Review of Gringo

[Michelle Menezes]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Gringo" by Dan "Tito" Davis.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Gringo: My Life on the Edge as an International Fugitive is a memoir by Dan "Tito" Davis that describes the events that forced him to leave his country and the kind of life he led thereafter. Dan had always been a resourceful kid, earning and saving since the age of ten. When he was in college, he discovered White Cross pills that were in great demand at the time and started his business selling them. He made a lot of money, and since the drugs were legal, the government had nothing on him to make the arrest.

Trouble starts in the form of Marvin Schumacher, a former friend who frames him when he is caught with his stash of meth. The feds pin it all on Dan without carrying out any investigation. He refuses to go to prison for a crime he did not commit and decides to flee the country, thus beginning his life as an international fugitive. The book talks about Dan's experiences in various countries like Mexico, Colombia, Germany, India, etc., and the horrors he has seen and escaped.

It was such a fascinating read. I found it difficult to believe that a person could actually go through so many things in one lifetime. Dan was no saint, and he is responsible to an extent for the situation he was in, but I still found myself rooting for him. He was kidnapped, robbed, and almost killed on various occasions, and each time I'd hold my breath, hoping he'd escape. The writing was straightforward without any embellishments which made it easy for me to connect to the story.

Each character was well-written, and it was amazing to see how every interaction shaped his life and made him the person he is. Apart from his experiences, he has also mentioned the culture and history of different places. The living conditions he described in Mexico, Colombia, and many other places were terrible, and it broke my heart to see people living in utter poverty. Ten-year-old assassins, women forced into prostitution, teens joining gangs were a common occurrence because that was the only way of survival.

It was a thought-provoking book. I went into it with the notion that I would hate gangsters and drug dealers, but it was not so simple. I constantly found myself in a moral dilemma. I particularly felt bad for Julio when I read his backstory, about how as a child he would eat the bugs crawling on the wall when there was no food. I also cried when I read about how he was tortured. The most horrible part of the book was the Burro Festival, where teenage boys had to have sex with a donkey to become a man, though this part of the festival was not publicized, only the locals knew about it.

The book also contained footnotes and hyperlinks, which had meanings of Spanish words or additional information about a person or an event that made it easier for me to understand things. There was nothing I disliked about the book. It was an emotional and intense ride that has left me wanting for more. For this, I rate it 4 out of 4 stars . The book has only one minor error, so I can say it was well-edited. It has violence, profanity, and sexual content, so I recommend it to readers above 21 years of age who enjoy crime thrillers and do not get bothered by the triggers.

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Gringo
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Dzejn_Crvena]

I've been thinking of picking this book next. It's short, isn't it?
Thanks to your review, I'm now looking forward to reading the story of the author.
I appreciate footnotes and other guides that help the readers understand more of the contents.

[Chigo Nwagboso]

This is veey pathetic, I can imagine what's like to go in for a crime you didn't commit. This book seems to be an interesting read. Ha s for an insightful review.

[Michelle Menezes]

I've been thinking of picking this book next. It's short, isn't it?
Thanks to your review, I'm now looking forward to reading the story of the author.
I appreciate footnotes and other guides that help the readers understand more of the contents.

The number of pages displayed in the selection list is wrong. The book actually contains more than 200 pages if I remember correctly.

[Michelle Menezes]

This is veey pathetic, I can imagine what's like to go in for a crime you didn't commit. This book seems to be an interesting read. Ha s for an insightful review.

Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my review. It means a lot.

[Dzejn_Crvena]

I've been thinking of picking this book next. It's short, isn't it?
Thanks to your review, I'm now looking forward to reading the story of the author.
I appreciate footnotes and other guides that help the readers understand more of the contents.

The number of pages displayed in the selection list is wrong. The book actually contains more than 200 pages if I remember correctly.

I was surprised! Thanks a lot for the info. I may postpone reading this, then.

[Michelle Menezes]

I've been thinking of picking this book next. It's short, isn't it?
Thanks to your review, I'm now looking forward to reading the story of the author.
I appreciate footnotes and other guides that help the readers understand more of the contents.

The number of pages displayed in the selection list is wrong. The book actually contains more than 200 pages if I remember correctly.

I was surprised! Thanks a lot for the info. I may postpone reading this, then.

I have noticed this error in most of the books. Some of them show nearly 2000 pages, so I make it a point to check on kindle first and only then pick it up.

[markodim721]

It's great that the characters are very well portrayed. Thanks for the reading recommendation.

[Ruchi Raina]

This seems like a fantastic book. I love the stories where the actions of the characters put our emotions in disarray because their actions are justified by the circumstances, and we are stuck between deciding to side with wrong or right. Thanks for the great review.

[Michelle Menezes]

This seems like a fantastic book. I love the stories where the actions of the characters put our emotions in disarray because their actions are justified by the circumstances, and we are stuck between deciding to side with wrong or right. Thanks for the great review.

Thank you so much for your comment. And I completely agree with you. I like books which put me in a moral dilemma occassionally.

[Soraya Bayah]

I found your review extremely entertaining to read, and you did an excellent job with describing the story. I did review this book but the ending threw me off when it was cut-off bluntly, yet I agree with that this book was an emotional coaster and gave me great insight on countries I might never get the chance to visit. Great job.

[Charlize Venter]

I've been thinking of picking this book next. It's short, isn't it?
Thanks to your review, I'm now looking forward to reading the story of the author.
I appreciate footnotes and other guides that help the readers understand more of the contents.

The book is, if I recall correctly, 274 pages. But the issue of length isn't an issue at all. It reads very easily and eloquently, once the action begins one simply cannot stop oneself from motoring through it!