Always Running

Non-Fiction Novel Summery I read the novel Always Running by Luis J. Rodriguez, a non- fiction novel about Rodriguez’s life as a child when he crosses the border of Mexico at the age of two with his family. As Rodriguez took me on a rollercoaster through his life, I experienced many upsetting emotions even to me such as; disgust as he describes the police, fear during gang wars, pride when he makes a difference in his community and sadness when he loses some of the people he loved. I think the one thing I absolutely disgusted by the most was his brother’s actions towards him. His brother treated him like a chew toy between two dogs. At one point in the novel Rodriguez escapes the gang and tries to convince his fellow gang friends to join them but leaving the gang to them meant leaving the only family they had ever had and ever known. You can tell that through Rodriguez’s style of writing is to inform the reader about what gang life is truly like, and the pain and suffering he went through.
Reading this novel was a definite wakeup call if you ask me. I can tell that when Rodriguez turned sixteen and decided to get out of the gang that he was serious. He was kicked out of his house and put in the garage which is when he begins writing on a typewriter about his life. In the novel the policemen were portrayed as “pigs” as they so called them but in truth they acted like them the provoked the gangs to fight and it was always the Mexicans being treated unfairly. This novel is endearing and heartfelt and definitely one of the best books I have ever