Sweet Bye-Bye by Denise Michelle Harris
By: Natasha T. / RAWSISTAZ
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Hello Sweet
A moment arrives in every lifetime when a person must say goodbye. Sometimes it's painful; sometimes it's joyful. Sometimes a goodbye can be sweet, but tragically necessary. In her debut novel SWEET BYE-BYE, author Denise Michelle Harris bestows upon the literary community a gift: a beautifully realistic story of a woman who learns when to say bye-bye.
Caught up in the glitter and glamour of materialism, Chantell Meyers works hard to show the world that she has it all. However, after almost losing her father, the princess realizes that some things in her life need to go. Determined to be a "good person" and live right, Chantell says hello to church and begins to say goodbye to the things she once cherished. What ensues is a torrent of events that exposes her deepest pains, cleanses her from misconceptions, and transforms her into a true woman of God.
Sincere, authentic, heartfelt, sweetly powerful: these are just a few words that describe Harris' depiction of Chantell's journey. SWEET BYE-BYE surreptitiously drew me in and, before I knew it, morning snuck up on me, and I had read the entire novel. Quiet and unimposing, this is Christian fiction at its best. Even though I had a love/hate relationship with Chantell (she could be so aggravating!), I enjoyed the believable drama; nothing was over-the-top. The spiritual aspect was on point, and everything was delivered right on time and was specific and appropriate without being preachy or judgmental. I felt the romance was honest and sweet without being sickly sentimental or predictable. Harris has done an excellent job telling of Chantell's inner and outer struggle to be free from her encumbering, self-imposed viewpoints, and scenes from her life will forever be lodged in my memory.
Natasha T. is a Communications/English major from Atlanta, GA, currently living and teaching in Hiroshima, Japan.
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Chick Lit meets Christian Fiction
By: Jeanette
APOOO BookClub, Motown Review Book Club
September 18, 2004
Denise Michelle Harris does a wonderful job in mixing two genres: Chick Lit and Christian Fiction. This is a funny but spiritual read about how twenty- something Chantell Meyers evolves from a spoiled materialistic woman to a woman with a new purpose in her life. The heart of this story rests in Jer. 29:11 "For I know the thoughts that I think of toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end." What happens to Chantell is kind of like a self-fulfilling prophecy; she expected bad things to happen so that's how she lived her life, waiting on them to happen.
Chantell was just five years old when her mother died, twelve when her grandmother died and a year later her best friend Keith Rashaad moved away. Chantell remembers being told that bad things happen in threes and by the age of thirteen she had suffered three major loses. To further complicate things, she was taught not to cry, and not to talk about her mother. These are the things that shaped Chantell's life. Because she was so afraid of losing someone else she loved, she had problems in developing relationships. She had one person she could call a true friend, Tia. Her relationship with her boyfriend Eric was empty at best, but due to her fears she suffered through this relationship that was going nowhere.
Chantell found herself in church making changes in her life after her father suffered a near fatal heart attack. Chantel began to make some changes in her life. The most unpopular change was when she decided to cut off the sexual encounters with Eric. She began to take a deep look inside her life and found she needed to bring closure to those things troubling her, mainly regarding her mother. Also, during this time, Keith Rashaad returns to her life. He sees potential in Chantel that she can not see in herself. Unfortunately, until she is able to come to terms with her past she is unable to move forward.
Denise Michelle Harris writes this book so that women of all ages can relate. I admit I was a little hesitant to pick up yet another book featuring a twenty-something year old woman looking for Mr. Right. What I found in this book was a young woman with deep-rooted problems striving to make significant changes in her life. Though she stumbles and makes mistakes, she preseveres. I think there is a lesson for all ages in this book. Very well done Ms Harris.
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From Booklist
By: Lillian Lewis
Chantell has deceived herself into believing happiness comes from material possessions, job perks, and a poster-perfect fiance. Yet, with all the trappings of success, she is still unsatisfied. Her quest for happiness leads her to attend church and seek professional therapy. After losing three important people early in her life, Chantell learned to suppress her emotions. First, her mother died when she was five, then her grandmother passed, and during junior high school her best friend, Keith Talbit, left town. So, when her father has a heart attack, she is again confronted with painful thoughts of losing another loved one. Then Keith reenters her life and causes her more uncertainty. Overwhelmed with nostalgia but unable to reciprocate his expressions of love, Chantell realizes she will have to let go of her shallow past by confronting her father about her mother and look to the future by acknowledging her feelings for Keith.
Good characterizations and a compelling plot make this a
fine read.
Just released in Paperback! 
