Call Me Queen is a wonderful collection of poems and stories about seven young women. These young ladies have all endured, learned, failed and triumphed throughout the years allowing them to grow into maturity. The characters Crystal, Celeste, Camille, Chasity, Cilicia, Corrine and Constance even though unable to see life through rose colored glasses, their optimism still manages to flourish despite the odds. Crystal is the youngest and most impressionable character of the novel begins to understand that life isn't all made up of fairytales, but her youth is kept sacred and pure. Dealing with the disappointments of her drug addicted father at such a young age, she is introduced to her strength and boundless endurance. Celeste the adolescent of the tale yearns for love and acceptance from her mother. Her sweetness creates a compassion that the closest of those around her will never show. She wishes to find her voice as she takes on the responsibility of enduring her mother's demons. Camille is the disrupted teenager seeking peace. Striving to create her own path during a tumultuous relationship with her first love. The secret abuse stretched her only to find her own wings. Her faith and love for God guides her inner core to keep going. Chasity finds herself in a whirlwind of new possibilities as she goes off to join the military. A far cry from her life in New York, she is introduced to war as she deploys in support of the terror attacks on September 11th. Now away from family and friends she is forced to find herself and her leadership skills are developed. Through tumultuous travels and escapes there is no room for complaints there is only the will to survive. Cilicia is a young house wife and new mother learning that marriage is not only hard, but some days impossible. Raising a daughter gives her a new perspective on life and what she is willing to accept from her husband and not accept at all. Corrine a newly divorced single mother strives to create a life for herself and her daughter. With a new job, home and budding romance she can finally breathe. Trying to keep it all together and striving for comfort at night she still finds herself silently crying herself to sleep only to wake up to a new day and do it all over again. Constance is the most hopeful and the most matured of the ladies. She is briefly introduced in this novel. Her story however is not yet finished it has only begun. The poetry gives insight to each young woman. Summarizing the heart of the character with carefully combined rhythmic lines. Allowing the reader, a glimpse of the pages to come without revealing too much of the actual. It brings life, hope and feel to each one in their own special way. The delicate words allow the young women themselves to be their own narrative and introduce their own journey. The courage of these stories allows the reader to relate on personal levels. Looking within themselves and remembering those times when life might have not gone to plan. Some days not going according to plan isn't the way to describe it all. Sometimes, everything is just wrong. During the heartache, there is hope. In the center of tears there is perseverance. This is what this novel is about. Strip down all the pages and the words but one will remain. Love. Whether it be romantic love, family love, spiritual love or self-love. Love is the core of it all.