Title: The Minorities: The Pilot
Author: Terri Celestine Brunson
Publisher: Trafford
ISBN: 978-1490771229
Pages: 86
Genre: African American Urban Fiction/Dramas & Plays
Reviewed by: Anthony Avina
Pacific Book Review
Of the many difficulties facing young teens around the world, something that has become a much frequently seen issue, has been teen pregnancy and how to handle it when it happens. As Gloria Steinem once said, “We must begin to shift the emphasis of teen-age pregnancy to teen-age boys.” For so long young women have been the focus of intense scrutiny and vile rhetoric that often the young men are forgotten about entirely.
In author Terri Celestine Brunson’s The Minorities: The Pilot, the young lives of two teens are changed drastically forever. After a young white girl falls in love with a young African American man, the two encounter hardship when the young woman becomes pregnant. After the would-be father disappears from her life, she is left searching for answers, seeking the help of her best friend, a young African-American girl named Emily. When Emily’s family help Sarah break the news to her father, a chain reaction of events leads Sarah to a dramatic conclusion, with possibly violent outcomes.
The author does a fantastic job of calling out teen pregnancy and domestic violence in this story. Readers may note that the dialogue between the characters can feel stunted at times, but the heart and core message and theme of the novel are felt in every page, giving readers a cast of characters they can relate to. The challenge of not only being a young teen facing an early pregnancy, but of being the parent of a young teen facing pregnancy are explored thoroughly in this novel; giving both parents and teenagers a narrative that they can identify with.
This is a book written for those who enjoys dramas, teen drama in particular, and a format that is reminiscent of a cinematic journey such as a movie or play. The issues currently facing our world seem overwhelming at times, and the author does a great job of making sure other issues like teen pregnancy and domestic violence are not lost to the shuffle of everything else weighing us down in the world. The narrative feels refreshing and all too relatable to some readers, making this a literary work with a truly strong voice.
This is a fast paced, engaging and emotional read. The narrative soars to new heights at the drama between this cast of characters intensifies and the stakes get even higher. By novel’s end the reader will be left breathless, unable to help themselves from wiping away a tear as the final sentence closes. If you haven’t yet, grab your own copy of The Minorities: The Pilot by Terri Celestine Brunson today!
