"Colombiano" by Rusty Young is a very long novel, at nearly 700 pages. At times, it is repetitive and in the opinion of this reader it could have used have serious editing. Putting aside those concerns, it is an engrossing novel, with richly developed characters, and a plot that is both relevant and edge of your seat mesmerizing.

The story depicts the conflict between the army and the Guerrilla groups in Colombia and the horrifying recruitment of children into these groups and the insane violence they encounter. The story, though fictional, is based on interviews the author conducted with these child soldiers, and the descriptions are so vivid and the story so compelling that one cannot imagine the author relied on just the interviews. Writing like this usually, if not always, comes from real life experiences.

The protagonist is 15 year old Pedro Gutiérrez. He is the son of a farmer, who he loves dearly, and loves helping out on the farm and one day hopes to inherit the property. He also has a girlfriend named Camila who he also loves. In short, he is a happy fifteen year old, but all that changes when his father is executed in front of him by Guerrilla soldiers, and to make things worse he and his mother are banished from their farm and left with no income.

Pedro swears revenge and together with his best friend Palillo, they join a illegal Paramilitary black ops organization and, in turn, it turns him into the killer he needs to be in order to revenge the death of his father.

We follow Pedro as he moves up the ranks in the paramilitary organization, experiencing one crazy, intense mission after another, but it’s his determination to revenge and kill those who took part in his father’s death that carries this fascinating story to its conclusion.

This is a really good book and it is hard not to get emotionally involved, and it is not all violence and killing, but at times quite tender as Camila is always somewhere in the background.

I was asked if I would like to review this book by Lily Green at Havelock & Baker Publishing. I said yes, and this is an honest review

Wow. What an intense read.

The novel begins with a teenage boy, Pedro, living as much of a "normal" life on his family farm as he can with the ongoing civil war between the guerrillas, the Colombian government & private armies. After Pedro is forced to watch the execution of his father by the guerrilla, he vows revenge against his father's murderers. Pedro drops out of school to join the private army, the Autodefencas, to fight the guerrilla forces.

The story follows Pedro from the age of 15-18 & his rise in the ranks of the Autodefencas. We follow his friends from back home as well as his fellow soldiers. We are privy to the inner workings of the trainings of a private army, their leaders & their missions. We also follow Pedro's mission to avenge his father's execution by utilizing his rank in the Autodefencas to hunt down the 5 men responsible for his father's death.

This novel is not an easy read, but a good one as you are pulled into Pedro's life from the very beginning. Many times I had to remind myself that these are 14/15/16 year olds committing these acts of violence. What makes this novel more unsettling is that, while a fictionalized account, some parts of the story are based on real events pulled from interviews with real child soldiers. It is a well-written & researched account as the author draws from his own experiences in a U.S. government counter-terrorism program in anti-kidnapping & historical research.

*Many thanks to Lily Green & publisher Havelock And Baker for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review."

Colombiano is probably the best book I have read this year, and it is a year where I have read several good books. A story about innocence being quickly lost in the face of tragedy & violence, though love still offers hope. It is an extremely well written and powerful story.

Llorona is a small town where the Guerillas (a violent mob leading to Communist philosophy) hold sway, with the Colombian police and army being especially weak. Col Buitrago has the right intentions but does not have the resources to keep the Guerillas at bay.

Pedro is a young lad who cannot wait to get to 16 years of age, when he can deepen his relationship with his girlfriend Camila. His family soon faces tragedy as his father, a peace loving & respected man in town, is shot by the Guerillas in front of his eyes. Their property is confiscated and his mother moves with Pedro’s Uncle Leo. Pedro is consumed by a burning rage, and is determined to avenge his fathers murder. The Autodefensas are a rival gang who hold sway over other parts of the country, and were formed primarily to resist the Guerillas, with landowners and people impacted by the crimes of the Guerillas supporting them. Pedro and his friend Palillo (who has an abusive step father) join the Autodefensas.

Pedro’s life turns into one where violence soon emerges as a way of life. Pedro and Palillo do make some new friendships (especially Palillo’s relationship with Piolin), but Pedro drifts apart from Camila, much to his agony. As Pedro, with Palillo’s help, seeks out his fathers murderers, he still struggles to find peace in the face of terrible violence.

This is a large book, but moves fast and is an excellent read, other than being an important one. The vicious cycle which violence creates is explored very well. A lot of the violence though is quite raw, brutal (probably very realistic though) and far more than what I have been used to reading.

A book I strongly recommend.

This is a great big book.

But....

Is it a great-big book or a great big-book? That's debatable.

Despite the short chapters, it still reads like a great-big book which makes for a less than great big-book.

For me to really enjoy a great-big book I need to connect with the characters on a cellular level. I felt no investment in Pedro and his plight to avenge his father's murder and that disconnect lies solely in the lap of the authors inability to humanize this young character.

This is a fascinating story with tremendous potential and I have no regrets investing my time to read it. But it felt more like a perfunctory lesson than epic storytelling.

It's a good great-big book.

3.5 Stars rounded up ⭐


** Thank you to Lily from Havelock and Baker Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. **

Thank you to NetGalley, Havelock & Baker Publishing, and the author Rusty Young for an advanced copy for my review

This was a powerhouse of a book, that caught my attention right away
A strong and powerful book, that I could not put down right from the beginning.
It was both informative, and interesting.
Pedro Gutierrez was a normal fifteen-year-old family boy, who loved spending time going fishing with his father, attending church with his mother, and hanging out with his girlfriend, Camila.
A book full of tragedy, and love in Columbia which is ruled by the drug trade and power
Young soldiers whom are trained from an early age.

I found that I was totally enveloped by the story and the lives of these young soldier trainees

However as the book developed, it was just too long and I stared to loose interest. At over 800 pages it became a bit of a struggle to continue on. Although I really enjoyed the story, I feel it could have all been said with a few more pages

However a book I would recommend, and did enjoy reading

When posed with summarising this book into a review I feel a little overwhelmed.
First off, this is more of a journey that we have been privileged to experience, a journey of pain, love, revenge, hatred, enlightenment and atonement.

This is a really powerfully written book. Rusty Young opted to relay an eye opening account of child soldiers in Columbia in a fictional format rather than through a documentary styled account. Although the sad reality is that no further sensationalism was required. This is a portrayal of real-life, of what happens to society when a war funded by corruption and drugs uses lies and propaganda to lure children into believing they are fighting for a just cause. And even if they don’t choose a side themselves, one would be picked and the journey of desensitization and mind-washing begin.

Unfortunately there are no winners in this war, there are no just causes. People from both sides share the same stories and backgrounds, the same beliefs and morals. They have simply been indoctrinated by one group before the other.

Columbiano does have a light at the end of the tunnel though. We know that there are stories of children escaping this turmoil. That there are people out there, like Rusty himself, that are committed to fighting for humanity.

Gritty, Raw, Powerful, Captivating, Thought provoking and gut wrenching.

What happens when you really don't have a choice? What happens when choices are made for you? What happens when your life changes in an instant? What happens when you make a simple decision and it changes your life and outlook.

Pedro Gutiérrez is a happy teenager living in Columbia. He spends his days going to school, fishing, spending time with his best friend, Palillo and his girlfriend, Camilla. His world instantly changes when Guerrilla soldiers execute his father in front of him. Vowing vengeance, he goes on a journey that takes him from being a happy teen to a child soldier in a paramilitary where he is trained to shot, fight and kill. Vengeance is always in his mind as he perfects his skills in hopes of tracking down the man who killed his father.

It is safe to say that this is not your average coming of age story. There are parts (many) in this book that are quite gruesome but are important for the story as these things are real. Blending fact with fiction, this book looks at how child soldiers are trained, and used to fight battles over land territory, politics, cocaine, and power.

How far will he go before he can say "vengeance is mine?" This is a HUGE book and at times it did feel it's size. But it also felt powerful, sad, realistic and shocking. It's sad to sit and think that there are child soldiers in many parts of the world who have lost their childhood and innocence for a life of violence. That there are places where a good man does what he feels in his heart is the right thing to do and pays for it with his life? This book is very realistic and visual. It is also well written, well thought out, perfectly paced and researched. This book took me though several feelings and emotions.

This one was hard to put down and had my attention from the start.

Thank you to Rusty Young, Lily from Havelock & Baker Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

I knew something about the situation in Colombia through films and news about organisations such as the Medellin Cartel and Pablo Escobar but this book made the terrible situation that Colombians faced all too real. This is Pedro’s story and his experiences in Autodefensas following the murder of his father by the communist FARC Guerilla. Pedro is 15 (some are as young as 12) when he joins this militia with the intention of seeking revenge against his fathers killers. This is an unrelenting story of killing, cruelty, kidnaps, bombings, treachery and betrayal and of course all too present is control of the supply of cocaine. Pedro becomes a ruthless killer and though his experiences he becomes inured to cruelty and violence to the horror of his girlfriend Camila. The story is fast paced, describes events that beggar belief, they are so awful that it almost takes your breathe away. Pedro doggedly and bravely pursues his fathers killers but along the way makes terrible discoveries about people that he trusts. There is hypocrisy and double dealing in abundance. The ending is good and the situation for Pedro and his family and the area he lives in seems to be improving, so there is cause for some restrained optimism.
My criticism of the book lies with its length (700 pages) and although it’s horribly fascinating it takes grit to stick with it. It’s so unrelenting in the horror although I have to say I am very glad I’ve read it has led to greater understanding of Colombia and its people.
Overall, a very well written book which is well researched.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel, received in exchange for an honest review.
Pedro Gutierrez is a teenager living in Colombia, spending weekends fishing with his dad is his only pastime, that and desperately waiting until his sixteenth birthday, when his girlfriend Camilla has promised to lose her virginity to him. However, that all changes when the Guerrilla forces charge his home and kill his father right in front of him. Desperate for revenge, Pedro risks everything to join the illegal Paramilitary and get justice. As he comes up in the ranks, Pedro begins to realize that his quest for revenge is becoming an obsession and putting everyone he loves at risk.
“Colombiano” by Rusty Young is a tough book to read. On one hand, the novel is long. Over 800 pages of graphic violence, drug use and guerilla warfare, it is not for the faint of heart. It reads like a non-fiction memoir, although it claims to be fiction novel based on real events, and the reality of this storyline is thought-provoking and eye-opening.
Pedro is a character that is easy to root for. Although he is struggling to live in a gang-controlled third world country, his passion and desperation for revenge are emotions that anyone can connect with. The story is told from his perspective throughout, and all 800 pages are full of intense action. Young has a talent for storytelling, as his novel is well thought out, his characters are well developed and there is a nice flow to the plot, each chapter segueing nicely into the next.
This was a difficult novel for me to review. The story was told very well, and I had no problems with the format or the style of the novel. It was full of dramatic elements, and ended in a satisfying way. Based on Young’s storytelling alone, the novel would be a five-star read.
However, I am not a fan of the non-fiction memoir, and this novel reads like it belongs in this genre. Haltingly real and powerful, the gruesome story of guerrilla warfare in Colombia is not something I would’ve picked up on my own. Had this novel not been passed on to me by the publisher, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought. I wanted to see this novel through to the end, as I was invested in Pedro and what his outcome would be, but I also was desperate to finish the 800 pages so I could move on to something else.
“Colombiano” is a novel that shouldn’t be entered into lightly. It is powerful and violent, and will provide perspective to those of us living our comfortable First World lives. It will teach you something, and open your eyes to the dark evils in other parts of the world, which has its own appeal. For me, this novel was not what I expected, in many ways, but the non-fiction style was a little disappointing and made this story a little “less” than it could have been.

I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Havelock & Baker Publishing, and the author Rusty Young.
This was an interesting concept, and I was intrigued to discover more about Colombia and it's tragic drug war history.
However, it felt much too long, and I really struggled to make my way through it. I agree with some of the other reviewers in their opinion that Young isn't a very natural writer. The dialogue and narrative felt stilted and forced all the way through, and unfortunately the characters felt one-dimensional and undeveloped.
Hard work, 2.5 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Havelock & Baker for providing me with this engrossing, intense ARC in return for an honest review. This was a powerful epic which featured violence, family devotion, moral choices, young love, and a country ripped apart.

I found the story informative and was totally absorbed. I had been in Colombia a very short time in a small town on the Amazon, but my knowledge of the country was severely limited. I knew a bit about Pablo Escobar from Netflix, and how the country was the centre of jungle drug labs, cocaine manufacturing and distribution. I was aware of political turmoil, guerrilla insurgents, death squads, kidnapping, which made it a dangerous place. Reading the book gave me a greater understanding of the country, and how it’s people often had to go against their moral values to survive.

The almost 700 pages was not a deterrent, as I was gripped by the exciting, suspenseful plot from the beginning. Everything was important to understand the extreme dangers, heartbreaking losses, and the mindsets of the characters.

Pedro Gutierrez was a normal fifteen-year-old boy who enjoyed helping on the family farm, going fishing with his father, attending church with his mother, and hanging out with his girlfriend, Camila, and with his best friend, Palillo. One terrible day he witnessed his father brutally murdered by guerrilla soldiers. He and his mother were ordered off their farm and forbidden to give the father a religious burial on consecrated grounds. Pedro vowed revenge on his father’s killers.

This led Pedro with his friend, Palillo, to voluntarily join the Autodefencas, a paramilitary group where they endured brutal training and rose in the ranks. Pedro witnessed barbaric torture of guerrilla fighters and their deadly retaliation. The training led to a moral descent and hardened him for vengeance for his father’s death. Thoughts of revenge became an obsession.

Paramilitary groups, which included the Autodefencas, were comprised mainly of wealthy land or business owners who formed private armies and death squads. Both the paramilitaries and the guerrilla fighters trained and utilized child soldiers. Some were tricked or kidnapped into the militia. Others joined willingly, preferring the training camps to abusive situations at home.

The Guerrillas consisted mainly of peasants. They claimed to be fighting against poverty and social inequality with the aim of toppling the government and replacing it with communism.

The author, Rusty Young, interviewed child soldiers in Colombia. This is a brilliant work of fiction and has a definite ring of truth.

WOW, Wow, Wow and wow. There are no words to describe just how, astonishingly, good this book is.
I really enjoyed Marching Powder, so when I was asked to read and review Colombiano for the publisher and #Netgalley I jumped at the chance. To be honest, I was a little worried that I would struggle to understand the politics of a 'war book' but there was nothing to fret about; this was, hands down, one of the best books I've ever had the pleasure of reading.

It's post Pablo Escobars Colombia, but now the country is in the midst of a devastating civil war. The army and police can't, or won't, protect it's civilians from the communist Guerilla forces, so a new fighting force is born; the Autodefensas. Their aim is to fight back and defeat the terrorists and ultimately restore law and order.

Fifteen-year-old Pedro lives on a small farm in the town of Llorona with his hardworking, loving parents. He's doing well in school, has a beautiful girlfriend, he goes to church regularly and enjoys fishing with his father. It was a good life but Llorona has been taken over by the guerilla soldiers. The charming little town is now a lawless, terrifying place. There are kidnappings and murders daily, every citizen is forced to pay vacunas; taxes the guerilla use to fund their war. The only thing thriving now is cocaine production and the corrupt politicians that are only interested in helping themselves.
After a terrible tragedy, and whilst still, in a fog of grief and anger Pedro joins the Autodefensa's. Not because he believes in what they do, but because he wants revenge. Will it make him feel better? Or will his obsession for justice take from him all the good things left in his life?
The author writes Pedro's journey, from angry child soldier set on punishing all those who have wronged, to a mature, brave and forgiving hero, so well you feel like you are there by his side the whole time. I was on the edge of my seat; dodging every bullet with him, feeling the emotional highs of a victory and the devastating lows of a loss.
This book will take you through more emotions than you even knew you had and you'll enjoy every bloody word.

Captivating from start to finish!
“The war was like a slow burning campfire onto which both sides occasionally threw wood. And that’s probably the way it would’ve continued, if not for the arrival of the
Autodefensas”. ( United Self-Defenders of Colombia).

The campaign against organize crime in Columbia, has caused a violent response, increasing vulnerability of the civilian population due to the skirmishes between the organizations and the federal forces.

Author Rusty Young, Australian born, was recruited as a Program Director of the U.S. Government anti-kidnapping program in Columbia.
It was so dangerous, that Rusty Young, had to keep his job completely secret from his family and friends.
Hate, violence, drugs, children soldiers, a divided country.....Columbia had the highest murder rate of journalists in the world. Rusty, himself wasn’t a true journalist- but he might as well have been. He was working in a country with two terrorist organizations whose members numbered in the tens of thousands.
The first group was the FARC Guerrilla. Farmers aimed to fight poverty and social inequality by toppling the government and installing communist rule. To fund their revolution, they taxed businesses and kidnapped their rich, appropriating their lands for redistribution to the poor.
The second group - the Paramilitaries- was created in response. Wealthy land business owners, tired of the governments failure to protect them, formed their own private militias and ‘death squads’.

Young’s dedication to human rights - risking the safety of his own life - and the lives of others he interviewed - being in the heart of corruption and violent crimes - tells me that Rusty Young is one heck of an extraordinary human being....let alone an exciting storyteller.

This story - fact and fiction IS GRIPPING - written in storytelling - dramatic- style. It reads like a thriller.....true crime suspense with frightening - complicated revenge, danger, betrayal, power struggles, cocaine, punishment, death, and eventually a form of redemption.

The book begins when Pedro Gutierrez, the teenage adolescent narrator, was 15 years of age.
Pedro’s father was executed in front of him by Guerrilla soldiers. He and his mother were extradited from their farm. Pedro retaliates by joining an illegal paramilitary group with his close friend Palillo.

It’s a long book - but reads fast: Pedro, Palillo, and the other teens are brave in the face of unimaginable adversity.
Engrossing from the first page. Stunning story of strength and survival. It is sometimes brutal....but always fascinating. It shows terrorism at a shockingly personal level.

“Child-soldiers”....( two words that don’t belong together), has always been unfathomable to me. But “Colombiano ” is a wrenching, and mesmerizing important story.
Rusty Young describes the unthinkable, and the unforgettable.

Inspiring triumph....this book shines with energy - leaving a profound impression on the reader. I never - EVER- expected THIS BOOK - to be SUCH A PAGE TURNER....but anyone who starts it, is bound to have their own unputdownable experience.

“Crouching in a ditch with Palillo, an hour before dawn, I realized my life was now divided in two. The time before Papa. And the time after.
“My dream of running the ‘finca’, ( Farm), with him and taking it over during his old age was shattered, and I replaced it with a far darker ambition: to track down and punish his murderers”.

Powerful as can be!
Many thanks to Lily at Havelock & Baker Publishing with the advance gift of both the Audiobook and ebook. Listening to interviews with the author - enriched my admiration for Rusty Young.
Thanks again, Lily .....( I’m genuinely glad I read this....I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget.

Kudos to Rusty Young.....( mean guy...now I ‘must’ read your first book, Marching Powder”). I loved your interview talking about Bolivia, and your ‘REQUEST’ to stay in the San Pedro prison. Glad you never smuggled drugs in! Ha!

Colombiano is a fictional novel based on interviews with real people. It takes the reader on a journey into the heart of Colombia, but its a heart that has been cleft in two and ripped apart. Rural Colombia is beset by the Communist revoluntaries of FARC who, in their quest to topple the status quo, have set out a reign of terror. Faced against the Guerrillas (as they are generally referred to in the book) are a paramilitary black ops organization, the Autodefensas Unidas. The Autodefensas are not regular army and the army and the government can claim lack of knowledge for anything the Autodefensas do. And, in the background is the cocaine industry, which pays for the Guerrillas and infects the wealthy class.

Pedro is growing up in a small town, going to high school, dating Camila, making plans to go to the university together in Bogota. But, this is a world of child-soldiers and, after Pedro is seen with Autodefensas recruiters, Pedro's father is brutally murdered in front of him by the Guerrillas and he and his mother are forbidden from ever setting foot on their property again. Pedro swears vengeance and joins the Autodefensas with his best friend. They train on a secret base, reminiscent of any grunts being whipped into shape on any military training facility. The weak are separated from those who succeed. But, one difference, there is no room for the weak or the disloyal in the Autodefensas and the brutality and murders that take place among the teenage recruits turn them from innocent teenagers to violent mercenaries. Through it all, Pedro never stops plotting revenge.

It is a long book, but wonderfully written from Pedro's point of view as he plots his vengeance and climbs through the ranks of the Autodefensas. The story portrays the world of the child-soldiers across Latin America, Africa, and other places. It shows where vengeance leads as it eats you alive and spits you out and poisons everything it touches. The story shows how the circle of violence keeps growing as one act leads to another and everyone is caught up in it and Pedro can't let go no matter the consequences. Ultimately, it shows a world rotten at its core and few ways to escape.

This is a terrific novel and well worth reading. Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy for review.

A very powerful and incredibly disturbing book. Right from the beginning this book keeps you engrossed. The author has done a fantastic job while writing the story of Pedro. The characters in the book were well developed and believable. I had mixed reactions while reading the book, it was totally unputdownable but at times it was so depressing and hard hitting that you wanted to read something light in between. A really good book! Thanks to Havelock & Baker Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book.

I was super happy when the publisher reached out about this new book by Rusty Young. I loved Marching Powder and I also spent a year and a half in Colombia so getting more inside the recent events there really interested me.

Unfortunately, that is where the excitement ended. I enjoyed the book for a bit, but then I just couldn't continue. I ended up not finishing it. Once I was able to realize that the narrator's voice did not sound like someone from Colombia, that is when I became disinterested. You can tell it was written by someone outside of growing up and experiencing everything first hand. Plus the book is over 800 pages.

The book has great reviews on goodreads but I just couldn't do it. Once I put it down, I never picked it back up.

Colombiano is a terrific book for both general readers and motivated young adults. In Pedro, Young has created a sympathetic, complex, and realistic adolescent narrator. Clearly, the author's experience lends considerable authority to his story's historical and social context, and as a writer he sustains riveted interest at near-epic length. Among the many things I loved about the book were its attention to both the inner and outer details of a child soldier's life; its balance in presenting the turmoil of civil war; its echoes of classical literature like Antigone and The Odyssey; and it's touches of humor amidst the horror. Young does a very nice job honoring young love (and lust), as well. HIGHLY recommended!

A riveting saga set in Colombia depicting the the brutal conflict between the guerrillas and the Autodefensas - illegal paramilitary, with the mostly helpless and hapless government army making guest appearances every so often. Fifteen-year-old Pedro Gutierrez grows up overnight when his father is mercilessly gunned down in front of him leaving him and his mother to fend for themselves. He vows revenge against the men who ordered the killing and joins the Autodefensas to begin his voyage into the violence and ruthlessness he’s determined to master with singular focus - avenge his father’s death and more. Along the way we experience what life was like in Colombia during the decades of violence, drug trafficking, and lost childhoods. Despite its length, the novel clips through at a steady pace creating the space for character growth and development - Pedro is conflicted at times, there are tough decisions to be grappled with, and yes, tough killings to be made. But this novel is about more... It’s about friendship, love, moral dilemma. It's about what the human being can inflict upon one another. It's about what the human being can endure. It’s about what the human being can overcome. A great read and would highly recommend it. Thanks to Havelock & Baker Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Colombiano. Time well invested!

I enjoyed Marching Powder by the same author so I was looking forward to reading the author's second book. The story is good but does not really move fast enough for me. The characters are believable and the situations they find themselves in are described very vividly; the story moves along but seems to take a long time to get there. Overall I would have preferred if the pace of the story was a good bit faster.

"Its strange to think that a quick decision taken in the heat of a single moment could change the course of a boys life".

And that one quote sums up 700 pages of text.

This is the story for Pedro and his friends, all teenagers, all for various reasons are tangled up in war funded by cocaine, criminals and the corrupt. This is the story of how ruthless human beings can be.

I haven't read much on Colombia and from the first chapter I was pulled in, this book is so readable the words flow as easily as the Colombian rivers mentioned. As someone who doesn't mind reading a bit of gore I had to put this book down on many occasions due to the graphic content, maybe because it's based on true stories, maybe because its teenagers or maybe because it's so damn real I felt I was there.

This book made me think of all the wars going on today, all the children being trained as fighters, the corruption, the blind eyes.

I felt a lot of things reading this book but not the 700 pages. This book is a journey that deserves every star available.