MUCHACHO

Ozzie Rodriguez delivers the first-person narrative of Eddie Corazon, a high school junior who is coming of age in a rough New Mexico neighborhood. Rodriguez uses tone to portray opposing parts of Eddie's personality. His tenor is bleak and tough in Eddie's dialogues with "bad ass" peers. But Rodriguez shows the reflective, poetic Eddie with a softer, thoughtful tone. Rodriguez's portrayals of minor characters also emphasize the contrasts and conflicts in Eddie's life. Rodriguez gives a powerful portrayal of tough, streetwise Enrique, who urges Eddie's entry into a life of crime. This depiction radically differs from those of Eddie's supporters—his erudite teacher, his gentle mother, and his bright, trusting girlfriend, Lupe—who want him to build more hopeful dreams for the future. S.W. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2009]