Bling by Erica Kennedy is a fast-paced novel that leads readers deep into the world of . . . well, the world of “bling.”


What is Bling? Bling is a very shiny area, where rough or otherwise average people, with anywhere from very little talent to all the talent in the world, can be transformed into very rich, glittering, mesmerizing, walking, talking jewelry showcases. The most physically astounding people seem to make the best Bling showcases, and from time to time people couple, marry, or mate simply to show off their combined bling. Bling is very big in the world of hip-hop. These days, hip-hop and bling are practically inseparable.


The novel Bling epitomizes all of this. A pretty but unpolished biracial girl (i.e., a girl with no bling) named Mimi is persuaded to ditch the rest of the girl group that she had been singing with since high school (back in Toledo, Ohio) in order to sign a solo deal with Triple Large Entertainment, one of the biggest and most successful labels in hip-hop. A little hesitant and more than a little naïve, twenty-year old Mimi leaves Ohio for the bling life of New York. It’s a whole new world. And a whirlwind of a read.


First, we watch Mimi get a makeover. New, incredibly overpriced clothes. Straighter, blonder hair. New teeth. Blindingly bright jewelry. And new friends – spoiled, rich girls with drug habits, no day jobs, large appetites for partying, and a taste for only the most expensive things in life. Then, when her appearance is appropriately bling, Mimi is taken to numerous coming-out events to introduce the shiny new star – the Princess of Triple Large – to a loving public.


Mimi parties. She sings the hook as a guest on a couple of hit songs. She parties. She meets the hip-hop stars and producers that she’s previously only seen on television. She parties. She sleeps with the thirty-eight-year-old, womanizing CEO of Triple Large. She parties. She enthusiastically falls in love with him. She records her own mediocre album that sells very well. She parties. She gets breast implants. She parties. She gets engaged to the cocky, womanizing CEO. She parties. She grows up a little bit. She dumps CEO days before wedding. She grows up a little more. She becomes a neo-soul singer and songwriter and wins a Grammy for Album of the Year. And she stops wearing her hair so straight and blond.


Four hundred and forty-nine pages (in paperback) of bling-y drama, but I can barely remember a significant thing that happened. I didn’t really think that I got to know most of the characters, especially Mimi. Granted, there are a lot of colorful characters, nearly too many to keep their stories straight. I concentrate on Mimi because I believe that she was the primary character. For the same reason, I expected to get to know her – what made her laugh, what motivated her, what she thought about when she was alone – and how she could be so freaking naïve. Although I suppose that I was waiting for Mimi to stand up for herself, I remained fairly indifferent to what might happen to her. I wasn’t moved to cheer for her or against her. Overall, reading the book was like watching a hip-hop soap opera. Or a hip-hop magazine come to life.


I suppose that could be a good thing. But I am just not that into The Bling Life. And if you aren’t mesmerized by the world of “bling, I suggest that you pass on this one.