Scan barcode
thenextgenlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Mexican Whiteboy is a coming-of-age sports novel that deals with not knowing your place in the world, family relationships and learning more about oneself. Danny’s mother is a white woman and his father is a Mexican man who is absent from his life. Danny grew up not speaking Spanish and without financial hardships. It’s not until he visits his father’s family near San Diego that he realizes how much he doesn’t fit in anywhere and really wants to. This was a great read to build suspense, discuss race, privilege, the bonds of family, new love and, of course, baseball. I really enjoyed this book even though at times it felt like it dragged, but that could also be because I was listening to it on audiobook, which I hate, but it was free so
amyappy's review against another edition
4.0
Better than De la Pena's first book, Ball Don't Lie. A moving story about a kid with two worlds who doesn't feel like he belongs in either learning to find control of his fastball and control of his own life.
sashana's review against another edition
4.0
3.75
There is something truly captivating about [a:Matt de la Pena|204966|Matt de la Pena|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1383138905p2/204966.jpg]'s writing style. Once you get a few pages in it's really hard to put his books down.
There is something truly captivating about [a:Matt de la Pena|204966|Matt de la Pena|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1383138905p2/204966.jpg]'s writing style. Once you get a few pages in it's really hard to put his books down.
lcmarie19's review against another edition
5.0
This was the first Matt de la Peña book that I've ever read and I am happy to say that ALL of my expectations were met. I simply adored every single aspect of this book! From the moments of confusion to anger to sadness to happiness to humor. I just felt everything I could possibly feel for these characters and the lives they led.
Danny was who I thought I would be the most enamored with, and while I absolutely loved him and wanted to protect him from the world... there was another character who snuck up on me and stole my heart completely and became my precious little cinnamon roll!
de la Peña's writing is not complicated. It's not perfect, nor is it imperfect. It's very simplistic. There is not a lot of fluff. It's very straightforward. But the dynamic that is captured by the simplicity of his writing is fantastic. Never once was I bored. Never once did anything feel unimportant. I found a way to connect with every single character throughout this book, despite having experienced NOTHING similar to any of them. But on an emotional level, I was so in tune with Danny, with Uno, with Sofia, and many others.
Witnessing Danny struggle with his identity, figuring out who he was and what he meant to people on BOTH sides of his family was probably the most impactful part for me -- outside of Uno's amazingly complicated story. I also found that de la Peña did a great job of using the secondary characters for delivering additional bits of life lessons, especially through Sofia.
Overall, I just adored this book. I think it's an excellent introduction to the insight of what it's like to feel othered. Danny felt othered. He felt outside of BOTH of his ethnicities. This book captured a lot of that confusion and hurt. I would LOVE to read more from this author.
Danny was who I thought I would be the most enamored with, and while I absolutely loved him and wanted to protect him from the world... there was another character who snuck up on me and stole my heart completely and became my precious little cinnamon roll!
de la Peña's writing is not complicated. It's not perfect, nor is it imperfect. It's very simplistic. There is not a lot of fluff. It's very straightforward. But the dynamic that is captured by the simplicity of his writing is fantastic. Never once was I bored. Never once did anything feel unimportant. I found a way to connect with every single character throughout this book, despite having experienced NOTHING similar to any of them. But on an emotional level, I was so in tune with Danny, with Uno, with Sofia, and many others.
Witnessing Danny struggle with his identity, figuring out who he was and what he meant to people on BOTH sides of his family was probably the most impactful part for me -- outside of Uno's amazingly complicated story. I also found that de la Peña did a great job of using the secondary characters for delivering additional bits of life lessons, especially through Sofia.
Overall, I just adored this book. I think it's an excellent introduction to the insight of what it's like to feel othered. Danny felt othered. He felt outside of BOTH of his ethnicities. This book captured a lot of that confusion and hurt. I would LOVE to read more from this author.
thenextgenlib's review against another edition
4.0
Mexican Whiteboy is a coming-of-age sports novel that deals with not knowing your place in the world, family relationships and learning more about oneself. Danny’s mother is a white woman and his father is a Mexican man who is absent from his life. Danny grew up not speaking Spanish and without financial hardships. It’s not until he visits his father’s family near San Diego that he realizes how much he doesn’t fit in anywhere and really wants to. This was a great read to build suspense, discuss race, privilege, the bonds of family, new love and, of course, baseball. I really enjoyed this book even though at times it felt like it dragged, but that could also be because I was listening to it on audiobook, which I hate, but it was free so
larkin21's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
carnisht's review against another edition
4.0
I did not know this would be a sports book. I do not like sports books. I do not connect with sports books. I do not find sports books interesting. Well… that’s what I thought, anyways. I did like this book. I did connect with it. I did find it interesting. I was (happily) proven wrong. I really enjoyed this story centered around baseball! Baseball really was the common denominator throughout all of the subplots. It tied Danny to his friends, it tied him to his family, and it tied him to his future. It was a central part of the story, but it wasn’t the only part of the story. Danny and Uno went around their county, finding opponents to hustle. Surprisingly (to me), I found myself getting VERY into their games. I was on the edge of my seat, anxious and filled with anticipation about what would happen… and trust me when I say I never would’ve expected that from myself and a sports book! I think the reason I was able to get so invested in their games was because the games were about more than just their games. There was more at stake for the boys, and they were playing these random pick-up games for a greater purpose (helping Danny improve for school). This kept me rooting for Danny and feeling invested in the outcomes of their games more than I (theoretically) would have been if it were just for some tournament.
To read more of my thoughts on this book, check out
https://yalitreader.wordpress.com/2020/07/01/mexican-whiteboy-by-matt-de-la-pena/
To read more of my thoughts on this book, check out
https://yalitreader.wordpress.com/2020/07/01/mexican-whiteboy-by-matt-de-la-pena/
molly_dettmann's review against another edition
3.0
A solid coming of age YA. Danny and Uno has a rough start, but their friendship and hustling made for the strongest part of the story, especially with both of them dealing with not so great fathers. I also loved Danny’s relationship with his cousin, Sofia. Lots of baseball to entice a sports fan to read it, and hopefully stay for the introspective look at friendship, family, culture, and finding yourself.
crystal_reading's review
5.0
I loved getting to know Danny and watching him begin to believe in himself. He doesn't figure everything out, but he definitely grows. I enjoyed the baseball aspect and loved his friendship with Uno and his cousin Sofia.
Excellent storytelling.
Excellent storytelling.