Hellified. - Review - book review

Hellified

by Tracy Grant Visao Press, October 1999 $13.95, ISBN 0-9672836-0-4

Novelist Tracy Grant exposes readers to the depth of black male camaraderie in his debut release. Grant chronicles the experiences of Georgetown University student Troy Harris as he muddles his way through his freshman year. Troy, a displaced New Yorker, arrives in DC by way of Maryland, where he lived with his mother for two years following her attempts to prepare him for college. Despite his attendance at a pre-college summer session aimed at members of the City Scholars program, Troy finds it difficult to part with his mother in the fall. His reluctance is heightened by his paranoia surrounding a potential paramour's amorous intentions with her. Troy, however, temporarily manages to suppress his suspicions with the help of the "4-H club"--the Hellified Homeboys of Harbin Hall.

Randy, Troy's "militant-when-convenient" roommate, provides the balance that's missing from his relationship with Willard, whose battle with the bottle winds him in serious trouble. Troy, a self-proclaimed "good guy," struggles to make a name for himself on campus as a DJ and a student leader while juggling classes, beautiful women, and a job. Smitten with Angel, a high-maintenance diva, Troy vows to relinquish the life of a skirt-chaser if only he can get Angel in his arms. But angels are not always as cherubic as they initially seem. Troubled by a bad relationship with his father, even Troy is revealed as human during their confrontations. We see a more vulnerable side of him--ashamed because he can't seem to measure up to his father's expectations.

Written in a brother-to-brother style, Hellified is at times replete with images of sexual conquests. At other times, Grant manages to unearth the vulnerability of the men, exposing readers to characters who do have depth, though their motivations are not always clear. Filled with unexpected twists, Hellified is a page-turner that leaves readers with the feeling that hope can conquer the uncertainty of life.

Nicole Bailey-Williams is a freelance writer based in Bensalem, PA.

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