In Mafia Ties, King uses his experiences as the foundation to illustrate how drugs and drug-related crimes play a factor in the urban community. He presents real life encounters that force individuals to choose life over death. Some may interpret his use of Southern street slang as broken English or grammatically incorrect. However, this is a style to which many young readers can relate. Using this dialect immerses the reader deeply in the culture and will compel him to dig deeper as to gain understanding.