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Life Long
NAMED TO KIRKUS REVIEWS’ BEST BOOKS OF 2017
Ray Lopez is on the run with a duffel bag full of cash. Both drug dealers and the police are after him. But Ray is not a criminal. His last brush with the law was over traffic tickets. Recently released from the hospital with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, he is haunted by voices, auditory hallucinations, that frighten him and cause him to question his every move.
Ray’s journey from California to Laredo is perilous. Like so many Americans before him, he travels through unfamiliar territory with no clear way of knowing who will help and who will harm him. And he may well find himself on the wrong side of the border with a mind that has no borders.
Ray Lopez is on the run with a duffel bag full of cash. Both drug dealers and the police are after him. But Ray is not a criminal. His last brush with the law was over traffic tickets. Recently released from the hospital with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, he is haunted by voices, auditory hallucinations, that frighten him and cause him to question his every move.
Ray’s journey from California to Laredo is perilous. Like so many Americans before him, he travels through unfamiliar territory with no clear way of knowing who will help and who will harm him. And he may well find himself on the wrong side of the border with a mind that has no borders.
276 pages, Paperback
Published June 17, 2017
1 person is currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Ronald L. Ruiz
13 books12 followersRonald L. Ruiz is the author of a memoir, A Lawyer (2012), and seven novels—
Happy Birthday Jesús
(1994),
Giuseppe Rocco
(1998),
The Big Bear
(2003),
Jesusita
(2015),
Life Long
(2017),
120 Days
(2019) and Lost and Found (2021). Born and raised in Fresno, California, Ron was educated at St. Mary's College, California, University of California, Berkeley, and University of San Francisco. He practiced law from 1966 to 2003 as a Deputy District Attorney, a criminal defense attorney, and a Deputy Public Defender. He was appointed to the California Agriculture Labor Relations Board by Governor Jerry Brown in 1974 and later served as the District Attorney of Santa Cruz County, California.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 19, 2017
This is the second book I have read by Mr. Ruiz. He is a great storyteller. Talk about character development. Instantly, I connect with the characters and their stories. This book was no different.
Ray was so likable and personable. I enjoyed traveling with him on his journey. Although, I must say that Mr. Ruiz did a wonderful job of showcasing Ray in a great light without making him debilitated by his mental illness. Yet, at the same time Mr. Ruiz showed how mental illnesses can affect people but with the right treatment, there is success. It was like I was right there with Ray on the bus as he traveled from location to location meeting different people and eating hamburgers and drinking Coke. The ending put a smile on my face. Life Long is a treasure that will dig deep into your soul with a loveable character and a rich storyline!
Ray was so likable and personable. I enjoyed traveling with him on his journey. Although, I must say that Mr. Ruiz did a wonderful job of showcasing Ray in a great light without making him debilitated by his mental illness. Yet, at the same time Mr. Ruiz showed how mental illnesses can affect people but with the right treatment, there is success. It was like I was right there with Ray on the bus as he traveled from location to location meeting different people and eating hamburgers and drinking Coke. The ending put a smile on my face. Life Long is a treasure that will dig deep into your soul with a loveable character and a rich storyline!
September 17, 2017
Book Tour: Life Long by Ronald L. Ruiz Life Long is a great book. It takes you into a young boy mind and what he goes through in his life. The boy or young man as a cousin and seem that he may be a bad influence on Ray. What will happen to make you wonder if this cousin Billy?
Ray Lopez is on the run from the cops and men that work with his cousin Billy Cisneros. Ray Lopez (Aka: Jimmy Ramirez), has a mental illness that he hears voices and also gets auditory hallucinations. He on runs and he convinced that cops are after him and his duffel bag of clothes and bags of money.
Ritz does a wonderful job of putting the story together. The plot is really rich filled with details and description. You learn about bus terminals and bus stations around that time. Ray makes friends with a bus passenger who suggest that go to Mexico which should mean safety. He must go to Nuevo Laredo to get to Mexico. He meets a street whiz kid named Joey. Ray so panic that he needs his pills and this prescription refilled. Will Ray know who to Trust or lean who will harm him? You will need to read to find out how Ray gets along in life and if he makes it or not.
Ray Lopez is on the run from the cops and men that work with his cousin Billy Cisneros. Ray Lopez (Aka: Jimmy Ramirez), has a mental illness that he hears voices and also gets auditory hallucinations. He on runs and he convinced that cops are after him and his duffel bag of clothes and bags of money.
Ritz does a wonderful job of putting the story together. The plot is really rich filled with details and description. You learn about bus terminals and bus stations around that time. Ray makes friends with a bus passenger who suggest that go to Mexico which should mean safety. He must go to Nuevo Laredo to get to Mexico. He meets a street whiz kid named Joey. Ray so panic that he needs his pills and this prescription refilled. Will Ray know who to Trust or lean who will harm him? You will need to read to find out how Ray gets along in life and if he makes it or not.
April 29, 2025
I so wanted to like this book. The premise is phenomenal: young man, diagnosed with schizophrenia, must dash with his crooked cousin's blood money, and a low supply of his medicine. Mexico-bound he leaves Cali for Texas and then the border. Will the bad guys get him? Will the police? Will he make it to Mexico?
Sadly, it did not live up to expectations. Despite the schizophrenia, Ray knows right from wrong and yet, he makes stupid decisions (the kind a three year old makes) all the way to the border. I was hoping for a realistic depiction of what goes on inside the head of someone with schizophrenia, who finds himself in a terrible predicament, with a shitload of money, and on the run. Instead, there is no story and every character in the book sounds the same, like Ray, schizophrenic and irritating.
If there was a plot (better yet, story), it disintegrated on a bus somewhere between East LA and Dallas Texas, never to be seen again.
This book reads like a mediocre attempt to imitate Cormac McCarthy, his boring and repetitive style, his grade-3 sentence construction and grammar, lacking story and personality, to quote reader J.G. Keely: "too bare to be beautiful, and too pointless to be poignant." What a beautiful sentence by the way, bravo J.G.!
Disappointing.
Sadly, it did not live up to expectations. Despite the schizophrenia, Ray knows right from wrong and yet, he makes stupid decisions (the kind a three year old makes) all the way to the border. I was hoping for a realistic depiction of what goes on inside the head of someone with schizophrenia, who finds himself in a terrible predicament, with a shitload of money, and on the run. Instead, there is no story and every character in the book sounds the same, like Ray, schizophrenic and irritating.
If there was a plot (better yet, story), it disintegrated on a bus somewhere between East LA and Dallas Texas, never to be seen again.
This book reads like a mediocre attempt to imitate Cormac McCarthy, his boring and repetitive style, his grade-3 sentence construction and grammar, lacking story and personality, to quote reader J.G. Keely: "too bare to be beautiful, and too pointless to be poignant." What a beautiful sentence by the way, bravo J.G.!
Disappointing.
September 29, 2017
Life Long by Ronald L. Ruiz is a fascinating book about a man with schizophrenia who is doing his best to survive in a world that does not understand him. We first see Ray in court for traffic citations but the judge decides to go easy on him. Ray then meets a cop that tells him they are watching his ex-con cousin Billy who Ray has been hiding money for. Ray starts to panic thinking the police are watching him too and decides the best thing he can do is go on the run. He’s been hiding Billy’s money in a church where he has been working as a caretaker. He grabs the cash and catches a bus going from California to Laredo Texas.
The journey by bus is a hard one, he’s on the run from the cops, Billy and the voices in his head. The problem is that what Ray is running from may not be real. After having a breakdown and spending time in a psychiatric hospital he now has a prescription for Zyprexa to keep the voices away. He only has so many pills with him and getting a refill will be a problem. He travels from Central California to Los Angeles to Phoenix to Dallas and finally to Laredo. Along the way he meets several people, some are friendly and some have their own agendas and are just trying to get his money. Ray’s worst enemy is himself because he doesn’t know who he can trust.
You really feel for Ray, he constantly argues with himself over the right thing to do but he can never stop thinking and sees conspiracies everywhere. The one person he does trust is his reverend but when he passes away Ray doesn’t know where to turn. Ray also spends time with a foster family but as his condition worsens the situation in the home becomes dangerous. My favorite part of this book was when Ray meets a girl who has the same condition he has and he tries to help her even though he needs help himself. Ray is a good person but he is unable to deal with reality without the right medication.
Not only is this a character study in what the life of a schizophrenic is like, it also looks at other problems. It talks about the dangers of traveling long distances as a poor person or as an immigrant and what they have to put up with. They don’t have the money for other transportation and have to take buses and put up with substandard conditions. There is one scene in the book where the bus riders are dealing with a broken bathroom door along with the strong odor within and the driver does nothing about it.
Life Long is a well written masterpiece and a good look at what people with paranoid schizophrenia go through. This book is real life for some people and its both heartbreaking and hopeful. Heartbreaking because of the injustice Ray puts up with and the people who are just trying to swindle him. It’s hopeful because we also see people who care and try to help him even though they don’t know him. There are all kinds of people in this world and Life Long shows us the good, bad and the misunderstood.
The journey by bus is a hard one, he’s on the run from the cops, Billy and the voices in his head. The problem is that what Ray is running from may not be real. After having a breakdown and spending time in a psychiatric hospital he now has a prescription for Zyprexa to keep the voices away. He only has so many pills with him and getting a refill will be a problem. He travels from Central California to Los Angeles to Phoenix to Dallas and finally to Laredo. Along the way he meets several people, some are friendly and some have their own agendas and are just trying to get his money. Ray’s worst enemy is himself because he doesn’t know who he can trust.
You really feel for Ray, he constantly argues with himself over the right thing to do but he can never stop thinking and sees conspiracies everywhere. The one person he does trust is his reverend but when he passes away Ray doesn’t know where to turn. Ray also spends time with a foster family but as his condition worsens the situation in the home becomes dangerous. My favorite part of this book was when Ray meets a girl who has the same condition he has and he tries to help her even though he needs help himself. Ray is a good person but he is unable to deal with reality without the right medication.
Not only is this a character study in what the life of a schizophrenic is like, it also looks at other problems. It talks about the dangers of traveling long distances as a poor person or as an immigrant and what they have to put up with. They don’t have the money for other transportation and have to take buses and put up with substandard conditions. There is one scene in the book where the bus riders are dealing with a broken bathroom door along with the strong odor within and the driver does nothing about it.
Life Long is a well written masterpiece and a good look at what people with paranoid schizophrenia go through. This book is real life for some people and its both heartbreaking and hopeful. Heartbreaking because of the injustice Ray puts up with and the people who are just trying to swindle him. It’s hopeful because we also see people who care and try to help him even though they don’t know him. There are all kinds of people in this world and Life Long shows us the good, bad and the misunderstood.
September 26, 2017
Life Long is Painfully Real. The author does an amazing job pulling readers into the many realms of Ray's mind as he copes with the turns his life takes. Readers will develop quite a heartfelt bond with Ray from the very beginning of the book. His age, his life experiences, his influences--and his good heart and desire to be well--cause the portrayal of his mental illness to be painfully real for readers. As the author guides the character through his ever-present swirls of doubts and fears and chaos; readers will face a range of emotions from heartbreak to hope.
Life Long Offers a Range of Topics for Readers. The author puts many real-world problems in the spotlight throughout this books as Ray makes his way. The treatment and support available for mental illness sufferers, from professionals and society in general, being at the forefront. The author truly takes a look at many elements within society through the eyes and mind of a mentally ill person and; while it is a piece of fiction, the darker realities are all too valid.
Would I recommend Life Long by Ronald Ruiz? It took a few chapters for me to settle into the story and the flow--but, from even the early pages, Ruiz had my heart. I do not have any personal experience with a friend or family member with schizophrenia--but, the author really took me on a learning journey through Ray's thoughts and experiences. This book will really make you think about many of our world's social issues and the life long struggle of facing mental illness. The book was difficult to put down--and the issues raised are not easy to set aside after reading this book. I would recommend it to anyone who likes realistic, thought provoking fiction with a social edge and purpose.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for use in a blog review. All opinions are my own.
Life Long Offers a Range of Topics for Readers. The author puts many real-world problems in the spotlight throughout this books as Ray makes his way. The treatment and support available for mental illness sufferers, from professionals and society in general, being at the forefront. The author truly takes a look at many elements within society through the eyes and mind of a mentally ill person and; while it is a piece of fiction, the darker realities are all too valid.
Would I recommend Life Long by Ronald Ruiz? It took a few chapters for me to settle into the story and the flow--but, from even the early pages, Ruiz had my heart. I do not have any personal experience with a friend or family member with schizophrenia--but, the author really took me on a learning journey through Ray's thoughts and experiences. This book will really make you think about many of our world's social issues and the life long struggle of facing mental illness. The book was difficult to put down--and the issues raised are not easy to set aside after reading this book. I would recommend it to anyone who likes realistic, thought provoking fiction with a social edge and purpose.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for use in a blog review. All opinions are my own.
November 11, 2017
Life Long is an emotionally charged, thought-provoking novel. Our main character, Ray, suffers with schizophrenia. I found this left him open to people who would use him, hurt him and prey upon his fears and worries. Ray was at the heart of things a truly kind and warm individual who wanted to help others. His mental illness caused him to act and say things he normally wouldn't at times. It also caused him to live in fear and do things he probably shouldn't but because he couldn't process things the way others may, people took advantage of this. My heart broke for Ray at so many times throughout this story.
Ray was used by a person that was close to him and who should never have treated him the way he did. He was taken advantage of and this left him caught in the middle between drug dealers and the police. Because of the way he processes situations, he felt that his only option was to run. Which is what he did. We quickly see just how unprepared he is to move out into the world when he has been so sheltered for so long.
He finds himself on a journey that he was so unprepared for - including not having enough of his medication to help keep the voices caused by the schizophrenia at bay. He feels he has no other option but to cross the border into Mexico to look for medical help. His trusting and nervous nature makes him a quick target.
Life Long is an intimate look into the struggles of a young man dealing with a mental health condition. He is unprepared and unsure of the world around him - as he is always second guessing his decisions, is it the voices or is this a good decision? My heart broke so many times throughout this novel at the unfairness that he was dealt with and how resilient he was. Life Long is a definite must read novel for young adults.
October 4, 2017
I wasn’t sure when I first saw the cover of this book whether it was so bizarre and one to pass over or intriguing enough to call to me. After reading the blurb I rapidly made the decision it was meant to be read!
As someone who has a keen interest in mental health from a patient and nurse point of view I was fascinated by this story. The author manages to convey the turbulent thoughts of Ray the youngster who is the star of this book.
From the outset when Ray appears in court and is given an opportunity to restart on the straight and narrow after spending time in a psychiatric hospital following his ‘break’ you just know this is going to be an achingly painful journey.
Ray is plagued by the voices in his head and his focus and priority are pointed firmly at his pills, he must have them he can’t run out, you get a sense of his sheer panic at the thought.
He gets caught up with his cousin Billy who uses him to hide some dirty money, Ray is convinced he will be found so goes on the run. His gut-wrenching journey on the ‘dog bus’ takes him towards the border, the people he meets along the way highlight his issues, who can he trust when the voices over power him?
An astonishing story that really makes you stop and think about life in general and how society treats those least equipped to deal with everyday challenges. My respect to the author for this excellent book.
Thanks to iRead Book Tours for my copy which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
As someone who has a keen interest in mental health from a patient and nurse point of view I was fascinated by this story. The author manages to convey the turbulent thoughts of Ray the youngster who is the star of this book.
From the outset when Ray appears in court and is given an opportunity to restart on the straight and narrow after spending time in a psychiatric hospital following his ‘break’ you just know this is going to be an achingly painful journey.
Ray is plagued by the voices in his head and his focus and priority are pointed firmly at his pills, he must have them he can’t run out, you get a sense of his sheer panic at the thought.
He gets caught up with his cousin Billy who uses him to hide some dirty money, Ray is convinced he will be found so goes on the run. His gut-wrenching journey on the ‘dog bus’ takes him towards the border, the people he meets along the way highlight his issues, who can he trust when the voices over power him?
An astonishing story that really makes you stop and think about life in general and how society treats those least equipped to deal with everyday challenges. My respect to the author for this excellent book.
Thanks to iRead Book Tours for my copy which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
September 17, 2017
I chose to read this book after receiving a free copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.
Life Long started out a little slow but once I got into it, once Ray was on the run, it got very good all the way until the end. Ruiz does a good job of describing life with schizophrenia as well as delving into some of the social problems for Mexican Americans.
Poor Ray lost his parents and then his grandma. On top of that, he has a psychotic break and is in the hospital for a couple months where he finds out he has schizophrenia and must take his medicine every day in order to keep the voices away. He doesn’t like hearing the voices, they terrify him, so he obsesses over having his medication with him.
If Ray didn’t have a criminal cousin, he’d be a productive citizen but instead he ends up on the run from the police and drug dealers. He finds himself in Mexico with no passport or Visa so he can’t get back into America. And now he’s running out of medicine. Ray is alone and desperate. It was difficult reading about his circumstances not knowing how in the world he was going to get out of the mess he was in. Or would he?
I definitely recommend Life Long. From what I’ve learned about schizophrenia, Ruiz seems to have captured the thoughts a person may have to deal with. He has also captured some of the social problems in our world today.
Life Long started out a little slow but once I got into it, once Ray was on the run, it got very good all the way until the end. Ruiz does a good job of describing life with schizophrenia as well as delving into some of the social problems for Mexican Americans.
Poor Ray lost his parents and then his grandma. On top of that, he has a psychotic break and is in the hospital for a couple months where he finds out he has schizophrenia and must take his medicine every day in order to keep the voices away. He doesn’t like hearing the voices, they terrify him, so he obsesses over having his medication with him.
If Ray didn’t have a criminal cousin, he’d be a productive citizen but instead he ends up on the run from the police and drug dealers. He finds himself in Mexico with no passport or Visa so he can’t get back into America. And now he’s running out of medicine. Ray is alone and desperate. It was difficult reading about his circumstances not knowing how in the world he was going to get out of the mess he was in. Or would he?
I definitely recommend Life Long. From what I’ve learned about schizophrenia, Ruiz seems to have captured the thoughts a person may have to deal with. He has also captured some of the social problems in our world today.
September 22, 2017
This was an interesting book to read. In it we follow Ray, a schizophrenic, who ends up on the run carrying a bag full of cash stolen from some scary people. Not something he planned, it just developed by accident.
Ray rides buses over the coming days surrounded by other poor, trying to reach a safe haven and struggling not to stand out in the crowd, His drugs to control the voices are running low. He tries to blend in as he could be so easy preyed upon, but his schizophrenia and the fear of capture often make that impossible. Surprisingly, many along the way who could take advantage of him choose instead to give him sound advice.
Author Ronald L. Ruiz offers strong, solid characters and an unusual story line blended with a unique journey into the mind of someone mentally ill. How might they move through difficult challenges that take them out of their comfort zone? Here is one possibility.
Ray rides buses over the coming days surrounded by other poor, trying to reach a safe haven and struggling not to stand out in the crowd, His drugs to control the voices are running low. He tries to blend in as he could be so easy preyed upon, but his schizophrenia and the fear of capture often make that impossible. Surprisingly, many along the way who could take advantage of him choose instead to give him sound advice.
Author Ronald L. Ruiz offers strong, solid characters and an unusual story line blended with a unique journey into the mind of someone mentally ill. How might they move through difficult challenges that take them out of their comfort zone? Here is one possibility.
October 3, 2017
This was quite the read – I am not even sure what to say about it!
It was definitely different than previous reads and while I initially thought it was a little slow, I somehow got sucked in and couldn’t put it down!
The story follows Raymond or Ramon – depending on who he is dealing with. Raymond was recently released from the hospital for some mental issues.
The story bounces a little bit between current and past, but I did not find it difficult to follow. It was very clear when bounces happened so it was easy to follow.
The author gives great insight into Raymond’s mind and thought process(es) throughout the entire story and you can’t help but get sucked in and root for Raymond. You can feel yourself as a part of Raymond when he is going through his journey.
I am so glad I stuck with it and read the entire book because it really was a good book! I enjoyed it!
It was definitely different than previous reads and while I initially thought it was a little slow, I somehow got sucked in and couldn’t put it down!
The story follows Raymond or Ramon – depending on who he is dealing with. Raymond was recently released from the hospital for some mental issues.
The story bounces a little bit between current and past, but I did not find it difficult to follow. It was very clear when bounces happened so it was easy to follow.
The author gives great insight into Raymond’s mind and thought process(es) throughout the entire story and you can’t help but get sucked in and root for Raymond. You can feel yourself as a part of Raymond when he is going through his journey.
I am so glad I stuck with it and read the entire book because it really was a good book! I enjoyed it!
September 18, 2017
As a psychology student I found Life Long by Ronald L. Ruiz to be particularly interesting with Ray Lopez's schizophrenia. I liked the way that it seemed very realistic and the role it played in the story. So often main characters are free of any and all mental problems even minor ones, which makes them all seem too perfect. I found Ray to be a very realistic character as he had very real flaws that played into his character and his decisions. Besides the well written psychological elements this book had a nice thrill of adventure mixed in with how Ray how he is on the run with a bag of cash. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews