The Gangster of Love [Paperback]

Rocky is a young woman who enjoys writing poetry and songs. She meets her boyfriend, Elvis, who is starting a band. Rocky and Elvis are introduced together by her brother and they become very close in their relationship. Rocky is in a point in her life where she wants to "find herself." By finding herself, Rocky sets out on a road trip with her boyfriend, and two other band mates, to New York to find a record deal there. She is overcome with some obstacles like leaving her mother to move to New York, not spending time with her brother, making decisions about life, sex, and drugs.

I enjoyed this book because it had some humorous parts. The author didn't want their readers to be bored so she included some jokes to lighten up the story. Most of the book was humorous to me because many of her jokes were Filipino-related and I could relate to them. I don't think people who don't understand the Filipino culture very well will understand many of the jokes, but others non-Filipinos will find some of her jokes amusing.

I would recommend this book to those who are interested in reading about an immigrant coming to the United States from a foreign country, and witnessing the struggles of a young person who is traveling over the country to find what she is and who she wants to be. I would especially recommend this book to Filipino Americans who are interested about their culture and family life in the United States because when I was reading this book, I could relate to a lot of things that Rocky was talking about. I don't recommend this book to those who like books that go by really quickly because this is a book that takes a long time; it goes by pretty slow. Otherwise, I'd recommend this book to others who want to read about a woman struggling toward her decisions in life.

Rocky found herself being content with writing poems in her black book. As she grows
older she meets her lover, Elvis, through her brother, and inspires her to join a band. As
most bands, there are many struggles with keeping a stable part-time job that is flexible
to fit Rocky's new band. The book travels with Rocky, Elvis and there friends: Keiko
and Sly. With Rocky and Elvis's bouncy relationship, Keiko's rising popularity as an
artist and her tottering relationship with her Mexican lover, Sly's different girls for each
zip code, and the groups' addiction for cocaine and alcohol there are many riveting
events.

Although there are some areas which may seem odd and confusing at the time. The
author would change the point of view from Rocky to Elvis to Rocky's uncle. Since
majority of the time the narrator is Rocky, it is puzzling when a new character is
presented as the narrator especially when the character has not even been introduced
before. In addition to the inconstant narrators, there are some areas within the book
which are not necessary and may sometimes slow down the story.

However, if a person is interested in a book about young people struggling make
something of themselves, relationship problems within families, friendships, and
romances, than the Gangster of Love is an appropriate book to read. The author is a great
upcoming author who is clearly filled with a wonderful imagination and a great pen to
write her thoughts down to become a marvelous book.