Patches of Grey

by Roy L. Pickering Jr.

A Black high school student with college ambitions who is dating a White classmate learns that the world is more complex than he and his father's opposing mind sets suggest.

Named a 2012 B.R.A.G. Medallion™ Honoree

Genres: Literary Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, African American, Interracial Romance, Fiction, Drama

371 pages, Paperback

First published January 8, 2009

About the author

Roy Pickering was born on the idyllic island of St. Thomas and currently resides in New Jersey with his wife and daughter. His debut novel Patches of Grey is published by M.U.D. House Books. It was named a 2012 B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree. His second novel is Matters of Convenience. His first children's book, which is the first title in a planned series, is The Absolutely Amazing Adventures of Ava Appelsawse.

YouTube channel: Roy's Book Reviews - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChxT...

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/PatchesOfGrey

Instagram -
https://www.instagram.com/roylpickeri... as well as https://www.instagram.com/avaappelsawse/

@mudhousebooks on TikTok

@roylpickering_author on Threads

Patches of Grey: http://tinyurl.com/c4t745

Matters of Convenience: http://amzn.to/2f46OZ8

Matters of Convenience (audio ed. at Audible): https://www.audible.com/pd/Matters-of...

Ava Appelsawse: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HV8HTPK/...

Autographed copies of Roy's books can be purchased directly from the author (Paypal account required) by sending an email to RoyLPickering@gmail.com. Price will be discounted for those buying multiple copies for book clubs.

Roy is happy to guest speak at book club meetings in the NY/NJ area as well as by phone or online chat.

He blogs at "A Line A Day" – http://lineaday.blogspot.com

His novella FEEDING THE SQUIRRELS is presented free of charge in serialized format at A Line A Day - starting with The Prologue: http://lineaday.blogspot.com/2013/02/... and can also be found on Wattpad - https://www.wattpad.com/story/2145572...

Audio excerpt from Patches of Grey: http://lineaday.blogspot.com/2010/11/...

Audio excerpt from Matters of Convenience: http://lineaday.blogspot.com/2015/04/...

A number of Roy's short stories are showcased at http://roypickering.weebly.com along with links to interviews and more.

Anthologies that house his short fiction include Proverbs for the People (Kensington Books), Role Call (Third World Press), The Game: Short Stories About the Life (Triple Crown Publications), Prose to be Read Aloud: Volume One, Ménage à 20: Tales with a hook, Forever Travels, and Independent Author Index Short Story Compilation.

Reviews

[Tori (InToriLex) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Find this and other Reviews at In Tori Lex
Actual Rating 4.5

I enjoyed reading this book immensely.  I was engaged the entire time and looked forward to learning more about the characters lives. Tony Johnson is a relateable and memorable protagonist, who learns alot about who he is and who he wants to be. The Johnson family faces many hardships financially, mentally, emotionally and physically. They all have to live in our society where being black means you are constantly figuring out how to deal with racism and the effect that is has on your life. Each member of the Johnson family has to grapple with some harsh choices and realities, they weave together well to create an engaging narrative. The good writing, and well developed characters were refreshing.

"I could have five PHD's, but that wouldn't change nothing. I could click my heels and think good thoughts all day ling, but they'll still see me as a nigger. You're my son, so how do you think they see you?"

Beyond the important experiences and situations described, the author does take time to explore some deep seated psychological pain. Tony's father Lionel is a case study of what happens when you let the fear of failure hold you back and eat you from the inside out. Tony also faces some hard realizations because he's growing into a man and realizing how much of life is not black and white. The humor was well timed and the commentary thrown in that never felt preachy or forced. The flow of the story was great and didn't shy away from hard truth's.

"Whether in times of feast or of famine, it could be counted on that times would change. God was a good name to call the fickle nature of fate as any."

I'm starting to read more Contemporary's and this reminded me to branch out into genre's I don't usually read. This is more then just a narrative about black experience, its a gem because of it's well developed discussion of race. The only thing I didn't enjoy fully was the ending, I wanted a more concrete ending for the Johnson family.  I enjoy learning what happens to the characters fictional or not, I feel invested. It has something for everyone and I shed some tears during some emotionally trying moments. Despite the ending I can recommend this book to everyone without reservations.

[Felice Laverne · Rating 3 out of 5]

“They all believed back then that love lasted forever. By now they surely knew…that forever was a treacherous myth, though probably a necessary one.”

This novel was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. This review contains **SPOILERS**

Patches of Grey by Roy L. Pickering, Jr. is the emotional story of the Johnsons, a family from a Bronx tenement pre “rise of Obama.” If you love Sister Souljah, Sapphire and old-school Omar Tyree, this will be a great read for you. Tony, the eldest son and main character, yearns for more than his poor upbringing can provide for him and knows that he is smart enough to use his grades to get out. He is constantly ridiculed by his father, Lionel, a drunk and abusive man, and his younger brother, C.J., who is proud to have been just initiated into a local gang. Tony’s dreams of getting away, not to mention his once-coveted, now-won Caucasian girlfriend, put him at constant odds with his father and brother, while his mother and sister deal with their own emotional and physical turmoil dealt to them by the men in their lives. Over the course of a year, their lives are changed, tragedy strikes and Tony’s dreams of collegiate life and affluence thereafter may never be realized after all.

There were some truly lovely patches (no pun intended) of narrative prose in this one, but they were often overshadowed by the sheer amount of purple prose surrounding them. At times this disoriented me, some of the sentences were so overwrought with it. There were too many metaphors and too much hyperbole, so the essence of these oft-lovely lines was lost in the sheer quantity of them, as if the author wanted to slap on more and more lights, more and more decoration, when the tree itself would’ve sung beautifully. Enveloped within the metaphor-flooded prose was vernacular that sometimes hit the mark and sometimes did not. The transitions from narration to dialogue were often choppy and forced, trying to straddle two worlds unsuccessfully. There were moments when the author’s hand showed through glaringly, usually displayed as soap-box-worthy soliloquys on social injustice. There were also some editing issues here.

All in all, I found Patches of Grey to be an emotional narrative with a flawed message. There was a deep story here, one that often grabbed me and sometimes moved me, but in the end, I didn’t respect the characters. It’s not that the storyline was not wholly believable—it was—but I didn’t feel satisfied with the read because it yielded to the stereotypes, allowing them to win after all. If this was meant to be a cautionary tale, it didn’t go far enough with presenting its moral; it seemed to just concede defeat. There were hints towards the end that maybe things could be different in the future, but that wasn’t enough for me; I’m sorry to say that the hastily offered explanation in the final paragraphs felt like a cop-out to actually writing out a fully developed end to this story that would leave the characters well-rounded and, perhaps, whole. I can literally point out the moment that this novel lost me and my respect. Trust me, I hoped that it would be a plot twist that would right itself, a curve in the bend that the characters would bounce back from—or, at least, be educated on—but that never happened:

“It was not the decision to leave his gang which had doomed C.J., or even the choice to join in the first place. His fate had been determined the moment he was born a black male into a white world.”

While I was ecstatic to find that Pickering didn’t stoop to using easy bow-tie, happily-ever-after endings, the above quote does adequately summarize the faulty message of this story right up to the end: that in no way, shape or fashion were their circumstances any fault of their own doing, because of their own choices, not even a little. This novel allowed the characters to wallow, to not fight harder. Instead they surrendered, conceding defeat to society in a way that made them bitter, in a way that they could never recover from. The mother, Caren, believes, “…love is never granted free of charge. Once one’s heart was surrendered, it became subject to the whims of its captor. She complained little of its mistreatment because it had been her choice to give it away,” a beautiful line that really grabbed me, but simultaneously annoyed me because she, like some of the other characters, assumed that she had little choice in what happened in her own life. The moments that were supposed to function as absolution, as moments of strength and clarity for the characters, were too hastily done to stand up to the ravages of what the aforementioned phrases had done to them, and to the reader. There could’ve been so much more here. This was a surprising stance for a novel that seemed to shoot out of the gate with a purpose, a mission, a true message. Did we need happily ever afters? No. But is anything offered to the world by perpetuating stereotypes, by not adding anything to the diaspora dialogue? No.

In that way, this novel felt like regression. I gave this one 3 stars, keeping in mind what else is out there in this genre. ***

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[Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Pickering's style is fluid and crisp. There's a certain clarity to the prose that's considered and well judged - just enough to paint the picture and more than enough to drive along the narrative." - Khome (UnheardWords.com)

Named a 2012 B.R.A.G. Medallion™ Honoree

Synopsis: Tony Johnson is a studious young man planning to soon graduate from much more than high school. Although his zip code places him in a Bronx tenement pre "rise of Obama", his sights are set far beyond the trappings of his humble upbringing. Collegiate dreams and falling in love with a white classmate put him strongly at odds with his father. His brother C.J.'s rebellious ways endanger his life on gang ruled streets and the chastity of their sister Tanya is clearly approaching its demise. But it is Tony who incurs the majority of Lionel Johnson's wrath for the sins of ambition, exhibiting color blind love by daring to be with Janet Mitchell, and refusing to bend to his father's will. Seeing unrealized goals reincarnated in the eyes of his eldest son harshly remind Lionel of what once could have been, and of what went wrong. His own childhood in a segregated southern town established a bitter, prejudiced outlook that is the only legacy he has to pass down to his children. When his job and role as primary breadwinner are lost, Lionel's authority quickly erodes and he drowns his disappointment one drink at a time. This affords Tony, who lacks the seemingly servile patience of his mother, an opportunity to assert independence rather than allowing his fate to be set by chance and circumstance. But throughout the course of Roy Pickering's engrossing debut novel, Tony comes to learn that the world is not as black and white as he and his father's opposing mindsets would suggest.

Available in print at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0932CX7ZY?...

And Kindle edition: http://tinyurl.com/ydoamc3

Or direct from the author, at a discount rate if multiple copies are being purchased for a book club, at http://roypickering.weebly.com/


Top Ten Quotes from Patches of Grey - http://www.quotationsdiary.com/indie-...


Review by RawSistaz Reviewers - http://ow.ly/15Umwx


Review at AlvahsBooks.com by Randall Radic - http://www.alvahsbooks.com/?p=417


Review by five bourough book review - http://fiveboroughbooks.blogspot.com/...

Review by Good Books and Wine - http://bit.ly/eOTF4Y


Review by John Paterson:

Patches of Grey is a story in the tradition of the “coming of age” literature (think SE Hinton, or Catcher in the Rye) in an urban African American setting. Roy Pickering captures the angst of boys becoming men with the added complexity of race permeating events and the environment.

The author does a remarkable job illustrating the internal dialogue and conflict all teenagers face as they struggle for identity, but from the perspective of a young black man. The gift is his ability to translate this conversation to a wider audience, to identify both common ground (girls, fathers, social strata) and also present differences that make one appreciate how race, culture, and familial relationships are perceived differently in different groups: e.g., the conflict between being “all you can be,” and being loyal to the group.

The domestic violence was jarring, as was the relativity. Things weren’t “good” or “bad,” but “better than” or “worse than.” Is having an abusive father/husband (who cares for his family) better than having no father around at all? At least he’s not as bad as . . .

It’s a world in which nothing is taken for granted, and nobody can really afford to be easy going. Seeming cool even carries a certain intense, deliberate and intentional quality. There is love, but very little is given – at home or to others -- freely, generously, or without conditions. It’s a lot of work, with a lot of stress hanging in the general atmosphere.

On the other hand, there is a core element of pride, strength, survival – and dare I say – hope and change to the story. Nobody is a naïve fool, or sucker. They are smart and strong characters who may not have started with a lot of advantages, but can take anything. There is “something” in them that will live on forever no matter what changes.

I agree with others who’ve said this should be on the Junior High/High School reading list. (May have to edit some parts?) I think it could be so meaningful, and even change lives, with young readers at that point.

In reading the book I found myself thinking that I really hope the author has son(s), coaches, mentors, and/or is in big brother program. It would be great for the world.
* * *

In addition to Patches of Grey, Roy Pickering is the author of the novella - Feeding the Squirrels
http://www.synergebooks.com/ebook_fee...

Currently Roy is at work on a second novel, Matters of Convenience, from which an excerpt can be found at his blog: http://lineaday.blogspot.com/2009/04/...

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patches of Grey by Roy L. Pickering Jr. is to me, on the border of being a young adult book, as it deals with an 18-year old boy and being an adult book, as there are several somewhat explicit sexual situations. Personally, I do not mind a bit of sex in the books I read, but I know other people do mind that.
Read the rest of my review here

[Urenna Sander · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel focuses on the coming-of-age of 17 year old Tony Johnson. It reveals Tony’s journey and growth to a young man. Tony lives in a housing development, often called a shadow city within the city, a place controlled by drugs and gangs, vying for territorial rights. Tony is aware the prerequisite to leave is a solid education.
At 18, he’ll be freed from the bitterness, jealously and opposition manifested by his father, Lionel. Tony wants to flee from his dysfunctional family as soon as he graduates high school.
Lionel appears ambivalent concerning Tony. He understands Tony’s desire to succeed, yet, begrudges his impending departure and future success.
With his job on strike, an angry Lionel drinks and behaves irrational. He is envious and resentful of those with higher learning. He belittles Tony and occasionally abuses his wife.
With his own dreams deferred, ‘firewater’ provides Lionel the courage to pick fights in bars with strangers dressed in three-piece suits.
Both Lionel and his brother, Manny, received college scholarships. Because their inebriating father couldn’t keep a job, Lionel suggested he and Manny postpone their education, and help their parents.
But Manny was in a position to take the opportunity that life had to offer. He decided to leave home and attend college. Lionel never forgave Manny, and held onto resentment like an oyster muscle tightens its shells.
At the death of their father, Lionel’s mother and younger sister moved in with relatives.
Newly married, Lionel and his wife, Caren, migrated from Georgia to New York.
If any ambitious thoughts had entered Lionel’s mind, he had dampened their fire.
Lionel’s sons, C.J. and Tony, are independent thinkers, and do not influence each other. They love and respect each other. There are no parallel lines between them. If anything, their lives appear divergent.
Tony and his white classmate, Janet Mitchell, found each other alluring. A budding romance follows, yet later, the two are embroiled in the racism and disapproval by Janet’s family and friends. Tony reacts in ways reminiscent of Lionel, showing displaced anger towards the one he loves.
Tony and C.J.’s 16-year-old sister, Tanya, is going through teenage angst over keeping her boyfriend, Eric, and other serious issues that arise.
I am surprised both parents ignored their youngest child, C.J., leaving him to fend for himself. He appears not offended concerning his place in the family. Foolhardy, he gives the impression of fearlessness as he traverses the mean streets of the Bronx. A mature 14-year-old, he has no problem maneuvering the dangers, hardness, and cruelties, or how he thinks, and how he conceives of the world he lives in. He is considered a gang-banger. He doesn’t look at life through rose-colored glasses, he accepts the good, the bad, and the indifferent. But C. J. also yearns for a better life outside the projects.
Their mother, Caren Johnson, is gracious, humble, and unassertive. In the book, she is mentioned as age 40. A soap opera junkie, she adores her husband and gives no indication of disappointment.
With self-sufficient teenagers, Caren should have worked full-time. In addition, with their first being stillborn, the opportunity arose for her to urge Lionel to accept his college scholarship. They could have avoided having children while he completed college, medical school, and his residency. In the meantime, she should have received higher learning, and supported the two of them. This arrangement has worked for years and is considered timeless.
On the other hand, maybe influenced by her past experience, Caren lacked the confidence to succeed. Maybe this is also true for Lionel, affected by his own father’s substance abuse and emotional abandonment, and the belief his brother abandoned the family.
It is interesting how one sibling can have the initiative to achieve their goals and become successful, and the other fearful of its fulfilment.
The family relationship is unnatural, but a reality. I believe both parents were emotionally crippled, absorbed in their past, and couldn’t function properly, nor provide their children with a solid family life. But I commend Lionel for not abandoning his family.
Lionel also believed racism prevented his success. If true, his brother, Manny, would not have succeeded as a high-powered lawyer.
You get angry when someone prevents you from reaching your goal. Lionel appeared to be his own worst enemy, not Manny.
Lionel needed to address his chronic anger, fears and conflicts, rid the intense hostility toward his brother and forgive him. He should have provided Tony with love, encouragement, and acceptance.
I enjoyed reading A Patch of Grey. I found Lionel’s character interesting. Some of the scenes with C. J. were quite moving.
Transitional scenes providing dates, which helps you follow the action through a given period of time would have been helpful. Tony’s girlfriend, Janet, gives you a timeframe when she mentions the singing groups she likes, and his sister, Tanya, with the rappers and actors pasted on her bedroom wall.

[Dianne Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I finished reading the first chapter I knew this Author was more than just someone who wanted to write. Roy L. Pickering, Jr. is a Storyteller. “Patches of Grey” is a deeply complex tale with authentic characters whose personalities are strong and well developed. The story surrounds the Johnson family and each member’s life is examined from their own perspective. Their individual struggles are woven together to illustrate a compelling tale of how each of them chooses to deal with adversity.

Worlds collide within the pages of this book. Thoughts are challenged. Dreams are shattered. Hearts are broken. The author explores what shattered dreams do to the Soul’s of Men. From the man who seemed to have it all, to the man who never achieved his goals, and the one who fights to keep hope alive, and the fall of one who barely got to dream at all.

“Patches of Grey” takes the reader on a remarkable journey into the depths of despair with the Johnson family as each of them battle to overcome their reality, which threatens to overwhelm them to the point of no return. “Patches” has depth, meaning, and purpose with powerful themes, some subtle and others blatantly obvious. Mr. Pickering writes with a voice strong enough to one day propel him into the category with the likes of other great Novelists such as: Richard Wright [Native Son, Black Boy], Ralph Ellison [Invisible Man], and John A. Williams [The Man Who Cried I AM].

I believe with persistence this writer will one day be represented by a mainstream Publisher with celebrated works on shelves in Bookstores, in Libraries, and even as required reading in African-American Literature courses in some Colleges. Many aspiring writers could learn much about how to develop a character by studying the members of the Johnson family. By the end of the book, there is no gap in the fabric of the man’s mind, heart, or spirit that the author has not uncovered. I closed the book having experienced that turbulent year in the life of this family.

I’m going to place Mr. Pickering’s book “Patches of Grey” on my book shelf right next to the African-American Greats that had paved the way in Literature, and left the path clear and plain for him to follow in their footsteps.

___
Dianne Rosena Jones is a Transformational Life Coach, Inspirational Speaker, Co-Host of “Becoming Who I AM” on BlogTalk Radio, and Author of the award-winning “Tragic Treasures: Discovering Spoils of War in the Midst of Tragedy” voted “BEST INSPIRATIONAL BOOK OF THE YEAR [2010].”

[LiteraryMarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Bronx, an African-American family of five is struggling to make ends meet. Tony is a determined young man that tries not to give in to the negative elements of society. He wants a better way to live and a chance with Janet Mitchell, a white classmate. Despite what friends and family think, Tony really is his own man. Unlike his brother, C.J., who is a gang member and unlike his father, Lionel, who blames the "white man" for his being unemployed. The third child of the Johnson family is sixteen-year-old Tanya, who is experiencing first love. Caren, the mother, seems to be holding the household together. She works hard, makes do with dinners of leftovers amalgamated into stew, and is supportive of her alcoholic-sometimes-abusive husband.

As I read along, I kept wondering how long this family could survive. How long before C.J. is physically hurt from gang activity? Will Tony make it to college? Will he have a relationship with Janet? How will Tanya's first experience of love turn out? When will the strike end so Lionel can return to work? Will Tony stop history from repeating itself?

Pickering's writing and character dialogue was very realistic. Each character was well-developed and described so well that you could get a glimpse of their mindset. I felt like I was right there in their daily lives. And better yet, all of my questions were answered. No loose ends!

I recommend this coming-of-age complex story. Patches of Grey is a story that will appeal to all audiences and make for great discussion between parents and their young adults, students and book clubs. It was a good depiction of what some African-American families face and see as truth. It accurately described why strong people do what needs to be done. And most of all, it reiterated a lesson: the world is not just black and white. There are patches of grey. I'm glad I had the opportunity to read about such patches through the eyes of the Johnsons.

Patches of Grey is Pickering's debut novel. Well done, sir! For more information about writer Roy Pickering, you may visit his blog and www.roypickering.net to read an excerpt. The content is well worth the unbeatable discounted price (Kindle eBook $0.99; NOOKbook $2.99; Paperback $12.95). Read a copy!

Literary Marie of Precision Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storyline:
What I really liked about this book was how true and honest it sounded. You can go to any inner city and find a kid who has the same feelings as the characters in this book. This could almost read like a true-story account of someone life.

Story Characters:

Tony Johnson was very well written on and about. You clearly get a feeling from him early on in the book and very quickly either love him or hate him. What is unique about this, is that even if you choose to hate him, you care about him. He is memorable.

Writing Style:

There is no pretentious in this book. There is no "this must have been researched" moments either. As you read the book, you notice that it is written by someone who has had all those thoughts in their head. From someone who didn't walk around asking others how they felt and then wrote about it, but from someone who understood those feelings and wrote about them perfectly.

Editing Ability:

This was good. What surprised me about this book, is that I got a version before the final corrected book came out. I knew that going in. However the author went page by page and manually corrected the mistakes. He didn't have to do that. He could have simply said it was an uncorrected copy and left the mistakes. I was incredibly impressed by this and wish other authors would do the same.

Overall Thoughts:

I liked this book a lot. In my opinion it should be read by high school students across the country, to give them a better appreciation of others around them and help dispel pre-conceived notions.

[A Book Vacation · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Pickering has created a phenomenal book concerning life and relationships. Focusing on a family in the Bronx, Pickering’s characters and relationships paint a vivid portrait of the struggles many young men and women currently face in the United States, be it racism, gang violence, family disagreements, or poverty. Tony, the main character, struggles throughout the entire novel trying to make a place for himself in the world, all the while his father berates him for attempting to pull himself up by his bootstraps. Tony’s father is a man scorned, harboring a grudge against the White man and all others who have money, including his brother, a doctor. C.J. is a lost young man finding solace in his hatred of others through his gang violence, and Tanya is experience love/infatuation for the first time. Together, this family lives a rocky existence and they struggle to make ends meet and deal with disappointment after disappointment.

I was blown away by the vivid depictions within this novel. Pickering’s writing is beautiful and poignant, causing the reader to become one with the characters, feeling their pain, their anger, and their hurt...

To read my full review (9/12):

http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...

[Nenette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very nice story about interracial love that's won and lost. It has a sad tone to it as it still presents a world that judges people by the color of their skin. Is it really to each his own kind, no matter that we are all human?

The narrative is also remarkable. It expounds on the feelings and thoughts of each of the characters in a very beautifully written prose. I've got only one comment. The characters, though the oldest was only 18, seem to be very mature for their age, but maybe it's just that way for children brought up with hardships and trials surrounding them.

A good read overall.

[Read In Colour · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a story that at times reminded me of Matty Rich's Straight Out of Brooklyn, Roy L. Pickering, Jr. deftly weaves a coming of age tale of Tony Johnson in Patches of Grey. And while Pickering could have taken the easy way out and strictly focused on one main character, he takes the time to tell not only Tony's story, but that of his siblings and parents as well, each as fascinating as Tony's.

Tony is every inner city youth that dreams of making it out, except he doesn't plan to do it by being a rapper or athlete. He dreams of going to college. Normally you would expect one's parents to be supportive of that kind of dream, but his father's defeatist attitude weighs heavily upon Tony's shoulders.

Even as Tony walks the straight and narrow, his younger brother CJ is on the path to destruction. Completely unimpressed with school and what it offers, CJ belongs to a gang. Somewhere in the middle is their sister Tanya. At the age of 16, she's obsessed with losing her virginity.

I was intrigued with the fact that the younger brother was the wayward one. In most books, the older sibling's bad habits lead to the younger sibling's desire to do better. So it was interesting to see the roles reversed. On the other hand, it could have been that the parents had more time and were less stressed when raising Tony (and his sister Tanya) and by the time CJ came along, he was left to raise himself.

It's also interesting to note the differences between the relationships that their father shared with Tanya and the boys. While Tony's relationship with his father is antagonistic at best, Tanya's relationship with him had me wondering if I was reading about a completely different man. No, really. It took me a minute to realize that this belligerent man who berated his oldest child was the same man that coddled his daughter and offered her words of encouragement.

Through Lionel's back story, the reader finds out why he's so hard on his son and how he came to be in the situation he's in. Undoubtedly, his perceived failures shape the way that he treats Tony. And while he believes that he's preparing him for the real world and teaching him life lessons, he's slowly losing his son's respect and love.

Aptly named Patches of Grey, Pickering proves that, indeed, life is rarely black or white.

What did you like about this book?
As I mentioned before, I love that everyone in the family has a story to tell and is actually allowed to tell it.

What didn't you like about this book?
Not a thing. My biggest regret is that it took me so long to move it up on my "to be read" list.

What could the author do to improve this book?
Can't think of a thing.

[Dmetz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tony Johnson is a studious young man planning to soon graduate from much more than high school. Although his zip code places him in a Bronx tenement pre "rise of Obama", his sights are set far beyond the trappings of his humble upbringing. Collegiate dreams and falling in love with a white classmate put him strongly at odds with his father. Although his brother C.J.'s rebellious ways endanger his life on gang ruled streets, and the virginal innocence of their sister Tanya is clearly approaching its demise, it is Tony who incurs the majority of Lionel Johnson's wrath for the sins of ambition, daring to be with Janet Mitchell, relentless optimism, and refusing to bend to his father's will. Seeing unrealized goals reincarnated in the eyes of his eldest son harshly remind Lionel of what once could have been, and of what went wrong. His own childhood in a segregated southern town established a bitter, prejudiced outlook that is the only legacy he has to pass down to his children. When his job and role as primary breadwinner are lost, Lionel's authority quickly erodes and he drowns his disappointment one drink at a time. This affords Tony, who lacks the seemingly servile patience of his mother, an opportunity to assert independence rather than allowing his fate to be set by chance and circumstance. But throughout the course of Roy Pickering's engrossing debut novel, Tony comes to learn that the world is not as black and white as he and his father's opposing mindsets would suggest.

[Lorian Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

omfg this book is so amazing i fell in luv with it i told my friend about this book and she reading it nw this book is so sad, understanding, and faith i feel bad 4 cj's death i was shocked when i found out he died he did this 2 saved his gf the one who care with all his heart and died from it told her 2 remember that he will alwayz luv her which was so emotional as 4 tony i dnt mind him bein with a white girl is doesnt matter wat the color of the skin u in is who u r this book really open my eyes a lot , just couldnt put the book down until i kno wat happen




i want 2 thanx 4 the author writing this book and gave it away 2 me i really enjoy this book im glad i chose this book :) :)

[Sarah Weathersby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roy Pickering tells a good story of the Johnson family. Each member of the family has his/her own secrets and conflicts. He is at times overly philosophical, causing the story to drag, and the writing to become somewhat stilted. His frequent use of passive voice keeps me from giving the book a higher rating.

There were several instances that caused me to groan or *blank stare.*

"It was based on orders being followed, his presence being trembled before."

"Simultaneously realized was the fact that thinking this way was ridiculous. She could not have been less equipped to handle the responsibilities that would need to be taken on."

[Madge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Roy Pickering takes a black family in the projects and makes them come alive. It is a family that struggles and one can identify with this family regardless of race. The family consists of three kids and the parents and how they fit in being black in America and their quest to be better than what America thinks they should be. They live in a very closed community and only see what is in front of them. But they have dreams, hopes and desires and even though they are beaten down some days, even by their father, the kids come to understand what they are capable of doing. Some choose wisely, others don't.

[Sandra McLeod · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-told coming-of-age story from a different perspective!

[Taneisha Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was very good... I loved it!

[Sheila]

I clicked too fast. I want to read this book.

[gj indieBRAG · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a must read! This recently honored B.R.A.G.Medallion book is one you will be glad you picked!

[PacaLipstick Gramma · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book from a Goodreads Giveaway.

I did not like this book. This is a finished copy that is so fraught with errors that it was to the point of distraction. How could these errors have been missed? I think the editor or whomever does the final editing must have had several off days or maybe needs to see an optician.

I would like to preface this review with the fact that I have for the most part lived in the Midwest and have probably lived a sheltered life in comparison to New York City.

As stated in the synopsis, this is pre-Obama. I thought that the racist views and prejudices expressed throughout the book were offensive. The thoughts and feelings of the characters only perpetuate and widen the gap between cultures and races. If anything, it encourages racism and prejudice. I don't care if you are white, black, pink, green or polka dot. Don't be presumptuous about how I might feel about you and prejudge me because of what YOU think. And if the author thinks that he was opening my eyes to something that I didn't know ~ I am offended.

In the book, the father, Lionel says to the son that if he tries to better himself that he will be a betrayal to his race and is turning his back on his heritage and who they really are? What the hell? I am angry at that. So, does that mean if someone is born poor, he is to stay poor and not want to better himself because he will be turning his back on his heritage and who he really is? That screams of prejudice. Lionel detests white people, people with money, people who are successful, and just about everyone else who is breathing.

I was a single mom, and times were tough ~ a lot. What kind of mother would I be if I didn't want my children to rise above their circumstances and make a better life for themselves? Would I see that as betrayal? Absolutely NOT. Don't we all want our children to have a better life?

I did not care for the writing style of the author. This is a quote from the book:

"He didn't know what he wanted or what to believe in anymore. On each occasion that he thought he had a fix on his mindset, something would happen to alter his perspective. His opinion on vital matters were once set in stone. Now they were like a branch carried along by a river's rapids, its course haphazardly altered by the position of rocks, fallen tree trunks, and various other impediments."

I don't need a metaphor for practically every action, dialog, or thought. And this was a short paragraph! Sometimes it went on for a page and a half.

I can't believe I wasted my time on this racist, prejudice and poorly edited book.

[OOSA · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Truth Can Be Ignored, But Cannot Be Unlearned

“Patches of Grey” is a narrative that focuses on the lives of members of the Johnson family. Tony is the oldest son with dreams of college and a white picket fence life. He desires to escape from his current life of abuse and poverty. However, his younger brother, CJ, believes that Tony is also seeking to escape who he is....a black man in America. Lionel, Tony's father, knows firsthand what it feels like to have dreams denied. He wants his son to not have to face the same fate, so he uses abuse as a way to make Tony see the truth. At the center of Lionel's pain is his own failed relationship with his brother, Manny, who decided to live the dream by turning his back on his family. Twenty-five years later, Manny realizes that his dream has become a nightmare.

“Patches of Grey” is a novel about truth, love, family and sacrifice. It is also about the choices that many black men face daily as they try to survive in America. From gang violence to dating across the color lines, Pickering weaves a complex story of hope, forgiveness, love and dreams deferred. I found myself wondering how I would have reacted in certain situations as the author introduced them in the novel. It also made me question some of the truths I have accepted regarding race relations in America.

Although this novel was an advance reader copy (ARC), I was very distracted by the editing issues. There were pages with "white-out" that had words handwritten in. Also, there were many pages where editing had been missed completely. In the beginning, I was so distracted by these issues that I found it very difficult to even read the book. However, the plot began to pick up and so I was able to overlook those errors enough to read the book. “Patches of Grey” would easily be a 5-star read if the editing issues had been better addressed. I would advise the author in the future to not submit an advanced copy in this state. Errors are expected in an ARC, or uncorrected proof, but the condition of this ARC simply proved too distracting.

Reviewed by: Flashette

[Myrto Smyrilioy-Zerva · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a chilling read. It’s the tale of a family of 5 members during the 2000s when racism against people of different colored skins was still standing strong, written in a crisp yet, at times, beautiful manner. But because the subject matter is not a pretty one, this is not a pretty book. It’s ultimately about the connections formed between people and the various difficulties that arise in the human relationships through hardship. This is a book deserving to be better known.

[RenishaRenewed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh... it never drew me in. Too much wording and explaining stuff. Really dragged at the last 35 pages or so. The storyline was ok, but I feel like it couldve been told better.

[Youness Mribet]

I HAVE A RESEARCH ABOUT THE GENERATION GAP;I NEED SOMEONE WHO HELP ME TO FIND OUT SOME REFERENCE ABOUT MY MONOGRAph