Buried Onions (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "I knew the mortuary students would get good jobs because my cousin had died recently and my father and two uncles were dead, all of..." (more)
Key Phrases: City College, New England, Top Ramen

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Eddie can always smell onions in the air--the sharp bitter odor of hopelessness and anger that haunts the poor side of Fresno. "I had a theory about those vapors, which were not released by the sun's heat but by a huge onion buried under the city. This onion made us cry. Tears leapt from our eyelashes and stained our faces." Eddie tries to escape from the poverty and gang society that surrounds him by taking vocational classes and staying away from his old "cholos," (gang friends). But when his cousin is killed, his aunt urges him to seek out and punish the murderer. To avoid the pressure building in his neighborhood, Eddie takes a landscaping job in an affluent suburb. But this too goes awry when his boss's truck is stolen while in his care. In the end, with his money gone and a dangerous gang member stalking him, Eddie's only choice is to join the military and hope that they can give him a better future than the one Fresno seems to offer.

There is no tidy closure--certainly no happy ending--to this bleak novel. But that is exactly what gives Buried Onions its strong, acidic flavor. Teens with a low tolerance for any type of pretense will appreciate Gary Soto's honesty in not trying to force a fairy-tale ending. In spare but always striking prose, Soto has written an unrelentingly grim story that teens will savor because it rings true. (Ages 13 and older) --Jennifer Hubert

From Publishers Weekly

This bleak, claustrophobic novel perfectly captures the cyclical despair of its [19-year-old, Hispanic protagonist], said PW; Soto leaves this bitter street tale unsweetened to the end. Ages 12-up.
-, said PW; Soto leaves this bitter street tale unsweetened to the end. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1st edition (September 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152013334
• ISBN-13: 978-0152013332
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,140,395 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE TEENAGE TIMES, THEY ARE A-CHANGING, August 22, 2001

By	Gypsychick "gypsychick" (miami, fl USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buried Onions (Paperback)

The times have changed from when those of us went to elementary and middle school (junior high) back in the sixties and seventies and were assigned certain books for reading and discussing. Although there are many "classics" assigned for literature readers of the same age in this new era, the world of teenage books truly screams out for stories that are more timely. I believe it is through literature teenagers can come to see other cultures, other lives, and other situations more than if we keep waving newspapers in front of their faces. Literature sings a new song, and if the song is well written, the mind can dance to it. Buried Onions is such a novel. My son was assigned it as summer reading and he was so absorbed in it, I decided to read it myself. It is timely. Soto brings the character of Eddie to life by revealing both his small rays of hope and his overpowering sense of hopelessness to the reader. The struggle he faces to remove himself from the violent gang environment and into vocational school and eventually a job. His best efforts fail due to outside influences and he must make a decision which will chart the course for the rest of his life. The ending of the book, revealed above in the canned review, I feel is deliberate, much like the ending of "The Giver." The reader was pointedly forced into wondering what really happened after the book was closed. What a great hook to make someone think. Even more than Eddie's story, the ending opens up wonderful opportunities to discuss the story and the different avenues Eddie's life may have taken AFTER the conclusion in the book. It's a different age, a different time in history and while it's wonderful to revisit the classics, it is vital young people have the opportunity to delve into some of the very real issues all kids are facing. If your kid has this as an option on a reading list, encourage them to choose it. They (and you) will be engrossed and it's an excellent jumping off point to discuss life choices.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brown is a favorite target, November 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Buried Onions (Paperback)

I think the book Buried Onions is a good one. I recommend this book to all teeagers. Gary Soto tells you what a Mexicano or Chicano have to live just because our skin is brown. I was raised in the town of Cicero and I know how living in the street is, I know that any day my life could be taken away. But, that is the risk I have to take when I am out there with my home boys. I also have to look out for the police because brown is one of their favorite targets to arrest or beat up. Life in my town is like Fresno. Some of the gangs are small, but there are some crazy home boys that just don't care if they take a life or two. Life is nothing easy, but you have to learn how to live it. Some times you have to throw down to get your respect, and sometimes you have to steal to survive, but that is life. Most of my home boys are drop outs and some didn't even start high school, but everybody chooses their own way of living. Some have jobs, but not careers. Some are professional thieves. I liked the way this book mixed Spanish and English together, that is the way I was raised and my homeboys, too. I liked that the book is written in realistic language. I liked the way the book ended. Sometimes that is the best thing to do, fly away with the wind.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars How Eddie and I are Alike., October 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Buried Onions (Paperback)

I started to like the book from the begining. I liked the way Gary Soto wrote Eddie's {the main character} feelings. I liked how short it was, and the way he mixes with Spanish and the English.I like the way Eddie tries to keep his nose out of trouble, but bad things happen to him anyway. Sometimes, it is not his fault.That happens to kids like me, too. Onions to Eddie might be the ghosts of family and friends and he sees them when it's hot out and it's just get done raining, the steam rises from the ground. I liked the way he got a job rather than get into a gang. But when he was so tired he said "I forced myself, pushed on the pedal, because like that red ant, I had top come home with my own crumbs."I think teenagers should read about this book and think about this book."