Head Held High

by Butterfly Thomas

Shya's dying mother tasked her with taking care of her younger brothers, and the girl is trying hard to do just that. But it doesn't take long for the reader to learn that Shya is doing a lot more than being a loving, attentive sister and attending college. She's also working as a high end escort under her stepfather’s control. As the stepfather’s demands increase, Shya sees no choice but to kick up her plan to squirrel away enough money to win custody of her brothers. Little does she know that one brother is doggedly pursuing the escape of drugs, while the other is being bullied and hopes to escape everything—permanently. More tragedy ensues as Shya gets caught stealing from the wrong person. Can she save her family with bodies dropping all around her and a killer closing in? Will she lose everything for the pursuit of money? Can she keep her head held high in the face of so much adversity?

402 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2018

Reviews

[Nikhaule Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not 100% sure what I was expecting to read going in, but it was not this. Nonetheless, I genuinely enjoyed this read. The point of view of the book changed quite often. In the beginning I was not the biggest fan of this, but I ended up appreciating the many perspectives and insight throughout this book. The erotic sections of the book were incredibly well done. Hot and heavy, without it being too raunchy or vulgar. All of the supporting characters were well written, from Shya’s best friend to her brothers to her love interest. Overall, I thought this was a great book with just enough suspense to keep readers engaged.

[Thea Ramsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a page-turner. It starts off a bit slow, but having read the bookjacket information, I had some idea what to expect; hence, the page-turning. The characters are memorable. (I hope her stepdad gets what's coming to him), and that's all I'll say. I like the language of hiphop used in the book. I don't know if people really talk that way, as all I know is how rappers rap. Still, I'm familiar with it, and I enjoy the colloquial color lent by the dialogue.

[Christopher D Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a taste of urban reality. Every character is someone relatable when you live in any urban jungle in America. Butterfly Thomas has captured sorrow, passion, the lust of power, anger and redemption in this book. I couldn’t put it down! Keep up the amazing work T!