Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

When ten-year-old Junior's father buys his family their dream house, it turns out they will have to live in the subterráneo, the unfinished, one-room basement, and rent out the house to "gringos" until some of the debt is paid off. Junior's father is a Puerto Rican immigrant, his mother Mexican, and moving from a tenement in the predominantly Chicano area of El Paso, Texas, to a tree-lined Anglo neighborhood proves an adjustment for the entire family. Flores writes authentically and expressively about the experiences of Junior, his younger brother, Rafa, and close friend Boogey, whose days of carefree play and friendship are encroached upon by the black clouds of poverty, prejudice, and violent tragedy. Though the historical setting (details indicate the 1950s) and the viewpoint at times suggest an adult memoir, Flores skillfully creates a well-paced, realistic flow of events without overdramatizing, with events seamlessly overlapping and interweaving just as they do in real life. Spanish phrases (along with some fairly harsh street slang) are integrated throughout the story and later explained in a glossary organized by phrase. While it recognizes the darker side of life, this is ultimately a hopeful story that will be especially appealing to readers who have enjoyed Cisneros' The House on Mango Street or Jiménez's Breaking Through (BCCB 2/02) and who are ready for a slightly more mature tale.