Rene Saldana, Jr.
The Whole Sky Full of Stars
Wendy Lamb Books, 2007.

Ages 12+

In this, Rene Saldana’s most recent novel, gambling and dishonesty threaten the unlikely friendship between Barry Esquivel and Alby Alonzo, two very different Mexican-American teenage boys.  Barry is thoughtful, responsible, and deeply concerned for his overworked mother. Alby on the other hand is self-centered and materialistic; and his relationship with his parents is strained.

After coming into the clutches of a thuggish loan shark, Alby needs to get hold of some money fast and hits upon using Barry's boxing prowess as a money-spinner. Acting as his manager, he signs Barry up for a seedy amateur boxing tournament and lies to him about the potential winnings. Barry is a solid boxer, trained well by his father: but his dad had sternly warned him about such unprofessional matches. Barry knows that he could be seriously injured or worse. Although suspicious of Alby’s motives, he accepts his friend’s underhanded proposal in order to earn some money for his mom. When the fight is over and the truth is revealed it threatens to break the pair’s friendship irrevocably.

Young boxing fans may be drawn to this book for the fight scenes, which do pack a punch: yet there is more to this story than boxing. It’s really about the importance of being honest with people, especially with friends and family; and about taking responsibility for your own actions. It’s not a perfect book; some of the dialogue doesn’t feel authentic and there are gaps in the plot.  We don’t know, for example, what has held Barry and Alby’s friendship together for so many years. Saldana also offers almost no detail about the Texas town where the boys live or the school they attend, so it’s hard to imagine the greater context of what is happening to them. Still, the book is emotionally engaging and may draw in some reluctant male readers. Teens who have lost a parent or whose families struggle to get by may also find an empathetic character in Barry.

Jeannine Stronach
September 2007