Skin of Tattoos: "Well-crafted, engaging" from Kirkus !!
Just in from Kirkus and I'm thrilled!
"Hoag tells the story of a gang member’s attempts to flee his life of crime in this debut novel.
After 26 months in prison, 20-year-old Magdaleno “Mags” Argueta knows he can’t go back to his previous life as a
member of the Cyco Lokos, one of Los Angeles’ most notorious Salvadoran street gangs. He’s hoping his time served
will earn him veteran status, allowing him to walk away without repercussions. Unfortunately, his crew is now under the
command of his chief rival, Rico, who’s less than sympathetic to his aspirations to go straight. What’s more, the only
jobs available to a tatted-up ex-con like Mags are demeaning, such as passing out fliers on the sidewalk while dressed as
a clown. At home, his family relationships remain strained: his mother sees him as a disappointment, his father as a
source of shame, and his fireman brother makes him look irresponsible by comparison. His sister, Lissy, still treats him
with affection, but he’s heard rumors that she’s hooked up with a member of a rival gang. Despite his pledges to stay out
of trouble, Mags finds that no one believes he’s up to the task. His parole officer tells him, “The life’s not going to let
you go so easy.” As hard as that is to hear, Mags knows that it might be the truth. Hoag is a talented writer, summoning
Mags’ world on the page with remarkable empathy and detail: “The sidewalks were crammed like a giant flea
market—people selling jeans, pots and pans, plastic bags of mango slices….Everything looked familiar and strange at
the same time, old and new, I belonged and I didn’t.” Despite a story that feels a bit well-trod, none of the characters
seem hastily constructed or come off as clichés. Their pressures and motivations are clearly stated and genuinely felt,
and readers will quickly become invested in Mags and his confrontation with an uncertain future. A sense of melodrama
flares toward the end as events start to feel less realistic and a little more heightened and Hollywood-ish. But the overall
experience is surprisingly nuanced and wholly enjoyable.
A well-crafted, engaging novel about an ex-con trying to break free."
"Hoag tells the story of a gang member’s attempts to flee his life of crime in this debut novel.
After 26 months in prison, 20-year-old Magdaleno “Mags” Argueta knows he can’t go back to his previous life as a
member of the Cyco Lokos, one of Los Angeles’ most notorious Salvadoran street gangs. He’s hoping his time served
will earn him veteran status, allowing him to walk away without repercussions. Unfortunately, his crew is now under the
command of his chief rival, Rico, who’s less than sympathetic to his aspirations to go straight. What’s more, the only
jobs available to a tatted-up ex-con like Mags are demeaning, such as passing out fliers on the sidewalk while dressed as
a clown. At home, his family relationships remain strained: his mother sees him as a disappointment, his father as a
source of shame, and his fireman brother makes him look irresponsible by comparison. His sister, Lissy, still treats him
with affection, but he’s heard rumors that she’s hooked up with a member of a rival gang. Despite his pledges to stay out
of trouble, Mags finds that no one believes he’s up to the task. His parole officer tells him, “The life’s not going to let
you go so easy.” As hard as that is to hear, Mags knows that it might be the truth. Hoag is a talented writer, summoning
Mags’ world on the page with remarkable empathy and detail: “The sidewalks were crammed like a giant flea
market—people selling jeans, pots and pans, plastic bags of mango slices….Everything looked familiar and strange at
the same time, old and new, I belonged and I didn’t.” Despite a story that feels a bit well-trod, none of the characters
seem hastily constructed or come off as clichés. Their pressures and motivations are clearly stated and genuinely felt,
and readers will quickly become invested in Mags and his confrontation with an uncertain future. A sense of melodrama
flares toward the end as events start to feel less realistic and a little more heightened and Hollywood-ish. But the overall
experience is surprisingly nuanced and wholly enjoyable.
A well-crafted, engaging novel about an ex-con trying to break free."
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