Share This Review
The narrative begins with Melody's abusive boyfriend, Kevin, who holds Melody and Imani at gunpoint just moments before he turns the gun on himself. Seeking counseling to deal with her incessantly haunting memories and ghoulish nightmares, Melody's recovery is slow but steady, until she meets Scott and Aaron. Her experiences with these men are eye opening for different reasons, which forces her to take a hard look at herself. Concurrently, Imani's love life is getting tested when her boyfriend Trevor starts a relationship with another gal. Bouncing around a bit from guy to guy, she serendipitously meets Marco. The only problem is that even though she finds him attractive, Imani is determined that the man she plans to settle down with will be black. It's a matter of time if she can keep to her personal pact. And lastly, Lance, who is all about football and keeping watch over his girls, Imani and Melody, is obsessed with the women at the college campus parties. Their willingness to offer salacious favors is irresistible an encounter with an old friend helps him realize the difference between sex and real love.
Raye's use of third person omniscient viewpoint is the perfect literary tool for readers to continually observe the thought processes of Lance, Imani, and Melody as they mature into responsible adults. Each are very talented and have ambitions that go beyond the love arena according to their concentration of study – economics, chemical engineering, and broadcasting, respectively. But they are still learning how to tackle life issues, especially as marriage enters the picture for some of them. Although the overriding theme of The Colors of Love centers on three (mostly) black characters seeking true love, Raye's wonderful racial and ethnic mix of characters provides opportunities to address racial issues. By periodically incorporating this tension by carefully interweaving the realities of black life in a white world, both in the private and public sector, Raye not only keeps her narrative fresh, but this also serves as a reminder to readers that though this story is set in the early part of the 21st century, racism is still a critical issue today.
Raye also keeps each chapter short, and conversations include a plethora of body language that regularly sends mixed messages, which keeps the characters hopping. Of course, every good novel would be incomplete with its twists and turns, as in the case of Lance who discovers an additional piece of family history and chilling scenes when Melody suddenly goes missing. Obviously, this novel does not draw to a close without a cliffhanger, and one that is totally unexpected.
Engaging, heart-warming, as well as nerve-racking, The Colors of Love deserves a rating of 4 out of 4 for a well-structured plot, intriguing characters, and diversity in thematic development. This work of fiction is a great read for young as well as older adult, you will find yourself waiting with baited breath for the final conclusion!
***
Buy "The Colors of Love" on Amazon
Buy "The Colors of Love" on Barnes and Noble
-- 14 Sep 2014, 14:18 --
Please check out K.R.Raye's Color Trilogy. It is filled with interesting an unforgettable characters.
