I was in my favorite indie book store, The Clinton Book Shop, when the manager, Rob, comes in and says, "I'm so glad you're here, I have a book for you to read. You're going to love it!"
He was right. AGAIN! Yep, Rob is my Obi-wan of books. (You can go to a big store with a coupon and pay less, sure, but if you walk into an indie book shop, the chances of you walking out with a great book just went up ten-fold -- just sayin').
I loved The Last Summer of the Death Warrior, but before I get into the nitty gritty, let me tell you a little bit about the story. It's not, as I thought by looking at the cover, about a band of Native American warriors taking a last stand during the summer solstice. Instead, we meet Pancho Sanchez, a 17 year old boy in New Mexico, who is an orphan who was sent to St. Anthony's orphanage to live until his 18th birthday. Pancho's mother died when he was only 5 years old, but his father died only three short months before his sister's untimely death. Only, Pancho believes she was killed, and seeks to avenge his sister's death. At St. Anthony's, Pancho meets D.Q., Daniel Quentin, a chatty boy in a wheelchair who befriends Pancho no questions asked. Well, there are lots of questions D.Q. asks Pancho, but their instant friendship was never one of them.
When D.Q. isn't talking or asking Pancho questions, he is writing in his notebook. He is writing the manifesto of the Death Warrior. The Death Warrior loves life and lives life to the fullest, which means loving to the fullest. The Death Warrior does not hate. The Death Warrior does not kill.
I don't want to give anything away, but oh, how I wish I could quote from the uncorrected proof I have in front of me! (Quoting from readers' copies is a big no-no)
This was a beautifully written story with well developed characters and a message that makes us ALL want to be Death Warriors.
It's not often I come across a YA novel for boys. Yes, girls will love the story too, but since I'm the mom of two boys, I keep my eye out for great books that specifically boys will enjoy as well. I feel like there aren't enough of these books out there. If you want a love story about some hunky immortal mythical creature, you have endless shelves to choose from, but if you want a great story that boys will enjoy, it's slim pickings. The Last Summer of the Death Warrior will not disappoint.
About the Author:
Francisco X. Stork was born in Monterrey, Mexico, and moved to the United States when he was nine. He studied Latin American literature at Harvard before completing a law degree at Colubmia University. Publishers Weekly praised his first novel, The Way of the Jaguar, as "a splendidly intense debut." His second book, Behind the Eyes, was selected as both a Commended title for the Américas Award and a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age.
Francisco works as an attorney for an affordable-housing agency in Massachusetts. He lives near Boston with his wife.
About the Book:
The Last Summer Of The Death Warriors by Francisco X. Stork
Reading level: Young Adult (ages 14 and up)
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic; 1 edition (March 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0545151333
ISBN-13: 978-0545151337
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