Kings of 7th Avenue
Jonathan Marcantoni

A story of friendship, murder and uncontrolled passions – Kings of 7th Avenue by Jonathan Marcantoni is a novel that takes an unyielding look at some of the challenging social and gender roles within our Latino communities as well as the dreadful misogyny that is embedded in today's wider American society.

As the plot unveils itself, the author presents us a group of Caribbean friends who seek their live's paths in the vibrant city of Tampa, Florida and its infamous Ybor City club district. With unfiltered and sometimes graphic images, Lou, Alberto and Tony fall into oppressive patriarchal roles in the form of objectification, verbal and physical abuse.

Kings of 7th Avenue provides an in-depth reflection of the brutal, sexist objectification which is so engraved in our popular culture that it seems to go undisputed and even promoted in American public events such as the Gasparilla Knight Parade in Tampa 0r the Marti Gras in New Orleans. Marcantoni doesn't offer us a utopian solution, but instead puts forth a clear image of a currently fractured social paradigm in need of desperate change.

Jonathan Marcantoni is a Puerto Rican novelist, PEN member, and co-founder of Aignos Publishing. His work has been featured on Latino Rebels, Warscapes, Across the Margin and Texas Public Radio. 

Kings of 7th Avenue is a publication by Black and Rose Writing and can be purchased through Amazon. Click here to purchase.

Reviewed by
Gerald A. Padilla​
6/5/2017

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