Heartbreak U: The Finale by Johnni Sherri
A Review By: SY
After barely surviving their freshman year at NC A&T, the girls will now have to endure the summer.
Despite making the conscious decision to separate herself from the married Malachi Montgomery, the pain of losing him causes a natural tug of war inside Paris’ heart.
Just before Spring Break Hope learns that she’s pregnant but now she’s unsure of exactly what to do. On one hand, she doesn’t want to disappoint her father because he only knows the meek and sheltered child he raised. He has yet to face the young, fleshly woman she’s now become — the one that has fallen weak for a man. But on the other, the father of her unborn child is not who she once thought he was.
While Franki’s heart continues to open up to Churchboy Josh, she’s unsure of just how long their relationship will last without sex. Every day she struggles with her past and when things back home take a turn for the worst, the lines between intimacy, sex, and religion immediately get blurred.
And finally, Asha hits rock bottom. So low that she attempts mending relationships that were once thought to be broken beyond repair. She even makes notable strides putting the puzzle pieces of her life back together. But will it all be too late? Will it even be enough to change her selfish, gold-digging ways? Find out in the finale of Heartbreak U.
Review Notes:
Audio Book Publication Year: 2022
An installment in a Series? Yes
Narrator (s): iiKane
The girls are back for part 2 and the final installment of the series, and the wrap-up could not be more satisfying for listeners. Ms. Sherri continues the stories of young HBCU college students and friends, Hope, Asha, Paris, and Frankie, into the summer following their drama-filled freshman year.
Staying consistent with her style, Ms. Sherri's pen blazes through the coming-of-age story for these characters, fleshing them out with the thoughtfulness and sensitivity that they deserve. It can be difficult for authors to properly capture the sense of innocence, adventure, and confusion that goes along with discovering one's self, but Sherri does it beautifully here. The nostalgic throwback quality was amazing - even though the story subjects are considered young adults, this book would be entertaining for adults of any age. The nicest surprise in this series was how well she developed the characters who are love interests for the female leads. Listeners are sometimes left wondering about the thoughts and motivations for the gents, particularly when their point of view isn't a part of the storytelling structure, but the dialogue gave what it should for us to have the inside scoop.
iiKane is an absolute talent, delivering distinct sounds for each of the couple dozen characters with ease and solid consistency with book 1. Her solo voicing is a marvel, and she did Sherri's words justice, adding humor and pain in the right doses. Her performance made this listening experience a standout in my audiobook library and a must-listen recommendation.
Reading Recommendation? Yes!
Rating: NORTH STAR RATING
Content Warnings? Human or animal loss, Physical abuse/violence, Sexual abuse/violence
