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A review of A Shadow Like A Leopard

by Myron Levoy

A young street kid and an old artist learn from each other

Reviewed by: Paul A. Paterson
About Paul A. Paterson

A Shadow Like A Leopard There is very little beauty in the life of Ramon Santiago. His father is in jail, his mother is in the hospital and he lives in a cockroach-infested apartment in a New York slum. A member of a gang, Ramon's best friend is the switchblade he carries in one pocket as a sign of his macho. But there is more to Ramon than gangs and knives. Blessed with the mind of a poet, the fourteen-year-old boy likes to write and keeps a notebook in his other pocket to record his inner thoughts, a habit his father claims makes him "queer".

Ramon meets Arnold Glasser, a wheelchair-bound artist, and the two strike up an unconventional friendship. Glasser is reclusive, bitter and jaded by age and hardship, but he recognizes Ramon's sensitive interior and urges him to nurture his poetic soul. Though they argue constantly, their friendship grows and Ramon takes on the challenge of selling Glasser's paintings.

Glasser and Ramon are two sides of the same coin. Behind his tough exterior, Ramon is frightened of showing his true self to his father and fellow gang members. Glasser, on the other hand, is paralyzed by the sting of rejection and the fear of success. Both hide their fears and insecurities by wearing different masks, but each sees through the other's disguise. This transparency and brutal honesty leads to many fiery exchanges between the pair, but Levoy crafts the development of the relationship with a deft hand.

A Shadow Like A Leopard is a finely crafted piece of youth fiction featuring vibrant characters and suspenseful situations. It tells a unique story of friendship and self-discovery without resorting to sentiment or melodrama.

Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: A Shadow Like A Leopard

Copyright © by Paul A. Paterson, 2002

Reviewed by Paul A. Paterson:
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