Written by Pablo Escobar's son who was 16 when his father died. Basically well balanced , honest description of the life the family lived. Doesnt appear to be overly defensive of his father's brutal lifestyle. ( )

One of the best (and most interesting) books I've read so far this year.

Written by the son of Pablo Escobar, he clearly outlines the price the family had to pay for a life they did not choose. At first, it was difficult to understand why his father was such a wanted man, then as he grew, Juan Pablo Escobar became very aware of the sheer violence and hedonism of his father.

Once while traveling in an SUV with his father during the day time, his father was made aware that at a check point, agents were ready to capture and kill him. As his father pulled off to another location, and placed his family in another vehicle, when the got to the check point before his father, bullets rang through the air. Juan Pablo's mother and sister were in the vehicle as their lives were in danger. Not the first, or last time the family was in a very compromising position, increasingly as Pablo became more and more violent, the family needed to get out of the country.

Going to the airport, packed and ready to go to Germany, agents stopped their plans, and the family could not go to another country. Held hostage by the government, they waited while Pablo hid out. Defenseless, the agents no longer agreed to protect the family. They were at the mercy of the many enemies of Pablo Escobar.

At times this book seemed to go on and on. I appreciated that Juan Pablo did not make his father into a hero. But, he could have done that with far less pages.

I've exhausted the need to learn more about the Cartel and the billions made while shipping cocaine to the ever addicted American public.

Two Stars ( )