author: Francisco X. Stork
Scholastic, 2009
grades 7-up
Mexican
American
Seventeen-year-old Marcelo Sandoval has
attended an exclusive private school for children with disabilities for most of
his life. Yet his father, a high-powered attorney whom Marcelo calls by his
first name, Arturo, wants this sensitive teen with Asperger Syndrome to
experience “the real world.” Arturo arranges for Marcelo to work in the
mailroom of his law firm. Taunted and exploited by the son of a colleague,
Marcelo comes across a big secret the law firm is hiding. His dogged pursuit of
the truth brings him into direct conflict with his own self-interest and the
values and goals of his father.
In many ways, this novel begs comparison
with Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident
of the Dog in the Night Time—with the protagonist’s autism spectrum
disorder, his uncovering of a family secret, and his pursuit of truth and
goodness in a confusing and often hostile and corrupt world. Stork, an attorney
as well as an author of two other novels for young people, overlays a
philosophical dimension onto the character-driven story. Marcelo’s “special
interest”—world religions—is atypical of persons with Asperger (the most common
is trains and other modes of transportation, but interests can vary widely).
The discussions Marcelo has with a female rabbi—even though he is not
Jewish—prompt him to follow his conscience.
Another unusual aspect of this book is
its depiction of an affluent Mexican-American family. Arturo’s practice relies
on corporate clients in Mexico. This is a reality rarely touched on in books
for young people, which tend to focus on poverty, migrant labor, and gang life
when portraying Mexican Americans. Stork’s novel will challenge readers’
assumptions while offering a memorable protagonist and a great story, too.
Highly recommended.
—Lyn Miller-Lachmann
(published 4/7/13)
(published 4/7/13)
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