Title: Bun Him!!!

Author: Macka Diamond

Publishers: Page Turner Publishing

Appearances are far from the truth in dancehall novel Bun Him. With each page rated X, Macka Diamond tackles the issue of cheating, love and money in relationships.

The novel is centred on Sandra, a sexy, smart and sex starved woman who is trying to make the best of her life. Married to a rich old man who is a 'wutliss performer' Sandra declares to herself in the beginning of the novel, after a disappointing session in bed, "my vibrator have more impact when di battery dem low, sorry as fk! An unnu wonder why unuh get bun."

However Sandra isn't eager to give up the money which she openly flaunts to get attention. In steps Calvin, her first love and lover who is still looking good, flaunting his drugs money and turns her on with a look.

Sandra tries to fight temptation but soon gives in as she and Calvin heat up the pages. Unknown to Sandra, she isn't the only gold digger around as her best friend Tiffany puts the moves on Sandra's husband Larry, 'wukking' him the way Sandra never could. Tiffany soon steps up in life as well, as Larry gives her everything she wants. The plot thickens as each character lies and deceives the next in their own selfish pursuits.

The book claims to be 'Jamaica's first official dancehall novel', a claim it tries to substantiate with constant references to entertainers, lyrics from songs and mention of the real dancehall life as the characters go to Hot Mondays, Bogle's Memorial and others. The novel has credit in its characters who are often very complex, scheming and real. One can picture or at least have heard of persons who have used their feminine assets for money, viewing the security of money as more worthwhile than love with no money.

This is one book that is to be kept far from the reach of children as it is filled with vivid sex scenes. The novel opens with four pages of Sandra faking pleasure in her matrimonial bed. While the references to the music of the dancehall is entertaining to begin with, midway through it becomes forced and overdone. Some of the ideas and themes are also repeated with no purpose too often. Interest slacks off in the middle of the novel but briefly picks up in the end, as the reader is left hanging as to what will happen to Sandra.

Recurring, crucial errors include the number of grammatical, structural and sentence construction mistakes that plague the novel. There are full stops in the middle of sentences, capital letters are mis-used and some of the sentences simply do not flow. No published work should have such glaring errors, almost as if it was not edited and proofread.

By far, Bun Him is no great work of literature but it is not a bad first effort by a dancehall artiste. Its content will hold appeal to the masses and teenagers who are drawn to sex filled content.