This novel was intriguing, but not my style.

I found this book hard to read, despite the book being well written. The way the author writes the dialogue in this novel has the words written as how they would sound - any accents are written in, which makes some of the lines incredibly hard to read. This dialogue put me off of the book, and made it super hard for me to read.

The plot itself is very moving - someone on a good path straying faraway. It beautifully displays a realistic struggle, which makes this book very moving. It's authentic and an overall great book - so I definitely suggest it to those who are interested in realistic dramas.

Overall, this book was not a book written to my standards, but it is still an incredible book. I would definitely suggest others read it, I just wouldn't read it again.

Two out of five stars due to the difficulty of reading the dialogue. Still an amazing novel though!

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. ( )

Fascinating memoir from a former drug dealer in Baltimore. Watkins really doesn't hold back as he lays out the specifics of how and why drug dealers operate. It's an eye opener. It's also heartbreaking as it becomes clear that the intelligence required to create a successful drug dealing operation could readily be deployed in some more traditional pursuits, but the money, and almost as importantly the "prestige" is seductive. I love memoirs that give insight into something you know little or nothing about, and this book does that in a gritty, no holds barred voice. ( )