Raised in a single parent household in the Springdale Projects, Chance found a way out. He has graduated from college, landed a job, purchased a home, and has a beautiful girlfriend named Toi. And he did it all the legal way. Chance is nothing like his homeboy, Calhoun, a drug-selling deadbeat who won't get his life together, not even for his two kids.
Chance's life changes in an instant when he is falsely accused of murder and sent to prison. He loses everything--his job, his home, his girlfriend, his mother, and almost his mind. A victim of a cover-up and a corrupt prison system, Chance is subjected to attacks by prison guards and inmates, sexual abuse, and too many run-ins with death to count.
The only good thing in Chance's world is his pen pal, Deyja, who is dealing with her own painful past. He looks forward to her mail, and finds himself falling in love. When he is released from prison after seven years, he finds Deyja, but he does not reveal his true identity, for fear that she will want no part of an ex-convict. Unaware that he is her former pen pal, Deyja is falling for this thug whose touch and lovemaking she just can't get enough of.
When old friends Toi and Calhoun come back into the picture, explosive secrets are revealed, threatening to tear apart everything. Will Chance and Deyja move forward together, or will the past destroy them?
Karen Williams has worked as a Probation Officer II for 12 years. She now works as a School Counselor. She is the author of “Harlem On Lock,” “The People Vs. Cashmere 1 and 2,” “Dirty To The Grave,” “Sweet Giselle,” “Thug In Me,” “The Demise of Alexis Vancamp,” “Politics As Usual”, “Hail Mary 1 and 2”, Aphrodisiacs: Erotic Short Stories, and “Diamond In The Sky” in the anthology, “Around The Way Girls 7”. She also the author of “Dear Drama 1 and 2” under the Pen name, Braya Spice. She loves writing urban, contemporary, and thriller fiction. When she first started writing, she was inspired from her work with juveniles, as a Probation Officer, and wanted to tell their stories. She wanted to give real people a voice. She is the mother of two lovely children. Karen loves good R & B music, movies, and to cook and bake for families and friends. She recently finished her 13th novel “Forever Reign”, and is working on another.
It was ok. There were too many twists and turns to keep up with which cheapened the plot; just too much going on. And as a person that writes for a living, the countless grammatical errors were a real pain!
This story was about a man name chance and he was put in jail for muder but he was actually innocent but they wouldnt believe him and his girlfriend said she was going to be there for him and try too get him out but she didnt and she was the one who framed him and his friend calhoun was part of it but he tld him it wasnt suppose to go that far but when chance's girlfriend found out calhoun had told chance sh eshot him a couple times in the chest and calhoun died. Toi was sentence to death sentence's for munder of devin johnson and calhoun park. chance found out there a letter that him and calhoun was actual brothers and calhoun's father was chance's father. Before i started reading this story i predicted that chance was going to get out of jail because they found out who the real person was and he would go and marry deyja because toi had left him when he was put in jail. This story was like something that could happen in real life and in a movie but you'll never think that it would actually happen until you see it with your own two eyes. This connection helps me better understand that somethings actually happens you'll nnever no. When he was discribing how deyja was so stressed out when she was telling him about the death of her fiance when they where at his grave site i could visualize how she felt, how it sounded, and what it looked like. "This could help me better understand the visualization because i've been in that situation when my aunt died". (page 264 chapter 36). When chance went to jail I thought calhoun was the reason he was in there and that he munder devin and told the police that chance wallace did it. "In the text it said that he went to jail and was innocent but as i read more into the story it said that calhoun did do it it was toi his girlfriend My inference came out to be half way right". (page286 on chapter40). One inference that i made was that he was going to get out of jail and be a changed man and start a relationship with deyja. when in continued to read on in the book it said that when he was finna serve his seventh year of jail he got out and went to get a job,and a place to live.so that means that my inference came out to be true.(pg109) PART TWO While i was reading this book it was filled with so many different emotions and feelings it was sad,happy,funny,exspress how they felt,hurtfuln and you could understand how they felt and what they were going through.The characters in the story were describe like they were actually real life people and the situations they were going through and all the affect that was happening was so interesting because some things like what was happening in the story actually happens in real that what made it seem so real and interesting.(pg 139) I would give my book five stars because it would be a good book for someone that had been falsely accusted of munder and don't have a good trial. this would be a good book for someone in the same position this would help a person in jail alot to get a perfectly good trial and how they could go getting out of jail with out doing anything illege. Williams, Karen Thug In Me Urban Books April 1,2011
This book deals with the ultimate betrayal. Chance has everything everything going for himself. He has a good job and the girl that he plans to marry. He has his childhood friend Calhoun who is the total opposite from him. All that change one night. Chance is sent to prison. Prison changes Chance. He sees and goes through things that will effect him forever. He is determined to get out and he does. After spending 7 years in prison he now want to know who set him up to go to jail.
Overall, this was a good book. Some nice surprises along the way. A couple of twist I didn't see coming. This book did have errors throughout the book. The thing I noticed the most was though was used in place of thought. A good story and I would recommend reading it.
Wow! Keep your friends close but your enemy closer, flips in this story plenty of times. The shocking truth about betrayal says it all. An innocent man but in jail because of the framed murder. His mother fighting for her life for her child ends up dying. People aren't who they seem... especially if it's your best friend or your brother... and even your girlfriend. With the right help and a strong new woman to help build back your system, you got to be confident and bold with a string comeback. Charity begins at home and education begins at home. With no father, Chance grew up as a mature and respectful youno man. He figures out as a shocker to all who he father truly is... not t all family is lost.
I was pleasantly surprised by Thug In Me. I had read one of the authors others books and wasn't impressed. It follows the story of Chance. Upwardly mobile, no criminal record,yet convicted of a crime he did not commit. I found myself not wanting to out it down. Chance was a likeable character. Although I found some of the twists and turns unnecessary (Roscoe the guard raping and abusing Chances mother leading her to be incarcerated herself for trying to smuggle drugs, Chance getting gang raped.) Granted, the latter loaned the story part of the ending, it was still bit much. All in all a good read.
OMG this book was off the chain!!! Karen Williams you did the damn thing with this one. I have read your other books: Harlem on Lock; The People Vs. Cashmere and they were really good reads. I am not getting ready to read: Dirty To The Grave and then I will move on to Gisselle. I feel like I personally know Chance and was right there with him through it all. "Trouble Don't Last Always" is a true saying. You left this book open for a sequel. I hope so.
This was a gritty, yet disturbing story, Some of the explicitly brutal scenes had me clinching my butt cheeks. Like, "Wow, is this necessary?" Yet, I kept reading, so I guess they didn't deter me enough to make me stop reading. I liked all the plot twists that connected parties to each other in such random ways as well. This was a good read.
There are a lot of layers in this story but the book did not feel heavy...the events flowed seamlessly and was paced perfectly. This story is about redemption more so than a love story. Overall I enjoyed it.
This was good, but at times I was shocked Chance was so gullible. Toy did him dirty but still dealing with her. It was a sad story and good storyline. The ending was a good , but I guessed it!
Just finished the Thug in Me. Like they say who needs friends when there bitches and niggas like y’all. Not you my The Shades of Pink Social Book Club family but the people in this book.
I enjoyed listening to Karen Williams Thug In Me book. It was written from the character of a men where other books I read the woman were the main characters. It was a nice change but so still think the Casmere series was the best.
Chance goes to Prison with a life sentence for a crime he does not do. He is set up. He endured things in Prison that nobody should endorse. The things that happened to him probably happens more than we would like to think. Thank God for the people who had his back and stuck with him too the end.
When Chance is released he worked hard and his goal Was to find out who set him up and you won’t believe it. I recommend you read Thug In Me and find out.
First I would like to say the author wrote a he'll of a book the storyline was excellent a definitely page turner. The book need to be read by all youth as it shares how life and people can turn on you. My heart felt bad for Chance cause he was caught up in the moment of love and friendship that both betrayed him but it all gave him a happy ending.
This was a great read. Although I knew Toy had something to do with it from the start, I didn’t think it was to this Capacity. And Calhoun smh I can’t believe his role in everything. But the ending brought a tear or two to my eyes. Good book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is an amazing, emotionally charged book. It's told entirely from the prospective of the MMC. It's about wrongful conviction, betrayal, love, and redemption. I can't stop thinking about the characters, the loss, the suffering. I couldn't put this book down. Highly recommended.
This was a great read . I picked up on a whim and I really enjoyed it. Karen might be a new favorite author. I'm just really getting back into urban black fiction
...Glass up. I loved Karen story, her style of writing and the message told. The girl is bad. I wish I could have gave her 10 stars or take back some of the 5 stars I gave other authors ( This is truly a 5 star read)...Girl I couldn't stop reading it, here it is 5:09am and I'm rating you book.
Character's*Plot*Message8style 10stars keep them coming.
i enjoyed reading this book because it had an interesting storyline. However in the middle of the book there were just so many things happening it started to lose my interest because there was just so much extra stuff.I also didn't like the fact that everyother page he was getting beat up, it started to get a little out of hand but other than that. It was a good Book.
This was a great read it just shows how bad things happen to good people but keep ur head up eventually what happens in the dark will come to light..I love the struggle of Chance but hated the consequences of him having trifling friends The author did her thing with this story will definitely read more