JoeyPinkney.com Book Review: Not Quite It Seems by Mari Walker

Not Quite What It Seems, by Essence Best Selling Author Mari Walker, is a knotted tale of the life of Jadyn Collins that slowly unravels one chapter at a time. Jadyn Collins’ world pulls her in many directions. She struggles to resolve the emotional scars caused by childhood experiences. She is relentless in her pursuit to become a professional dancer. She has found love, yet her life goals do neatly align with her boyfriend’s future plans for both him and Jadyn. On top of all of that, she yearns to find and reunite with her biological father separated from her and her two younger brothers by her mother when she was in her early teens.

Jadyn is the daughter of Samai Collins, the main character of Mari Walker’s debut novel Never As Good As The First Time. A little older and on her own, Jadyn’s character is strong enough to be the center of attention. She is driven by an inner-strength, full of sassiness and smart enough to navigate the varied situations she comes into contact with. Hence, Not Quite What It Seems is by no means a sequel to Never As Good As The First Time, and it’s not really a continuation of Walker’s first book. Just like the relationship between Samai and Jadyn, these two books are definitely related with the first being the foundation of the second. But Not Quite What It Seems has its own identity and can be read by itself.

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