Azael
wakes up behind bars and he can’t remember why he’s there. He narrates
his days and memories in alternating short chapters following the same
structural format as Angela Johnson’s The First Part Last.
The reader visits scenes from Azael’s past in Houston, Texas, as a
Salvadoran middle schooler who joins a local group of MS-13 boys.
Piecing together these memories, the reader tries, along with Azael, to
piece together the reasons for his current status as a detainee, and
the reasons for his bizarre participation in a therapeutic program
which allows him to watch another detainee through one-way glass. The
powerful ending will leave incarcerated teen readers with much to
consider. A strong pick for bilingual older male teens asking for an
independent reading novel in incarcerated settings. The text contains
numerous untranslated phrases in Spanish. Fans of the Outsiders may also enjoy this new title. --Jessica Fenster-Sparber
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