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Keysha #3
Lesson Learned
Whoever said "family comes first" never met Keysha's mom, Justine. Fresh out of jail, Justine wants to reconnect with her daughter—despite abandoning her to a father she hardly knew. Keysha is sure Justine's troubled past is going to play havoc with her own present and future. To add more drama to the mix, her younger brother, Mike, is now a wannabe player, determined to get with a girl Keysha just knows is trouble.
For once, all of Keysha's hunches are right on target. And now it's up to her to untangle a dangerous mess…before the life and new family she's just begun to build come crashing down around her….
For once, all of Keysha's hunches are right on target. And now it's up to her to untangle a dangerous mess…before the life and new family she's just begun to build come crashing down around her….
- GenresFictionDramaYoung Adult
248 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
37 people are currently reading
1216 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
March 24, 2010
THIS BOOK WAS SOOOOO AMAZING KESHIA MOM FINALLY GETS OUT AND WANT KESHIA AFTER ALL SHE PUT HER THOUGH.SHE ONLY WANT HER FOR ONE THING HER DADS BANK NUMBER.KESHIA IS FINALLY WITH A HAPPY A FAMILY AND HER MOM WANT STOP AND LET KESHIA FORGET WERE SHE CAME FROM AND THEN KESHIA IS DATING THIS AMAZING BOY NAME WESLEY AND THEY CARE FOR EACH OTHER THEN WESLEY HAS TO MOVE AND THEN KESHIA IS HEARTBORKEN BECAUSE HER BOYFRIEND IS MOVING THEN WESLEY END'S UP GETING SHOT AT THE END OF THE BOOK SO THINGS ARE LOOKING SO GOOD FOR KESHIA
December 22, 2011
This book was really good and there was drama around every turn in the story.
June 26, 2009
Mistakes Overturned
Just when life seemed better, Keysha has to put up with a lot. Her mother, Justine, is fresh out of jail, with a new baby and demanding visitation rights. Keysha knows that Justine hasn't changed. And while the court is willing to give her a second chance, she isn't. She's appalled when she learns the reason for Justine wanting her in her life and refuses to jeopardize the family that she has now for anything. Wesley, her boyfriend and only friend, had to move to Indiana while his dad gets better and their house is being rebuilt. Through the distance Keysha can tell that Indiana proves to be a lot rougher than what the suburban kid is used to and can't wait for them to return. Younger brother Mike seems to be experiencing growing pains. He's taller and bulkier and soon his hormones are raging all out of control causing him to risk his safety and that of others in order to get what he wants.
LESSON LEARNED is the third part to the Keysha series. It became redundant as the author continuously reminded readers of the characters and what happened prior. Not only that, he apparently forgot that in the first part of the series Keysha lived on the WESTSIDE of Chicago and now he has her mother living on the SOUTH SIDE. This wouldn't be an issue since the mother had gone to jail, however, it was said to be the neighborhood she grew up in and her last neighbor was also still across the hall from her mother. I also didn't like the way the author portrayed the city to be so rough, impossible to live in and raise children. Like in the media, the crime and sorts are always front page news. The city is much bigger than the suburbs giving the illusion that things are far worse than they are. While I will never be one to deny that CHICAGO does have its fair share of violence, but I feel here, he made it seem like anyone not living in the suburbs didn't have a chance at living or advantages.
3.5
Just when life seemed better, Keysha has to put up with a lot. Her mother, Justine, is fresh out of jail, with a new baby and demanding visitation rights. Keysha knows that Justine hasn't changed. And while the court is willing to give her a second chance, she isn't. She's appalled when she learns the reason for Justine wanting her in her life and refuses to jeopardize the family that she has now for anything. Wesley, her boyfriend and only friend, had to move to Indiana while his dad gets better and their house is being rebuilt. Through the distance Keysha can tell that Indiana proves to be a lot rougher than what the suburban kid is used to and can't wait for them to return. Younger brother Mike seems to be experiencing growing pains. He's taller and bulkier and soon his hormones are raging all out of control causing him to risk his safety and that of others in order to get what he wants.
LESSON LEARNED is the third part to the Keysha series. It became redundant as the author continuously reminded readers of the characters and what happened prior. Not only that, he apparently forgot that in the first part of the series Keysha lived on the WESTSIDE of Chicago and now he has her mother living on the SOUTH SIDE. This wouldn't be an issue since the mother had gone to jail, however, it was said to be the neighborhood she grew up in and her last neighbor was also still across the hall from her mother. I also didn't like the way the author portrayed the city to be so rough, impossible to live in and raise children. Like in the media, the crime and sorts are always front page news. The city is much bigger than the suburbs giving the illusion that things are far worse than they are. While I will never be one to deny that CHICAGO does have its fair share of violence, but I feel here, he made it seem like anyone not living in the suburbs didn't have a chance at living or advantages.
3.5
Currently reading
September 29, 2010This book was very insightful in many ways Just looking at the cover I thought that I was just going to be reading about a girl who was learning some things about herself as often we teenagers do, but what I gained fro this has been much more then talking about life experiences. When I first realized that this book was based on family issues, personal issues, and experiences with the opposite sex drugs, relocation, sickness and so much more I found myself learning with the character in the book. It was as if I was reading the book but at the same time I was there going though all of thee emotions with each character I at times tried to relate more with other characters as to I felt more as if I had been through some of the experiences as the character. The main Character being a girl coming from a broken home and not living wit her mother but living with a father that knew nothing of her existence until recently and dealing with and enemy at school and having a boyfriend that moved away and having to deal with a mother who is in and out of jail and comes and goes as she pleases.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2018
Lesson Learned is a fiction story of Keysha's drama. The author Earl Sewell has written many books of Keysha's drama. He was born in Chicago Illinois who went to Columbia College. Before Sewell became a successful writer he had received over 40 rejection letter after 9 years of him realizing that writing was his passion again. Earl Sewell has written 17 novels in the past 11 years. In the story Lesson Learned is about a teenage who goes through some drama that maybe teens should not have gone through. "Stop lying!"......"You guys came here to take me away. Justine said it herself." Keysha was sent to live with her dad after her mom Justine was sent to jail when her mom came out of jail she wanted Keysha to come live with her. This book is very interesting I recogment readers to read this book it is well worth it. I agree with the whole plot of the book because the book has dramas that typical teenagers face these days it is somewhat relatable in today's society.
January 13, 2011
This book was pretty interesting. It was about two teenagers, Keysha and Mike, a half brother and sister. They have a lot of drama in their life and get into some trouble. I thought this book was interesting. It was written recently and there were many aspects that i was able to connect to. It was like listening to a friend telling you their problems. Each chapter exchanges points of view from Keysha and Mike but it was pretty easy to understand and keep track of.
October 2, 2012
This book was okay, it was pretty boring at the beginning but as i read more and more of it, it began to get very interesting and what ever i predicted that was going to happen in the story, it really happened.
July 18, 2024
Lesson Learned
Keysha and Wesley are out eating and they discuss what happened after Justin showed up and Keysha fainted. Jordan kicks out Simon and Justine. Keysha discovers she’s breaking out in hives so they head back to her place. Keysha questions where Wesley will sleep during the winter since there were more issues (repairs) to the house than they’d thought it be. He tells her his dad will be released soon and there’s no way that they can stay at his house, so they’ll be moving out of state to stay with his grandmother.
Mike wins a championship game with his team and because he makes the winning touch down he gets the ball. Grandma Katie is the only one that makes it to the game. Mike tries to his mother but Keysha answers and gives him a hard time. So he calls his mother’s phone. They start talking about how he’s gonna get home which leads to them talking about cars. Barbara and Jordan must have previously discussed getting him a car after he got his license, but now she says they have Keysha to consider. This wasn’t what Mike wants to hear and he says he’s over Keysha. He asks what’s up with her and Barbara just says she’s just going through some things and leaves it at that.
Keysha invites Wesley in and he says he’ll be moving in a week. Things start to get a little hot and it scares Keysha so she sends him home. As he’s forced to go to church (and has drama with Keysha over the bathroom), Mike starts to feel like his parents are more on Keysha’s side than his. Mike catches the attention of a girl he used to know as homely but now she’s lost the braces and permed her hair. He’s catching her out. She’s checking him out. She fronts him about the time she told him she liked him and he kissed her on the cheek and he apologizes. He asks her does she have a man and she says there is a guy but he doesn’t notice her. Then she says he better start noticing what’s in front of him. The thing is she can’t really date until she’s 18. She says she sings in the choir and pay attention today. Then he and Jordan get into it because Mike disses Keysha's skin and Jordan warns him it’ll be a fight if he does it again. Marlon one of the team members brings over an article about the game, and Jordan tries to congratulate him, but at this point, Mike doesn’t want to hear it and goes to sit with his friend. While Keysha is at church, she sees that Wesley has left several messages. He’s already left with his dad and grandmother. Keysha acts like the WORLD has ended. She even says she can’t FUNCTION! While they’re talking she hears his grandmother DEMAND he got off the phone and Keysha hears her call her FAST and tell her the world isn’t ending LOL EXACTLY!!
Then Justine shows back up and she, Jordan, and Barbara get into an argument. Justine wants her cut in the government check she thinks they’re getting for Keysha. When they tell her they aren’t getting money for she offers to cut them a deal if she helps them get something for her. Then she sees Keysha’s skin and messed up hair and tell them she’s taking them to court. Keysha faints again. Jordan kicks her out again. After Barbara and Jordan take Keysha to the hospital, his teammate Marlon invites him to a party at the Tricked Out club. He has a few girls in the car but they aren’t giving Mike any play because he’s a freshman and doesn’t have a car. So Marlon tries to school him on how to hook up with one of the girls at the club. At the club, Mike runs into Sabrina and they dance some make out some. When he gets home, there’s a police car.
It turns out Keysha has dermatitis. The doctor tells Keysha to eliminate stress *YEEEAH*. Justin is now trying to get visitation rights. Barbara and Jordan have called the police when Mike wasn’t there when they returned. Keysha finds this out from Mike the next day. Both parents freak off and go off on He says no one told him that they were talking to the hospital. Keysha says they just wanted to make sure she was ok. Mike says that’s the problem everything is all about *her* now. Mike. Mike tells her if she gets into more drama he won’t be coming to her rescue. Wesley calls Keysha and tells her he’s having it rough in Indiana. His grandmother’s neighborhood has gangs and break-ins and she’s something of a horder. When she gets home, Jordan tells her in December she’ll be in court because Justin has already filed papers for custody.
Mike makes out with Sabrina and tries to get her to get let him come in. He’s ready to have sex, but she says he’s going a little to fast. He lays some player lines on her about how he’s always loved her but he was just to shy to tell her. She eats it up. She tells him that she wants to give him something on his birthday he never forgets. Then he says he wants her to be his girl and he’ll spend time with her every day so they can get to know each other. On the way home, he daydreams about the fly ride he’ll get one day. Jordan gets on his case when he gets home because he’s late. Keysha tells him she thinks Jordan’s in a bad mood because of his frustration with her mother and Mike tells her that’s not fair and kicks her out his room.
Mike and Sabrina continue to date in secret. He tells her the best birthday present she could give him is to take his virginity and she says she’ll consider it. On his birthday, Mike prepares to get some but Grandma Katies bust his groove, tells him he’s not ready and plans out his day *for* him with her and Keysha. Keysha and Grandma slow poke along but he finally sees an exit when they go shopping. He tells them he’ll just go walk around the mall. He takes his father’s car and finally makes it Sabrina’s house. Mike is in a rush. Grandma Katie is calling. Sabrina is scared and full of questions. She says it just doesn’t feel right. Mike gets pissed off and snaps at her because she only wants to touch him a little. She starts crying and he calls her a tease. He tries to make her feel guilty by saying “Do you know what I went threw to get here?” He tells her not to call him again and she pleads that she thought he loved her. He returns the car, the phone keeps ringing, and he finally gets back to the mall. But on the way to the mall, he sees his Grandma and Keysha pass her. He calls Keysha and finds out that Grandma Katie has called Jordan and thinks she ran away from her. Jordan slams him against the wall when he gets in and he tries to explain he didn’t want to go shopping. But Jordan doesn’t want to hear it. Mike and Jordan exchange eyes and Jordan pushes him to hit him and Mike does. Then Jordan in retaliation hits him back.
He hits him so hard his back slams him against the wall and he falls to the floor. Point proved Jordan is the man of the house! The Judge gives Justine temporary visitation rights for 3 months. When they get there weirdly Keysha can see that her mother is trying. Simon is there helping take care of Flip (Keysha new brother). Mike sees Toya and thinks she’s hot! She makes no secret he can get it. Keysha tries to warn Mike about Toya’s baby daddy but he’s not thinking what the head on his shoulders and dismisses her so he and Toya can make plans. Mike goes to see Toya thinking he’s gonna hit, but instead, she takes the 200.00 and makes Mike take her to the mall. She takes him to the lingerie shop. By the time they get back, it's late and Mike tries to go home, but she seduces him. Just as she’s changing, and he’s getting undressed Toya’s grandmother comes home. He’s able to get out of there and takes off running so Lamar (a thug from the neighborhood) came screw him up.
Justine and Simon want Jordan’s bank account information, so the next time she goes to visit she gives them fake information. Simon tries to come on to Keysha. Justine does NOTHING. Keysha calls Wesley to vent but she hears police sirens in the background and he says some *stuff* is going on. Justin rushes in and gets Flip. Stacks of money are falling from her. She tells Keysha they’re getting the hell outta dodge so they can start over. Keysha demands to know did she rob a bank. She says no and something about *the currency exchange* one corner over, Keysha pleads with not to, but Justine walks off. Justine says that Barbara and Jordan will get the money back. Keysha tells her the information is fake and Justine gets mad and asks betrayed. They struggle and some of the money falls to the ground after Keysha tries to grab Justine’s bag. , but Justine and Simon speed off. Keysha tries to call Jordan but no one answers. She knows that it won’t be long before the police catch up with them. She sits on the floor with the stacks hoping the police believe her and that this won’t get Barbara and Jordan in trouble.
Mike decides to keep Sabrina and Toya. Mike and his friends go to this club. Sabrina’s there. But the party gets shut down and they bring out the dogs. One attacks Mike. Toya calls the next day on fire and Mike rushes right over. Toya asks to see Jordan’s car. Toya has Mike undress and then when he goes to look for her she’s taken off with the car. Then he finds Keysha who tells him they won’t be coming back and they’ll probably sell the car. Mike knows Jordan is going to kill him and asks what he should do. Keysha says she knows a place where they take stolen cars but she has to go return the money. Mike pleads with her to go with him. They get the car back, but then see the police are behind them. In the end, Keisha and Mike are placed on the ground and cuffed. They find the money in Keysha purse from the currency exchange robbery. Mike gets charged with joyriding. Jordan is disappointed but he tells Mike to always come to him and not Grandma Katie (who is who he called when he got the one phone call). Keysha tells what happened with the money and they FINALLY release her. Mike and Keysha's makeup, Simon confirms that Keysha didn’t know about the crime and tried to stop Justine to get a lighter sentence. Justin and Flip are now on the run. Keysha’s grandmother tells her Wesley was shot.
My Thoughts:
I’m trying to decide how I felt about this one. So many of the characters in this are HORRIBLE! Jordan and Barabara are horrible because just like in “If I Were Your Boyfriend” with Grandma Katie they force Mike to go to church. I went into that in the last review but I’ll just say this and leave it there FORCING her children to take an interest in a church will not soak into their skins and make them better people. I endured a lot of church sermons that didn’t make me better or worse. I did find a Pastor eventually that really *spoke* to me but I just think people should find their own way. Neither Mike or Keysha in these books seem all that interested in church and a lot of young people might not be. They might develop an interest for it with the right pastor but then again in later life, they may get interested in another path. I can’t say that I didn’t have the same kind of *push* but in the end, Keisha and Mike just might not be churchgoing. If I had kids I would never do them that way.
Mike was horrible but then I guess most teen boys when their hormones start kicking in go through a phase were they just want sex and aren’t emotionally ready for anything else. Some MEN remain in that stage (that I’ve seen) so Mike kind of gets a pass. But I hate the way he treated Sabrina! I think she was RIGHT not to give it up to this fool. I kept thinking it would serve his horny behind right if Toya gave him something he couldn’t get rid of. That would have been what he deserved for first of all having a f’ed up attitude when she didn’t give him any and then taking her back knowing “he had another girl” I kinda wish Toya and her baby daddy *would* have gotten to another state with that car.
Justine was horrible! But then Justine has been horrible since Book 1. I have NO IDEA why Keysha thought she could be *reached* or *reasoned with*. Some people just aren’t redeemable and Juustine is one of those women. I will give her slight credit for taking Flip and not abandoning him like she did Keysha but I guess she had to make sure that she’d get a check.
Toya was horrible. Toya, I’ll just say this reminds me of somebody that doesn’t have a problem getting the money and spending it but then when it comes to sex its all excuses. But then should all the blame fall on Toya? Mike was the stupid one and thought with his hormones and not the right head (which I’ve also seen) So if your gonna act blind and not listen to the warning signs ALL around you. Keysha warned Mike. Marlon warned Mike. When I first read this book, I was thinking Mike *should* have got some for all he went through but on this read NOPE! Mike should have got just what he got NOTHING!
If there was one thing I understood about this book it was that bad things sometimes just don’t let up. They happen if you deserve them to happen and don’t think about consequences. They happen if you don’t do not one thing to cause them to happen. Life is just screwed up sometimes that way and sometimes you just can NOT get a break. The issues with Keysha skin kinda struck a cord and I do remember when we had a house fire and I wondered why Wesley had to move to another state. Insurance could have covered it for him to move into a hotel or an apartment until the work was done. That’s what it did when I had to go through that.
Rating: 7
Keysha and Wesley are out eating and they discuss what happened after Justin showed up and Keysha fainted. Jordan kicks out Simon and Justine. Keysha discovers she’s breaking out in hives so they head back to her place. Keysha questions where Wesley will sleep during the winter since there were more issues (repairs) to the house than they’d thought it be. He tells her his dad will be released soon and there’s no way that they can stay at his house, so they’ll be moving out of state to stay with his grandmother.
Mike wins a championship game with his team and because he makes the winning touch down he gets the ball. Grandma Katie is the only one that makes it to the game. Mike tries to his mother but Keysha answers and gives him a hard time. So he calls his mother’s phone. They start talking about how he’s gonna get home which leads to them talking about cars. Barbara and Jordan must have previously discussed getting him a car after he got his license, but now she says they have Keysha to consider. This wasn’t what Mike wants to hear and he says he’s over Keysha. He asks what’s up with her and Barbara just says she’s just going through some things and leaves it at that.
Keysha invites Wesley in and he says he’ll be moving in a week. Things start to get a little hot and it scares Keysha so she sends him home. As he’s forced to go to church (and has drama with Keysha over the bathroom), Mike starts to feel like his parents are more on Keysha’s side than his. Mike catches the attention of a girl he used to know as homely but now she’s lost the braces and permed her hair. He’s catching her out. She’s checking him out. She fronts him about the time she told him she liked him and he kissed her on the cheek and he apologizes. He asks her does she have a man and she says there is a guy but he doesn’t notice her. Then she says he better start noticing what’s in front of him. The thing is she can’t really date until she’s 18. She says she sings in the choir and pay attention today. Then he and Jordan get into it because Mike disses Keysha's skin and Jordan warns him it’ll be a fight if he does it again. Marlon one of the team members brings over an article about the game, and Jordan tries to congratulate him, but at this point, Mike doesn’t want to hear it and goes to sit with his friend. While Keysha is at church, she sees that Wesley has left several messages. He’s already left with his dad and grandmother. Keysha acts like the WORLD has ended. She even says she can’t FUNCTION! While they’re talking she hears his grandmother DEMAND he got off the phone and Keysha hears her call her FAST and tell her the world isn’t ending LOL EXACTLY!!
Then Justine shows back up and she, Jordan, and Barbara get into an argument. Justine wants her cut in the government check she thinks they’re getting for Keysha. When they tell her they aren’t getting money for she offers to cut them a deal if she helps them get something for her. Then she sees Keysha’s skin and messed up hair and tell them she’s taking them to court. Keysha faints again. Jordan kicks her out again. After Barbara and Jordan take Keysha to the hospital, his teammate Marlon invites him to a party at the Tricked Out club. He has a few girls in the car but they aren’t giving Mike any play because he’s a freshman and doesn’t have a car. So Marlon tries to school him on how to hook up with one of the girls at the club. At the club, Mike runs into Sabrina and they dance some make out some. When he gets home, there’s a police car.
It turns out Keysha has dermatitis. The doctor tells Keysha to eliminate stress *YEEEAH*. Justin is now trying to get visitation rights. Barbara and Jordan have called the police when Mike wasn’t there when they returned. Keysha finds this out from Mike the next day. Both parents freak off and go off on He says no one told him that they were talking to the hospital. Keysha says they just wanted to make sure she was ok. Mike says that’s the problem everything is all about *her* now. Mike. Mike tells her if she gets into more drama he won’t be coming to her rescue. Wesley calls Keysha and tells her he’s having it rough in Indiana. His grandmother’s neighborhood has gangs and break-ins and she’s something of a horder. When she gets home, Jordan tells her in December she’ll be in court because Justin has already filed papers for custody.
Mike makes out with Sabrina and tries to get her to get let him come in. He’s ready to have sex, but she says he’s going a little to fast. He lays some player lines on her about how he’s always loved her but he was just to shy to tell her. She eats it up. She tells him that she wants to give him something on his birthday he never forgets. Then he says he wants her to be his girl and he’ll spend time with her every day so they can get to know each other. On the way home, he daydreams about the fly ride he’ll get one day. Jordan gets on his case when he gets home because he’s late. Keysha tells him she thinks Jordan’s in a bad mood because of his frustration with her mother and Mike tells her that’s not fair and kicks her out his room.
Mike and Sabrina continue to date in secret. He tells her the best birthday present she could give him is to take his virginity and she says she’ll consider it. On his birthday, Mike prepares to get some but Grandma Katies bust his groove, tells him he’s not ready and plans out his day *for* him with her and Keysha. Keysha and Grandma slow poke along but he finally sees an exit when they go shopping. He tells them he’ll just go walk around the mall. He takes his father’s car and finally makes it Sabrina’s house. Mike is in a rush. Grandma Katie is calling. Sabrina is scared and full of questions. She says it just doesn’t feel right. Mike gets pissed off and snaps at her because she only wants to touch him a little. She starts crying and he calls her a tease. He tries to make her feel guilty by saying “Do you know what I went threw to get here?” He tells her not to call him again and she pleads that she thought he loved her. He returns the car, the phone keeps ringing, and he finally gets back to the mall. But on the way to the mall, he sees his Grandma and Keysha pass her. He calls Keysha and finds out that Grandma Katie has called Jordan and thinks she ran away from her. Jordan slams him against the wall when he gets in and he tries to explain he didn’t want to go shopping. But Jordan doesn’t want to hear it. Mike and Jordan exchange eyes and Jordan pushes him to hit him and Mike does. Then Jordan in retaliation hits him back.
He hits him so hard his back slams him against the wall and he falls to the floor. Point proved Jordan is the man of the house! The Judge gives Justine temporary visitation rights for 3 months. When they get there weirdly Keysha can see that her mother is trying. Simon is there helping take care of Flip (Keysha new brother). Mike sees Toya and thinks she’s hot! She makes no secret he can get it. Keysha tries to warn Mike about Toya’s baby daddy but he’s not thinking what the head on his shoulders and dismisses her so he and Toya can make plans. Mike goes to see Toya thinking he’s gonna hit, but instead, she takes the 200.00 and makes Mike take her to the mall. She takes him to the lingerie shop. By the time they get back, it's late and Mike tries to go home, but she seduces him. Just as she’s changing, and he’s getting undressed Toya’s grandmother comes home. He’s able to get out of there and takes off running so Lamar (a thug from the neighborhood) came screw him up.
Justine and Simon want Jordan’s bank account information, so the next time she goes to visit she gives them fake information. Simon tries to come on to Keysha. Justine does NOTHING. Keysha calls Wesley to vent but she hears police sirens in the background and he says some *stuff* is going on. Justin rushes in and gets Flip. Stacks of money are falling from her. She tells Keysha they’re getting the hell outta dodge so they can start over. Keysha demands to know did she rob a bank. She says no and something about *the currency exchange* one corner over, Keysha pleads with not to, but Justine walks off. Justine says that Barbara and Jordan will get the money back. Keysha tells her the information is fake and Justine gets mad and asks betrayed. They struggle and some of the money falls to the ground after Keysha tries to grab Justine’s bag. , but Justine and Simon speed off. Keysha tries to call Jordan but no one answers. She knows that it won’t be long before the police catch up with them. She sits on the floor with the stacks hoping the police believe her and that this won’t get Barbara and Jordan in trouble.
Mike decides to keep Sabrina and Toya. Mike and his friends go to this club. Sabrina’s there. But the party gets shut down and they bring out the dogs. One attacks Mike. Toya calls the next day on fire and Mike rushes right over. Toya asks to see Jordan’s car. Toya has Mike undress and then when he goes to look for her she’s taken off with the car. Then he finds Keysha who tells him they won’t be coming back and they’ll probably sell the car. Mike knows Jordan is going to kill him and asks what he should do. Keysha says she knows a place where they take stolen cars but she has to go return the money. Mike pleads with her to go with him. They get the car back, but then see the police are behind them. In the end, Keisha and Mike are placed on the ground and cuffed. They find the money in Keysha purse from the currency exchange robbery. Mike gets charged with joyriding. Jordan is disappointed but he tells Mike to always come to him and not Grandma Katie (who is who he called when he got the one phone call). Keysha tells what happened with the money and they FINALLY release her. Mike and Keysha's makeup, Simon confirms that Keysha didn’t know about the crime and tried to stop Justine to get a lighter sentence. Justin and Flip are now on the run. Keysha’s grandmother tells her Wesley was shot.
My Thoughts:
I’m trying to decide how I felt about this one. So many of the characters in this are HORRIBLE! Jordan and Barabara are horrible because just like in “If I Were Your Boyfriend” with Grandma Katie they force Mike to go to church. I went into that in the last review but I’ll just say this and leave it there FORCING her children to take an interest in a church will not soak into their skins and make them better people. I endured a lot of church sermons that didn’t make me better or worse. I did find a Pastor eventually that really *spoke* to me but I just think people should find their own way. Neither Mike or Keysha in these books seem all that interested in church and a lot of young people might not be. They might develop an interest for it with the right pastor but then again in later life, they may get interested in another path. I can’t say that I didn’t have the same kind of *push* but in the end, Keisha and Mike just might not be churchgoing. If I had kids I would never do them that way.
Mike was horrible but then I guess most teen boys when their hormones start kicking in go through a phase were they just want sex and aren’t emotionally ready for anything else. Some MEN remain in that stage (that I’ve seen) so Mike kind of gets a pass. But I hate the way he treated Sabrina! I think she was RIGHT not to give it up to this fool. I kept thinking it would serve his horny behind right if Toya gave him something he couldn’t get rid of. That would have been what he deserved for first of all having a f’ed up attitude when she didn’t give him any and then taking her back knowing “he had another girl” I kinda wish Toya and her baby daddy *would* have gotten to another state with that car.
Justine was horrible! But then Justine has been horrible since Book 1. I have NO IDEA why Keysha thought she could be *reached* or *reasoned with*. Some people just aren’t redeemable and Juustine is one of those women. I will give her slight credit for taking Flip and not abandoning him like she did Keysha but I guess she had to make sure that she’d get a check.
Toya was horrible. Toya, I’ll just say this reminds me of somebody that doesn’t have a problem getting the money and spending it but then when it comes to sex its all excuses. But then should all the blame fall on Toya? Mike was the stupid one and thought with his hormones and not the right head (which I’ve also seen) So if your gonna act blind and not listen to the warning signs ALL around you. Keysha warned Mike. Marlon warned Mike. When I first read this book, I was thinking Mike *should* have got some for all he went through but on this read NOPE! Mike should have got just what he got NOTHING!
If there was one thing I understood about this book it was that bad things sometimes just don’t let up. They happen if you deserve them to happen and don’t think about consequences. They happen if you don’t do not one thing to cause them to happen. Life is just screwed up sometimes that way and sometimes you just can NOT get a break. The issues with Keysha skin kinda struck a cord and I do remember when we had a house fire and I wondered why Wesley had to move to another state. Insurance could have covered it for him to move into a hotel or an apartment until the work was done. That’s what it did when I had to go through that.
Rating: 7
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2019
This was a great book.!
October 15, 2012
The Book "Lesson Learned" by Earl Sewell, was about a young teenageer named Keysha Who Had To move with her Dad, Step mom, and step brother.Because her her mother Justine,because she was hooked on drugs. and abanded her, bascailly left her to die at a young age. No food, no decent place to live nothing! basically left her to die. and keysha had to edal with that basically her WHOLE life! she has to deal with her new family, her crack headed mother who is now trying to come back in her life. and to deal with her boyfriend who has left her and moved away, with his sik father and grandmother. I myself enjoyed this book very much so, becasue of the drama, heartache and supsense. because you never knew what was going to happen next.
July 17, 2012
I liked my book.It was outstanding.I liked this book because it was a book with a theme.Also because this book was about things that can happen in real life.(Pg 1-256)
The people that will like this book are people who like books with life lessons.For example Keysha learned that home is with the people that loves you .Mike learned that you shouldn't go behind your parents back and don't take their things without permission because you will get caught.
Their wasn't a challenge for me but some people might say a challenge in this book was keeping up with who was telling the story next for example, first it might be Keysha saying something then Mike or then Mike then Keysha and then Keysha again.
So this book was about A girl named Keysha and she has been living with her dad ever since her mom abandoned her and went to jail and her boyfriend Wesley moves away.Then her mom comes out of jail and demands that Keysha comes and lives with her .It is also about a boy named Mike and he is tired of his mom and dad treating Keysha like royalty.Ever since Keysha came nobody payed attention to him.It is always Keysh and her drama this and Keysha and her drama thTa he was so tired of it that he started todo the wrong thing.
The people that will like this book are people who like books with life lessons.For example Keysha learned that home is with the people that loves you .Mike learned that you shouldn't go behind your parents back and don't take their things without permission because you will get caught.
Their wasn't a challenge for me but some people might say a challenge in this book was keeping up with who was telling the story next for example, first it might be Keysha saying something then Mike or then Mike then Keysha and then Keysha again.
So this book was about A girl named Keysha and she has been living with her dad ever since her mom abandoned her and went to jail and her boyfriend Wesley moves away.Then her mom comes out of jail and demands that Keysha comes and lives with her .It is also about a boy named Mike and he is tired of his mom and dad treating Keysha like royalty.Ever since Keysha came nobody payed attention to him.It is always Keysh and her drama this and Keysha and her drama thTa he was so tired of it that he started todo the wrong thing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2015
This is a very fascinating book . Its full of drama and mystery. a very good combination. Its about a girl named Keysha who finds out who and where her father is after she has been fed up with her Drug addict mom Justine. Keysha is sent to a group home which is where she is assisted in finding her father. Once she moves in with her father her and her new family (fathers wife, brother) etc ... they all have a rocky start in starting this new family with all of their differences. Jordan's (dad) family is high class while Keysha has no idea how to handle it. In the end they all settle their differences and work together to help and make Keysha feel at home as if she's been there all along. I believe this book has a Lesson To Learn.
March 17, 2009
This is my first foray into the Kimani Tru series, but I think it's important for me to know the content before I recommend them to the kids. I'm almost done with this, and there are some pop cultural references that will grow quickly dated (probably why it's in paperback). Also, there are references to sex but so far it's been a "clean" novel.
Update: this was a good book, though certainly not fine literature. It's clean as far as sex goes and will appeal to 8th grade and up.
Update: this was a good book, though certainly not fine literature. It's clean as far as sex goes and will appeal to 8th grade and up.
June 23, 2013
This book is filled with drama. I love how the author uses every other chapter to show Keysha and Mike's P.O.V of things without it being in total different situations. I'm thrilled that at the end of the story they both get to realise how difficult or frustrating the other's life is. It was a good book, A good read.
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June 8, 2009i think this book really does teach u a lesson
October 8, 2010
It's one of the best thing i've ever read
December 8, 2010
it was good
January 16, 2011
its pretty good so far i like it how there is a twist from the second book to the third which makes it even more interesting to read it more and more
December 11, 2010
iStr8 readd thss book !
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December 16, 2010A wonderful book wish it didn't end that way though
January 8, 2011
i felt keshia pain
August 26, 2011
This is the best book i read so far!
January 9, 2012
love all the books in this series
January 25, 2012
I <3 it!! :)
December 17, 2012
i liked the book.
May 24, 2013
i think about a lesson about to be learned
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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April 4, 2014i dont know I didn't finsh reading it bu t it god so far
January 5, 2015
This book is so good. I highly reccomend this to anybody who wants to read this book
March 27, 2017
Honestly tho, I would be mad and wouldn't talk to that girl just like Mike if I stole a car to come have sex with you then you change your mind.
March 2, 2018
The book is about a 16 year old girl named Keysha. Keysha always had drama in her life, like the time when her so called “Best Friend” Liz Lloyd planted drugs in her locker. Keysha’s mother Justine was an ex-con who was going back to her criminal ways. Keysha’s mother was put in jail and Justine’s boyfriend, also Keysha’s uncle, located her biological father named Jordan. Jordan took Keysha in and had full custody of her. Keysha thought her life was finally coming together. She moved to South Holland, was with a family that loved her, was with her beloved boyfriend Wesley, and attended Thornwood High school. But everything wasn't going to be all nice and sweet for long. Soon, Keysha's mother was released from jail and wanted visitation rights, and to make matters worse, her boyfriend Wesley had to move out of state. At this point, Keysha couldn't think things could get any worse. Mike, Keysha’s half-brother was an all-star football player, an honor roll student, and wasn't bad with the ladies. But lately, all Mike could think about was loosing his virginity. All he could think about was girls, then Mike got a girlfriend named Sabrina. Sabrina and Mike was dating for only a month until he was ready to make his move. When it was Mike's 15th birthday, Sabrina promised to take his virginity and he could take hers. Mike had came to Sabrina's house while her parents were gone, and he was on a time schedule so he was ready to have sex and then leave. At the last minute, Sabrina was scared and said she wanted to wait. In a rage Mike fled the scene. Later, Mike met a 17 year old girl named Toya. Toya was ready and willing to do anything Mike wanted, well that's what she wants to him to think. Toya acted like she liked Mike but all she wanted was the money in his pocket.
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