Freestyle for Life
Latif Mercado has made a very impressive debut with this book. I originally heard of this book from rave reviews by a few well known Freestyle artists. Being a true fan of Freestyle, watching it grow from its infancy in the streets of Spanish Harlem and the South Bronx to a world wide phenomenon that still has a cult following to this day, I was very excited to see what this book was all about. First I have to say that Latif is a great writer who truly knows how to set up a scene, set a tone, and build characters. Like all great writers he knows how to draw the reader into the story and empathize with the main character. Although this is a book about freestyle music with a few tweaks the author could have made this about Salsa music, Hip-Hop music,or something else. Meaning this is more about an new artist struggling to break through into the music business and share his gift with others. its's the struggle all artists have to face, trying to balance their art form and their "real life". The main character Solo Cortez is so well written is that I found myself becoming him during his triumphs and feeling like a helpless brother or best friend during the tough times. I found myself breezing through this book at an alarming pace rushing through to the ending then craving for more. You don't have to be a fan of freestyle or the music genre at all to enjoy this book. If you're a fan of strong, well written character based stories then you won't be let down. I can't wait so see what Latif Mercado bring us next. I for one have become a huge fan and plan to buy the paperback when it comes out as well as his next novel.
No comments:
Post a Comment