A second chance on earth

Sixteen-year-old Marcos' papi is dead at 44, crushed in a motorcycle accident. Now the Colombian American teen finds himself en route, with his mother and sister, to Cartagena to scatter Papi's ashes. Once there, their taxi driver, 18-year-old Camilo, offers to give him a tour of the city. Reluctantly, Marcos' mother agrees, and off they go. The two bond after discovering they both love Gabriel García Márquez's classic novel One Hundred Years of Solitude, which was also Papi's favorite book--a book, Marcos writes in his first-person voice, that "KO'[s] you Iron Mike Tyson style." As Marcos gets to know Camilo, Marcos discovers commonalities with the other boy: "a darkness inside . . . his sense of humor . . . his choice of books and songs." And he discovers Camilo is a storyteller like Márquez: "listening to him is like getting drunk in a maze." Vidal himself is a talented storyteller, as he demonstrates in this sometimes poignant, accomplished novel in verse. To read it is an implicit invitation to read Márquez. RSVP "yes."

Sixteen-year-old Marcos Cadena's world is split in two when his father is killed in a motorcycle accident. One month after the incident, his mother suggests that their family scatter Papi's ashes in his beloved hometown of Cartagena, Colombia; she hopes that the change of scenery and the opportunity to pay their respects will have a positive effect on Marcos. Upon arrival, Marcos meets Camilo, a young taxi driver who shares his love for the author of Papi's favorite book, One Hundred Years of Solitude, and offers to show him around the city. Expressing caution, his mother allows Marcos to explore Cartagena with charismatic Camilo, who tells Marcos more about Gabriel García Márquez as well as the "slums" of Camilo's own childhood. But when Marcos learns a dangerous secret about Camilo that could endanger them both, he must reckon with whether some actions are unforgivable. Through affecting verse, Vidal (Rap Dad, for adults) deftly examines themes of friendship, masculinity, grief, and redemption. The richly detailed Colombian background of this poignant exploration of the death of a parent is as alive and vibrant as its narrator. Ages 14--up. Agent: Alex Slater, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. (Sept.)