MARCUS VEGA DOESN'T SPEAK SPANISH

Author Pablo Cartaya's warm narration introduces us to 14-year-old Marcus, who is trying to figure out his place in the world. When his mother takes Marcus and his younger brother, Charlie, to Puerto Rico for a vacation, it's a chance to meet his extended family and, as Marcus sees it, an opportunity to reconnect with his absent father. As Marcus travels around the island experiencing the landscape, food, and people, Cartaya seamlessly transitions between English and Spanish and endears all of the characters to listeners. Cartaya uses a slower, more deliberate delivery for Charlie, who has Down syndrome, and this sets his dialogue apart in a way that print readers would not experience. An author's note acknowledges that the beautiful Puerto Rico depicted is before the devastation of Hurricane Maria. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2018]