Liz Loves Books.Com.

Publication Date: May 21st 2015 from Pan Macmillan

Source: Netgalley

In All Involved, Ryan Gattis weaves a narrative from the perspectives of people whose stories of the riots were never told–members of the gang underworld. Inspired by unprecedented access to the inner workings of these organizations, Gattis channels their experiences into a gritty, cinematic tale that is both shocking and devastating. Though the events of this book are fiction, every word is infused with authenticity and intimacy. Evoking the anger, the uncertainty, and the turmoil of those six days, Gattis turns Los Angeles from merely a setting to a living, breathing entity.

So “All Involved” by Ryan Gattis is actually a truly brilliant piece of fiction with a factual base. After many people had been raving about it, I was looking forward to it – but for some reason it didnt get to me in the way that it seems to have done with many other readers.

I liked it. I didnt LOVE it. Having said that you can’t take away from what it is – A dark, authentic and genuinely thought provoking piece of literary drama. Whilst I understand completely why it is much admired, I did not get “All Involved” with this one, for some reason I did not have the emotional connection to it that I expected to have.

It is possible that this is because I had such HIGH expectations, sometimes that can be a bit of a problem – in this case it was. My admiration for this novel rests solely with the prose, imagery and construction for which I give it a solid 3* rating and a recommendation that you give it a go for yourself.

Happy Reading Folks!