Lola by Melissa Scrivner Love

Wow! What a great story. I could not help falling in love with the character of Lola. Yet, I feel like I am not supposed to like the gang banger she is, this is morally wrong, but I could not help myself. Lola and her story are so compelling. How can a Mexican-American woman rise to power in a gang in South Central LA.? Lola does it because she is a strong, determined woman. She knows what she wants and she is smart enough to get it.

Most people think Lola is just the girlfriend to Garcia the leader of a small gang that calls themselves The Crenshaw Six.  Lola likes it this way. She likes being in the shadows biding her time. Yet, her time is running short. The cartel, unaware that Lola is the true leader, has asked Garcia to disrupt a rival’s drop and bring them the drugs and two million cash that is to change hands. When the drop goes bad because Lola’s younger brother, Hector, makes a fatal mistake, Lola’s very life is on the line. She gets drawn much deeper into the world of drug trafficking than a small time gang leader would normally go. This just might be the chance for Lola to prove herself and rise from the shadows. That is IF she manages to stay alive.

There are many twists in the plot and that kept me on my toes. I was constantly trying to figure out what was going to happen next and what brilliant plan Lola was going to devise to get out of the sticky situations she finds herself in. One problem with the story, all the men of power too readily accept Lola as a leader.  Sure, it maybe plausible but I say highly unlikely is more like it. For this reason, I think the story was a bit Hollywood.  At the same time it was so well written I can easily over look this.

I recommend this to anyone who likes thrillers. Note of caution, the story does contain violence and talks about drugs, child prostitution, pedophiles and other topics some people might find disturbing.

I received a free ARE from Crown Publishing through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program.