DIAMOND PARK

Two teenagers drive from Texas to Mexico to find a murderer and clear their friend’s name.

High school senior Flaco is frustrated with his family and still mourning the death of his cousin, who joined the Army and was killed by the Taliban. Skipping school to help buddy Magaña buy a 1959 Chevy Impala convertible doesn’t seem like a big deal. Their friend Tiny joins them, and Flaco is excited when longtime crush Susi asks to tag along too—but things go horribly awry. During the transaction over the car, the boys are separated from Susi, a man ends up dead, and Susi is accused of murder. The Mexican American teens experience racism in the criminal justice and immigration systems when it becomes clear that no one—not the police or even her lawyer—will help Susi and when Tiny, who is undocumented, must disappear along with his entire family to avoid arrest and deportation. Flaco and Magaña assume the real killer is Anaconda, a known murderer and coyote. The two boys set out across the border on a desperate mission to kidnap Anaconda, bring him to justice in the United States, and free Susi from jail. A dangerous quest ensues that will keep pages turning. The teens are aided by strokes of luck that sometimes stretch credulity but make for fast-paced, heart-wrenching reading.

Dark, compelling, and surprisingly hopeful.