The Last Summer of the Death Warriors

Gr 9 Up—Pancho, 17, has been sent to live in an orphanage for boys. His older, "simple-minded" sister, Rosa, was recently found dead in a motel room. The coroner ruled that she died from unknown causes, and the police dismissed any foul play, but Pancho believes Rosa's boyfriend is responsible. The teen has one goal: to find the murderer and avenge her death. While at the orphanage, he meets D.Q., who is battling a rare form of cancer. D.Q. has goals, too: survive long enough to finish writing the Death Warrior manifesto, which is about "loving life at all times and in all circumstances," and to convince Pancho to embrace the Death Warrior philosophy. The two young men embark on a series of adventures, each with his own agenda, but in the end, both are changed for the better. Francisco X. Stork's novel (Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine Books, 2010) deals tenderly, yet realistically, with some of life's tragedies. Threads of witty sarcasm and young love bind this tale of an unlikely friendship into a believable story male teens will enjoy. The plot slants towards suspense, but never quite achieves it. While the main characters are well-developed, Ryan Gessel's dry, raspy monotone narration drones on and offers little variation. A great story line with a struggling audio track.—Cheryl Preisendorfer, Twinsburg City Schools, OH