Twists and Turns

Teesha and Keeba Washington have finally graduated from Brooklyn High School and are wondering what they are going to do with the rest of their lives. Although Teesha is a year younger, she graduated right along with her sister and the two of them are as close as any two sisters could be. Their mother is proud of her daughters' accomplishments thus far and only wishes that she could provide more in the way of their future, but life in the inner city isn't easy. Unlike their lifelong friends who have moved from the projects into college, or jobs such as TV commercials and computer programming, Teesha and Keeba haven't found their niche yet. The only thing they do is braid hair -- and they do hair quite well. Twists and Turns is a book that illustrates both the power of sisterhood and teamwork. On many levels this book is written for young adults, yet older readers will enjoy the story as well. Belief in each other, the skills of their craft and cooperation amongst friends and family, the Washington sisters rent a storefront in the neighborhood and open up TeeKee's Tresses. The elements of a good story are present in Twists and Turns as the girls experience jealousy and envy, political scheming and landlord greed. Through it all, the reader wonders if the girls can sustain themselves or will their hardships break their entrepreneurial spirit. While reading, one might question their resolve to overcome the stereotypical nature of their living and business surroundings. The plot takes many twists and turns but the journey chronicling their action is fast paced and energetic. Not a street fiction book, but certainly bringing it home that life in the inner city isn't easy, Twists and Turns captures the environment and the reality that everything in a supposedly bad environment isn't really as bad as it seems. Belief in yourself is one of the central themes from which everyone can benefit. Though this book is fictional, teenagers can picture themselves in the vulnerability of the Washington sisters and find strength in the positive outcome perseverance always yields.

Janet McDonald has an excellent ability to capture the voices of young adults. She has written a book that adults can enjoy and young people can relate to. The plot was fast paced and the characters were well developed and the result was a satisfying and enjoyable read. Reviewed by Stacey Seayof The RAWSISTAZ ReviewersComplete review can be found on our website...

Keeba and Teesha Washington know that living in the projects is not easy. But they feel they have nowhere else to go and so they choose to make the best of it. Twists and Turns begins with the young women having a party to celebrate their graduation from high school and the successes of their closest friends. Shortly after the celebration the girls are confronted with the question of their plans for the future. They don't have an answer. They consider the routes their closest friends have chosen but believe those paths don't apply to them. A librarian who lives in the projects by choice suggests to the girls that they can use their hair-braiding talent to make a success for themselves without leaving their own community. At first the girls are reluctant to take the idea seriously because of what it takes to get such a plan off the ground. But when a close friend agrees to provide the financial backing, the girls have no choice but to take the idea serious. And they do. They discover that a lot of hard work is involved in becoming business owners and they are willing to put forth the effort. But they soon learn that even running a business has its obstacles. While the girls try to drum up customers, a conflict emerges. The rumor that some of the housing project residents would be moved to make room for "outside people with money" becomes a reality. The residents of the housing project band together and have a march outside the mayor's office. The girls return with the other residents with a great sense of accomplishment only to find their business in shambles. Once again the girls are faced with the question of what to do next. They consider giving up but are given an unexpected donation that helps them make up their mind and also helps them learn an important lesson.

High school is over for the teenage sisters Keeba and Teesha Washington. All their "adjective" friends are moving on from partying to adulthood while the two siblings remain clueless on Brooklyn benches. The duo feels talent-less and slinging burgers seems wrong for a high school graduate.A friend persuades Keeba and Teesha that they have a talent that is hair braiding. Another friend floats a loan, and the sisters open up TeeKee's Tresses beauty shop. However, the slums of the Hillbrook Houses projects does not lend itself to a thriving business as the two young ladies cope with few customers, an unexpected rent increase and vandalism.This is a strong inner city character study that uses street slang to provide insight into the life of a new high school grad struggling with the changes of adulthood. The two sisters, the support cast, and Brooklyn are well- written and believable charcaters whose message is to work hard on what one does best. However, though entertaining and teens will appreciate the novel due to the protagonists and their friends, the story line lacks a center so that it feels like electrons without a nucleus. Still high school students will enjoy the adventures of the Washington siblings.Harriet Klausner