Book Review: On The Run by Izai Amorim

Izai_Amorim-On_The–Run-COVER-2016_02_11.inddTitle: On The Run
Author: Izai Amorim
Genre: Literary Fiction
Age Group: Adult
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

New York City, early 1990s: a young, rich, and well-educated Central American man on the run from the police and Colombian drug dealers. He is accused of crimes he didn’t commit. Ready to do what it takes to survive, Pablo ironically embraces the very drug trade that threatened his life in the first place. Who is he? What is he really capable of? The question of identity is at the heart of On the Run. More than a contemporary story of survival, it’s a journey of self-discovery.
Pablo’s voice is funny, sometimes mean and merciless. He moves with nightmarish ease from recounting his adventures to recollecting his early life. Not always politically correct, On the Run gives you an insightful, twisted, humorous, and often disturbing view of conflicting worlds and beliefs: North and Latin America; black, brown, and white; rich and poor; rational and esoteric – and shows how they mix, match, and clash.

In On The Run, Pablo is – as the title suggests – a man on the run. He’s running from the police, and from Colombian drug dealers, accused of crimes he didn’t commit. But if he wants to stay alive, Pablo will have to embrace the drug trade that threatened his life in the first place. Soon enough, he finds himself in situations he never imagined to take part in, and he’s forced to make choices that make him question who he is, and what he’s capable of.

The book is filled with dark humor, but it doesn’t overdo it. Pablo’s behavior always stays in character, even as he struggles to find his own identity and come to terms with how he’s changed. Pablo’s choices aren’t always the right ones – definitely not – but they do allow the reader to get a more complete perspective on him. At first, he’s horrified by what he’s forced to do, but he slowly adapts to the new life forced upon him.

An intriguing read, and one I very much enjoyed. If you like literary fiction with a dark sense of humor, I recommend this book.

Comments

  1. Hmm, this sounds interesting. I like the sound of the early 90’s setting, and the dark humor too…

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