Sister Souljah Message Board
JM Harris posts on 3/7/2009 5:05:44 PM
I agree that the Coldest Winter Ever was a complete story...but what was this? This was the most convaluted mess I have ever read. I am okay with the mixing of cultures and races because if you love someone whose to say you shouldn't....but the depiction of young and older black women was deplorable. As a woman who claims to have such moral values, how could you do that? You wrote it from a young African males perspective and he not once conveyed any respect towards the women he was forced to live around and he thought were beneath him. He degraded and judged everything about the people and the place that allowed him to come and leave freely and earn money and he was a MURDERER!!! Maybe I missed the reason they were forced from their beloved country but it just didn't make sense. I could go on and on but I must say I am extremely disappointed, saddened and ashamed that I was ever a fan of yours. I will never read anything you write again.
Barnetta posts on 3/2/2009 3:31:52 PM
Other than Midnight's principle's, I was not impressed at all with this book. it's as if SS forget what Midnight had even went through in the Coolest Winter Ever, because this story just didn't add up. It was a chore to read. I kept waiting for it to get better but it never did. As a previous poster noted; "It was a total slap in Black women's face," to insinuate that in all of of NYC he couldn't find one young African girl , Afro-American girl, or Domincian girl, Somebody of African descent!!... who shared and lived by his same value system. Come'on!!! An asian girl, who he barely could communticcate with and even more who was materlistic, who seemed ashamed at first for him to even meet her family and who moreover didn't share the same religious or spiritual values. And then to call it a Gangster Love Story..Pleeze!!! Yea SS this a a mjaor slap in the face.
JONESEE posts on 2/24/2009 11:39:44 PM
THe book was a good read but I want to know the midnight from C.W.E I want to know what happend after the funeral becauase in his story i dont see how he had time to be a guard and still do all that stuff from the C.W.E. were all of these things supposed to be going on at one time????
moni posts on 2/24/2009 1:06:25 PM
I think SS did a good job of telling the story from a young,Black male perception,but i was disappointed about the ending.However,can someone tell me what happened to the Midnight's father and why did Midnight's immigrated to the U.S and why haven't the family had any contact with the family's friends and relatives? I'd think I'm missed that part
Flava posts on 2/24/2009 12:30:06 PM
I have just finished reading Midnight and I am still in awe at the kind of work SS did. I thought the depht of the book far surpasses the CWE. This book is written for everyone and not "African American" sisters who feel dissapointed or vexed by the words of SS. The reality is that African American Women are knowned for their materialistic ways and their ever present attitude. I think this book is a great way to help them, and every women for that matter, see what they stand for and what they represent and and maybe help them take a different stance in life and change a little. So instead of seeing the book at degrading African American Female, see at as a step to be part of the larger community, which is the WORLD.
whitney posts on 2/23/2009 9:29:43 AM
when i first read cwe i fell in love with it i could not put it down now i'm reading midnight and its not pulling me in SS wrote it beautiful but its like midnight is a whole new character that i never met. i just wish she would have started the book from the funeral like c.w.e. ended thats the midnight i want to kno
amanda posts on 2/21/2009 1:52:06 AM
As an Afro American women I am disgusted and offended by this book. It annoys me that these ignorant girls are writing about Winter, when "Midnight" totally bashed our people. Is she serious? Is she honestly going to tell me that there was no other way to get the message across? She couldn't have made the wife be a black girl that had good upbringing?
Shae posts on 2/13/2009 11:07:56 PM
I just finished reading the book "Midnight", and I enjoyed it. It was a good book but not as great as "The Coldest Winter Ever". I think Sista Souljah did an excellent job depicting what happens in the ghetto every day. In regards to the other bloggers describing their distaste for how SS depicted young black teenage girls, she did an outstanding job. Her vivid description actually made me re-assess my morals and values during those vulnerable years. I commend SS for recognizing that black youth can love without sex. So many black youths today equates love with sex. At first, I was a little vexed when Midnight pursued and married Akemi (the Japanese girl), but I see why he chose her. She was pure and innocent. She made him love her without giving away her body. In addition, SS did an excellent joy in conveying the marriage of the races, cultures, and religions. This book did answers some of my questions about Midnight but not enough. I was hoping that I would find out how Midnight became involved with Santiago. I think once you get over that this book is not "The Coldest Winter Ever" sequel, you will find that this book is actually worthwhile. I can't wait for the sequel.
Janelle posts on 2/12/2009 12:46:11 PM
It's not that I'm dissapointed that Midnight wasn't a sequel to Coldest Winter Ever... Coldest was as Sista Souljah said a complete story... I would have liked to see how it all ties in but I'm guessing that will be in the sequel of Midnight... I read the coldest a few years ago so I don't remember Midnights age but I do remember him being older than 14 in the book.. However, I thought he was Sista Souljah's dude in the book.. although that fact was unclear to me...
Anyway... Midnight disappointed me b/c the story wasn't complete... I guess that's b/c Sista Souljah is writing a sequel as this article leads us to believe... if she is then great b/c I would like to see what happens...
I don't mind so much that his choice for a wife was Akemi a Japanese girl.. I do however dislike the fact that the presentation of black women was so one-sided... Although not false, there are many women like Akemi in the black community... and like the black men, namely Americans, they were given a bad rep in the book. I just didn't expect that from Sista Souljah... However I do get what she was attempting to accomplish by showing Midnights point of view... He is a young man placed in a grown mans position... Although his view is one-sided he made some excellent points... The book does force you to examine yourself and the choices you've made in your own life but it's not a complete story...
I was happy to read in the article that Midnight is not finished... I'm hoping that in the next installation he'll grow a bit more in love and life... I'm hoping he'll see that not all black American's a ghetto and f'd up... I'm hoping he'll understand that what he see's and think he knows isn't always what is true...
I was not impressed with the idealistic view he has about the Sudan... Even though he points out that in the Sudan someone will try to get what you want by force... He seemed to disconnect that in the Sudan everyone isn't perfect...
I am also hoping that his father's story and why they fled to the US will be uncovered and the story will continue passed his involvement with Winter...
On the subject of a sequel to Coldest Winter Ever... Even though when she is released she'll be a grown woman there is still a story there.. She went in as a child with a distored view of the world and now she is coming out... She could very well have the same view, confidence and attitude she had going in and then come out and face the world and see that so much has changed... I'd like to know where her life goes from there... Maybe her attitude did change through her encarceration... Her experience in jail would be interesting and seeing how she copes with life in todays world would be an excellent read. What made Winter real for me was her ignorance... I wanted to choke her b/c she didn't learn from her mistakes... Also the story of her sister could be explored more b/c she seems to be on Winter's path..
In closing, I am impressed with Sista Souljah as a complete writer... I like how in-depth she gets in her writing.. Although Midnight isn't my top favorite pick... the writing is... The book provoked emotions (good and bad), thought and discussion... I'm in awe of how she can bring characters to life with what seems to be effortless on her part... I know she worked her ass off with her books and I appreciate that.
Oh and Bangs... I loved her.. there's a story there too and I hope in the sequel we get to see it play out... I think Midnight could have seen the truth about her and taken her as a wife (although I disagree with multiple wives)...
As for Akemi... she did a great deal of things that if done by another girl Midnight would have written her off.. but b/c he loved her he let it slide.. Everything about her was so perfect that at times it was nauseating.. Even Midnight was less than perfect...
Janelle posts on 2/12/2009 12:44:50 PM
It's not that I'm dissapointed that Midnight wasn't a sequel to Coldest Winter Ever... Coldest was as Sista Souljah said a complete story... I would have liked to see how it all ties in but I'm guessing that will be in the sequel of Midnight... I read the coldest a few years ago so I don't remember Midnights age but I do remember him being older than 14 in the book.. However, I thought he was Sista Souljah's dude in the book.. although that fact was unclear to me...
Anyway... Midnight disappointed me b/c the story wasn't complete... I guess that's b/c Sista Souljah is writing a sequel as this article leads us to believe... if she is then great b/c I would like to see what happens...
I don't mind so much that his choice for a wife was Akemi a Japanese girl.. I do however dislike the fact that the presentation of black women was so one-sided... Although not false, there are many women like Akemi in the black community... and like the black men, namely Americans, they were given a bad rep in the book. I just didn't expect that from Sista Souljah... However I do get what she was attempting to accomplish by showing Midnights point of view... He is a young man placed in a grown mans position... Although his view is one-sided he made some excellent points... The book does force you to examine yourself and the choices you've made in your own life but it's not a complete story...
I was happy to read in the article that Midnight is not finished... I'm hoping that in the next installation he'll grow a bit more in love and life... I'm hoping he'll see that not all black American's a ghetto and f'd up... I'm hoping he'll understand that what he see's and think he knows isn't always what is true...
I was not impressed with the idealistic view he has about the Sudan... Even though he points out that in the Sudan someone will try to get what you want by force... He seemed to disconnect that in the Sudan everyone isn't perfect...
I am also hoping that his father's story and why they fled to the US will be uncovered and the story will continue passed his involvement with Winter...
On the subject of a sequel to Coldest Winter Ever... Even though when she is released she'll be a grown woman there is still a story there.. She went in as a child with a distored view of the world and now she is coming out... She could very well have the same view, confidence and attitude she had going in and then come out and face the world and see that so much has changed... I'd like to know where her life goes from there... Maybe her attitude did change through her encarceration... Her experience in jail would be interesting and seeing how she copes with life in todays world would be an excellent read. What made Winter real for me was her ignorance... I wanted to choke her b/c she didn't learn from her mistakes... Also the story of her sister could be explored more b/c she seems to be on Winter's path..
In closing, I am impressed with Sista Souljah as a complete writer... I like how in-depth she gets in her writing.. Although Midnight isn't my top favorite pick... the writing is... The book provoked emotions (good and bad), thought and discussion... I'm in awe of how she can bring characters to life with what seems to be effortless on her part... I know she worked her ass off with her books and I appreciate that.
Oh and Bangs... I loved her.. there's a story there too and I hope in the sequel we get to see it play out... I think Midnight could have seen the truth about her and taken her as a wife (although I disagree with multiple wives)...
As for Akemi... she did a great deal of things that if done by another girl Midnight would have written her off.. but b/c he loved her he let it slide.. Everything about her was so perfect that at times it was nauseating.. Even Midnight was less than perfect...
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