Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish by Pablo Cartaya (review)

Marcus stands out in a crowd—literally, since his height and mustache shadow suggest that he’s far older than the eighth-grader he is. Unfortunately, that seeming maturity doesn’t protect him from the likes of Stephen Hobert, a Teflon-coated bully with influential parents and insider knowledge of just which of Marcus’ buttons to push. When Stephen calls Marcus’s brother Charlie, an able, affable kid with Down Syndrome, the “r- word,” Marcus bloodies Stephen’s nose and takes the lion’s share of official blame. That’s when Mom calls a time out, and using her airline perks, takes the boys to Puerto Rico while Marcus is on suspension. Marcus recognizes this as his single best opportunity to find out about the father who abandoned them, and although his many paternal relatives, who are on great terms with Mom, are willing to help track him down, all tactfully imply that Dad’s an unreliable chancer who leaves a trail of frustration and disappointment wherever he goes. Although the core plot is well worn, Marcus’ relationship with Charlie is a convincing meld of fraternal devotion and trash talk, with Charlie himself frequently upstaging his older brother. Cartaya’s easygoing mashup of English and Spanish (and a touch of German) dialogue tosses in a couple of direct translations but generally allows readers to navigate with context clues, sharing Marcus’ own linguistic experience. The relatives are right—Dad is a loser—but the extended family reunion is a rousing success that readers will be happy to share.