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Summary: A brutal glimpse into big city gang life
Review: For what this book is, it's absolutely great! This kid never had a chance from the get-go. Tho I don't condone the brutal murders & violence, Sanchez creates a disturbing picture of his survival from a very early age. With virtually no family whatsoever, he quickly climbed the ranks in gang life because of his survival on the streets of Chicago & not neccesarily cuz he wanted to or that he didn't know right from wrong. I live only a few blocks from where most of the story takes place. Although, a lot of these neighborhoods have cleaned up somewhat I still see & hear about a lot of what he describes. And it's not a pretty picture.He writes almost as we speak w/o using flashy vocabulary & the flow of his story makes you want to keep turning pages. I knocked this book out in just 3 days cuz I couldn't put it down. And the best part, IMO is how he indirectly tells you that this life is no path to follow. And how he discourages any young, would-be readers from this lifestyle & tells the reader the outcome of this lifestyle in a brutally honest fashion.
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Summary: i loved it
Review: I absolutely loved this book. Just everything about it, how he dealt with everyhting and how differently people treated him from one day to the next and how he survived it all. It all really touched me. One of my friends made me read just the first chapter and just from those couple of pages i got hooked. The feelings of being lost and alone...its easy to relate to. I reccommend it to everyone. Just read the first chapter and see.
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Summary: Humboldt Park
Review: To the previous reader who claims that Humboldt Park is "full of yuppies now" and that the book is hyperbole...you obviously know nothing about Humboldt Park. Nothing! Yuppies are moving in and the outer eastern boundaries of HP are now gentrified, but the heart of HP is much as depicted in this book. Moreover, historically HP was anything BUT yuppified and the author of this book likely grew up there long before yuppies started moving into the area.
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Summary: MY LOVE FOR THIS BOOK
Review: THIS BOOK IS HONESLTY GREAT. I HAVE DEDICATE IT ALL MY ATTENTION TO IT . I'M A PERSON THAT HATE READING. AND ONE DAY IN SCHOOL ONE OF MY FRIENDS TOLD ME, HEY DALI READ THIS BOOK. I WAS LIKE HELL NO YOU KNOW I HATE READING. SHE WAS INSISTING FOR ME TO READ IT. SO I WAS LIKE PASS IT OVER. ONCE I READ THE TITLE I WAS LIKE THIS BOOK SEEMS GOOD. SO ONCE I HAVE GOTTEN TO THE INTRODUCTION I KEPT READING IT NONE STOP. I KEPT GETTING IN TROUBLE FOR NOT PAYING ATTENTION IN MY CLASSES. AFTER I FINISHED IT. I STARTED TO REALIZE THAT READING MAY GET YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE REAL DEFINITION OF "GANGBANGING" AND WHAT IT PUTS YOU THROUGH IN LIFE. THE REASON I GOT SO INTO THIS BOOK IS BECAUSE I LIVE BY LATIN KINGS AND I SEE ALOT OF THINGS, AND I BE THINKING WHAT DOES A REAL LATIN KING GO THROUGH, AND AFTER READING THIS NOW I UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY REALLY GO THROUGH .THANK YOU REY FOR MAKING THIS BOOK.I ENJOYED IT ALOT.
LOVE
DALI
Rating:
Summary: A Wake-up Call For Chicago Youths
Review: This book is honestly the best book i have ever read. Rey is so blunt and truthful that it makes this book even more special to me. i am a 15 year old white girl living in the gang infested world of hispanic gang members. ive lived in chicago all my life and many of my friends were killed due to gang life. last year i made the decision to join a section of the kings. Though usually only latinos are allowed to join, i was made an exception because many of the kings' leaders i went to school with or are good friends. recently i was shot and it was a rude awakening. My mother visited me in my hospital bed.She came to me with "my bloody life". i sat there for a whole day reading that book. i cried, i laughed, i was frightened, and most of all i was stunned. how could a kid let himself grow up like this? then it made me realize i was on the same path. i left the gang and my mom and i left chicago. we moved about 40 miles away. i am now living with white kids and it all is so hard. i miss my hispanic friends in chicago.it frightens me because everyday i find myself wanting to go back to chicago everyday.But i know if i do, it is enevitable that i would join again. Life is tough...but its even worse when youre in a gang. read this book if you are directly affected by gang life, or if you want to know what really goes down in the streets.
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Summary: Wow!
Review: If you want to know what it is like to be a gang banger, read this book. Though I was not a gang banger in my younger days, I was affiliated with The Gaylords and I suspect the the Author and myself is about the same age. I watched a lot of people rise and fall and it's all the same whether you're black, white or hispanic. I have witnessed and heard of some horror stories, but living it like Lil' Loco is a whole different ballgame. The Author, Reymundo Sanchez, is very explicit in details and he is straight to the point. It really goes to show just how stupid gang banging is, though you feel how they think of the importance of their existence through the eyes of Reymundo Sanchez. Reymundo, You mentioned what a coward you were though the whole book, but I think you are very brave to write a book like this. Good Luck on your degree! Stay straight, stay honest and the best of luck to you.
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Summary: Dont Believe the Hype!!!
Review: humboldt park is full of yuppies now, this is unabashed hyperbole. BORING!!!
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Summary: A Bloody Life Indeed!
Review: This book is extremely real. Mr. Sanchez's young life is filled with so much brutality and chaos. I'm not sure how he was able to put such events into paper. If had such a life, it would not be something I'd like to re-live again by making a memoir of it. To be honest, I did enjoy this book. The continuous drama in his life made it hard to put down. But I also know that a lot of people would not enjoy reading a book with a character who makes the same mistakes over and over and makes you wonder, "Why would you do THAT?!?!" I myself was angered at many decisions Mr. Sanchez chose. All in all, I do recommend this book, if anything, for the truth telling of it all.
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Summary: Blunt
Review: This book is blunt, and real. I loved it. I can definitely relate to this book.
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Summary: The best gang life book ever.
Review: I am a reader from Chicago and i read lots of books about teenagers who were involved in ganglife but this book is the best i read so far. I recomend it to any teenager. This book made me think diffent about gangbangers now i know that they also go through tough times in life and have even harder lifes then most of us.
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