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melonni's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
shirleytupperfreeman's review against another edition
It took me a few chapters to get the characters straight but once I did, I liked it. Baseball provides the action but this is primarily a mixed-race, split family, coming-of-age, story. Danny is the product of a Mexican father and a white mother. Uno is the product of a Mexican mother and a black father. The two become friends and growth happens. Due to the nature of the environment in which the boys live, there is some grittiness but it felt very authentic. After reading the book, I immediately checked out the author's blog. I'm eager to share some of his stories with some kids I know.
sarahanne8382's review against another edition
4.0
I can't decide if I just liked this one or really liked it. It's really more 3.5 stars until I make up my mind, but I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt and bumping it up to 4 for now.
Danny's spending the summer with his Mexican relatives around San Diego while his sister and white mother spend the summer in San Francisco with his mom's new boyfriend. A few years ago Danny's dad left and he can't help but think that it's because he's too white. He hopes that by staying with his dad's family he can become Mexican enough for his dad to come back. There's also a baseball storyline woven in as Danny happens to be a phenomenal pitcher, but loses his control every time he faces an actual batter. Through baseball he becomes friends with another boy in the neighborhood who's also trying to reconnect with his long absent father and is also only half Mexican.
This is a great book for showing instead of telling and so it's hard to lay out a good plot description without giving away too many of the things you're meant to figure out for yourself along the way. Danny does a lot of growing in this story and ends up in a place that really feels right, which is a relief, because when the story starts it's hard to believe how in the dark Danny is about many things.
I can see why this and de la Pena's other book show up on reluctant reader lists. These aren't your typical comfortably middle class teenagers and they certainly don't talk like it. It's a much more realistic story that a lot of reluctant readers will be more comfortable digging into.
Danny's spending the summer with his Mexican relatives around San Diego while his sister and white mother spend the summer in San Francisco with his mom's new boyfriend. A few years ago Danny's dad left and he can't help but think that it's because he's too white. He hopes that by staying with his dad's family he can become Mexican enough for his dad to come back. There's also a baseball storyline woven in as Danny happens to be a phenomenal pitcher, but loses his control every time he faces an actual batter. Through baseball he becomes friends with another boy in the neighborhood who's also trying to reconnect with his long absent father and is also only half Mexican.
This is a great book for showing instead of telling and so it's hard to lay out a good plot description without giving away too many of the things you're meant to figure out for yourself along the way. Danny does a lot of growing in this story and ends up in a place that really feels right, which is a relief, because when the story starts it's hard to believe how in the dark Danny is about many things.
I can see why this and de la Pena's other book show up on reluctant reader lists. These aren't your typical comfortably middle class teenagers and they certainly don't talk like it. It's a much more realistic story that a lot of reluctant readers will be more comfortable digging into.
alboyer6's review against another edition
2.0
I had a very difficult time getting into this book. By the time I did, it was over.
benyoda95's review against another edition
3.0
Great book for highschool kids. Well written characters and emotions.
hikool101's review against another edition
4.0
The first third of this book I wasn't into it, but then the rest of it quickly grew on me once Uno and Danny interacted. Their friendship was the biggest highlight of the book, and it was touching! It truly warmed my heart and I was there with the characters from then on out. I also really enjoyed the baseball scenes, but especially the baseball scenes between Danny and Uno. Sofia was a great supporting character. What a beautifully bittersweet ending, too. A story that surely won't depart from me. 9/10
jwinchell's review against another edition
Another option for 9th grade summer reading... I could not get past the limits of the 3rd person POV.
meridithrbowman's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
4.5
YA level
maryehavens's review against another edition
1.0
Abandoned very early in. Had nothing to do with the story, everything to do with the exaggerated accents the narrator gave the characters. Maybe it was written like that, I don't know for sure, but I do know that I was not going to listen to 7 hours of audio where I wanted to cringe continually.