Book Review -- Fighting for Redemption (Hangambiiki) - Mike Norton

Title - Fighting for Redemption (Hangambiiki)

Author - Mike Norton

Version - Kindle

This is the memoir of Mike, who was brought up by his mother and drug dealer father. After his father died, his mother re-married to a man called Darnell who really had no time for Mike and treated him quite cruelly. His mother changed when she re-married and with a poor homelife, and not really being very well liked at school for being different, Mike spent a lot of time at the home of his friend who's mother Betty treated him like one of the family. He also developed a relationship with an imaginary friend called Nova. On leaving school Mike tried out for the Navy Seals; took up martial arts and got himself a girlfriend. The book then goes through his different experiences in life, through school, work, relationships and an attempted suicide attempt.

Mikes upbringing lead to him appearing to become a fairly strong person on the whole, but to me along with his strength came a sort of arrogance. Whether that is just how he has portrayed himself in the book or not I don't know.

I must admit I did skim alot of the book when it came to him talking about martial arts as this is something I find quite boring. Again, with him talking alot about trying out for the Navy SEALS, I skimmed some of this too. Having said that, and without sounding sexist, a male reading the book may find it more interesting.

I liked the way the author showed his feminine side when talking about his girlfriend Leena, but really disliked him as he talked about another relationship with a girl called Phoebe. Again this may because I am a female listening to a male talk about how he treated another female.

I found the book slightly disjointed at times as it seemed to jump around from place to place. Also in parts he would talk about something as if he had already mentioned it in the book and we were supposed to know what he was on about, when it was the first time we had come across it; in particular relating to Phoebe, one of his girlfriends.

All in all, I found the book quite boring hence why I gave it 2*, but having said that another person reading it who may have interest in reading a large chunk about martial arts, and SEAL training which took up a lot of the book, may find it more enthralling.