Thirteen and a Half

by King Jewel

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0976933527
• ISBN13: 9780976933526
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: New World Pub
• Length: 238 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.5" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Victims of the Game

Tip, Born and Black have been friends since the third grade. When a drug deal goes wrong Tip is murdered. Both Born and Black take his death extremely hard and wonder if they should get out of the game. Born wants to take his girlfriend Lia and baby down to North Carolina, while Black feels he should stay in New York. Although it was hard to leave his friend Born decides that family is most important and leaves Black in the big city. Things were certainly different in North Carolina but Born tries hard to adjust by getting a legal job and providing for his family. Meanwhile Black stumbles into the music business and is now on the VIP list of every hip establishment. Black misses both his friends and reminisces on happier times when Born use to fancy himself as a famous rapper. Now that Black has the connect he wonders if he should ask Born to come back to NY and go into the studio. When Born's love life spirals out of control he takes his daughter and heads back to the Big Apple and with Black's help stardom has come knocking at Born's door cha ching, cha ching!!!! But somebody is carefully watching this raising star and is about to bring him down.... Not bad for author King Jewel first novel. The story started off pretty slow for me. I appreciated that the male characters mourned the lost of their friend but that went on a bit too long for me, once that was over the story picked up and became a interesting thriller. Kudos for Mr. Jewel for bringing out the emotional side of the characters Born and Black, and I love the fact that I couldn't figure out the mysterious murderer until the very end ... great job! Locksie ARC Book Club Inc. Star Rating 4.0****

There is a NEW King in NYC

Born, Black and Tip were friends for life. The bond they shared was stronger than anything imaginable. The trio rode the fast track to controlling the streets of NYC and knew that they would always be on top of the game. Until one day, a drug deal went bad and Tip was killed. Black wanted revenge while Born knew he needed to take his family down south for safety. As Black and Born went their separate ways for a while life went on. Black became a music mogul while Born cut hair for a living. Troubles of the heart would bring Born back to NYC and the love in his soul would propel him into music stardom. Born found his niche as a rap superstar while Black stayed close as his manager. Reality smacks them in the face and they realize that everything gold doesn't glitter. King Jewel makes his debut with a story about friendship, loyalty and family. The love for family leaps off the page and squeezes your heart. The thug action, womanizing and running from the law will keep you glued to this irresistible storyline. The fact that young black men can put their children first will renew your faith in the idea of community. There are a few editing issues that keep this read from making the 5-star level. King Jewel is definitely one of the next big urban-lit writers. Deltareviewer Reviewing for Real Page Turners

Rough Introduction To The Game

Thirteen And A Half Born, Black, and Tip have been tight since elementary school. They've always dreamed of making it big, but they never knew just how big they'd be until the right opportunity presents itself. Once a chance to become big-time players in the drug game materializes, the lifelong friends don't waste it. Not everything goes according to plan, though, and, after a botched drug deal leaves Tip dead, Born and Black are forced to take stock of their own lives, each making the decision to leave the game for fear of ending up just like their fallen friend. However, clean breaks aren't always easy to make, and, try as the friends might, they're never able to fully shake their violent pasts. As they ascend to the heights of promising careers in the music industry, someone is watching their every move and eventually begins making systematic efforts to destroy any chance either one has of lasting success. With their lives - as well as those of their loved ones - on the line, Black and Born fall back on their knowledge of the game in order to keep themselves from getting trapped in its deadly grip. Thirteen And A Half is a fast-paced ride through the twisted world of street life, offering disturbing views of its dark underbelly along the way. King Jewel writes on such topics as loyalty, betrayal, and hustle politics with the same commanding authority as Iceberg Slim and Donald Goines before him. Not to be lost in the telling of his tale, though, is the true heart that shines through the surrounding darkness and grime. In mourning Tip, Black and Born experience agonizing grief over the loss of their close friend, and the difficult decision each one makes to turn away from lives to which they've both become accustomed comes only after much soul-searching and introspection. Likewise, as each experiences fresh pain and disappointment during their transition into new lives, you find yourself rooting for them as the underdogs that they've become, rather than despising them as the heartless killers that they used to be. The ability to so sway the reader is not an easy task to pull off; as such, Jewel is to be commended for the deftness of his storytelling. For diehard fans of the urban fiction genre, as well as new converts just discovering it, Thirteen And A Half will surely not disappoint - and with gritty, yet soulful tales like this one, the phenomenon is sure to win even more fans in the years to come.