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Mario 2: Coming of Age
In 1959, at ten years old, Mario and his Aunt Carmen make their way on the streets of East Los Angeles. His friends are murderers, dope peddlers, and hookers. He's no genius, and hates school with a passion. People think he's a con man, but he's got a gift. The question is how will he use it?
198 pages, Hardcover
Published November 27, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 11, 2019
A sequel that deviates from the previous formula of Woman in Jeopardy. Much shorter and purely slice of life novel following Mario’s own journey that creates an identity and follows it. The overall read suffers slightly however from the lack of driving plot.
January 17, 2016
Hatcher has a style all his own. In this book, Mario Coming Of Age, the author introduces us to ten year old Mario and his life in East Los Angeles. The story was a slow build, taking us to all the ins and outs of Mario and his everyday struggles to survive in his hard-beaten neighbor. Mario’s life is no bed of roses, he and his friends scrapped for every morsel, and only the love of his aunt was keeping him going. I found the journey a bit tedious at times, but in the end I had to conclude, the way the author approached the story gave me an opportunity to get to know Mario and his immediate circle of friends, almost intimately.
This is a story of love, responsibility, jealousy and finally, revenge that unfolds as the years fly by. We see the time change irrevocably, as does Mario’s good fortunes. Yet one thing stays the same—Mario’s determination to better his aunt’s lot in life. Everything he did was to provide for his aunt. He was obsessed with making her life better. The author’s style is as conversational as barber parlor gossip. His main characters ring true in their environment, and while one is empathetically human, the others may be hard to like, but impossible to forget.
This is a story of love, responsibility, jealousy and finally, revenge that unfolds as the years fly by. We see the time change irrevocably, as does Mario’s good fortunes. Yet one thing stays the same—Mario’s determination to better his aunt’s lot in life. Everything he did was to provide for his aunt. He was obsessed with making her life better. The author’s style is as conversational as barber parlor gossip. His main characters ring true in their environment, and while one is empathetically human, the others may be hard to like, but impossible to forget.
January 30, 2016
Mario Coming of Age, by George Hatcher, follows a young man, Mario, growing up in East Los Angeles with his aunt in the 1960s. She works hard to provide a good life for her nephew and he does his best to stay in school and away from the gangs.
When Mario finds out his aunt can't afford their apartment anymore, he decides it's time to become a man and take care of his aunt. At 10 years old, he finds a job and learns he has a talent that could help people and make him a lot of money.
Hatcher weaves an intriguing tale of loyalty, love and betrayal, as we follow Mario through his struggles and successes, balancing expectations, school, work and friends. And while I thought there could be more to the story, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from Hatcher.
When Mario finds out his aunt can't afford their apartment anymore, he decides it's time to become a man and take care of his aunt. At 10 years old, he finds a job and learns he has a talent that could help people and make him a lot of money.
Hatcher weaves an intriguing tale of loyalty, love and betrayal, as we follow Mario through his struggles and successes, balancing expectations, school, work and friends. And while I thought there could be more to the story, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from Hatcher.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews