Tajuana Butler

Stephanie, Cajen, Malena, Tiara, and Chauncey are all approaching a new phase of life that is going to be apart of their lives forever. Butler presents five very different young women all coming from different backgrounds that are trying to reach one goal: pledging the "pink" sorority. The journey that Butler takes us on to get to know these young women was a well paced one. We get to know each one without feeling rushed nor were the details overwhelming. We read as they balance college life, family, friends, relationships, and pledging.

I really enjoyed all the characters of this book. I feel as if Butler gave us "enough" background on each one. The life mix of the these young ladies was very realistic. It is exactly what you will find on any college campus. One came from a rich family making for some class differences. There was one with a troubled past and dysfunctional family which made her feel somewhat insecure at times. There was the ambitious and career driven one. Another young woman was struggling with the fact that she was adopted. I admired the fact that when the pledge process was over these women held on to their friendships that they had prior to joining their sorority. That was a great point for Butler to make because stereotypically people have the idea that once you join a sorority or fraternity you forget all about the friends you had prior to joining.

Butler did an outstanding job on showing how college age women and men handle relationships. There was friend betrayal, an unplanned pregnancy, breakups, and the handling of the contraction of an STD. It was refreshing to see how these characters really worked out and talked out many situations that were really hard to share. This work really exemplified what the strength of sisterhood looks like.

Having pledged the first and finest Sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., myself reading about these young ladies brought back some memories. There were many relatable moments through out the text. Butler made the pledge process interesting but with much discretion. I appreciated that most of all. Overall, this was a well balanced and very enjoyable read.… (más)