Marcelo in the Real World

by FRANCISCO X. STORK

Marcelo Sandoval doesn't think like most people.  He struggles in social situations and can't always read the emotions and motivations of others.  Marcelo has a mild version of autism called Asperger's Syndrome, and although he is an extremely bright and knowledgeable 17 year-old, he just can't function well by himself and has always gone to a special school called Paterson.  There, Marcelo works with the school's ponies, a job he loves.  In fact, he has plans to work all summer with the horses, before his senior year begins.  Unfortunately, Marcelo's father, a high-powered attorney in his own law firm, has other ideas.  He wants Marcelo to work in a place where he will be challenged to learn new skills.  He wants him to work in "the real world," in his law firm's mail room for the summer.  The deal is that if Marcelo is successful in the mail room, he can choose where he wants to go to school for his senior year, instead of going to the local public high school where his father wants him to go.

       

          The person in charge of the mail room is Jasmine, a girl not much older than Marcelo.  She is not happy that Marcelo has been assigned to her, but soon grows to understand and even love Marcelo.  Marcelo is pure of heart, and has had little contact with evil in the world.  If there's anyplace where one can learn fast about evil, it's in a law office.  Marcelo hasn't been there long before he is confronted with mean people, evil situations, and moral challenges.  Jasmine helps him navigate these new waters as much as she can, but Marcelo has to meet many of these challenges on his own.  He has difficult choices to make that could ultimately hurt his father, the law firm, and even himself, but he finally makes the right decisions with admirable courage.  Marcelo in the Real World is a wonderful coming of age story with a unique hero it's impossible not to admire.  This book is on the 2010-2011 Tayshas list.

                  ~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

TEEN, INC. by Stefan Petrucha

For most teens, having two parents to answer to, is more than enough. Just imagine if you had a whole corporation in charge of your life? What if you had to attend board meetings to discuss your dating life? Meet 14 year-old Jaiden Beale, NECorp's adopted "son." When a NECorp product accident killed his parents when he was three weeks old, the company decided to settle 40 million dollars on him and to take care of him until he reaches adulthood. Since Jaiden has no other relatives, he doesn't remember his parents, and the company buys him lots of cool electronic gadgets, Jaiden really has no reason to resist the arrangement. He did have to push his management team to allow him to attend public school after years of private tutors. And the whole power meeting on potential dates was too much to bear, but it was not until he learns from Jenny, a classmate, that NECorp is dangerously polluting the local water supply with mercury, that he starts questioning his loyalty to the company. A series of bizarre incidents and teen pranks follow which lead to NECorp having to clean up its act and Jaiden being faced with some decisions about his future.

Teen, Inc. is an entertaining and highly readable story, but I found it a little confusing. The author couldn't seem to make up his mind if he was writing a comedy or a serious novel about pollution and corrupt business practices. And the basis for the story and several goings-on within the plot just weren't believable. However, Jaiden is a totally normal and likable character, in spite of his strange "home" life, so many students will enjoy reading Teen, Inc. --reviewed by Dail Sams