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The Cartel #1
The Cartel
The port of Miami brings in millions of dollars worth of cocaine every year, and The Cartel controls eighty percent of it. The Diamond family is a force to be reckoned with, but all hell breaks loose when they lose their leader. The most ruthless gangster Miami has ever seen, Carter Diamond leaves behind a wife, twin sons, a daughter, and a secret. The secret is his illegitimate son, Carter Jones. When Young Carter learns of his father's death, he comes to town and is introduced to the legacy of The Cartel. Miamor is a woman who uses her beauty to enhance her skill as a contract killer. She is the leader of The Murder Mamas. When her crew is hired to take down The Cartel, they get caught slipping, and Miamor loses her sister in the process. She is determined to get revenge from The Cartel. Unknowingly, she meets the son of Carter Diamond, and he immediately catches her heart. She is sleeping with the enemy, and when she finds out, she is torn between love and revenge. Young Carter and Miamor lead two different lifestyles. They are on opposing teams, and when their worlds collide, the truth will be unveiled in an unpredictable ending.
278 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
1,234 people are currently reading
17k people want to read
About the author
Ashley Antoinette
78books6,737followersASHLEY ANTOINETTE COLEMAN is one of the most successful female writers of her time. The feminine half of the popular married duo, Ashley and JaQuavis, she has co-written over 40 novels, including the bestselling Cartel series. Several of her titles have hit The New York Times bestsellers list, but she is most widely regarded for her continuing racy saga, The Prada Plan. Born in Flint, MI, she was bred with an innate street sense that she uses as motivation in her crime filled writings.
Picking up a deal with publishing powerhouse St. Martin's Press while simultaneously inking deals at Warner Brothers Studios and NBC/Universal, Ashley shows no signs of slowing down. She is currently hard at work on a new book series and two television pilots.
To keep up with everything Ashley Antoinette follow her...
twitter @novelista
Instagram @ashleyantoinette
Picking up a deal with publishing powerhouse St. Martin's Press while simultaneously inking deals at Warner Brothers Studios and NBC/Universal, Ashley shows no signs of slowing down. She is currently hard at work on a new book series and two television pilots.
To keep up with everything Ashley Antoinette follow her...
twitter @novelista
Instagram @ashleyantoinette
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 707 reviews
January 9, 2011
I read this book because my students were so into the series, but I had to force myself to finish it. Reading it made me anxious and a little bit upset.
The story deals with the struggle for power between fictional modern-day crime families. There is non-stop action between what I would call the action scenes (bullets fly), the sex scenes (graphic), and the money scenes ("Carter stood up smoothly and put his hands in his $400 Armani slacks.") Ultimately, I think the reason I had such a strong reaction to this book wasn't the sex or the violence, but the storytelling. I don't see the artistry in the writing, maybe there is something I don't understand, and as a result, the book is a surprisingly painful read. The world is governed by the iron-fast rules of family loyalty and the pursuit of opulent wealth. There is little to question, and little to invest in emotionally or intellectually. Basically a non-stop series of revenge killings and power grabs, to me this book never stopped to consider the question, "Why?"
Reading this book has raised for me the question of how far I can willingly extend my sympathy in the realm of literature, and I am going to make it a point to read more books in this genre in the future, although right now that resolution is looking a lot more like homework than it did before I started "The Cartel." What constitutes quality? I am going to think about what I can be enthusiastic here. And in the meantime, I'm actually looking forward to going back and reading canonical fiction. Perhaps this last revelation will be my cloud's silver lining?
I tried not to be two-faced here, that is, to write a review that I wouldn't mind my own students reading. It would make an excellent study in the use of plot in literature, I guess. And I think that any book that can get my students interested in reading is probably a good thing. After reading this book, I am going to have to seriously reconsider my presumed open-mindedness as a reader.
The story deals with the struggle for power between fictional modern-day crime families. There is non-stop action between what I would call the action scenes (bullets fly), the sex scenes (graphic), and the money scenes ("Carter stood up smoothly and put his hands in his $400 Armani slacks.") Ultimately, I think the reason I had such a strong reaction to this book wasn't the sex or the violence, but the storytelling. I don't see the artistry in the writing, maybe there is something I don't understand, and as a result, the book is a surprisingly painful read. The world is governed by the iron-fast rules of family loyalty and the pursuit of opulent wealth. There is little to question, and little to invest in emotionally or intellectually. Basically a non-stop series of revenge killings and power grabs, to me this book never stopped to consider the question, "Why?"
Reading this book has raised for me the question of how far I can willingly extend my sympathy in the realm of literature, and I am going to make it a point to read more books in this genre in the future, although right now that resolution is looking a lot more like homework than it did before I started "The Cartel." What constitutes quality? I am going to think about what I can be enthusiastic here. And in the meantime, I'm actually looking forward to going back and reading canonical fiction. Perhaps this last revelation will be my cloud's silver lining?
I tried not to be two-faced here, that is, to write a review that I wouldn't mind my own students reading. It would make an excellent study in the use of plot in literature, I guess. And I think that any book that can get my students interested in reading is probably a good thing. After reading this book, I am going to have to seriously reconsider my presumed open-mindedness as a reader.
August 4, 2023
2023 Update: Honestly, I had to read this again because I need to finish the series and it definitely did not disappoint. I forgot how many twist and turns Ashley and JaQuavis create with both the characters and the plot of this initial start to the series. Keep in mind that this contains a huge cast of characters; however, the authors do a great job in giving each character enough depth that it's easy to distinguish one from the other. I wouldn't recommend picking this up without the next one on hand simply because of the cliff hanger. I also wouldn't recommend trusting or getting attached to a single character. When dealing with a group like the Cartel and the Murder Mama's, it's no surprise that things get a little dicey in certain situations. Overall, this was a fun read and I'm excited to continue on with the next book in the series. CW: graphic sex, drug use, violence, gore, physical abuse, sexual assault, death, attempted murder, murder, and trafficking.
Soooo this book was freaking mind blowing! The story was crazy! I promise y’all I didn’t see half of the stuff coming that happened in this book. The only reason why I couldn’t find give it 5 Stars was because of the writing which didn’t quite appeal to me in some aspects. It became draining but other than that the plot was phenomenal! I have never read anything like that and the cliff hanger at the end forced me to go on amazon and order the next book. I can definitely tell this is going to be a series that I’m going to fly through. I need to see what can be recovered from the shamble of a family that was left after the events in this book. If you haven’t read it yet definitely give it a try.
Soooo this book was freaking mind blowing! The story was crazy! I promise y’all I didn’t see half of the stuff coming that happened in this book. The only reason why I couldn’t find give it 5 Stars was because of the writing which didn’t quite appeal to me in some aspects. It became draining but other than that the plot was phenomenal! I have never read anything like that and the cliff hanger at the end forced me to go on amazon and order the next book. I can definitely tell this is going to be a series that I’m going to fly through. I need to see what can be recovered from the shamble of a family that was left after the events in this book. If you haven’t read it yet definitely give it a try.
August 23, 2024
Just when you think somebody dead & they end up not being dead 🤔 It’s a lot going on in this book lol I’m enjoying it though.
Key takeaways (for me so I can remember wth going on)
-Them Haitians did Carter Diamond so wrong at his funeral.
-Mecca is a loose canon.
-I really liked Monroe aka Money ☹️
-Carter Jones 🥰🥰🥰🥰
-Miamor is fighting for her life by the end of the book! 😩
-Them Murda Mamas don’t PLAY!
-Ma’Tee ass went crazy & poor Breeze 😩
- oh Leena!!!! Plot twist! Didn’t see that coming 😒
Key takeaways (for me so I can remember wth going on)
-Them Haitians did Carter Diamond so wrong at his funeral.
-Mecca is a loose canon.
-I really liked Monroe aka Money ☹️
-Carter Jones 🥰🥰🥰🥰
-Miamor is fighting for her life by the end of the book! 😩
-Them Murda Mamas don’t PLAY!
-Ma’Tee ass went crazy & poor Breeze 😩
- oh Leena!!!! Plot twist! Didn’t see that coming 😒
May 19, 2014
What can I say about "The Cartel"? Its characters live in a world where it's uncool to speak without swearing, wrong to use words of more than one syllable and unthinkable to speak in the English that grown ups use. The men are muscle bound hunks and spend most of the time waving their weapons (both kinds) around; for some reason all the women have gigantic asses.
It's like a 12 year old has been told to rewrite Scarface in the style of Kidulthood with all the characters played by cartoon versions of the imaginary offspring of Snoop Dog... and then ordered to remove anything that resembles a plot. The book even ends mid-scene! I know it's part of a trilogy, but come on!
For the first few pages "The Cartel" was quite amusing, but the heavy handed "Whassup?" style of writing soon began to grate... which brings me to the one positive note; like a filling at a good dentist, it was over mercifully quickly.
Update... as a footnote, I'm now sampling the delights of Raymond Chandler's "The Big Sleep". It's a great example of how to use words to make the English language cool, unlike the misjudged attempt in The Cartel.
It's like a 12 year old has been told to rewrite Scarface in the style of Kidulthood with all the characters played by cartoon versions of the imaginary offspring of Snoop Dog... and then ordered to remove anything that resembles a plot. The book even ends mid-scene! I know it's part of a trilogy, but come on!
For the first few pages "The Cartel" was quite amusing, but the heavy handed "Whassup?" style of writing soon began to grate... which brings me to the one positive note; like a filling at a good dentist, it was over mercifully quickly.
Update... as a footnote, I'm now sampling the delights of Raymond Chandler's "The Big Sleep". It's a great example of how to use words to make the English language cool, unlike the misjudged attempt in The Cartel.
September 9, 2022
I had such high expectations for this after reading the prequels, but unfortunately this book didn't meet them.
I fell in love with Carter Diamond in those prequels, and here he dies in the very first chapter??? We barely even got to know him, since his kids immediately take over. And yeah, we have Carter junior, and I did want to read about him too, but eventually not immediately.
Maybe there's more of Carter senior sprinkled throughout the other books, but I don't feel like reading them right now, perhaps some day in the future.
On top of that, the storyline wasn't as engaging as it usually is with these authors for me. The writing bugged me too, although I can't pinpoint exactly why? Just something about it and the vibe wasn't right.
I really wanted to love this, I'm sad I didn't.
I fell in love with Carter Diamond in those prequels, and here he dies in the very first chapter??? We barely even got to know him, since his kids immediately take over. And yeah, we have Carter junior, and I did want to read about him too, but eventually not immediately.
Maybe there's more of Carter senior sprinkled throughout the other books, but I don't feel like reading them right now, perhaps some day in the future.
On top of that, the storyline wasn't as engaging as it usually is with these authors for me. The writing bugged me too, although I can't pinpoint exactly why? Just something about it and the vibe wasn't right.
I really wanted to love this, I'm sad I didn't.
June 22, 2015
Did not expect to like this book as much as I did, but I could not put it down..from the first chapter you are drawn into the luxurious, extravagant and dangerous life of Carter Diamond, a legendary ganglord in Miami and you are introduced to his family and then abruptly exposed to his death..And it takes off from there.. the existing Diamond family of mother, twin boys and a sister are introduced to their half brother also named Carter who is a big man in his own right in Flint, Michigan. As the drama unfolds chapter after chapter you fall into the lives of the family eventually forgiving the fact that the characters are not fully developed but instead recognize the realness about them..Allowing them the silliness, material fashion name dropping and creative liberties of hood fiction you can allow yourself to get deep in their drama and love it..The Diamond family starts to rebuild their life after the death of their patriarch and Carter moves to Miami in part to help them ...and on the other hand to get closer to the intriguing and beautiful Brooklyn bad girl Miamor. The side story of Miamor and her crew of gangstresses the Murder Mamas was a little farfetched but definitely entertaining as they take assignments to murder men catching them unaware with charm and banging bodies..Miamor is contracted to pull a hit on one of the Diamond twins that goes wrong with her own older sister ending up a casualty. Driven by money and a personal vendetta against the entire family she pledges to take them down, until she meets young Carter and falls quickly and deeply in love. Figuring out whether to follow her head and murder the Diamond family or her heart and allow herself to love Carter is Miamor's dilemma..what to do roll with your friends or side with your new man... There are many other side plots such as the surrounding circumstances of the death of one of the twins Monroe AKA Money, the downward spiral of the other twin Mecca, the budding relationship of Breeze Diamond and her bodyguard and the treachery of the New Cartel's newest member..all these are worth exploring and definitely warrant the second book as I definitely plan on continuing this entertaining trilogy..It is too seldom that I read this kind of novel and was pleasantly surprised by some of the depth, kinda puzzled and amused by the many gratituous sex scenes, and excited to find out what happens next..Diamonds are forever right?
July 2, 2013
Carter Diamond and syndicate, called the Cartel, rule Miami. The drug king seems untouchable, until a rival Haitian syndicate manages to take him out. At his funeral, his family is introduced to his estranged son Carter Jones. The Cartel follows this crime family as it deals with the aftermath of Carter's death and some twisted love situations.
With an intriguing story line, this book had some great potential. For the most part, I liked the characters. I liked the gun fights, and I loved the mob feel. However, the actual writing is a huge disappointment. Typos abound to the point where it becomes distracting (I expect publish works to not repeatedly mix up to and too.) At some point, Carter magically appears from Michigan to drive Mecca's car in Miami for a paragraph. The book could be redeemed by arguing that it reflects some issues of the African American psyche, but considering that the authors do not comment on any of those issues, I doubt they were intentional.
All in all, it is not bad if you just want to read a quick and easy, ok organized crime story with little regard for writing (or editing) quality; like I said, I liked the story line and the characters. However, I will not be purchasing (or likely reading) the rest of the series. Wikipedia and Good Reads summaries will do for me. Sadly, this book is an example of why I am so frequently put off by urban fiction.
With an intriguing story line, this book had some great potential. For the most part, I liked the characters. I liked the gun fights, and I loved the mob feel. However, the actual writing is a huge disappointment. Typos abound to the point where it becomes distracting (I expect publish works to not repeatedly mix up to and too.) At some point, Carter magically appears from Michigan to drive Mecca's car in Miami for a paragraph. The book could be redeemed by arguing that it reflects some issues of the African American psyche, but considering that the authors do not comment on any of those issues, I doubt they were intentional.
All in all, it is not bad if you just want to read a quick and easy, ok organized crime story with little regard for writing (or editing) quality; like I said, I liked the story line and the characters. However, I will not be purchasing (or likely reading) the rest of the series. Wikipedia and Good Reads summaries will do for me. Sadly, this book is an example of why I am so frequently put off by urban fiction.
January 26, 2022
For all the violence, sex and poor-decisions, this book was boring af.
Updated Jan. 26, 2022: Downgraded back to one-star because fuck urban lit. You don't get stars for doing the bare minimum.
Updated Aug. 21, 2021: I bumped the rating up a star. Reading made me realize I was too hard on this book. While I'm still mad about the cliff-hanger (and the colorism ... and the xenophobia), I will give this book its due. There's A plot, (most of) the characters feel like real people and the story spends time developing their relationships and conflicts. It still isn't my vibe, but it wasn't as bad as I initially said.
Updated Jan. 26, 2022: Downgraded back to one-star because fuck urban lit. You don't get stars for doing the bare minimum.
Updated Aug. 21, 2021: I bumped the rating up a star. Reading made me realize I was too hard on this book. While I'm still mad about the cliff-hanger (and the colorism ... and the xenophobia), I will give this book its due. There's A plot, (most of) the characters feel like real people and the story spends time developing their relationships and conflicts. It still isn't my vibe, but it wasn't as bad as I initially said.
October 8, 2010
Man, I love this book. I had this book sitting in my room for almost six months so I finally decided to check it out. This is one of the best books I have read, they really need to make this into a movie. Young Carter was my favorite character because the homie handled his business and came in and took care of the family even though he had just met them. I think that Mecca was another one of my favorites because he reminded me of my big brother, but after, well I don't want to tell the story, so for those who read it can probably figure out where I was about to go, but I regained respect for him toward the end. Overall, I loved all the characters. The authors did a good job with this story. Now I got to wait for part 2 and 3 to come in the mail. Please check this story out if you haven't.
February 11, 2015
Good Story
Enjoyed this from beginning to end. Mad at some of the deaths. Bout to cop part two. I'm sure it will be just as good as this page turner.
Enjoyed this from beginning to end. Mad at some of the deaths. Bout to cop part two. I'm sure it will be just as good as this page turner.
January 16, 2013
2.5 stars
This book was everything I thought it would be. By that I mean typical. In my younger years when I first really got into reading, somewhere around middle/high school, I loved urban street fiction. At 29 years old...not so much. I say that because once you've read one you've read them all. By looking at an average rating of 4.7 stars and all the good reviews I figured The Cartel would have been the exeption. I was sadly disappointed. It was all sex, drugs, and money to the point of overkill. It seemed to lack an editor with all the typos and a couple contradictions. What really bothered me is it seemed the authors promoted unsafe sex. And the repeated use of the same words became annoying too. And the plot line was annoyingly predictable.
I will give them credit by saying it kept my interest. Something to read after I exhaust myself from the likes of Morrison, Walker, and a list of motivational/self-help books and I'm looking for something simple to read in between books. It was a pretty good book if all you are looking for in a novel is a "pretty good book". It's not thought-provoking it's not stimulating. No imagery, simile, or metaphors. No beautiful language. It's no Toni Morrison novel. All you get is big butts, thick thighs, long hair, etc. The authors seem really shallow as well. They seem colorstruck imply being mixed with dominican and black or being light-skin equates to beauty. Also, everything has to be designer. They can't just say she had on a red strapless dress with black shoes, it has to be a red Gucci dress, with black Fendi Manolos and a black Hermes bag. They can't just get in their car. No he has to put his Prada shades over his head while stepping into his black Benz. Even the mother's pajamas were designer. It's like we get it they are "hood rich". All throughout the whole entire book I felt like I was reading a designer magazine it was actually annoying.
*SPOILER ALERT FROM HERE*
I also don't think it has enough character development at the beginning to allow the reader to really care about the characters. For instance, the Dad died too quickly. The prologue was awkward considering three chapters later it picked up at the prologue which, to me, means the prologue was unnecessary. They didn't allow us to get to know the father but I think we were supposed to care about him. I didn't care when Miamor nearly died at the end because her story wasn't well developed, nor did I care when the mom died. I didn't care when anyone died. The only character who I liked was Young Carter. Actually I may have had a baby crush on him but that's another story lol. I haven't had a crush on a character since Midnight in ! Also, I thought it was too much killing in this story. Most of it unnecessary. And way too much sex for me. Especially considering all the sex scenes were extremely long and drawn out, yet exactly the same as the last sex scene. The authors aren't very creative. And a lot of the story line didn't make since. it was just ok. But considering Ashley and JaQuavis are so young perhaps they have time to grow in writing.
This book was everything I thought it would be. By that I mean typical. In my younger years when I first really got into reading, somewhere around middle/high school, I loved urban street fiction. At 29 years old...not so much. I say that because once you've read one you've read them all. By looking at an average rating of 4.7 stars and all the good reviews I figured The Cartel would have been the exeption. I was sadly disappointed. It was all sex, drugs, and money to the point of overkill. It seemed to lack an editor with all the typos and a couple contradictions. What really bothered me is it seemed the authors promoted unsafe sex. And the repeated use of the same words became annoying too. And the plot line was annoyingly predictable.
I will give them credit by saying it kept my interest. Something to read after I exhaust myself from the likes of Morrison, Walker, and a list of motivational/self-help books and I'm looking for something simple to read in between books. It was a pretty good book if all you are looking for in a novel is a "pretty good book". It's not thought-provoking it's not stimulating. No imagery, simile, or metaphors. No beautiful language. It's no Toni Morrison novel. All you get is big butts, thick thighs, long hair, etc. The authors seem really shallow as well. They seem colorstruck imply being mixed with dominican and black or being light-skin equates to beauty. Also, everything has to be designer. They can't just say she had on a red strapless dress with black shoes, it has to be a red Gucci dress, with black Fendi Manolos and a black Hermes bag. They can't just get in their car. No he has to put his Prada shades over his head while stepping into his black Benz. Even the mother's pajamas were designer. It's like we get it they are "hood rich". All throughout the whole entire book I felt like I was reading a designer magazine it was actually annoying.
*SPOILER ALERT FROM HERE*
I also don't think it has enough character development at the beginning to allow the reader to really care about the characters. For instance, the Dad died too quickly. The prologue was awkward considering three chapters later it picked up at the prologue which, to me, means the prologue was unnecessary. They didn't allow us to get to know the father but I think we were supposed to care about him. I didn't care when Miamor nearly died at the end because her story wasn't well developed, nor did I care when the mom died. I didn't care when anyone died. The only character who I liked was Young Carter. Actually I may have had a baby crush on him but that's another story lol. I haven't had a crush on a character since Midnight in ! Also, I thought it was too much killing in this story. Most of it unnecessary. And way too much sex for me. Especially considering all the sex scenes were extremely long and drawn out, yet exactly the same as the last sex scene. The authors aren't very creative. And a lot of the story line didn't make since. it was just ok. But considering Ashley and JaQuavis are so young perhaps they have time to grow in writing.
May 8, 2021
This book is so RAW, but I swear I wouldn't trust ANYBODY!!! Not even my damn self!!!😁😁😁😁This family, Lawd Have Mercy!!!!
Buy it, read it and enjoy!!👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥
Buy it, read it and enjoy!!👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥
February 19, 2019
OMG. There were very few things that were predictable but for the most part, there was so many twists and turns that made the majority of the plot unpredictable. I did have a problem with the weird transitions between time periods and characters, for example, there was a time jump where Young Carter and the twins were on cool to neutral terms. Well how did they get to that point in their relationship, what did Young Carter do earn the respect in the Twin's eyes especially Meeca he's the type to put up a fight, as you'll see in the book with his childlike attitude which (those of you who've read the book) is dangerous for an adult with a gun showing many SIMP NI**A character traits (my least favorite character). But all In all it's been a long time since a book made my eyes pop out.
June 25, 2015
Terrible. I didn't like any of the characters. It was a stereotypical hood novel that lacked creativity. Nobody did research on the background of the Haitians or Caribbean cultures and speaking habits. The gangsters were idiots and the women were high yellow and into fashion and nonsense. It reads like something an 8th grader that just saw New Jack City would write. I want my money back
February 9, 2017
Well, damn...
September 27, 2011
It's hard for me to rate this book. It took me forever to read it because I felt like it's the same ole hood story that I've read over and over again. It had action, I can't take that away from the book but... I dont know... something was left to be desired. I'm giving it 4 stars because the action was interesting... but all the drama in between... all the deaths... just seemed like overkill to me. I couldnt sympathize with Miamor's plight because she created the mess in the first place. Quite a bit of all the horribleness that happened was her fault and I can't get behind a character who refuses to own up to her mistakes. Had she not been trying to kill people in The Cartel in the first place, no one would have offed her loved one. Did she truly expect to try to kill someone and they not retaliate? That's stupid. And it's business, it's not personal. Any person apart of organized crime knows this. She messed with too many people's lives trying to get revenge for something she set into motion. And the fact that she never realizes this in the book makes me feel like there is no pay off. I'm not really interested in the next book or the third for that matter. I can pretty much predict what's going to happen. Obviously Carter is going to be pretty angry at Mecca and the drama will start there... Zyir will probably spend his time trying to get Breeze back and then a war with Ma'tee will ensue. So... hmm... no... dont really need to read the next two books. I am interested, however, how this will play out if they make this book into a movie, which I hear they may do.
Also, I may be slightly interested in what may happen with Leena and her baby along with Polo.
Final rating: 4 Stars
Also, I may be slightly interested in what may happen with Leena and her baby along with Polo.
Final rating: 4 Stars
October 31, 2013
The Cartel is a family that consists of drugs & violence but their bond is unbreakable. Carter Diamond is the most ruthles ganster of them of all. Resding in Miami, he is not unfamiliar with the crime that runs rapid around him but he is determined to keep his family save from harm. Although he knows that it is risky, he will stop at nothing to keep them away from the Haitans who threaten to destroy his life. Cartel is married with two twin boys and a baby daughter who wants nothing more than to model their wealthy Father. However he lets them know that all the luxury, money and fame that they see came with a high price. Cartel life is cut short when he is shot dead and now his children must carry on his legacy.
Cartel left behind a illegitimate son who resembles him in his facial features and reputation. The only problem is that Cartel junior wants nothing to do with him. As far as he is concerned, his father was never there growing up and he does not own him any favors. Yet when he sees that his family is in deep trouble, he puts aside the indifferences and tries to patch up the wounds. The other siblings are having a hard time warming up to him but eventually they model his behavior. In addition, Miamor is out for blood after her sister dies from the hands of a Cartel member. However she is easily attracted to Cartel junior who is in the dark about her past.
Family collid over violence and secrets in this mafia style book about protecting the ones you love.
I really enjoyed this novel,looking forward to reading more from Ashley and JaQuavis.
Cartel left behind a illegitimate son who resembles him in his facial features and reputation. The only problem is that Cartel junior wants nothing to do with him. As far as he is concerned, his father was never there growing up and he does not own him any favors. Yet when he sees that his family is in deep trouble, he puts aside the indifferences and tries to patch up the wounds. The other siblings are having a hard time warming up to him but eventually they model his behavior. In addition, Miamor is out for blood after her sister dies from the hands of a Cartel member. However she is easily attracted to Cartel junior who is in the dark about her past.
Family collid over violence and secrets in this mafia style book about protecting the ones you love.
I really enjoyed this novel,looking forward to reading more from Ashley and JaQuavis.
May 28, 2015
What can I say? Any one who intends to read this novel will be able to overlook many unforgivable things. I cannot list them all here but sexism, racism, stereotypical exploits, homophobia and contagious ignorance run rapid. If you can get past all of the language, senseless gun violence, unresearched police procedures and the graphic, random, unprotected sex then there's actually a good storyline buried here.
The audiobook and all of it's wonderful and sound effects are worth a laugh. I have to give credit tot the narrator. As is usually the case with these books -There are a host of characters. More than the authors could even keep up with.
What's most difficult for me is that I read a variety of different books and authors. As a black male I would almost be embarrassed to recommend this novel to anyone. Not specifically because of the content but in the current state of racial tension in this country, novels like this only fuel the fire. That's just my opinion.
The authors categorize themselves as street authors. I guess that would make author Mario Puzo a street author as well right? And How on earth are there 2 or even 5 more novels after this? Even better question is why am I downloading Book 2? It's so horrible it's hard to really put it away. For now though, I do need a break.
The audiobook and all of it's wonderful and sound effects are worth a laugh. I have to give credit tot the narrator. As is usually the case with these books -There are a host of characters. More than the authors could even keep up with.
What's most difficult for me is that I read a variety of different books and authors. As a black male I would almost be embarrassed to recommend this novel to anyone. Not specifically because of the content but in the current state of racial tension in this country, novels like this only fuel the fire. That's just my opinion.
The authors categorize themselves as street authors. I guess that would make author Mario Puzo a street author as well right? And How on earth are there 2 or even 5 more novels after this? Even better question is why am I downloading Book 2? It's so horrible it's hard to really put it away. For now though, I do need a break.
March 13, 2023
4.5 rounded up.
Loved the characters, the story and the sex. Looking forward to next book
Loved the characters, the story and the sex. Looking forward to next book
April 6, 2019
Urban fiction is the last on my genre list for a class I’m taking. I was pumped to try it out, since I volunteer at a jail library, and urban fiction is a common request. The Cartel series is extremely popular, so I chose that one to read.
I quickly realized I wasn’t going to like it, but when I found it on audio through the digital library, I decided to stick with it. Cary Hite is a good reader, except for when he’s trying to do accents (they all sounded Jamaican to me, whether it was someone from Haiti, the Dominican Republic, or Barbados), and he reads slowly enough that I could bump the speed to 1.5 and he still sounded fine.
I didn’t know what exactly to expect. The violence was no surprise, but I was shocked by how extreme it was. The frequent explicit and ickily-described sex scenes bothered me even more. I think I’m used to a lot more euphemism from other books I’ve read with sexy stuff.
At first, I thought the criminals (all the main characters) were being portrayed as heroes, and maybe some of them were supposed to be. I think Young Carter was. But more than anything, the book is a tragedy, with a major Romeo and Juliet vibe in Young Carter and Miamor’s relationship. Although certain aspects were hard to swallow as plausible, it was very realistic in the sense that no one was safe in the murder-infused lifestyle these characters lived.
I did actually care about some of the characters by the end, but I couldn’t stand the writing, especially the sex scenes. It was also annoyingly materialistic. No one could just put on a jacket or a dress or get in a car. We had to be told the brand name of everything or be pointed to how expensive the cars were.
One scene that made me smile was when two of the younger characters went to Borders to buy books. It was moment of sweet innocence in the midst of hatred and revenge. Plus, Borders.
I’m glad to have finally read something in this genre, since I’ve been curious about it for years, but I doubt I’ll be checking out anything else like it any time soon.
I quickly realized I wasn’t going to like it, but when I found it on audio through the digital library, I decided to stick with it. Cary Hite is a good reader, except for when he’s trying to do accents (they all sounded Jamaican to me, whether it was someone from Haiti, the Dominican Republic, or Barbados), and he reads slowly enough that I could bump the speed to 1.5 and he still sounded fine.
I didn’t know what exactly to expect. The violence was no surprise, but I was shocked by how extreme it was. The frequent explicit and ickily-described sex scenes bothered me even more. I think I’m used to a lot more euphemism from other books I’ve read with sexy stuff.
At first, I thought the criminals (all the main characters) were being portrayed as heroes, and maybe some of them were supposed to be. I think Young Carter was. But more than anything, the book is a tragedy, with a major Romeo and Juliet vibe in Young Carter and Miamor’s relationship. Although certain aspects were hard to swallow as plausible, it was very realistic in the sense that no one was safe in the murder-infused lifestyle these characters lived.
I did actually care about some of the characters by the end, but I couldn’t stand the writing, especially the sex scenes. It was also annoyingly materialistic. No one could just put on a jacket or a dress or get in a car. We had to be told the brand name of everything or be pointed to how expensive the cars were.
One scene that made me smile was when two of the younger characters went to Borders to buy books. It was moment of sweet innocence in the midst of hatred and revenge. Plus, Borders.
I’m glad to have finally read something in this genre, since I’ve been curious about it for years, but I doubt I’ll be checking out anything else like it any time soon.
June 1, 2009
Déjà vu
"The Cartel" falls between the good, the bad and the ugly. Using the street lit handbook and a predictable plot line, this novel will have you glued to your seat.
Someone younger or newer to the genre would welcome the mixture of drama and violence and enjoy this novel. For me, those are the exact problems I found with this novel.
This difference in opinion simply could be chalked up to my reading resume. I've read a lot and at this point I expect a little more, particularly creativity and originality. Realism doesn't hurt either.
"The Cartel" will have some readers enthralled. For those who crave a little more depth, it's an okay read - nothing new or exceptional but readable.
Reviewed by: Taye
"The Cartel" falls between the good, the bad and the ugly. Using the street lit handbook and a predictable plot line, this novel will have you glued to your seat.
Someone younger or newer to the genre would welcome the mixture of drama and violence and enjoy this novel. For me, those are the exact problems I found with this novel.
This difference in opinion simply could be chalked up to my reading resume. I've read a lot and at this point I expect a little more, particularly creativity and originality. Realism doesn't hurt either.
"The Cartel" will have some readers enthralled. For those who crave a little more depth, it's an okay read - nothing new or exceptional but readable.
Reviewed by: Taye
June 1, 2012
I'm not a big fan of the TELL not SHOW writing style of this book, but I do want to continue the series, but there was enough there that it kept my interest.
There was a lot of overuse of some really simple words, but I understand that the writers of this book are young and probably still developing as writers; perhaps their later works will be better.
One thing that occurred to me is that the authors seem very color-struck and caught up in the light-skinned/exotic look as symbolizing sexy in their book.
That said, read it if you like hood books that basically tell you everything and leave nothing to the imagination - including no metaphors or similes.
There was a lot of overuse of some really simple words, but I understand that the writers of this book are young and probably still developing as writers; perhaps their later works will be better.
One thing that occurred to me is that the authors seem very color-struck and caught up in the light-skinned/exotic look as symbolizing sexy in their book.
That said, read it if you like hood books that basically tell you everything and leave nothing to the imagination - including no metaphors or similes.
August 17, 2010
The catels was a very good read, the godfather of the cartel was murder was killed and a son he didn't know get the family and cont. service the family until things in the family start to happen and people start to get killed and one family member starts it all. The best book so far this year that I have read.
May 3, 2022
I think that this book is a good example of me building up hype in my head for no reason. While I was interested in the subject matter and I clearly finished it and only two sittings, ultimately there wasn’t much of a story here. A lot of dead bodies and I am mildly curious to see what happens to one of the siblings, but there was a lot of potential to build really intense big storylines here and I feel like a lot of that fell flat. I am on the hunt for mafioso type stories that don’t surround purely people of European descent, and for that alone I was here for this. But neither Flint nor Miami are my hometown and so there wasn’t a kinship felt here like It would when the story takes place in Philly. The language used here I didn’t love either, and I don’t mean all of the cursing and what not. More so the pros of the text, if it had been limited to just the dialogue I think that would’ve tracked much better, and made an easier reading experience. Still I finished it and only two sittings so I can’t come in for it too hard.
June 20, 2021
This is a classic read and it will hold that status forever. I decided to start my journey over with the release of the new books and it took me a while to get through Book 1 simply because I have read it before but make no mistake about it, it’s a 5 star read. Re-reading it just reminded me of how ruthless and savage Miamor and Mecca’s characters are. Ace’s betrayal still stung like it did the first time I read the book. I sincerely cringe whenever I think of Breeze, I hate her situation. She is the most innocent one dealing with the horrors of life. One thing that I didn’t consider during my first read that I am aware of now is how extremely strong Taryn was like sis lost almost everyone and still had to keep going with the ppl she had left.
July 3, 2023
Those people were doing entirely you mich when it was enough for everyone to eat...Mecca definitely deserved to die due to his actions concerning Money...Miamor should have told Carter what she did to guarantee he'd always be on her side
March 13, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ This book is a pick for our bookclub and one of my favorite classic so far. Mecca really made me mad throughout this entire book. The relationship between Carter and Miamor is very interesting and I want to see how this relationship continues in the next books. I enjoyed all of the action and chaos in this book. I look forward to reading more books in this series.
May 19, 2022
This was so wild!!! The drama and everything kept me on edge.
August 24, 2023
THIS WAS A RIDE 😭😭😭 it’s so terrible but I HAVE to know what happens next 😩
July 16, 2020
Pretty good book! As other reviews said, in a sense, this book was typical HOWEVER, at the same time, it kept my attention. I've already purchased books 2 and 3. I can't wait to see what's in store throughout this series! As long as it stays intriguing, I will continue through with it - I'm excited!!!!
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