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iceangel32's review
4.0
Just the book I was looking for. I really enjoyed the book, it was not candy-coated and had some foul language, but all along with the story it told.
It was a story of a half white, half Spanish boy growing up in New Mexico. He is after a girl and trying to figure out his life. He has to come to terms with his brother, his family and his friends.
An overall enjoyable read.
It was a story of a half white, half Spanish boy growing up in New Mexico. He is after a girl and trying to figure out his life. He has to come to terms with his brother, his family and his friends.
An overall enjoyable read.
readwithpassion's review
4.0
This is a great book. Just last week, my student was complaining that no books have soccer in them, so I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading this one. Soccer is definitely not a major theme, but instead, this book teaches of brotherhood, loyalty, and standing up for what is right. There is some violence in this book, but it is essential to the plot. It is a great read.
falconerreader's review
3.0
It's been awhile since I read a YA novel based on the recommendation of an actual YA. After three of my "reluctant reader" Latino students plowed through this, I had to give it a look. I can see why they liked it (checking out girls' chests! swearing! fighting! blowing stuff up!), and what impressed me was that it was realistic about how tough life is without going all Hemingway depressive about it. Life is hard, events spiral out of control, the nasty guys, not the good guys, finish first...but there are also rays of hope: the friendship mended, the girl respectfully wooed, the loyalty of brothers when the chips are really down.
randyribay's review against another edition
3.0
couldn't get into it initially, because the narrative voice felt too much like an adult trying too hard to sound like a teen. the story, however, strengthened as it went on.
thisgrrlreads's review against another edition
4.0
Holy crap, hilarious book, true to life with none of the often extra explanation that is so often thrown into YA books. Frankie Torres Towers and his brother, Steve, live in a small town in New Mexico with their parents who run a restaurant. Frankie tells his story, which focuses on a girl, of course, and how a not-so-hip guy with a much cooler, soccer star brother struggles to get those fickle high school ladies to pay attention to him. Needless to say, he gets in a lot of fights. But Frankie's voice rings true and the Spanglish is perfect. I think I would even recommend this book to adults.
falconerreader's review against another edition
3.0
It's been awhile since I read a YA novel based on the recommendation of an actual YA. After three of my "reluctant reader" Latino students plowed through this, I had to give it a look. I can see why they liked it (checking out girls' chests! swearing! fighting! blowing stuff up!), and what impressed me was that it was realistic about how tough life is without going all Hemingway depressive about it. Life is hard, events spiral out of control, the nasty guys, not the good guys, finish first...but there are also rays of hope: the friendship mended, the girl respectfully wooed, the loyalty of brothers when the chips are really down.
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