Straight Up

By Lisa Samson

They are living lives they were never meant to live. Georgia Bishop, a could-be jazz great, has thrown away her life, her marriage, and her talent for her drinking habit. Her cousin, Fairly Godfrey,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1578568862
• ISBN13: 9781578568864
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: WaterBrook
• Length: 285 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.1" x 0.8" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

RAW TRUTH AND BEAUTY, WITH A JAGGED EDGE

Although I'd experienced Samson's prose years ago with The Living End, I was totally unprepared for the ride she took me on in this book. Her lyrical phrases are a joy to read: "Artists flowed through that place in a steady stream like warm butterscotch over ice cream." Another: "Robert Darling lived alone ... except for twenty-two tropical fish that tinseled up the tank, their colors shimmering under the fluorescent light overhead." Georgia, a child protégé of jazz piano, squanders her potential on alcohol. Even when rescued by the people who love her most, Georgia must make a choice, and her decision becomes yours and mine as well. What will you decide? Samson's novel allows us to experience this jagged-edged moment of truth from the safe distance of fiction. --Christian Women Online Book Buzz

Read this book

Straight Up may very well be Lisa Samson's best serving of literary delight. Samson has a knack to zero in on the characters she creates in an honest and profound way. Her writing allows you to connect with the good, bad and ugly in her story world--so much so that you want to reach out to hug one character when she needs it or scold another on the choices being made. Straight Up draws you into the lives of three members of a dysfunctional family and illustrates the need for hope and grace in all of our lives. The best part of Straight Up is the "ah-ha" feeling you're left with--a lesson we all need to learn.

Cheap Therapy- Awesome Entertainment

I've been hearing for years that I need to read this author--that she's about the best CBA has to offer. So, when the opportunity came to review her latest release, I jumped at it. I'm so glad I did. What stood out at first was the beauty of Ms. Samson's prose. Absolutely amazing wordsmithing. Her metaphors are fresh and evocative. Once I got over the lovely writing, I began to appreciate the realness of the characters. Lisa didn't sugar-coat their failings and insecurities. These are people I can relate to. I think we all can. I stayed up into the wee hours to finish this novel because I had to know what choices these folks would make. While I wondered about them, somehow Ms. Samson had me questioning what choices I would make in my own life and how the consequences would affect my future and those who love me. Straight Up has me clinging to grace in a way I've always longed to. Straight Up had me laughing and crying within the same paragraph. This is truly a work of art, both because of it's literary merit and because it does what a great novel should ... cause the reader self-examination. Do I recommend this book? Straight up!

Her best yet, straight up!

I've been an avid Lisa Samson fan since discovering her books three years ago, and her newest release has confirmed for me once again that my admiration and respect for her as a writer is entirely justified. "Straight Up" is heartbreaking and beautiful, a page turner from the start. Perhaps my favorite aspect of this book, however, is Samson's writing: poetic use of figurative language and sentences so rhythmic they practically sing themselves to you. But, in true Samson style, she manages to balance this incredible writing with a conversational approach that brings the characters and story within the reader's grasp--you never feel like you're reading the story, you feel like you're in it. I promise you will not be disappointed!

Wonderfully edgy fiction!

This review was first published on Christian Book Preview's site. A unique, gripping novel, Straight Up breaks a lot of CBA "rules." The main characters are Georgia--a jazz musician who has neglected her "gift," and Fairly--an interior designer. They were cousins and abandoned by their parents through death. They were subsequently abandoned by their spouses. Fairly's died and Georgia's "found religion." Both main characters went "looking for love in all the wrong places." Georgia found comfort in alchohol, and Fairly dealt with her loss through her relationships with men. Georgia continues to deteriorate until tragedy occurs. She entered "pink." Without giving you a spoiler, I'll just say that it's a very interesting place where Georgia learns a lot about herself. A minor character, Clarissa, was interspersed throughout the story, but her point of view was in the third person, rather than the first person like Georgia and Fairly's point of view. Clarissa was adopted and somewhat detached from life. She lived in a chronic survival mode and was pretty much rejected and abused by everyone. I felt so sorry for her. For the longest time I wondered how Clarissa would finally connect with the rest of the "cast," but I won't spoil it and tell you how that happens. Let me just say that it's one of those endings that leaves you thinking for hours. Straight Up was a gourmet meal for my finicky pallet. Let me explain why. The author gives you a blend of varying dates and characters to begin with to whet your appetite. Now I have to say at first this confused me, but once I got the feel and texture of each main character I savored the meal. Parts of Straight Up had me grieving, other parts had me wanting to slap the characters, yet I also admired them for being honest with themselves even if they weren't as honest with others. A-hem. It's called pride. In Straight Up, the author "told it like it is." No fluff here. She gave me a glimpse into the lives of some pretty heartbroken people who looked okay--for the most part--to the rest of the world. I cared so much about them that I entered their lives. I must say the story made total sense to me. I loved how the author slipped a bit of God's perspective into the mix. What an incredibly creative way to explain things too difficult to understand outside of Christ, and then introduce Him in a way that actually attracts the reader. The author literally prepared some wounded souls for the banquet table, and you ate right along with them. Straight Up is real, it's honest, and it's one of those life-changing stories that sticks with you for a long time. The message? You can't go back and fix the past. But you can make a difference today. I enjoyed every minute of this insightful story. Straight Up comes with my highest recommendation.