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Casper: El Cuento DeAmor De Un Gangster
This sexually charged, unfriendly tale of money and murder explodes when Casper's high-rolling uncle gets himself murdered. Casper is then forced to hit the streets harder than ever to prove he's much more than a ghetto prince whose had everything handed to him on a platinum platter... but, in the midst of a Guerra (war) with a former affiliated set, Casper becomes enthralled by a Puerto Rican bella (beauty) who wants nothing to do with someone like him; due in part to her close family ties to a Latin King clan hailing from the Bushwick section of Brooklyn.
220 pages, Paperback
First published September 21, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 12, 2014
Casper grew up in the hood and did hood things to maintain a certain lifestyle. He’s the typical alpha male that enjoys the things that make men like him happy – women, women, and more women. His focus shifts when his uncle Fly is murdered because of, you guessed it! A woman. Casper and his friend Bear become committed to seeking revenge for Fly’s death, but in the process he meets a slick tongued Puerto Rican tomboy that mesmerizes him. The problem with this is she can’t get past what he does, and she goes in on him spurring a love-hate sexually charged dance of attraction.
A unique thing that is genius about this novel is it actually teaches the reader some Spanish and a bit of street knowledge, so that unversed readers in either area wouldn’t be lost. The dialogue was very well done and it made the characters come alive.
The prologue was confusing but once you finish and think about it you realize why it’s there, but for me, it was unnecessary. The pace started out slow and this was due to the back flashing that was overdone. On the other hand, once the story does take off, it’s very well written. The plot was not as tight as it could’ve been but the excellently developed characters make up for that and actually carry the entire story, even in the slower parts.
Cruz and Childress pen a tale that delivers on what it promises – sex and murder, so sensitive readers beware! These authors have undeniable talent and a voice that more than likely resonates with a younger audience. With some polish, I don’t doubt that the other installments will mature and allow this series to stand up in the street-lit genre.
T. Austin
AAMBC Reviewer
A unique thing that is genius about this novel is it actually teaches the reader some Spanish and a bit of street knowledge, so that unversed readers in either area wouldn’t be lost. The dialogue was very well done and it made the characters come alive.
The prologue was confusing but once you finish and think about it you realize why it’s there, but for me, it was unnecessary. The pace started out slow and this was due to the back flashing that was overdone. On the other hand, once the story does take off, it’s very well written. The plot was not as tight as it could’ve been but the excellently developed characters make up for that and actually carry the entire story, even in the slower parts.
Cruz and Childress pen a tale that delivers on what it promises – sex and murder, so sensitive readers beware! These authors have undeniable talent and a voice that more than likely resonates with a younger audience. With some polish, I don’t doubt that the other installments will mature and allow this series to stand up in the street-lit genre.
T. Austin
AAMBC Reviewer
August 14, 2014
"Caspar" by Akila Crz and Ray Childress which I won through Goodreads Giveaways revolves around the murder of Caspar's middle-aged hustler. Committed to getting revenge for the killing Caspar never expects to become infatuated with Maria, a Puerto Rican tomboy who keeps him dangling because she hates what he does.
From the beginning I found the flow of the story slow and hard to follow. This could be due to the use of street dialogue which is spicy, colourful and does add realism to the story, but slows the reader's grasp of the plot as they grapple to understand it. From a technical perspective it would have been much better to number the words to be translated, and to add the translation at the bottom of the page instead of brackets. However, the plot which twists and turns is an intriguing look at the world of gangs who have their own code of conduct, and are not above using murder and sexual assault to make a point. In this tale which twists and turns as events unfold, Caspar the young ghetto prince who wants to prove his worth after the death of his uncle is torn because of his infatuation for a girl who wants no part of his lifestyle because of her ties to a Latin King clan. Caspar is intriguing with his tough-guy, non-nonsense persona who falls for Maria, a cheeky beauty who leads him on a merry chase.
"Caspar" would probably appeal to young adults with its gang wars, murder and sexuality. I expect this only the first in a series of novels that will get better with time as the writers gain experience. Normally I'd give it a 2.5 but because the scale doesn't allow that will give it a 3.0.
From the beginning I found the flow of the story slow and hard to follow. This could be due to the use of street dialogue which is spicy, colourful and does add realism to the story, but slows the reader's grasp of the plot as they grapple to understand it. From a technical perspective it would have been much better to number the words to be translated, and to add the translation at the bottom of the page instead of brackets. However, the plot which twists and turns is an intriguing look at the world of gangs who have their own code of conduct, and are not above using murder and sexual assault to make a point. In this tale which twists and turns as events unfold, Caspar the young ghetto prince who wants to prove his worth after the death of his uncle is torn because of his infatuation for a girl who wants no part of his lifestyle because of her ties to a Latin King clan. Caspar is intriguing with his tough-guy, non-nonsense persona who falls for Maria, a cheeky beauty who leads him on a merry chase.
"Caspar" would probably appeal to young adults with its gang wars, murder and sexuality. I expect this only the first in a series of novels that will get better with time as the writers gain experience. Normally I'd give it a 2.5 but because the scale doesn't allow that will give it a 3.0.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews