn new perspectives not thought of. There were exceptional quotes throughout the book. Words to live by.
Curious about the title of the book, the traits of the black bird: The coloring of the Blackbird makes the creature a symbol of death, change, magic, and mystery. Often, Blackbirds represent or are sacred to Tricksters, demi-gods, or Gods and Goddesses in myth, and Shamans consider these creatures Spirit messengers. There were definitely messages in this book from each character. It took great creativity to write a story about these characters and give it the perfect title. SPOILER ALERT: it is our opinion that Erycka was symbolic of Death, Indigo was Mystery, Destiny was Change, and Kwanzaa was Magic. If you want to know why, or care to discuss a different viewpoint, you have read and see for yourself.
In the meantime, BBD Blackbirds are on to the next book!
This was the fourth read in this book cycle where the host selects a book she has been wanting to read. There was a lot to be said about this book. The Blackbirds received 3.92 out of a 5-star rating by BBD. For Goodreads, the rating rounds out to 4.0 out of 5 stars.
This was a very long book spanning over 500 pages with over 80 chapters, but the transitions between each friend were seamless. In the beginning, Eric Jerome Dickey introduced all the characters at once. While we understood the reasoning behind this, BBD found this to be a little overwhelming when trying to remember each character, especially when we did not know who we would need to remember details about and how it would make sense later in the story. Overall, he did an excellent job of weaving the four friends’ relationships together and making them flow as their stories continued into each chapter and sections. BBD believe the reason the book felt very long is because there were parts that felt like he filled in too much information and certain dialogues between people ran on longer than necessary.
This book was very stimulating. Eric took infinite care in his descriptive technique of certain scenes, events, and situations. The characters were well developed and we could envision each one. When a book can invoke all the reader’s emotions, it was well written. It made us laugh at times, angry, sad, and even aroused. The author created a story about these characters’ lives and the things they experienced that shaped who they were. Their sisterhood bond was tested, but unbreakable. It showed true friendships through the good and the bad and made it relatable to the reader. He educated us on a variety of cultures and beliefs while sharing viewpoints about world affairs. He opened opportunities to learn new perspectives not thought of. There were exceptional quotes throughout the book. Words to live by.
Curious about the title of the book, the traits of the black bird: The coloring of the Blackbird makes the creature a symbol of death, change, magic, and mystery. Often, Blackbirds represent or are sacred to Tricksters, demi-gods, or Gods and Goddesses in myth, and Shamans consider these creatures Spirit messengers. There were definitely messages in this book from each character. It took great creativity to write a story about these characters and give it the perfect title. SPOILER ALERT: it is our opinion that Erycka was symbolic of Death, Indigo was Mystery, Destiny was Change, and Kwanzaa was Magic. If you want to know why, or care to discuss a different viewpoint, you have read and see for yourself.
In the meantime, BBD Blackbirds are on to the next book!
July 9, 2023
*Review contains spoilers and triggers*
I really wanted to like this book and am disappointed that I didn’t.
I found myself rolling my eyes A LOT at some of the conversations between the four friends and saying “who talks like this?” (ie one friend telling another that she has a rotund ass). A lot of the conversations written didn’t flow naturally either. It felt like everyone was going tit for tat, even though most of the conversations weren’t arguments.
As for storylines, three of the four main characters had storylines outside of their romantic relationship woes, which I could appreciate. The book is (mostly) written in third-person and is divided into parts (each friend’s birthday), but it randomly switched to first-person (with Destiny’s POV) during Kwanzaa’s birthday. I’m not sure if that was a mistake or if the author was being creative but I found it odd.
The ending also left me with a lot of questions. Did Kwanzaa and Cristiano stay happy and did her ex-fiancé pay her six-figures? Did Ericka reveal to everyone that her cancer returned and that she contemplated taking her life? Did she and her mom continue to work on their relationship after they grabbed breakfast? Did Indigo’s mom reveal Indigo’s father’s affair? Did Indigo stay with Yaba? Did Indigo finally admit to herself (and possibly others) that she wants to become a “London citizen”, if not frequent visits there?c
The only character whose ending I was somewhat happy with and gave a bit of closure was Destiny’s. But even then, did she tell her dad that she knows about him and Erika?
I really wanted to like this book and am disappointed that I didn’t.
I found myself rolling my eyes A LOT at some of the conversations between the four friends and saying “who talks like this?” (ie one friend telling another that she has a rotund ass). A lot of the conversations written didn’t flow naturally either. It felt like everyone was going tit for tat, even though most of the conversations weren’t arguments.
As for storylines, three of the four main characters had storylines outside of their romantic relationship woes, which I could appreciate. The book is (mostly) written in third-person and is divided into parts (each friend’s birthday), but it randomly switched to first-person (with Destiny’s POV) during Kwanzaa’s birthday. I’m not sure if that was a mistake or if the author was being creative but I found it odd.
The ending also left me with a lot of questions. Did Kwanzaa and Cristiano stay happy and did her ex-fiancé pay her six-figures? Did Ericka reveal to everyone that her cancer returned and that she contemplated taking her life? Did she and her mom continue to work on their relationship after they grabbed breakfast? Did Indigo’s mom reveal Indigo’s father’s affair? Did Indigo stay with Yaba? Did Indigo finally admit to herself (and possibly others) that she wants to become a “London citizen”, if not frequent visits there?c
The only character whose ending I was somewhat happy with and gave a bit of closure was Destiny’s. But even then, did she tell her dad that she knows about him and Erika?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2019
This book was not for me. It was 200 pages too long. It felt draining to read. I get what he was trying to do but the conversations between the women were too unrealistic to me. As girlfriends we have deep conversations but I dont know any woman in real life that talks like that IMO. The scenarios were interesting to say the least. The only reason why I kept reading because I wanted happiness for Destiny and I feel like her situation is very relevant to now. Other than that, I wouldnt recommend it.
May 22, 2016
So I loved the idea of the story of 4 girlfriends living life and getting on each others nerves. However, it took forever and the action was more inaction. There are some long sections of dialogue that does no where... I realize that folks out there LOVE EJD and I used it...but this new voice of his leaves me out in left field. I had to really work to finish reading this novel. Please bring back the old EJD...disappointed.
June 24, 2023
Finally, I can say I gave Dickey a full fledged attempt to enjoy his books. It's just not for me. I feel that he has a horrible female voice and the dialogue is cringey. I did appreciate the genuine friendship between the blackbirds. No one was plotting against the other or secretly hated each other. It was Black women looking out for one another.
Read
April 26, 2016i had to quit this before i plucked out my eyes. this is so dreadful it's imaginable. ok, so it's clear that i'm not the target audience, but i thought Dickey's talent would shine through. alas.
May 9, 2018
This is definitely EJD for the new generation.
January 5, 2019
When I first learned about The Blackbirds by Eric Jerome Dickey, I added it to my never-ending TBR list because I was excited that he was back to writing about female friendships. And just look at this cover...it is EVERYTHING! 👏🏾💫✨ But there was something a little less magical about the story.
REVIEW: [some spoilers] The Blackbirds revolves around four best friends whose lives are filled with unbelievable drama and various levels of angst. All stemming from issues with men. 😒 One was gang-raped as a teen, one had cancer (twice) after previously having an abortion at 13, one was confused about her sexuality and the issues surrounding her African heritage and one was fresh off a breakup with a fiancée who cheated and gave her an STD but not to worry she found a new man who cares for her and has diphallia- PLEASE GO LOOK IT UP!! 😳
Many of the characters have appeared in previous EJD books, so that was pretty clever but I was rolling my eyes so much during this book and didn’t think I’d be able to get through all 500+ pages....but I did. I did it because I was holding out hope that this book hadn’t been just a series of erotic encounters, pseudo-political and pseudo-feminist rants disguised as female empowerment.
I liked how EJD sectioned the book off by each of their birthdays and launched into how they celebrated each friend’s birthday..... I was a little shook when it was Ericka’s turn 👀. Still processing what the ending meant. 🤔😔 He also had a few quotable quips.
I didn’t like or understand why/how these YOUNG women had lived two and three lifetimes each with all they’d gone through! It was draining and so was referring to the characters by their entire name (first & last) and CONSTANTLY describing their physical appearances. We get it. They were beautiful. 🙄
I think the story would have been much better if it were cut in half. It was just TEW MUCH going on. 😩 I was legit exhausted after reading it. Glad I’m able to return this one to the library.
REVIEW: [some spoilers] The Blackbirds revolves around four best friends whose lives are filled with unbelievable drama and various levels of angst. All stemming from issues with men. 😒 One was gang-raped as a teen, one had cancer (twice) after previously having an abortion at 13, one was confused about her sexuality and the issues surrounding her African heritage and one was fresh off a breakup with a fiancée who cheated and gave her an STD but not to worry she found a new man who cares for her and has diphallia- PLEASE GO LOOK IT UP!! 😳
Many of the characters have appeared in previous EJD books, so that was pretty clever but I was rolling my eyes so much during this book and didn’t think I’d be able to get through all 500+ pages....but I did. I did it because I was holding out hope that this book hadn’t been just a series of erotic encounters, pseudo-political and pseudo-feminist rants disguised as female empowerment.
I liked how EJD sectioned the book off by each of their birthdays and launched into how they celebrated each friend’s birthday..... I was a little shook when it was Ericka’s turn 👀. Still processing what the ending meant. 🤔😔 He also had a few quotable quips.
I didn’t like or understand why/how these YOUNG women had lived two and three lifetimes each with all they’d gone through! It was draining and so was referring to the characters by their entire name (first & last) and CONSTANTLY describing their physical appearances. We get it. They were beautiful. 🙄
I think the story would have been much better if it were cut in half. It was just TEW MUCH going on. 😩 I was legit exhausted after reading it. Glad I’m able to return this one to the library.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2017
This won't me a long review because ehh...
I love EJD, I feel he's a fantastic writer and God knows I've read almost everything he has written thus far... This one however, was not my cup of tea. I did complete it; it was like a million pages too long.
The characters could've had more maturity to them, I wanted them to be women coming into their own, and to see myself in them. I didn't though. I found Indigo to be very annoying, I wanted to skip her parts so bad, but I was afraid I would miss something. Kwanza, when I could get past her name (I never liked her name) she was my favorite, but her whole relationship/s just annoyed me as well. I was over Destiny since she was in Finding Destiny. Erica was my true favorite however. I felt like she was the only with a really good story, I kind of wish I got more of it.
I wanted more from this book. I had high expectations and I believe that's where I messed myself up at. The only thing about this book I truly truly love is the dust jacket. It looks so pretty and wonderful in my bookcase.
I love EDJ, but I have to give this 1 star.
I love EJD, I feel he's a fantastic writer and God knows I've read almost everything he has written thus far... This one however, was not my cup of tea. I did complete it; it was like a million pages too long.
The characters could've had more maturity to them, I wanted them to be women coming into their own, and to see myself in them. I didn't though. I found Indigo to be very annoying, I wanted to skip her parts so bad, but I was afraid I would miss something. Kwanza, when I could get past her name (I never liked her name) she was my favorite, but her whole relationship/s just annoyed me as well. I was over Destiny since she was in Finding Destiny. Erica was my true favorite however. I felt like she was the only with a really good story, I kind of wish I got more of it.
I wanted more from this book. I had high expectations and I believe that's where I messed myself up at. The only thing about this book I truly truly love is the dust jacket. It looks so pretty and wonderful in my bookcase.
I love EDJ, but I have to give this 1 star.
November 9, 2016
We certainly bond with each other in times of crisis or these times when we go through these big touchstone moments ... and when we bond, in those really important, pivotal, transitional moments in our lives, we’re really vulnerable and therefore we give each other an awful lot of information about ourselves. And therefore we make ourselves uniquely equipped to really damage each other. We know where each other’s soft spots are. - Elissa Schappell, on friendship.
A journey with four different women with different lives, along with all of their sexual desires and low and high points. Though deeply flawed, the characters are near-perfect embodiments of women whom we encounter in life: distinguished individuals, not without weaknesses.
3.2 stars.
August 19, 2016
Eric Jerome Dickey has been my favorite author for years. I love his rich and colorful writing style. His writing always makes his characters feel like home. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and the characters felt like friends of mine. At times, chapters seem to be a little too preachy and drawn out but it definitely did not take away from the read. I would highly recommend this one to EJD fans. My favorite character was Indigo.
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