 |
Ray Mundo dreams of escaping the crushing poverty that afflicts his family. Living in a trailer in Nopales, Arizona, on the border between America and Mexico, he suffers the indignities of cheap meals and the growing tension between his parents, while praying (in vain, it seems) for a better life. When a teacher encourages him to enroll in a private school, Ray does so. To his surprise, he's accepted to Luxville Academy, the third-best school in the nation.
An older friend warns him, "You must be perfect at Luxville in order to get into Harvard." And Ray gives his best effort. But while he excels in literature, he struggles with math and fears that his failing grades in calculus will get him expelled from school. He's keen to meet girls, but Luxville has a strict code of conduct, and his occasional missteps (such as using an unauthorized phone and having a girl in his room) nearly get him expelled. When Luxville begins admitting girls as students, Ray is joined by a friend from back home, Michelle, who clearly fancies him. Ray, however, pursues an ill-conceived relationship with the shallow and effervescent Veronika.
One of the better coming-of-age novels released in the past year, Acuna's book beautifully portrays the conundrums of being a teenager gifted with above-average intelligence yet lacking wisdom and experience. Ray is an endearingly relatable hero, and the journey from an impoverished border town to a prestigious private school in the northeast—a land of green fields and perpetual mist—has the air of a fairy tale. As with many boys his age, his treatment of Michelle is less than stellar, and the reader yearns for their reconciliation. This is an honest and frequently funny portrait of youth from a talented author.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review