Diego, run! by Deborah Ellis
Diego, run! is an enthralling tale about a boy on the cusp of manhood living with his mother and small sister in the San Sebastian Women’s prison in Bolivia. He ekes out a living as a human ‘taxi’ – helping to pay the rent on his mother’s cell whilst dreaming of ways to make big money & escape the prison. Along comes Mando with entrepeneurial ideas and no fear, but there’s only one way to make money fast in Bolivia – the drug trade. Diego’s story is fascinating, and the final exhilarating chase through the jungle replete with snakes, quicksand and ricocheting bullets is terrifying!
Mrs Sweeney
March 15th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
I found this novel encapturing and exciting, and found it hard to put down. I agree that the plot is adventurous and thrilling, however I was disappointed at the ending – not that I was so annoyed at not being able to read on, but because it seemed like a ’safe’ ending to me. It seemed highly unlikely. I would have been more satisfied by the amount of truth in the book if he had lain down and died, similar to what would have really happened. Putting this aside, this book opened my eyes to the reality of life in poorer countries where sometimes drug dealing is the way to go on an adventure as well as earn money. Overall, it was a fantastic read, and I highly recommend it.