 July - September 2003
The Chocolate Ship
by Marissa Monteilh
Have you ever read a novel and wished you were right there smack dab in the middle of it all? Monteilh’s sophomoric novel is an excellent example of this, and an excellent follow-up to her debut, May-December Souls. This book read like a true page-turner that fed into my thoughts. I found it to contain all of the drama and derring-do that often define mayhem and mischief in our African-American literary Diaspora. The story centers around a unique cruise, the voyagers therein, and how it affects the lives of a chosen few. Thus, The Chocolate Ship takes on a life of its own with the Caribbean being the perfect backdrop for black Billionaire Delmonte Harrison's fantasy and escape on the Afrocentric tip. A story of this magnitude often will elicit strong characters and a story line that would invite intrigue to be the better part of a story that flows. To this end, it will appeal to the heart of those that want something of an upscale feel because of a strong character base.
The characters are well-drawn and three-dimensional where each of them takes on multiple personas to give a different viewpoint. They’re story people whom readers will either love or hate. The cast of characters are colorful, eccentric, and will offer periods of comic relief in lieu of ordinary status quo. Other interesting characters include twin sisters, Yanni and Lexi whom always manage to keep the pot stirring! Megan is a shameless white woman with a serious taste for chocolate. For her, any black man is fair game—married, single or engaged. Some of the most comedic scenes are when Megan puts the move on some unsuspecting man. Then there's Winter, the freaky news reporter assigned to cover the ship’s maiden voyage. She lives by her own code of ethics and makes Megan look virginal by comparison with her flair for disguising her real intent. The captain of the ship, James Douglas, is articulate and intelligent from an impressive military background. He’s also a prime target for the many desperate sisters on a manhunt aboard the ship. Mia is a tragic figure portrayed as a beautiful Reebok executive who stumbled on something not to her liking. Miles is a somewhat secondary figure with a primary mission, albeit with questions that the others would love to find out.
Secrets are revealed, sins are committed and there’s more sex going on than in any off-the-road hotel, real or imagined. The plot of The Chocolate Ship feels almost new because there aren’t a lot of cruise novels written from a black point-of-view. The plot is moving and well-developed with enough twists and turns to make it more than interesting. Readers will be on the edge of their seats while reading this quick-paced novel and they’ll be thrilled with the characters’ growth over the course of the novel. I feel strongly that the author has written a definite, light-hearted book that should be read by readers. I think they would enjoy this one!
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