3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Gringo by Dan “Tito” Davis is an interesting view into a world most of us have never experienced. I was pleasantly surprised by the story that unfolded. The life of a fugitive isn’t always interesting, but Tito has a number of experiences while he’s on the run that are probably cinema worthy. We all know that South America isn’t particularly safe for Americans to visit, but his numerous encounters with people even more dangerous than himself are quite exciting and surreal.
The story begins with a brief introduction as to how he got started in the drug business. After making quite a bit of money and spending a few years in jail, he tries to settle down with a family. He didn’t like not being the main bread winner and started getting involved with marijuana. One of his newer business partners rats him out and he decides to go on the run rather than spend 30 years in prison. The rest of the book is about his adventures in South America.
What I really liked about this book was the humanity that is present throughout. Criminals are so often villainized that we tend to forget they are human. Similar to movie stars, we forget that they have hopes and dreams and make stupid mistakes, just like the rest of us. He often refers to himself as Gringo Stupido. At times, it is almost hysterical the errors in judgment he makes.
At times I forgot this book was an autobiography. I would find myself feeling the author should have given more information about something and then realize, it wasn’t his information to give. Character development could only go so far, as he was giving a factual account of people around him and not any of their personal feelings. This was disappointing, but understandable.
I was disappointed in the ending. It seemed to end rather abruptly. Perhaps an epilogue could be added with an update. Did he ever talk to his mother or his wife again? There were so many unanswered questions when the book was over.
Unfortunately, the book was full of grammatical errors. I find myself wondering if the book was edited at all, let alone professionally. It often interrupted the flow of the story as I had to read and reread a sentence to figure out what was missing, usually a dropped preposition.
Although I found the book captivating, the numerous spelling and grammatical errors force me to rate this 3 out of 4 stars. People who enjoy autobiographies and even crime thrillers will enjoy this book. This book is definitely not for anyone underage. There are some graphic descriptions of bestiality that make this book rated X.
******
Gringo
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Drmplant's review? Post a comment saying so!
