Customer Reviews

Mexican WhiteBoy

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I am not a boy, I am not Mexican and I am no longer a teenager but I could relate to Danny. More than that I cared what happened to him. As I turned the pages I was angry with him, disconnected, in pain or feeling his triumphs. And that is just on Danny, what about Senior. I couldn't be farther from Senior when you compare our stats but when his words were on the page I would read and reread them feeling the need to absorb. I can't say enough about this book. Mexican White Boy is a brilliant piece of writing.

One of the most crucial thematic moments in "Mexican WhiteBoy," Matt de la Peña's new novel about a half-white, half-Mexican teenager struggling with his identity, happens when the father of his best friend, Uno, discusses poverty: "It's people who wander into your city, Uno. They the only ones who could see your life for what it is. National City, boy. Ain't but a forgotten slice of America's finest city. And you know what's on the tip of all y'all's tongues? Each and every one of y'all?"

The word he is getting at is "money," or some variation thereof, and the setting for his sermon is San Diego County, one of America's many cultural conundrums, where well-to-do whites inhabit plush beachfront property just miles from the border with impoverished Tijuana. De la Peña explored poverty in his previous book, "Ball Don't Lie," but this time he probes deeper, suggesting that the forces that divide us are far more complicated than class and race combined. Instead, all Americans reside on a hazy border between confusion and self-realization.

Raised by his white mother but sent to live with his father's Mexican family for the summer, title character Danny is caught between two worlds and two identities. At his upscale prep school where he was cut from the baseball team - because, in spite of his powerful pitching arm, he tends to choke on the mound - he is a "lowly" Mexican. But here, in a poor Hispanic neighborhood, he's a white boy with a brilliant mind (though he rarely speaks it) and a bright future.

During his stay, Danny befriends Uno, whose father is black and whose mother is Mexican. Both boys long for their fathers. Danny's is supposedly in Mexico; Uno's is a few hours north in Oxnard. The two boys bond as they hustle other kids on the baseball field, wagering that Danny can strike them out, in order to raise money so Uno can go live with his father. From his relationship with his wisecracking cousin, Sophia (herself on the border between tomboy adolescence and full-fledged womanhood), to his clumsy courtship of a pretty Mexican girl, conspicuously and plausibly named Liberty, who barely speaks English (Danny only knows a few words of Spanish), Danny is a tried young man, defined differently by each encounter but unable to find a suitable definition for himself.

De la Peña's prose has the feel of Danny's pitches - swift, steady, and fierce on impact - and the story hurtles unflinchingly toward a fastball finish, with a chilling suicide attempt after Danny learns his father is not in Mexico, but in a nearby prison, and a final showdown with the star batter from his prep school's baseball team. The story ends with the end of summer, with new hopes on the horizon but nothing fully resolved. In that, De la Peña captures the bittersweet transience of youth. Everything lies ahead, and yet the heart yearns to hold on to the here and now.

"Mexican WhiteBoy" feels particularly relevant in a year when America has elected its first biracial president. While the book's title may at first sound like a playful take on an issue made quaint by performance artists and standup comedians, upon closer examination it speaks to the inherent contradictions of pinpointing race at a time when identity is anything but fixed. Like Danny's, the president-elect's narrative contains humble beginnings, an absent father, a star athlete, and a compassionate sense of responsibility to his family's sacrifices, which is often the seed of greatness. And like the latter, "Mexican WhiteBoy" paints a complex portrait of a new America, yet to be defined but impossible to dismiss.

The great strength of the story is the relationship between Danny and Uno, two kids who start out as rivals and end up the best of friends. The author does an excellent job of telling each of their stories, of presenting them in a way that lets me understand the issues they face, even though I come from an entirely different background. The story is extremely entertaining and well-paced, often combining moments of laugh-out-loud comedy with traces of melancholy and even sadness. Whether you're a baseball fan or not, you'll enjoy the story of these two kids as they navigate the pitfalls of teenage life, cope with family issues, and listen to the preaching of Uno's hilarious (and at times insightful) father, Senior.

MEXICAN WHITEBOY is a gripping read that feeds off the depth and magnetism of its characters, the grit and strength of its writing, and its bold and risky themes. De la Pena has drawn a two-perspective portrait of what it means to encompass racial duality and the desire to define ones identity. As the follow-up to his break-out debut hit, BALL DON'T LIE, de la Pena does not disappoint. His ability to write with confidence in urban prose proves he's no poser and his obvious natural ability to draw unique and fascinating characters makes this book relatable to any reader of any age. MEXICAN WHITEBOY dares readers to take a look at the harder, more complex and literary side of "YA" and its edge is certain to cut deep and stay with you long after you're done.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were dynamic and you really got a good idea of their viewpoints. I thought the ending was perfect and really touching.

This is a great, sweet, funny story about friendship and love set in gritty National City, San Diego. Danny is half Mexican and half white, as the title implies, and he doesn't know where that leaves him in terms of fitting in. Eventual friend Uno is in a similar boat. This is a top-notch exploration of bi-racial space by the author of Ball Don't Lie. Highly recommend it!

Excellent condition and price! Great book have read it twice and loaned it to at least three people to read.