Efrain's Secret

Author: Sofia Quintero

Summary: (from here) Ambitious high school senior Efrain Rodriguez dreams of escaping the South Bronx for an Ivy League college like Harvard or Yale. But how is his family going to afford to pay for a prestigious university when Moms has to work insane hours to put food on the table as it is? And Efrain wouldn’t dare ask that good-for-nothing father of his who has traded his family in for younger models. Left with few options, Efrain chooses to do something he never thought he would. He embarks on a double life—honor student by day, drug peddler at night—convinced that by temporarily capitulating to society’s negative expectations of a boy like him, he can eventually defy them.Sofia Quintero makes a stunning debut writing for young adults with this gritty, complex, and real exploration of the life of an urban teen whose attempt to leave one world behind for a better one could cost him everything.

Review: The story is written by a guy's point of view which I've been reading lately although I usually shy away from it. The story was really interesting because of the reality. Efrain was an honest guy who wanted something that was very difficult to attain. He worked hard at school studying, but of course that wasn't enough. So he got into the drug-selling business. His way in was completely real. No outlandish scene or set-up was made and it wasn't "too convenient" or "perfect". He had an old buddy who he talked to throughout the book. It was a natural part of the story. It sounded like a narrative not some unrealistic scenario. That's why I liked it so much.

The slang was perfect. It wasn't overused, but used enough to make sure the reader understood the character and the setting. It was another thing I liked. The author kept it real and the ending worked. Reality. :)

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5