Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish

Pablo Cartaya — 2019

One boy's search for his father leads him to Puerto Rico in this moving middle-grade novel, for fans of Ghost and See You in the Cosmos. Marcus Vega is six feet tall, 180 pounds, and the owner of a premature mustache. When you look like this and you're only in the eighth grade, you're both a threat and a target. After a fight at school leaves Marcus facing suspension, Marcus's mom decides it's time for a change of environment. She takes Marcus and his younger brother to Puerto Rico to spend a week with relatives they don't remember or have never met. But Marcus can't focus knowing that his father--who walked out of their lives ten years ago--is somewhere on the island. So begins Marcus's incredible journey, a series of misadventures that take him all over Puerto Rico in search of his elusive namesake. Marcus doesn't know if he'll ever find his father, but what he ultimately discovers changes his life. And he even learns a bit of Spanish along the way.

Reviews

Izza@m0thermayi

Dec 9, 2022

3.5 stars |

Janna Robinson@jannar30

Mar 28, 2022

Very well written - reads somewhat like a love-story to Puerto Rico and rightfully so. The author beautifully captures the things that make La Isla del Encanta so special! I was married to a PR man and have visited the island many times and reading Marcus' story reminded me of being a gringa seeing and experiencing the island for the first time. A great story of family and choosing our family. I won this book in a giveaway and was given an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

Jeni Enjaian@jenienjaian

Oct 30, 2021

I loved this story. I had a feeling that I would since I absolutely adored "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora." The only dispute I have with the book has to do with the potential expulsion of Marcus. If you don't work in the school system, which I assume that Cartaya does not, you know that a punch in a fight would warrant 3-5 days suspension and that no one can be expelled indefinitely. (There's a lot of case law on this. I know this because I'm currently taking a school law class.) I loved the realness of the characters and the fact that Cartaya does not sugar coat things or give things a fairy tale happy ending but at the same time does not go into too many details and also gives the story a positive resolution. I definitely will recommend this book.

Emily Walker@ewalk

Feb 25, 2022

This book appears on the shelf Green IT

Manuel Steinberg@manuelsteinberg