Banned Book Review: Always Running

At this point, I’m just slapping up the ones that I’ve finished. Good news, though. Three of the books from the beginning of the list shipped last week. So I’m almost there!

86. Always Running by Luis Rodriguez

Reason: graphic passages depicting violence and sex.

Always Running is about the author’s life as a young gang member growing up in Los Angeles.  It is a hard book to read.  Not because it’s slow, although it does start off that way, but because Rodriguez doesn’t sugar coat the life he lived.  He doesn’t glamourize the life of a gang member, nor does he leave out any of the darker things he and his fellow gang members did.  Following his narrative is like trying to do a complicated dance move for the first time.  You’ll stumble a bit, until you understand how the rhythm goes.  Rodriguez not only depicts violence and sex, but also drug use, rape, theft, and murder.  He also depicts the struggle of young hispanic men to find their place, the racism minorities experience every day, and his regret at not getting out of The Life sooner.  If you ever wondered what drives kids to join gangs…  This book will go a long way towards explaining it.  And that’s something every person should know.  Especially those people who wish for change.

<–First <- Previous | Next ->