Always Running

Always Running by Luis J. Rodriquez is a great book. It was absolutely marvelous; a page-turner. It was over-flowing with street knowledge, violence, sex, money and murder, yet very realistic and vivid. It explained the life of a gang member on the streets of LA and all the pain being a gang member caused him. Many people live the life Luis did but aren't as strong minded to walk away from all the drama gang banging brung. Luis is lucky he survived the drugs and the violence.

Always Running is about a boy named Luis Rodriquez and his family, who moved to L.A. from Mexico. Luis' father was trying his best to find a good job but they always ended up back where they started. Luis and his brother Joe got sucked up into the street life. They went through so many different gangs and got into so much trouble. As Joe got older his views of the world changed, while Luis' stayed the same. Joe became something of himself. He became more active in other things beside gangs and violence. Luis didn't want to change.

When Luis finally decided to change, his life was already messed up. Luis overcame the problems. He went back to school and even made it to college. Luis had a goal in life after he survived everything he did. He wanted to make something out of his life. Luis eventually began to write books, get married and have children.

Luis son, Ramairo is going through the same things that he went through when he was young. Luis knows how hard it is to resist temtations and doesn't want his son to fall into the same trap that he did. He wrote " Always running " for him.

I think Luis Rodriquez and Piri Thomas ( Down These Mean Streets) have a lot in common. They both experienced the same things and was able to move on with there lives. Not so many people get second chances. Their lives could be over in a flash when dealing with gang-related violence. People don't understand that until they are laid up in the hospital fighting for their lives or they are doing 10 year bids in jail.

I love this book and would suggest every " thug " to read it. If you are not a " thug " I still suggest you to read it.