From the Gutter to the Grave

An American Hood Novel

From the Gutter to the Grave is an action filled urban tale that will for sure keep readersminds in suspense and fingers anxiously ready to flip the next page. With realistic street dialogue such as that used in favorite successful urban novels like, The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah and Be More Careful by Shannon Holmes, this awesome tale takes one on a wild and vivid journey to a place that other authors seldom lead readers. Through the real ghetto!

Written with specificity of ethnic characterized scheme, the general readers of this type novel would in all probability be that of an African-American-Latino audience, but with a plot so alluring and dramatized, the heading multicultural could in fact to be used when categorizing FTGTTG. The author, G.C. Deuce establishes and introduces the main character as Terrance Brown, whom throughout the narrative is referred to by the moniker Trech, a 19 year old man of African American and Puerto Rican descent, who like many his age finds himself encountering several controversial and combative disputes attributed from living within an impoverished, violent, drug infested community and dysfunctional household. Being raised up in an unbalanced home life consisting of prostitution, drug abuse, imprisonment, and other immoral standards, Trech not only learned to survive but also took heed while facing day to day grueling situations, beginning at his residence. Considering all the disadvantages, he coped well and harnessed the skill of maintaining and compensating for any given circumstance that would arise and with astute planning when necessary to continue surviving and protecting his loved ones.

With one brother in the grave and another incarcerated, Trech finds himself trapped within the same environment which played a major part in the destruction of his family. He gradually takes on the roll of savior as he links up with three of his closest blood cousins whom all just like him sadly suffer from the same plights associated with slum living. Showing great leadership potential, Trech devises a plan to save his family as well as himself from the struggles suffocating grip. With help from his faithful girlfriend and cousins, (except the betrayer) they clad up in police-swat gear with ammunitions and attempt to pull off the lick-of-a-lifetime, only to in the end have their big dreams turn into a horrific nightmare. After the loss of one of his cousins, Trech, along with his remaining family succeed in locking down their citys drug game; thats until the jealousy of a long forgotten relative causes him to fall deeper into the violent side of the game. Trech finds himself once again playing the role of redeemer but this time its his beloved girlfriend he must rescue from the envious haters dwelling in the streets of the hood.

The climax of the story illustrates Trech, and close acquaintances rescuing his girl from a murderous back stabbing cousin, bringing the encounter to what they assumed was definitely the end. After which, boarding a peaceful one-way flight to California with his girl and her young sister, Trech finally believes he has truly been set free from the game, but little does he know that the next five years of his life would be closely monitored by a man that hed watched die from a fatal gunshot. California soon becomes introduced to a new breed of gangsters when Trechs cousin resurfaces and takes command of one of Calis most infamous gangs while keeping a close eye on his detested relative. Trech soon finds himself being blindly haunted by visions of the past!

From the Gutter to the Grave fits perfectly in the category of other favorite writings like Dutch by Terry Woods and A Hustlers Wife by Nikki Turner. This intriguing story consists of three different parts, each exposing the reader to a more diverse setting of events with a variety of character