Well, it is real and rough. I liked the continual symbolism of fire throughout the story. On two occasions, the female characters are given such over-exaggerated features that it’s weird and almost ugly. I only point it out because they were such an awkward change from the usual, cute dot-eyed style.

Anyway, the story is not pretty, but the author acknowledges his growth like his relationship with women, so that is good. I am not trying to applaud the bare minimum, but it’s always good when we can be self-reflective. From seeing his childhood experiences, it is easy to make connections to why he felt he had to fight to just survive.

It is hard to rate autobiographies/biographies, but this one did a great job of coming full-circle. The story is definitely violent with harsh language and the n-word felt overused to me, but real life cannot be censored. Still, a solid read for older readers.

3.5