A Life for a Life

This book is awesome. Mr. Hill does a great job with this work. You tend to go on an emotional roller coaster with the leading character D-Ray. You will find yourself smiling, laughing, crying, and cheering. "A Life For A Life" affirms that good things can happen to bad people. I highly recommend this book along with his others:"It's All About the Moon When the Sun Ain't Shining" and "Cry Me a River". They are a must have in your reading collection or book club.

This book is phenomenal. I am truly impressed by Ernest Hill and have kept my promise of getting all of his books because of that. This man has dialogue down as well as Langston Hughes, can tell a story better than Slick Rick (one of the most entertaining storytellers I've ever listened to), and always has an intriguing plot. I could've sat in the barbership all day and listened to those men argue, I wanted to hang out with the main character Outlaw, and...I just love everything about this story of a teenage boy trying to save his brother, his own life, and grant himself a future all with the obstacles of poverty, secrecy, trust, and danger lurking around every corner.

Ernest Hill's Life for a Life, was a powerful heartfelt story that tells a real story. I'm a 40 year old Black man, and I've never come across a story that I recommend to all my family and friends. Hill tells a story about a man who did all the right things to raise a black young man on the verge of becoming a success and his life is cut short by a hoodlum. You feel the pain and the hurt of this father, then the justice and then the love, which conquers all.

This book should be required reading for all fathers and sons. I am neither...but it made a lasting impression even on me.

I am an avid reader who reads at least 100 books per year, most of them pretty mediocre. This book was a delightful exception. This book was so good, it has the makings of a modern day classic. The characters, the story were all very good. Mr. Hill is a great storyteller, I read his previous book and also enjoyed it. He does not pander to foolishness to get his books on the best-seller list. He just tells a great story. I would hope that he would be recognize by the mainstream because this work was a peice of art. You make all readers of African American ficition proud that there are a few good writers left.