What do you think?
Rate this book
Nightmares Of A Lonely Sale
There was a time back in the day, when the legendary rapper KRS-ONE said a rhyme in the song, “The Bridge is Over,” that made a lot of people in New York City question the hood credibility of a place called Queens. Nightmares of a Lonely Sale is about three elementary school friends who came up together in the streets of the concrete jungle learning the art of being stick up kids before puberty hit. Each had a unique skill that bonded them to each other. One boy had a trusty hammer and side arm. The other boy was skilled at executing orders and had the eye of a sharpshooter, and the girl could pick locks with a bobby pin while planning heists at the same time. All was fine in the world of street dreams and money takers until a chain reaction of unforeseen events threatened to divide the trio. Take a subway ride from the borough of Brooklyn to Queens and find out why it was a hard knock life growing up for hustlers in the Rotten Apple.
149 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 21, 2016
3 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 25, 2016
okay so this one took me FOR EVER to get back into. I tried reading it during a readers block... that did not work.
I am glad I came back to it. Although it started really slow for me, it really got good!
but the ending though..... Damn it man! Lol Can't wait for the next one.
I am glad I came back to it. Although it started really slow for me, it really got good!
but the ending though..... Damn it man! Lol Can't wait for the next one.
March 8, 2016
Book review: Nightmare of a Lonely Sale by Lawrence Avery
I just finished reading the debut novel by Lawrence Avery and let's just say I was pleasantly surprised! This coming of age story with a group of young children who started off as each other's nemesis only to forge a bond and become the best of friends was very detailed and enjoyable. The character build up was excellent as you continued to read and become more familiar with these kids until it was almost as if you knew them. The duo of Dorothy and her younger brother Henry were menaces everywhere they went. They terrorized student after student causing fear amongst any kids crossing their path! One day they turned their attention to a kid named Morris who was liked by all his classmates attacking and shaming him in the cafeteria. Morris was a good well rounded kid from a loving home who never had a problem with anyone until he became the duos target. The menacing duo came from a very neglectful problematic home life so the bullying can be attributed to that. Once Morris retaliates and gives the duo a little bit of their own medicine , they squash their beef and become the best of friends choosing new identifies for themselves as they indulge in various capers around their community. Dorothy the brains of the operation becomes Dottie; Henry the muscle become Hutchie and Morris the voice of reason of the group becomes Merc! These little terrors continue to commit caper after caper until they had the misfortune of crossing someone from their neighborhood with a persona so big "Gavin" that the reckoning would surely be death. However, Dottie's quick thinking shifted the OG's mindset from anger to curiosity! The deal struck would change the trios lives forever as it would generate money for them from the various capers that would keep their pockets lined for years to come. As the trio grew older the once tightly knit bond would be tested by greed, introduction of new friends, decisions and actions that have dire consequences! The author allowed you to grow with these kids from childhood through puberty as they continued to make adjustments in their new surroundings now from a young teen perspective. The aging and development of the trio along with the new environment and new characters definitely impacted their decision making. Will the reckless act of one mean doom for all three? Will the trio rebuild their bond to ensure that each of their backs are covered? Will Hutchie fall in line and stop acting like the next young renegade? Will the capers they committed as youth come back to haunt them? Crack open the cover of this book and your questions will be answered.
The only problem I had with this book is that it ended when I wanted it to continue. I would say this was a very good debut novel for a new author! Kudos Lawrence Avery on a job well done
I just finished reading the debut novel by Lawrence Avery and let's just say I was pleasantly surprised! This coming of age story with a group of young children who started off as each other's nemesis only to forge a bond and become the best of friends was very detailed and enjoyable. The character build up was excellent as you continued to read and become more familiar with these kids until it was almost as if you knew them. The duo of Dorothy and her younger brother Henry were menaces everywhere they went. They terrorized student after student causing fear amongst any kids crossing their path! One day they turned their attention to a kid named Morris who was liked by all his classmates attacking and shaming him in the cafeteria. Morris was a good well rounded kid from a loving home who never had a problem with anyone until he became the duos target. The menacing duo came from a very neglectful problematic home life so the bullying can be attributed to that. Once Morris retaliates and gives the duo a little bit of their own medicine , they squash their beef and become the best of friends choosing new identifies for themselves as they indulge in various capers around their community. Dorothy the brains of the operation becomes Dottie; Henry the muscle become Hutchie and Morris the voice of reason of the group becomes Merc! These little terrors continue to commit caper after caper until they had the misfortune of crossing someone from their neighborhood with a persona so big "Gavin" that the reckoning would surely be death. However, Dottie's quick thinking shifted the OG's mindset from anger to curiosity! The deal struck would change the trios lives forever as it would generate money for them from the various capers that would keep their pockets lined for years to come. As the trio grew older the once tightly knit bond would be tested by greed, introduction of new friends, decisions and actions that have dire consequences! The author allowed you to grow with these kids from childhood through puberty as they continued to make adjustments in their new surroundings now from a young teen perspective. The aging and development of the trio along with the new environment and new characters definitely impacted their decision making. Will the reckless act of one mean doom for all three? Will the trio rebuild their bond to ensure that each of their backs are covered? Will Hutchie fall in line and stop acting like the next young renegade? Will the capers they committed as youth come back to haunt them? Crack open the cover of this book and your questions will be answered.
The only problem I had with this book is that it ended when I wanted it to continue. I would say this was a very good debut novel for a new author! Kudos Lawrence Avery on a job well done
February 22, 2016
Nightmares Of A Lonely Sale by Lawrence Avery
5 out of 5 stars
556 Book Chicks worth the anticipation...I wasn't really going to read this book (Yeah right)! I was too curious not too crack this one open. Nightmares Of A Lonely Sale was a well thought out, well planned book. I'm not sure how Lawrence Avery laid out the outline for this book, but I'm glad he stuck to whatever format he decided on. A lot of time Authors will deviate from their original flow in the middle of the book and it totally destroys the book. That didn't happen in this book. This story was consistent from the time line, to the story line, to the overall concept of the book.
What I liked , but thought I wouldn't...was the attention to detail. Normally I am over a book that gives me too much detail. And when I first started this book, I was like oh hell here we go! But as I kept reading I was like WOW! I could actually visualize the story Lawrence Avery was telling. I could smell the piss in the hallway, see the hood kids hanging out, and peep the hustlers on their way up the food chain.
Nightmares Of A Lonely Sale made me nostalgic of my childhood. And I am not from the streets of New York. LOL! But this book gave me first crush memories, hanging out with my crew memories, your cool Auntie memories, fresh clothes for school memories. I was reading the book and smiling like man back in the day...and that is exactly what a book should give you! You will love the dynamic between Merc, Hutchie, and Dottie (until she started acting stank)!
My favorite part...happens to be how the three became friends in the first place. See Dottie and her brother Hutchie was always stirring up trouble in the neighborhood. Well everyone was sick of their crap, and Merc comes up with a plan of revenge. And well like the old saying goes if you can't beat them join them. And that revenge butt kicking forged a friendship between the three, 'Dottie realized Maurice gave as good as he got so she and her brother decided to stop messing with him. It was better to have him as an ally instead of an enemy.'
What I'm looking forward too...seeing if Merc gets out of this mess he let Hutchie create for him, seeing how the three friendships strengthens or dissolves, and knowing what the heck Dottie is up to in all her spare time since she dumped the boys.
~Tiffany (556 Book Chicks)
5 out of 5 stars
556 Book Chicks worth the anticipation...I wasn't really going to read this book (Yeah right)! I was too curious not too crack this one open. Nightmares Of A Lonely Sale was a well thought out, well planned book. I'm not sure how Lawrence Avery laid out the outline for this book, but I'm glad he stuck to whatever format he decided on. A lot of time Authors will deviate from their original flow in the middle of the book and it totally destroys the book. That didn't happen in this book. This story was consistent from the time line, to the story line, to the overall concept of the book.
What I liked , but thought I wouldn't...was the attention to detail. Normally I am over a book that gives me too much detail. And when I first started this book, I was like oh hell here we go! But as I kept reading I was like WOW! I could actually visualize the story Lawrence Avery was telling. I could smell the piss in the hallway, see the hood kids hanging out, and peep the hustlers on their way up the food chain.
Nightmares Of A Lonely Sale made me nostalgic of my childhood. And I am not from the streets of New York. LOL! But this book gave me first crush memories, hanging out with my crew memories, your cool Auntie memories, fresh clothes for school memories. I was reading the book and smiling like man back in the day...and that is exactly what a book should give you! You will love the dynamic between Merc, Hutchie, and Dottie (until she started acting stank)!
My favorite part...happens to be how the three became friends in the first place. See Dottie and her brother Hutchie was always stirring up trouble in the neighborhood. Well everyone was sick of their crap, and Merc comes up with a plan of revenge. And well like the old saying goes if you can't beat them join them. And that revenge butt kicking forged a friendship between the three, 'Dottie realized Maurice gave as good as he got so she and her brother decided to stop messing with him. It was better to have him as an ally instead of an enemy.'
What I'm looking forward too...seeing if Merc gets out of this mess he let Hutchie create for him, seeing how the three friendships strengthens or dissolves, and knowing what the heck Dottie is up to in all her spare time since she dumped the boys.
~Tiffany (556 Book Chicks)
October 20, 2016
When story can take a reader back to their youth, somewhere around 1986 through 1989, especially in New York it MUST be on point. Set in Brooklyn, Nightmares of a Lonely Sale places the reader into the lives of Merc, Dottie and her brother Hutchie, who have their minds made up to be paid. They each had their roles: Dottie - master planner, Merc - Executor and Hutchie - The muscle.
Author Lawrence Avery took his time and reminisced throughout the journey of these three teens, who seemed to have a lot of freedom. From hitting licks on their own, to others with a high profile gangster, they earned their keep, even when it was outside the norm. As the story takes a turn, Merc finds his life changing for the better but can he leave the streets alone?
The pace of the story started off a little slow, but picked up after the first couple of chapters. Editing was decent; a few minor errors but nothing to detract from the overall storyline. From the way the book ended, it's evident the author has more in store. A recommended read.
Author Lawrence Avery took his time and reminisced throughout the journey of these three teens, who seemed to have a lot of freedom. From hitting licks on their own, to others with a high profile gangster, they earned their keep, even when it was outside the norm. As the story takes a turn, Merc finds his life changing for the better but can he leave the streets alone?
The pace of the story started off a little slow, but picked up after the first couple of chapters. Editing was decent; a few minor errors but nothing to detract from the overall storyline. From the way the book ended, it's evident the author has more in store. A recommended read.
January 27, 2016
Good read
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews