If you’ve read the book Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon, and read John Grisham, you’ll know exactly what I mean when I describe Marcelo in the Real World (March 2009, Arthur A. Levine Books) as the two meeting. You’ll know you’re getting an inside look at a unique main character crossed with the legal world. And you’ll know you’re getting quality writing.
Okay, so if you haven’t read either, you probably need more info. This book takes you on a journey from Marcelo’s protected world of his special school out into the real world of his father’s law firm. You get a view of Marcelo right from page one with these opening lines that Francisco X. Stork wrote:
I lift up my thumb. It means that I am ready.
Marcelo sees the world differently than most. He has his own internal music. He refers to himself in the 3rd person. He doesn’t quite get what many in the “real” world get. But he definitely gets the important things in life. I don’t want to spoil the story with specifics, but there’s jealousy, love, betrayal, dishonesty, understanding. I like the book a lot!
This is the 3rd book written by Francisco X. Stork. Read about his other books on his website. You can also read his bio and his journal there.
Blake in Flash Burnout (Houghton Mifflin, 2009) makes me laugh. And since he plans to be a comedian when he grows up, each day Blake counts the number of times he makes people laugh. Shannon, a total babe, is his girlfriend. Marissa is a friend and fellow photographer. Then he shows Marissa a photo of a homeless woman and it’s her mother. He ends up getting involved with Marissa and her problems, which causes jealousy for Shannon.