In 1991, a black man named Rodney King was severely beaten by white police officers after a high-speed car chase that ended in a suburb of Los Angeles, an event that might have escaped the eyes of the American public had a witness not videotaped it from his balcony. But on the streets of the South Central neighbourhood of Lynwood, the story played out differently than on the national news. In "All Involved," Ryan Gattis weaves a narrative from the perspectives of people whose stories of the riots were never told - members of the gang underworld. Evoking the anger, the uncertainty, and the turmoil of those six days, Gattis turns Los Angeles from merely a setting to a living, breathing entity. With the velocity of a fast-paced thriller and the commanding talent of an incredibly adept writer, this is an epic story of race, revenge, and loyalty.
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Publisher:
Toronto : HarperCollins Publishers Ltd., ©2015.
ISBN:
9781443440769
Characteristics:
372 pages ;,24 cm.
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mvkramer
Sep 28, 2016
Violence: The first chapter of this book is a brutal murder narrated in first-person. Not for the faint of heart.
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Add a CommentI have had the hardest time with audiobooks lately. I think Will Patton's excellent rendering of The Raven Cycle ruined me for other books. Seriously, I've never quit on so many audiobooks in a row. What was wrong with this one? I just couldn't get into it. It felt...slow. Which is odd for a book that starts with a brutal murder.
A novel that should be on high school reading lists
What went on in Los Angeles in the summer of 1992 directly after the Rodney King verdict left parts of town unattended by police and city services? Mayhem -- and many scores were settled off the books. This book is a fictionalized portrait of 20 interconnected characters and their lives in these four days. Recommended by Jeffrey
i've been thinking about this book since i finished it, trying to figure out why i only gave it 3 stars. i liked it, i really did. but there was something off, and i can't really put my finger on it, but i felt no urgency to finish it or care, really, tbh, about any of the characters. i think the only person i felt bad for was Ernie. i understand what the author was trying to do, i think? gangs in LA and their lives and how Rodney King or not, these are their lives always. but i just couldn't get myself to care so much? it felt like things were leading up to something, the last half of the book, all of the stories coming together, i was expecting something BIG to happen. but, it just sort of felt "meh" to me. i'm glad i picked it up though, it's not something i would normally read.
Definitely draws you in once you start reading it. I sincerely do hope though that he author was not trying to make me feel sorry for most of the characters, or somehow guilty or responsible for their plights, because all it really does it show that in a number of cases, gangbangers should be taken out into the desert and shot instead of being tolerated and even coddled by the "justice" system. All told though this is an interesting look at what happened in '92, but not all that shocking to me. I mean, gee, really? A lot of the rioting and violence was done by idiots and had absolutely nothing to do with Rodney King? You don't say...next you'll tell me Ferguson wasn't all about injustice either, or that Michael whats-his-name was NOT a saint and a martyr for justice?
I wish there was more of a story line and plot. It is a series of events related to each other that is strung together.
This is an adult book, violent and with strong language. The author does an excellent job of fitting the voice to the various characters. I loved it.