The Brothers Torres [Paperback]

Coert Voorhees (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 11, 2009 | Age Level: 11 and up | Grade Level: 6 and up

Frankie Towers has always looked up to his older brother, Steve. And with good reason—Steve is a popular senior gets whatever he wants: girls, a soccer scholarship, and—lately—street cred. Frankie, on the other hand, spends his time shooting off fireworks with his best friend, Zach, working at his parents' restaurant, and obsessing about his longtime crush, Rebecca Sanchez.

Although Frankie has some reservations, he doesn’t spend much time thinking about about Steve's crusade to win the respect of the local cholos.  Then Frankie gets into a fistfight with John Dalton—longtime nemesis of Steve's, and the richest, preppiest kid in their New Mexican high school.  After the fight, Steve takes Frankie under his wing, and Frankie’s social currency begins to rise.  The cholos who used to ignore him start to recognize him; he even lands a date to Homecoming with Rebecca.

But after another incident with Dalton, Steve is bent on retaliating.  Frankie starts to think that his brother is taking this respect thing too far. Soon he'll have to make a choice between respecting his brother and respecting himself.

In an honest and humorous debut novel, Coert Voorhees examines what it means for a young man to come of age. A compelling look at where loyalty ends and the self begins.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 9 Up—Frankie Torres Towers knows his older brother, Steve, is endangering his college scholarship by staying out all night with the local cholos and picking fights with his soccer teammates. Accepting of his sibling's good looks and macho charm, Frankie figures Steve is just looking for respect and covers for him, deflecting his parents' questions and picking up the slack at Los Torres, the family's New Mexican restaurant. Frankie's primary obsession is getting a date with Rebecca Sanchez for the Homecoming dance. When he exhibits some bravado against rich kid and soccer jock John Dalton, he only hopes to win her attention, but he unintentionally incites a series of incidents that forces his brother to defend him. Adding insult to injury, Frankie's working-class parents begin secretly negotiating the sale of Los Torres to the Daltons. Protected by his brother's squad of toughs, Frankie seeks revenge but soon learns what these warring factions of older boys are willing to risk. Frankie is as memorable a character as Sherman Alexie's Junior Spirit in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Little, Brown, 2007). He exhibits a resiliency that is hopeful, and his colorful language and humor both confirm and dispel ethnic stereotypes. Flecked with Spanish phrases and authentic street slang and colloquialisms, Frankie's story is as poignant as it is hip and funny and will be a welcome addition to collections serving teens.—Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

(Starred Review) Gr 9 Up- Frankie Torres Towers knows his older brother, Steve, is endangering his college scholarship by staying out all night with the local cholos and picking fights with his soccer teammates. Accepting of his sibling's good looks and macho charm, Frankie figures Steve is just looking for respect and covers for him, deflecting his parents' questions and picking up the slack at Los Torres, the family's New Mexican restaurant. Frankie's primary obsession is getting a date with Rebecca Sanchez for the Homecoming dance. When he exhibits some bravado against rich kid and soccer jock John Dalton, he only hopes to win her attention, but he unintentionally incites a series of incidents that forces his brother to defend him. Adding insult to injury, Frankie's working-class parents begin secretly negotiating the sale of Los Torres to the Daltons. Protected by his brother's squad of toughs, Frankie seeks revenge but soon learns what these warring factions of older boys are willing to risk. Frankie is as memorable a character as Sherman Alexie's Junior Spirit in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Little, Brown, 2007). He exhibits a resiliency that is hopeful, and his colorful language and humor both confirm and dispel ethnic stereotypes. Flecked with Spanish phrases and authentic street slang and colloquialisms, Frankie's story is as poignant as it is hip and funny and will be a welcome addition to collections serving teens.-Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY --School Library Journal, July, 2008 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH; Reprint edition (August 11, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423103068
• ISBN-13: 978-1423103066
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #197,731 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #22 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Explore the World > Mexico

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love Stoned for The Brothers Torres, May 13, 2008

By 

J. Paulsen (Cedar Falls, IA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Brothers Torres (Hardcover)

I confess: I simply adore Frankie Towers. I haven't fallen so hard for a character since Ponyboy Curtis in the 7th grade. (And I'm old enough to know better!) You'll fall for him, too, as his honest, witty narration captivates you, enveloping you in his infatuation with the lovely Rebecca Sanchez, who may be even fuller of heart than heat--and she is smokin'--and immersing you in his disappointment with his caring-but-clueless parents. Frankie's voice supplies a fresh and original twist to a timeless teenage tale.

I read the book straight through--couldn't put it down! I loved the realistic dialogue exchanges between Frankie and Zach. What a fun-loving pair of nerds with explosives. (And how refreshing that no one thought they'd blow up the school...on purpose anyway.) These loyal friends could've easily been plucked from my Midwestern classroom (or my husband's friends for that matter). The authentic portrayal of their friendship may be my favorite feature, of many favorite features, of the novel. When Zach comes to Frankie's aid despite his anger, it's such a heart-warming and true moment.

I was particularly struck by the difficulty the boys have in negotiating the social scene and the "masks" so many young men feel pressured to wear to gain respect. In the characters Steve, Frankie's popular older brother, and Flaco, the leader of the local cholos, Mr. Voorhees captures that "tough guise" aspect of male culture, to quote Jackson Katz, and all its complexities exactly right. Working at his parents' restaurant, Frankie discovers an alternative to the allure of the gang in his brother's best friend--and Flaco's cousin--Cheo. Which role model will he choose to follow?

Such a funny and moving story, it had a very strong emotional impact on me. Saturated with details of New Mexican flavors and landscapes and packed with action--on the soccer field, on the school campus, at the local mini-golf, and even a certain vehicle's back seat--The Brothers Torres has universal appeal beyond YA lit. It speaks to that lost and searching sixteen-year-old soul within all of us. Frankie discovers important truths about courage, forgiveness, and tolerance as his childish illusions are shattered by harsh economic realities in their small town of Borges.

A treat as tasty as one of Mrs. Towers' stuffed sopaipillas, you oughta snap up this extraordinary coming-of-age novel and devour it! And somebody smart oughta snap up the film rights.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars what a cool book!, May 6, 2008

By 

Regular Reader "N" (west coast) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Brothers Torres (Hardcover)

I confess: Playing with explosives and fire ants isn't exactly my thing. But this novel does a wonderful job of telling you about some young men with a penchant for such mischief, and you will find yourself not only liking them, but also wishing that messing around with firecrackers was the extent of their problems. Unfortunately, things are more serious than that in the run-down New Mexico town of Borges, and the story that Voorhees has crafted is textured, thoughtful, and suspenseful. It might be a bit much for children under, say, 14, but for anyone 15 and up, this book is great!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Voorhees and The Brothers T are on fire, May 5, 2008

By 

The Next Big Reading Thing (Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Brothers Torres (Hardcover)

A fabulous read whether you're 17 or 47! Really, I can't remember the last time I read a book in 2 days. Nor can I remember the last time I read a book that so perceptively brought me into the mind of a teenager, and in many ways into the mind of the teenager each of us has been and still might be from time to time. Voorhees' prose sails, his dialogue is fat-free and witty, and his depiction of the American southwest is pitch perfect. Reading this book will make you lose respect for the publishing industry marketing people who pigeonhole books in categories like "young adult books," but you won't spend too much time feeling peeved because you will love the story of Frankie Towers and will feel lucky to have found a fresh new author.