My Time to Shine

The Black Reign Series, Book 1

By: Edd McNair, Buck 50 Productions

Narrated by: Daniel George

Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

My Time to Shine takes listeners into one family's struggle for survival during the crack epidemic of the late 1980s.

Black, a small-time thug with big dreams, discovers the demand for crack cocaine in the Virginia housing projects where he lives and sees the drug as a meal ticket for his family. His younger cousin, Lo, who idolizes Black, joins him in his business endeavors. But as they work side by side with hustlers and killers, the pair is soon thrown into situations beyond their control, and the bonds of their family are thoroughly tested.

©2006 Edd McNair (P)2019 Blackstone Publishing and Urban Audiobooks

This took me back...

I would have given this book more stars if it flowed better. It was long and drawn out during certain chapters and very underdeveloped in other areas.
Than being said, I spent the majority of my youth (teenager to mid-twenties) rolling up and down the streets of the "7-cities" in southeastern VA. I did so much clubbing at some of the clubs mentioned in the book and some of them I was too young get into in '96 (I was 18 yrs old) to early 2000s. I remember wanting to get in the Broadway Club so bad and the age was 25 and up, so we had to go to City Light in Chesapeake which was 18 and up. I also used to party on the campus of Norfolk State University which also mentioned, Club Picassos, club on Shore Drive and hit up the Waffle Houses or Ihop... and I am/was VERY familiar with Lake Edwards apartments, Thats were all the bad boys were, and I was a good girl so that's what I was attracted to :-) Newtown Road near Va Beach Blvd,...the McDonalds, the Shoney's. And when he mentioned Bennigans....OMG ( had to be the one that used to be in Norfolk!) MiIlitary Circle Mall, Greenbrier, just WOW. That took me WAAYYY back. ...and a big THANK YOU to the author for shouting out my home town Elizabeth City NC, I LIKE THAT!!

Family

Man these kids was on fire and really loved there families. I love the closeness they had with one another.

Narrator Carried This One

This rags to riches gangsta money clothes and heauxes typical hood story was okay. The narrator carried this one and did a great job. Otherwise I would not have made it to the end.

Took me on a journey

Most of what I can relate including a shout out to EC or Elizabeth City NC aka #NAM
GREAT CREATIVITY AND STORYTELLING

Very good read!!

Family is everything!! Very good book from beginning to end. Didn’t think I would like this type of read but it was good!

Dope

I love a good Urban fiction, I just moved to the Hampton roads area of Va. This was dope can't wait to listen to the next one..

Very hard to get into

This was one of the worst books I've listened to so far and I listened and read a LOT of books. The narrator sounded like he was reading to a crown of people at a funeral. There was absolutely no life in his voice. It really made it hard to pay attention to what was going on. And I couldn't keep up with what was going on who was who none of that because every character sounded the same. I forced myself to finish it cause I hate starting books without finishing them. but this is one book I wish I would have just stopped early on

Black

Loved it can’t wait to read the others I really loved black and his brothers

A book not used to

Not used to listening to this type of book but after getting used to it I like it.

My time to shine was a great book to me.

The characters were so realistic to me. It was like I was there on the scene of All you he chapters. The men in this book was described as the finest and most balled out ass men in the traps. I hope it be a book 2.