Ann Philips (Children's Literature)
Saenz writes with controlled authority, great affection for his characters, and an exceptional ear for the teen voice. It is 1968, and the nation's youth are revolting against the Viet Nam war. Sammy, the honorable hero, is determined to graduate from high school and go on to college. He is in love with Juliana, a charismatic but inaccessible girl toughened by her father's hate. In the barrio of Hollywood, New Mexico, Chicano adolescents Sammy, Juliana, Rene, Angel, and Gigi contend with a strict school administration which expects little from them academically. Straining against the bonds imposed not by his gentle father, but by religion, his conscience, and school, Sammy defines and redefines himself, seeking peace after Juliana dies. Protective of his friends, he gradually emerges from despair to rescue Rene from drug abuse and promote Gigi's dream. He achieves a small epiphany when he speaks truth to power, joining a protest at school and confronting the priest who demeaned him. Sammy's neighbor Mrs. Apodaca embodies the community's strong Catholic faith and social sanctions. Her moral prescripts are a constant refrain in Sammy's ears. Tempered by his losses and a perceptive, loving nature, Sammy eventually comes to appreciate Mrs. Apodaca. Neither of them is willing to wear a disguise in life. Readers will ease into the bilingual culture of this entertaining, profoundly loving and affecting book. The teen dialogue is liberally seasoned with obscenities, but sexual scenes are rare and modest. Saenz calls himself a "fronterizo," a person of the border, and gifts the reader with his deep understanding of the shifting boundaries between cultures, between transgression and redemption, between despair and affirmation. Highly recommended. 2004, Cinco Puntos Press, $19.95. Ages 14 up.

Kathleen Isaacs (Children's Literature)
Growing up in a barrio in small town New Mexico is an endless series of losses for Sammy Santos--a mother to illness; a girlfriend to a father’s anger; high school friends to Viet Nam, drugs, and exile; and plans to the accidents of life. But somehow Sammy survives the sixties with his sense of self and ability to love intact. This is a moving and convincing description of the confusions of the sixties, combined with the difficulties of growing up Mexican-American and poor. Sammy is a hard-working, intelligent, quiet kid who--like his father--is learning not to be afraid to show his love. His becoming a leader is accidental and right. It is one of the best Viet Nam era novels for this age I have read. The love story, though over rather early in the book, is very sweet. I particularly liked the relationship between Sammy and his father. We do not often see books for this age where kids genuinely respect and love their parents. 2004, Cinco Puntos Press, $19.95. Ages 14 up.

CCBC (Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices, 2005)
Sammy is a Chicano teen living in a barrio in New Mexico called Hollywood, the irony of which is never far from the surface of a novel about Sammy and his friends, and how they make the transition from boys to men during an exceptionally trying time in U.S. history. The story is set in 1969, and the Vietnam War always looms as a threat, while racism and the violence and poverty in his neighborhood define Sammy’s daily life. When Juliana, the love of Sammy’s life, is brutally killed by her father, the loss triggers painful memories of Sammy’s mother’s death years earlier. Both women have strong, positive influences on Sammy even after their deaths. He is also buoyed by a positive, caring father and sister and motivated by a genuine interest in doing the right thing according to his Catholic faith. His religious journey is authentic, full of questions that are never answered. Instead, the world sends him mixed and confusing messages about his potential and who his friends are. Sammy is smart—the other kids call him The Librarian—but he faces constant reminders that he is a spic, “an animal,” and destined to end up right where he is. While the graphic violence and strong language make this a book for older readers, none of the content is gratuitous. Rather, it is indicative of the anger and oppression Sammy and his friends feel. One by one Sammy’s friends are taken from him, through death, the draft, and painful family decisions. There are several delightfully hateful adults, including a priest and a teacher who give Sammy plenty of opportunities to learn to rely on himself and his family. While the many deaths are depressing, the ultimate message is how hope and memory combine to free even the most tormented soul. Readers who speak Spanish will enjoy the juxtaposition of two languages throughout the novel. CCBC categories: Fiction for Young Adults. 2004, Cinco Puntos Press, 291 pages, $16.95. Ages 15-18.

Timnah Card (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, September 2004 (Vol. 58, No. 1))
Sammy Santos is a warmhearted and thoughtful young man who willingly embraces his dad in front of friends, misses his dead mother, and reads bedtime stories to his little sister. However, Sammy also sees his girlfriend Juliana murdered by her father, and he struggles to survive as friends from his New Mexico neighborhood (ironically named Hollywood) are killed in Viet Nam, viciously beaten by a homophobic gang, and destroyed by a drug overdose. Juliana provides a focal point for Sammy's mourning for the individual people he's lost and also for the continual crushing of all Mexicana. Sammy's first-person narration, observant and self-aware, affords a window into a world of quiet despair and stubborn hope, set appropriately against the backdrop of late-1960s social ferment. Agile transitioning between Spanish and English eases readers into Sammy's own hyphenated world, where rights, wrongs, and individuals cannot be easily lumped into discrete black and white. A few triumphs lighten the gloom--Sammy organizes a successful campaign to elect a Hispanic to the student council, leads a student strike that changes the dress code, and gets accepted to all eight of the universities to which he applies. His message is one of victory through endurance rather than escape, as Sammy finds ways to define himself and maintain his loyalties while circumstances prevent him from leaving the barrio. Even readers far removed from the poverty and prejudice that define his world will see this facet of the Mexican-American experience with empathy through Sammy's eyes. (Reviewed from galleys) Review Code: R* -- Denotes books of special distinction. (c) Copyright 2004, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2004, Cinco Puntos, 294p, $16.95. Grades 9-12.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2005)
Looking back at his teenage years in a New Mexican barrio called Hollywood, Sammy recalls his ill-fated romance with the tragic Juliana, the death of a friend in Vietnam, and the impact of social changes on his school life and friendships during the late 1960s. Written in a poetic first-person voice that incorporates some Spanish into the narrative, Sammy's story of love, loss, and strong family ties is hard to forget. Category: Older Fiction. 2004, Cinco, 295pp, 18.95. Ages 12 to 14. Rating: 3: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration.

Delia A. Culberson (VOYA, December 2004 (Vol. 27, No. 5))
Sixteen-year-old Sammy Santos talks candidly about his affection for his father and younger sister, his high school buddies, his neighborhood, his hopes for the future, and his deep devotion for his girlfriend, Juliana Rios, in this intricate and moving story about life, love, and loss in a modest barrio in east Las Cruces, New Mexico, ironically named Hollywood. Although Sammy is devastated when Juliana and her siblings are murdered by her crazed father, her luminous memory shines brightly in Sammy's heart, sustains him, and suffuses this sensitive tale with a sweet poignancy. That this surprisingly mature young man handles the many hardships and heartaches that fate throws his way makes for absorbing and uplifting reading. Sènz, a fine storyteller, has made sure that the language, characters, and circumstances ring true, and although the Chicano and English street slangs are often crude and the Spanish terms are seldom translated, Sammy's intrinsic goodness, loyalty, and generosity of spirit make it an illuminating and edifying story. Older teens will find it emotional, a literary roller coaster. Young adult librarians should certainly consider this purchase, especially if there is a large bilingual readership. VOYA CODES: 4Q 2P S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2004, Cinco Puntos Press, 294p., $18.95. Ages 15 to 18.