Title: Hold You Down
Author: Tracy Brown
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"Hold You Down" by Tracy Brown

My Assessment:

"Hold You Down" was quite an intriguing sad urban story that will keep one turning the pages to see what was coming next for this Howard family's journey. On this journey, there were many blows with twists and turn all over the place that kept one shaking their head and saying wow!

The story dealt with 'drugs, crack, drama, abuse, murder, death, loss of a loved one, funerals, sexual assault, rape, incarceration, and gun violence,' and yes, I am sure something has been left out; however, by reading this read, the reader will get it all. The first part of the story deals mainly with the two sisters [Mercy & Lenox], and the second part brings in these women's sons [Judah & Deon] on this wild emotional, gut-wrenching rollercoaster ride.

All that is left to say is this was one story about...one will have to check out and see how well this author brings it out to the reader. It was challenging to see how things turned out at certain times. Wow is all left to say; however, understanding the ending, especially for Judah, was enough for me.

Yes, 'Hold You Down' would be recommended as a good read.


Thank you to NetGalley/Tracy Brown/St. Martin's Press St. Martin's Press.Griffin for this "Amazing" eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Where do I start?! This story was everything! It grabbed me from the very beginning, tugging at my heart strings until it finally broke it into pieces. Talk about growing pains with life, love, and loss…whew. I haven’t read anything that made me this emotional in a while. I’m giving this a 4.75/5 (rounding up to 5) only because I’m greedy and would have really appreciated some type of epilogue. Was it needed, nah not really, but again…it would have been greatly appreciated.

Tracy Brown is a wonderful storyteller, I haven’t been disappointed with anything I’ve read written by her. I’d definitely recommend this book to friends looking for lite urban contemporary fiction, involving family dynamics and coming of age stories.

Tracy Brown captivates in this stunningly realistic look at life for many in the 1980s. The characters and their relationships were relatable and their stories were often heartbreaking. As a retired Social Worker, reading this book was like stepping back in time. Thanks for this great book #NetGalley

A raw, gut wrenching read. Two sisters grew up in the Harlem projects with only each other to rely upon. Mercy takes life on the straight and narrow while Lenox chooses a life fraught with danger and riches. The patterns and emotions between the two sisters affect their sons, Deon and Judah.
I found the novel to be incredibly moving and realistic. Everything was wound so tightly into a snarl and somethings cannot be mended.
The ending was very emotional, but ultimately each of us has to do our own thing.
I found Xavier to be the best character and I liked him the best.

This is a cautionary heartbreaking tale of sisters and sons. Mercy and Lenox are incredibly close, having bonded more strongly as a result of their abandonment by their mother. Lenox is the wild one in some ways but she's deeply committed to her son Deon, When she dies, Mercy, the sister who has been on the straight and narrow takes in Deon but this poses problems for her own son Judah. No spoilers from me but know that the problems of drugs, generational trauma, and living at the margins loom large. Brown is a good storyteller and while this sometimes tends toward drama, that's fair, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, A very good read,,

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

I have never read Tracy Brown before, but my interest was piqued by Hold You Down, even if it’s not the type of book I usually pick up. It’s an incredibly moving family saga about the wounds of generational trauma, and how the choices one person makes can impact their family members.

It’s easy to become invested in the family and their relationships with each other from the beginning. Mercy and Lenox have a rough upbringing, but at least initially, they lean on each other to survive. However, they’re also coming into the world in the midst of the crack epidemic, which wreaks havoc. I appreciated how it portrayed Lenox’s temptation to take advantage of the world of drugs to find success, exploring her perspective of what she’s gaining in the short-term, along with the long-term impact on herself and her family, especially after she passes on.

And the impact continues to be felt as time passes, and the sisters’ children, Deon and Judah, are navigating the world, sharing the same closeness their mothers had, even amidst all the hardships that come with growing up Black in the inner cities.

This was a deeply moving book, and I’m not opposed to picking up more from Tracy Brown in the future. If you enjoy either family sagas or urban fiction, I recommend checking this out.

Mercy and Lennox grew up on the mean streets of Harlem in 1980’s with an absent mother. They depended on each other. Now as adults, Lennox has been swept up in the drug world as crack cocaine hits the streets. Lennox and Mercy each have a boy. They may be cousins, but they are more like brothers as they learn to depend on each other.

Why haven’t I read more books about inner cities during the crack epidemic? It was an environment I haven’t read about and pretty devastating. About halfway through the book completely flipped. It was very unexpected and I will tell you to avoid spoilers! I did like both directions the book took. It became a generational story and had a lot of cultural background, especially when it comes to masculinity and emotions among African American men.

“Everything that glitters ain’t gold. Sometimes people seem like they’re having a good time when really they’re scared to death.”

Hold You Down comes out 11/1.

So from the beginning this book had action. I could definitely relate to every scene and situation in this book being from a place like NYC 🗽 I LOVEDDDD the chemistry and banter between the characters- it kept me goinggggg. I love the message behind this book. You can love the streets— but they’ll never love you. The message of family & love. The message on how you have always have to watch the company you keep! The relationship between the sisters, touched me. Made me think about my own relationship with my sis. This was a book I’ll never regret reading and will never stop talking about. It was relatable to say the least. If you haven’t read Hold You Down..please add it to your TBR. This one is the one! Thank you @tracybrownwrites & @netgalley for my ARC copy💭

I have been a fan of Tracy Brown since I listened to Whites Lines and other books in the series on CD. You can never go wrong with a Tracy Brown book. Her writing style is awesome; she definitely knows how to hold the readers attention and does not let go even when you have reached the end of the book. “Hold You Down” is an entertaining read that had me reaching for my Kleenex to wipe away tears. This is a heartfelt heartwarming story that kept me captivated from the beginning to the end. The characters are awesome with a very good plot. Two sisters that are single parents Lenox and Mercy each with a son Deon and Judah who were more like brothers than cousins. Mercy and Lenox made different choices in theirs lives. One sister leading the fast lifestyle and the other leading a more subdue lifestyle. The choices in life that the sisters mad were not always the right choice and the rewards that were received were not all good. Cousins Deon and Judah lives were going fine until an incident happens and their lives are never the same again bad choices with consequences with life lessons.

This is an awesome read that I recommend even though it is a tearjerker. I’m sure you will be enjoyed by the readers.

I received an ARC via NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Hold You Down follows a Staten Island family during the crack epidemic.
It’s very well written and very compelling—a definite page turner—but it’s an overall dark and depressing read that may not be for everyone.

This was my first time reading Tracy Brown. I have seen her works but hadn’t gotten around to reading anything. I was contacted by the publisher about her latest book, Hold You Down. After reading the synopsis, I was excited to read it.

The novel revolves around two sisters Mercy and Lenox, their relationship and the relationship of their sons who are raised as brothers. Each sister takes a different path in life and the consequences of those decisions affect their relationship and their sons’ relationship.

The way Brown writes quickly pulls the reader into the streets of New York and the family. There are parts of the book where I laughed at the characters’ dialogue and actions. Other scenes were extremely emotional. I enjoyed the full range of the book. I read the book in two formats: e-book and audio. The audio is wonderful narrated by Patryce Williams.

This book is ideal for readers who enjoy contemporary fiction, family drama, and fiction set in urban settings.

I was sent an electronic copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

What a page turner!! If you remember the late 1980s and 1990s, this is the book for you. I love that the book centered on a family, their relationships to each other and their relationship to a city. I highly recommend this book.

Hold You Down is the story of two sisters, Mercy and Lennox, who grow up in the projects in the Bronx with their grandmother after their mother leaves them for a man. Mercy is the reliable sister. Lennox is the wild one. They both end up as single teen moms of young boys and relocate to the projects of Staten Island. From there, Mercy stays on the straight and narrow and Lennox gets wrapped up in the crack trade.

The book follows the sisters and then their sons, Deon and Judah. The choices that these boys were faced with as a result of their environment slayed me.

“A little girl falls down and the adults pick her up, comfort her. A little boy falls down and what happens? Everybody says, ‘Don’t cry’; ‘Be a big boy.’ Men never unlearn that shit. We suck it up and keep pushing. But that shit ain’t healthy. Crying doesn’t make you weak. It’s a natural response to all the things you two have been dealing with for years. Grief, guilt, fear, frustration, loneliness, and anger.”

This is a book about family, friendship, poverty, living, dying and everything in between. You may think that “urban fiction” (what Amazon calls it) won’t resonate with you — you should think again. This is vivid storytelling and family drama at its finest.

Hold You Down by Tracy Brown is the story of two sisters and their sons and the complex relationships they have over the course of nearly two decades.

I was not expecting to be completely blown away by this novel, but I was wrapped up in the drama and entanglements that encompassed Mercy and Lenox and their life choices. The portrayal of unconditional love and acceptance, while simultaneously holding those she loved to high standards, made Mercy a character that will stick with me far beyond the pages of this book. I cried along with the characters, and felt their struggles and losses as well as their joy and love. Watching Judah and Deon grow into men from the innocent young boys was heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time.

Hold You Down reminds us that people we love are not perfect, but are still deserving of our love and loyalty and the family bonds are stronger than any others.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC of Hold You Down by Tracy Brown. the opinions in this review are my own.

What a powerful story! This story left me angsty the entire time and gave me a real sense that something bad was coming for these characters but I kept holding out hope. These characters were so layered and so well-written. It's interesting the things we do for family and how that same family can be detrimental to us in a way that we aren't aware of until it is too late. This story really pulled at my heart strings and I really enjoyed it!

This multigenerational urban saga tells the story of sisters Mercy and Lenox and their sons Judah and Deon, living in Staten Island over a period of about fifteen years in the 80s and 90s. The characters struggle with poverty, structural racism, and the crack cocaine epidemic, but they are supported by their family relationships, friendships and community ties, and their own internal strength.

The best aspect of the novel was its broad chronological frame. The evolution of the characters felt authentic, as well as the way secondary characters moved in and out of the story. The shift of focus from Mercy and Lenox to their sons halfway through the story felt very natural.

The broadness of the rest of the story was less appealing to me. The narration skips between the thoughts of the four main characters, occasionally entering the thoughts of more minor characters. This was sometimes confusing, and I felt it kept the story from really digging in to any one character's internal landscape. However, what was lost in individual character development was made up in seeing the development over time of the tapestry of relationships in Mercy and Lenox's community.

Now I understand why this book has received such high praises! Beautifully written, stirring, emotional and deep. I have to admit like others, I shed a tear or two! I loved that this book was set in the 80's and the 90's. Born in the 80's and raised in the 90's this is a time period that I love dearly and always reminisce about. This book reminded me of the 70's sitcom, Good Times. Similar to the show, Mercy, Lennox, Judah and Deon didn't have the best of luck and they most certainly didn't seem like they had nearly as much good times, but they did. In the midst of all the tragedy they endured, they all had slivers of good times and that's what they reminisced about, that's what they dreamed about and that's what they held on to. Unfortunately, they didn't get the endings that they deserved, especially Lennox and Mercy. Hopefully, their children, Judah and Deon will be able to find those good times in their individual lives.

Tracy Brown has done it again! Hold You Down was entertaining urban fiction at its finest. The first half of the book tells the story of sisters Mercy and Lenox. They love each other fiercely but as they get older their lives go down different paths. Mercy is more restrained and cautious pushing her son to get the best education possible. Lenox is more carefree and all about getting money. She wants her son to grow up and be “the man”.

The second half of the book focuses on the cousins Judah and Deon. Now teenagers, they have to decide which road they will take. Through it all, the good and the bad, the ups and the downs they remember that family has to hold each other down.

This book was fast paced and highly engaging. I laughed, I cried, I couldn’t put it down! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

New to me author alert! The verdict is...I need to read more from author Tracy Brown. This book took me back to my mid-teens, early 20's days in my hometown. There were things that triggered my memory from this time period. It was definitely a journey following Mercy and Lenox as they try to navigate their adult lives in the projects of New York after growing up without their mother.

Mercy, is the quiet, reserved, responsible sister, while Lenox is the more outgoing, make things shake kind of sister! Looking at their boys as they grew, they also followed the same personalities as their mothers with Deon being more tough and outgoing and Judah being more reserved. One thing is for certain though... they made sure they all 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 when the time came to do so!

In this book we see family love, family struggles, street happenings, loss, and grief while we follow their story through the years. I was a little surprised by how I was so drawn to the story, but I was. I could not help becoming attached to Mercy and Lenox as well as and Judah and Deon. I tried to hold it together towards the middle, but I shed a few tears which I'm not always a crier!

This story was very well written, showing the families strengh while going through the ups and downs of their lives, but then came together when they needed to. Although family may have struggles, they will still "Hold You Down" at the end of the day!

Hold You Down

Thank you to St. Marten’s Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first time reading a Tracy Brown book and I enjoyed reading this book so much. Tracy Brown developed these characters well. They seemed so realistic and their struggles were believable . I loved the relationship, Mercy and Lenox, the two sisters have. The ups and downs of their situations kept me reading.In fact I could not stop reading it until I was finished. I loved their two boys so much. As a mother of two boys, I hoped that they would grow up to be self sufficient men.

I definitely will be following this author and reading more books in the future.