by Reymundo Sanchez
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Product Description
This riveting sequel to My Bloody Life traces Reymundo Sanchez’s struggle to create a "normal" life outside the Latin Kings, one of the nation's most notorious street gangs, and to move beyond his past. Sanchez illustrates how the Latin King motto "once a king, always a king" rings true and details the difficulty and danger of leaving that life behind. Filled with heart-pounding scenes of his backslide into drugs, sex, and violence, Once a King, Always a King recounts how Sanchez wound up behind bars and provides an engrossing firsthand account of how the Latin Kings are run from inside the prison system. Harrowing testaments to Sanchez’s determination to rebuild his life include his efforts to separate his family from gang life and his struggle to adapt to marriage and the corporate world. Despite temptations, nightmares, regressions into violence, and his own internal demons, Sanchez makes an uneasy peace with his new life. This raw, powerful, and brutally honest memoir traces the transformation of an accomplished gangbanger into a responsible citizen.
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Encouraging Change, 2008-04-18
Once A King Always A King.
The Unmaking of a Latin King.
Author:Reymundo Sanchez. 283 pp.
Independent Publishers Group. $24.00
Reymundo Sanchez is motivational in urging gang members to abandon their lives on the street and start again. Temptations are constantly presented, however, the long-term satisfaction of accomplishments outweigh the temporary obstacles. Reymundo also reminds the other members of society that there are countless problems caused by this dangerous activity. In short, "Once A King Always A King" is written to merge a world full of crime with the unresponsive public to exhibit the need for the world to "refocus."
The author's name, Reymundo Sanchez is the pseudonym for a former Latin King member no longer living in Chicago. Due to the fact that the story is a personal account, the hidden identity is acceptable. Although there is no way to locate this man, it is easy to recognize some of his work. "Once A King Always A King" is written as a sequel to a book entitled "My Bloody Life."
Reymundo reaches his goal through the rawness of events and crude conclusion. An example of the effectiveness in simplicity is when "Rey" begins to develop strong feelings for a brilliant Puerto Rican woman named Marilyn. Sanchez says: "I respect you so much for what you have accomplished in your life, in the same period of time that I have done nothing. And now, well; now not only do I respect you but also I feel so good when I'm with you. I don't think I can say that about any other woman who has come into my life." Seeing thrugh the eyes of a substance-abuser who lacks education, a supportive family, and real freedom adds a genuine presence to each word.
Even after living a comfortable lifestyle where I have been offered opportunities ranging from culture to extracarricular activities, this book has allowed me to accept Reymundo Sanchez as a person who stands to represent thousands. Unfortunately, the intensity results in a very graphic novel filled with inappropriate language, which limits age reccomendation. Nonetheless, editing would make the book flowery. Gang life in Chicago deserves accurate representation. Hopefully, closing the book will not push the isses aside. Instead, you will be instilled with a desperate desire to keep future generations off the streets. Life has so much to offer. Bring people back today.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
 Interesting Books That I have Read, 2008-02-22
Heads up to anyone that is about to read/purchase this book! I previously read Reymundo Sanchez previous book about his life as a Latin King, and though I did not believe all which he had written; I did consider it an interesting book. Unfortunately, in this current book, if you read VERY carefully, Sanchez states that this is not an autobiographical memoir, but rather a true-life story about the LIVES OF A FEW Latin King members made into the fictional life of ONE PERSON!!!! Therefore, like I had previously thought,this book is not at all true! Sanchez is a good writer and he must be given credit for that. But, he shouldn't have written this story as his own true-to-life events, when in fact it was based on happenings that occurred to a few of friends. Sanchez converts all of this information into one fictional person for his book, wants us to believe this his his true-life sob story!
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Interesting reading, but..., 2008-01-09
I found this book very interesting and informative, but it's poorly and childish written... It's very easy to read, I finished it in just a couple of hours...Reymundos story is great, but he lacks professionalism.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 The gang life has not changed., 2007-06-27
I live in the neighborhood and see the same things that the author went through in the youth today. Gang life destroys neighborhoods and familys and it saddens me to know that life continues to get worse for these young confused children that don't have God in their life.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Reality in Today's World, 2007-06-23
In a world dominated by drugs, sex, and violence Raymundo Sanchez begins to see an exit to the Latin Kings, one of Chicago's most feared Latino Gangs. He knows that to leave the gang will mean taking a three minute head to toe beating by three Latin Kings, something which could easily leave him dead.
Having earned the name "Lil Loco" in the prequel My Bloody Life for his random acts of violence and his alcohol, drug, and sex addictions Sanchez is now faced with the ultimate decision. Leave the Latin Kings once and for all or become more involved and continue his path to self destruction.
After being arrested, Sanchez has to face jail time which allows him to slow down his life and see things from a different perspective. He begins to see the Latin King's original message, to protect the Puerto Rican community, has faded and is now overcome by power and greed. The Latin Kings have turned on each other.
He must deal with their motto, "once a king, always a king." If he leaves the gang life he will always be haunted by his past. Others will always see him as a Latin King even if he's not involved. His life will always be in danger by rival gangsters.
The inability to keep a relationship due to his pimp lifestyle causes him to leave the one person who truly loved him. He must fight nightmares night after night, reliving the moments of death and pain he caused others.
Raymundo Sanchez's journey as he tries to leave the Latin Kings illustrates the struggle of leaving the gang life but in the end it proves well worth it.
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