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Pig Park
It's crazy! Fifteen-year-old Masi Burciaga hauls bricks to help build a giant pyramid in her neighborhood park. Her neighborhood is becoming more of a ghost town each day since the lard company moved away. Even her school closed down. Her family's bakery and the other surviving businesses may soon follow. As a last resort, the neighborhood grown-ups enlist all the remaining able-bodied boys and girls into this scheme in hopes of luring visitors. Maybe their neighbors will come back too. But something's not right about the entrepreneur behind it all. And then there's the new boy who came to help. The one with the softest of lips. Pig Park is a contemporary Faustian tale that forces us to look at the desperate lengths people will go to in the name of community--and maybe love.
Claudia Guadalupe Martinez , author of the award-winning The Smell of Old Lady Perfume , has long been distressed about how the global economy is displacing workers and families. Claudia grew up in El Paso, Texas. She and her family now live in Chicago, Illinois.
Claudia Guadalupe Martinez , author of the award-winning The Smell of Old Lady Perfume , has long been distressed about how the global economy is displacing workers and families. Claudia grew up in El Paso, Texas. She and her family now live in Chicago, Illinois.
248 pages, Paperback
First published May 13, 2014
4 people are currently reading
648 people want to read
About the author
Claudia Guadalupe Martinez
8 books31 followersClaudia is the award winning author of The Smell of Old Lady Perfume, Pig Park, Not A Bean, Spirit Untamed: Movie Novel, Still Dreaming, and several books for the educational market. She grew up in sunny El Paso (TX), but now lives and writes in Chicago.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
November 28, 2014
MY REVIEW
Pig Park is not about what it sounds like, pigs. Instead, a fun book about part of a city that had been mostly forgotten about due main company moving elsewhere and the antics of what they are going to do to get noticed.
The other people and the stores in the area along with storyline make this book fun and entertaining.
I am giving this 4.5/5 however it will need to be raised up in the stars to show a five star rating.
free copy for an honest review
Pig Park is not about what it sounds like, pigs. Instead, a fun book about part of a city that had been mostly forgotten about due main company moving elsewhere and the antics of what they are going to do to get noticed.
The other people and the stores in the area along with storyline make this book fun and entertaining.
I am giving this 4.5/5 however it will need to be raised up in the stars to show a five star rating.
free copy for an honest review
May 1, 2016
there's something very charming, kooky and lovely
about Pig Park. i love how martinez incorporates family,
community, friends, and first love feelings into this
delightful read. a wonderful example of #ownvoices
and writing from one's culture that works so well.
about Pig Park. i love how martinez incorporates family,
community, friends, and first love feelings into this
delightful read. a wonderful example of #ownvoices
and writing from one's culture that works so well.
June 12, 2014
For anyone interested in the #weneeddiversebooks campaign, the author gives us a look at a diverse neighborhood in Chicago. The families living in Pig Park include: the Burciagas, Nowaks, Sustaitas, Wongs, Shanchez... The issues ring true. It is a necessary book.
October 24, 2015
This book is very much geared toward young adults, but I confess that I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a step away from my usual reading in that it's realistic fiction rather than fantasy or dystopian, and I probably never would have picked it up, but I won it in a drawing. So glad I did! There's a smidgeon of something that could almost be called a love triangle, but it's so mild and sweet that I'm not going to count it as one.
I enjoyed Masi, and I really felt for her throughout the story. Her interactions with other characters always felt real to me, as did her internal monologue. Also, I loved that her family ran a bakery (who doesn't like to read about cookies and bread?) and were neither losers nor perfect. It was all easy to follow and relatable.
The only downsides I found was that although most of the book was full of beautiful, simple prose, there were times when it fell into short, awkward, sentences in list-like paragraphs. I also found myself doubting the construction of the pyramid. It seemed like things went too smoothly and quickly, and sometimes it was huge, and then other times the kids did things like brush the walls with a sealant in the space of a morning. It seemed like it should have taken days, not to mention scaffolding. I noticed maybe four typos/missing words in the entire novel, which is pretty amazing. These things took me out of the story a few times, but it was nothing to keep me from recommending the book. It's a bit on the pricey side, $6.99, so I recommend reading the sample before you buy. I don't want anyone coming after me for their seven bucks because they bought it on my recommendation and then didn't like it.
Language: Clean.
Sexual Content: Just an innocent crush or two and a little sweet kissing.
Violence: None.
Overall Message/Plot: Wonderful. Messages about working together, learning to understand people who aren't easy to like, perseverance, and taking initiative. The plot sounded strange to me, and put me off of reading it at first, but it makes sense and kept me reading.
Rawhitebooksandmore.weebly.com
I enjoyed Masi, and I really felt for her throughout the story. Her interactions with other characters always felt real to me, as did her internal monologue. Also, I loved that her family ran a bakery (who doesn't like to read about cookies and bread?) and were neither losers nor perfect. It was all easy to follow and relatable.
The only downsides I found was that although most of the book was full of beautiful, simple prose, there were times when it fell into short, awkward, sentences in list-like paragraphs. I also found myself doubting the construction of the pyramid. It seemed like things went too smoothly and quickly, and sometimes it was huge, and then other times the kids did things like brush the walls with a sealant in the space of a morning. It seemed like it should have taken days, not to mention scaffolding. I noticed maybe four typos/missing words in the entire novel, which is pretty amazing. These things took me out of the story a few times, but it was nothing to keep me from recommending the book. It's a bit on the pricey side, $6.99, so I recommend reading the sample before you buy. I don't want anyone coming after me for their seven bucks because they bought it on my recommendation and then didn't like it.
Language: Clean.
Sexual Content: Just an innocent crush or two and a little sweet kissing.
Violence: None.
Overall Message/Plot: Wonderful. Messages about working together, learning to understand people who aren't easy to like, perseverance, and taking initiative. The plot sounded strange to me, and put me off of reading it at first, but it makes sense and kept me reading.
Rawhitebooksandmore.weebly.com
August 18, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. It touches nicely not just on universal issues of growing up, but also on the importance of neighborhood and the off-line networks that surround us. I have a niece who lives in Chicago (the setting of the book) and I think she will really like this book when she is old enough for it. The plots were well woven-together and it all tied up nicely at the end. Also, it made me hungry for marranitos. I'm running out to Bowie Bakery right now.
October 16, 2014
Pig Park takes place in a dying neighbor hood in Chicago, Illinois where during the summer she is 15, Masi watches as her family bakery struggles, her parents separate, and the people in her world take drastic action to save what they know. She also has to struggle with her first love and learn to accept what she can't change. A fun coming-of-age story!
January 13, 2015
Pig Park by Claudia Guadalupe Martinez is the story of how a community in Chicago, worn and struggling with job loss after the lard company that provided income to the town closes down, pulls together to build a pyramid that will potentially help bring people to visit Pig Park. Our protagonist and heroine, Masi Burciaga, takes on the effort of saving her town so that her family and her friends can all remain in Pig Park.
The plot is certainly attention-grabbing, even if its execution leaves quite a bit to be desired. The novel’s pacing is its biggest fault. The reader gets only about a page and a half of setting before being thrust into the conflict, which works in many different novels, but not in one that should be categorized as a literary young adult novel. The reader is immediately introduced to too many “quirky” characters at the town meeting, without yet having really gotten a handle on the protagonist. From then on, readers have to play catch up to keep characters straight as the story progresses. We do not get nearly enough information on any of the characters, either, just a few of their personality traits that border on cliché. In the few paragraphs that are devoted to expanding a bit on Masi’s history, there is a lot of telling as opposed to showing, which is at odds with the rest of the writing style.
The least believable aspect of the novel is how quickly the entire town agrees to build the pyramid, which is a dubious idea to get money for the town at best, and a money pit, at worst. Not a single person brings up some of the more serious concerns that would logically come to mind: where to get building supplies, who will build the pyramid, how the word will get out to the rest of the country, etc. All of these things are taken for granted, making the novel feel false from the very first chapter. It asks for readers to suspend too much of reality, too early on.
Although this is a book about a multicultural town, the author tries much too hard to give it ethnic flavor. This is where the borderline clichés begin. Every character is more of a caricature of a culture than someone believably alive. Even the protagonist is a cookie-cutter “Hispanic”. There is no real depth to this display of ethnicity, either. We get a few Spanish words sprinkled here and there arbitrarily and inconsistently, but the real meat of the different cultures is not there. We get gimmicks imbedded in language, not the real thing.
The novel is categorized as a young adult novel, but the writing feels more like it should be for middle grade. It is overly simplified and the conflicts that teenagers face are not adequately represented. The conflicts are more appropriate to younger readers.
There are many great novels for teens about multicultural communities out there, unfortunately this is not the best selection.
The plot is certainly attention-grabbing, even if its execution leaves quite a bit to be desired. The novel’s pacing is its biggest fault. The reader gets only about a page and a half of setting before being thrust into the conflict, which works in many different novels, but not in one that should be categorized as a literary young adult novel. The reader is immediately introduced to too many “quirky” characters at the town meeting, without yet having really gotten a handle on the protagonist. From then on, readers have to play catch up to keep characters straight as the story progresses. We do not get nearly enough information on any of the characters, either, just a few of their personality traits that border on cliché. In the few paragraphs that are devoted to expanding a bit on Masi’s history, there is a lot of telling as opposed to showing, which is at odds with the rest of the writing style.
The least believable aspect of the novel is how quickly the entire town agrees to build the pyramid, which is a dubious idea to get money for the town at best, and a money pit, at worst. Not a single person brings up some of the more serious concerns that would logically come to mind: where to get building supplies, who will build the pyramid, how the word will get out to the rest of the country, etc. All of these things are taken for granted, making the novel feel false from the very first chapter. It asks for readers to suspend too much of reality, too early on.
Although this is a book about a multicultural town, the author tries much too hard to give it ethnic flavor. This is where the borderline clichés begin. Every character is more of a caricature of a culture than someone believably alive. Even the protagonist is a cookie-cutter “Hispanic”. There is no real depth to this display of ethnicity, either. We get a few Spanish words sprinkled here and there arbitrarily and inconsistently, but the real meat of the different cultures is not there. We get gimmicks imbedded in language, not the real thing.
The novel is categorized as a young adult novel, but the writing feels more like it should be for middle grade. It is overly simplified and the conflicts that teenagers face are not adequately represented. The conflicts are more appropriate to younger readers.
There are many great novels for teens about multicultural communities out there, unfortunately this is not the best selection.
September 22, 2014
Things seem to have gone from bad to worse for the Chicago neighborhood where fifteen-year-old Masi Burciaga lives. After the American Lard Company moves its factory to China, many residents look for jobs elsewhere, and the diverse neighborhood starts to crumble. Masi's parents run a bakery, and like the other small businesses in the area, they are barely holding on. When another local businessman hatches an idea that just might revitalize the area, everyone signs on. Even the teens get involved in constructing a pyramid and refurbishing the area. But what looks too good to be true often is, and Masi's heart is broken when she uncovers the truth behind the plans and the part played by Felix, the boy on whom she is crushing. While the ending might be too good to be true with possibilities rising out of tragedy, it nevertheless leaves us with hope that the good guys will eventually win, and the gem of a neighborhood where Masi lives will rise from the ashes of destruction and thrive. I loved Masi's feisty personality and her reaction to the events around her: her parents' separation, her father's constant baking in an attempt to win back her mother, and her reaction to her first kiss from what, to her, is an exotic new boy. There are so many elements of this book that will make readers think; for instance, the irony of an American product being produced overseas--think severe outsourcing--, the expectation of Belinda that Masi and her friends won't mind dressing in costume to provide an "authentic" cultural experience for the tourists expected to descend on the neighborhood, even sweet foods that may ultimately lead to diabetes as in the case of Masi's mother. Ultimately, the book explores real world issues honestly, leaving readers wanting more just as anyone sampling the Skinny Pigs concocted by Masi's father will return for seconds. The writing sparkles, and the characters are so well drawn that readers will feel as though they are sitting in the next seat over. Read this one, and consider the possibilities for your own neighborhood's hidden treasures.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2020
Pig Park by Claudia Guadalupe Martinez is a coming-of-age story about a 15-year-old girl named Masi Burciaga. Masi has grown up in a small town outside of Chicago. Once this town was bustling with people because of the American Lard Company, who employed a majority of their town but The American Lard Company left, causing their town to disintegrate. Masi’s family business, Burciaga’s Bakery, was one of the businesses left to struggle. Everything seemed to turn around for the community when they decided to create a pyramid in the center of their town. But their plan takes a turn when Dr. Humberto Vadales Casal, the community developer, turns out not to be the man he portrayed himself to be. He is causing the town to fail even more. Masi develops a fixation with a new boy in town who was there to help build the pyramid. The boy turns out to be a close friend and tries to help the community.
While reading, I enjoyed the way Claudia Guadalupe Martinez included specific details about Masi’s Hispanic culture. I especially liked it when she included recipes from the story. My favorite was the recipe for “Dia de los Muertos bread.” I like the inclusion of Masi’s heritage and culture. I found the culture and heritage information to be my favorite part of this book. I was also entertained by the unexpected twist in the end. The twist made the book easy to finish. Although there were parts of the book I enjoyed, I felt as though the book was repetitive. The author kept coming back to the same dilemma in the story, which caused me to lose interest. The book was an easy read with short chapters. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys coming-of-age genre but wants to avoid heavy subject matter.
While reading, I enjoyed the way Claudia Guadalupe Martinez included specific details about Masi’s Hispanic culture. I especially liked it when she included recipes from the story. My favorite was the recipe for “Dia de los Muertos bread.” I like the inclusion of Masi’s heritage and culture. I found the culture and heritage information to be my favorite part of this book. I was also entertained by the unexpected twist in the end. The twist made the book easy to finish. Although there were parts of the book I enjoyed, I felt as though the book was repetitive. The author kept coming back to the same dilemma in the story, which caused me to lose interest. The book was an easy read with short chapters. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys coming-of-age genre but wants to avoid heavy subject matter.
May 25, 2015
Full disclosure: The author was a student of mine in a YA class, and I directed her MA thesis here at UIC in Chicago, and she also has come into my YA class several times as we read her first, award-winning book, The Smell of Old Lady Perfume. That book is sad, and also very funny. That book, focused on a Mexican-American family, was set in El Paso; this one is supposedly a multicultural neighborhood in Chicago, though the main family is largely Hispanic…. and it feels less like race or place is central. The real issue here is the continuing economic crisis for so many people, with no jobs, and increasing despair. This book is hopeful, however, and funny, in the process of exploring its concerns. Pig Park is really about the power of hope and imagination in the worst of times, and your neighborhood is dying and families are threatened. Pig Park is sort of a metaphor for crazy ideas in crazy times. For dreaming big and maybe even finding room for love. And baking as a centrally important metaphor for finding the right ingredients for hope and family and community. This book is also an award-winner, so far The Texas Institute of Letters Best YA.
March 18, 2015
Drop whatever it is you're doing and go out and buy a copy of this book right NOW. Those familiar with my reviews know I'm pretty stingy with the ratings especially when it comes to middle grade reads. Most books fall in the 2-3 star range for me as I have high standards. Pig Park is one of the rare middle grade reads that gets 5 stars joining the ranks of Bud, Not Buddy; Maniac Magee, and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. One of my biggest pet peeves with books is that they tend to ramble - authors don't know how to censor themselves. That's part of the beauty of this book - it's crisp, clean, concise yet descriptive and just well edited. The book touches on themes like community, friendship, first love, perspective, exploitation, morality, family, and values. This book is part Shoeless Joe Jackson Comes to Iowa, part Animal Farm, part Seedfolks, and part Don Quixote. It all comes together in a perfect recipe. It takes you through the pains of growing up and shows the best and worst parts of humanity. Most of all this book will make you long for home and make you want to dream big and have faith that even with life's disappointments everything will work out.
July 29, 2016
Pig Park is a salient fable about the devil in disguise, set in a community facing crises. The author uses vivid characters to engage the reader and draw us into the depths of a plot that turns on us before we realize. We should have known.
Still, the tale transcends community, time, and politic. Pig Park’s Dr. Vidales Casal will remind many a third-world immigrant of the decorated, smug, power-drunk, ray-ban wearing military figures whose men shaped the fates of many a village. In contrast, Masi, the embodiment of youthful optimism, tests the promised goodness of unbridled capitalism. These colorful character threads are weaved and held together by a setting that we are all familiar with-the community park, the local small business, etc.
“….like those who dine well off the plainest dishes, he [Aesop] made use of humble incidents to teach great truths…” - —Philostratus, Life of Apollonius of Tyana, Book V:14
Still, the tale transcends community, time, and politic. Pig Park’s Dr. Vidales Casal will remind many a third-world immigrant of the decorated, smug, power-drunk, ray-ban wearing military figures whose men shaped the fates of many a village. In contrast, Masi, the embodiment of youthful optimism, tests the promised goodness of unbridled capitalism. These colorful character threads are weaved and held together by a setting that we are all familiar with-the community park, the local small business, etc.
“….like those who dine well off the plainest dishes, he [Aesop] made use of humble incidents to teach great truths…” - —Philostratus, Life of Apollonius of Tyana, Book V:14
October 27, 2014
Pig Park brings us the story of a small town on it's last legs, thanks to the main factory closing down. When a developer comes into town with the idea to build a pyramid to attract tourists, towns people chip in to help build it. Martinez skillfully brings together Masi, her friends, and the adult business owners together to build a story of searching for hope, community involvement, and individual growth and self esteem.
The author's characters are well written, especially the main character, Masi, who is smart, likeable, and relatable. Martinez builds into the story Masi's identity as a Mexican American, which is nice to see as there are not too many Mexican American main characters seen in American literature.
***This book was received from the author through a Booklikes giveaway in exchange for an honest review.***
May 6, 2016
The story: Masi's neighborhood is going downhill fast, so when an "expert" comes up with an idea to build a pyramid in the park to bring in tourists, everyone climbs on board. A lot more happens than Masi expects: falling in love, family feuds, and an explosive end to the whole summer. Will Pig Park ever be the same? Masi knows she won't.
June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence G; Sexual content PG; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (parental discord, economic difficulty) PG; overall rating PG.
Liz's comments: Adequate but not great. Still, if you're looking for something to beef up your collection of books that feature main characters who are minorities, it's not terrible either. Worth considering on that hand!
June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence G; Sexual content PG; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (parental discord, economic difficulty) PG; overall rating PG.
Liz's comments: Adequate but not great. Still, if you're looking for something to beef up your collection of books that feature main characters who are minorities, it's not terrible either. Worth considering on that hand!
September 19, 2014
An engaging, uplifiting story about a community working together to revitalize their urban neighborhood. This novel is notable for its well-deined characters, particularly the fifteen-year-old protagonist, who are appealing and relatable.
September 25, 2017
Sometimes I like to read a YA book that doesn't have the theoretical discourse and complexities of some of the other books I more often read. It was a story about a group living in an impoverished state and the difficulties they face. And yet they continue to have hope in what seems to be a hopeless situation. Perhaps whatever the outcome the bonds formed between this diverse group make it a good read.
UMW-Leadership development
UMW-Leadership development
April 21, 2015
I was once told the most epic of books takes place in a small timeframe and that as a writer you shouldn’t try to span years. You should try to confine your story to a smaller pace and Pig Park does that. You are given a snapshot of urban life for a group of Hispanic-Americans in Chicago during one summer. But in that one summer so much changes and grows that no one walks away from this story without being different. At the center of this story is Masi Burciaga, a young woman who lives along with many others in the neighborhood of Pig Park.
One of the first things you immediately discover about this neighborhood is that it’s dying. It’s an epidemic occurring across many urban neighborhoods and small towns in America. One major company would provide the economic lifeblood and because of globalization the company closes its doors, leaving behind the many small businesses it once supported. That is what happens in Pig Park as the American Lard Company has closed its door and crippled the neighborhood as result. The only remnant of those glorious manufacturing days are the rubble and refuse the company left behind.
Of course no one wants to leave the neighborhood even though it seems like that would be the easy thing to do. And I think it was important for the author to show the neighborhood solidify and really add a human element to it. Why? Because far too often the charge thrown at poor, urban minorities by whites is that they should just “leave” or “go where the opportunity is at”. Such an easy thing to say when you don’t have to think about people leaving behind family legacies, best friends, and connections that run decades deep.
That richness spoke to me because I have seen firsthand how bone-headed such statements can be and how it misses the bigger picture. White people can tie themselves to trees to stand their ground, but minorities fighting for their neighborhoods are seen as fighting a pointless battle. Even worse, they’re seen as having brought the economic rot on themselves. I’m glad this point in its quiet way rails against that.
So the crux of this book is the neighborhood trying to save itself and become what it once was. That’s another aspect of the neighborhood I came to love throughout the book. It showed the solidarity of the neighborhood and again, I think that is a quiet railing against a stereotype. Far too often minority neighborhoods are seen as villainous death traps where everyone is against everyone and it’s a Darwinian struggle for survival. Or even worse your perceived solidarity is turned into something dangerous like the fictional Muslim “no-go zones” that supposedly exist. I applaud the author for making a statement about the good nature and true partnership that really exists in these communities.
Masi is right at the forefront, navigating through a potential divorce between her parents, seeming first love and a conspiracy all along the way. Her parents were certainly more fleshed out than I have seen parents be in other young adult novels. They have depth and they’re approached with fairness though I have to admit my personal feelings often left me angry with the Mother throughout the story. Still, in the end I’m glad the author took a route that almost seems atypical when it comes to situations of divorce. Again, I think the author is railing some more with that and I loved it.
Another truism of the young adult novel is the first love and Masi encounters what she believes to be hers. I think the way the relationship of Masi and Felix plays out gives the character of Masi so much more agency than what you typically see in female protagonists dealing with their first real relationships. It never felt like it was trying to push a message other than that a woman has as much and should always have as much say so in the direction of a relationship as a man. A powerful message quietly snuck in there.
The conspiracy Masi uncovers is certainly the sinister element of this book and it makes me wonder if the author is drawing this from some true experience. It certainly strikes me as a completely plausible. The cultural humiliation that one of the antagonists tried to make the kids go through was so painful to read because I could feel their disgust. I was disgusted for them and it made me realize just how seriously members of the Hispanic-American population take their status as Americans. It was something I never really thought about. As a black man, the circles I read and converse in often speak of pulling away from the American part of our identity. So it surprised to see another minority group stand by it so strongly. Definitely a learning experience for me.
So what did I walk away feeling like once this novel was over? I have to say I felt hopeful and proud of the characters in that book. They stood up for what they believed in even when they didn’t have much material reason to anymore. I also high-fived the author in my head for all the moments when resistance against the “white default” was put into the novel. Pig Park is a truer representative of poor urban neighborhoods than any I have read in a long time for that reason. The author creates a neighborhood as it truly exists and not how Fox News would have you believe it exists.
One of the first things you immediately discover about this neighborhood is that it’s dying. It’s an epidemic occurring across many urban neighborhoods and small towns in America. One major company would provide the economic lifeblood and because of globalization the company closes its doors, leaving behind the many small businesses it once supported. That is what happens in Pig Park as the American Lard Company has closed its door and crippled the neighborhood as result. The only remnant of those glorious manufacturing days are the rubble and refuse the company left behind.
Of course no one wants to leave the neighborhood even though it seems like that would be the easy thing to do. And I think it was important for the author to show the neighborhood solidify and really add a human element to it. Why? Because far too often the charge thrown at poor, urban minorities by whites is that they should just “leave” or “go where the opportunity is at”. Such an easy thing to say when you don’t have to think about people leaving behind family legacies, best friends, and connections that run decades deep.
That richness spoke to me because I have seen firsthand how bone-headed such statements can be and how it misses the bigger picture. White people can tie themselves to trees to stand their ground, but minorities fighting for their neighborhoods are seen as fighting a pointless battle. Even worse, they’re seen as having brought the economic rot on themselves. I’m glad this point in its quiet way rails against that.
So the crux of this book is the neighborhood trying to save itself and become what it once was. That’s another aspect of the neighborhood I came to love throughout the book. It showed the solidarity of the neighborhood and again, I think that is a quiet railing against a stereotype. Far too often minority neighborhoods are seen as villainous death traps where everyone is against everyone and it’s a Darwinian struggle for survival. Or even worse your perceived solidarity is turned into something dangerous like the fictional Muslim “no-go zones” that supposedly exist. I applaud the author for making a statement about the good nature and true partnership that really exists in these communities.
Masi is right at the forefront, navigating through a potential divorce between her parents, seeming first love and a conspiracy all along the way. Her parents were certainly more fleshed out than I have seen parents be in other young adult novels. They have depth and they’re approached with fairness though I have to admit my personal feelings often left me angry with the Mother throughout the story. Still, in the end I’m glad the author took a route that almost seems atypical when it comes to situations of divorce. Again, I think the author is railing some more with that and I loved it.
Another truism of the young adult novel is the first love and Masi encounters what she believes to be hers. I think the way the relationship of Masi and Felix plays out gives the character of Masi so much more agency than what you typically see in female protagonists dealing with their first real relationships. It never felt like it was trying to push a message other than that a woman has as much and should always have as much say so in the direction of a relationship as a man. A powerful message quietly snuck in there.
The conspiracy Masi uncovers is certainly the sinister element of this book and it makes me wonder if the author is drawing this from some true experience. It certainly strikes me as a completely plausible. The cultural humiliation that one of the antagonists tried to make the kids go through was so painful to read because I could feel their disgust. I was disgusted for them and it made me realize just how seriously members of the Hispanic-American population take their status as Americans. It was something I never really thought about. As a black man, the circles I read and converse in often speak of pulling away from the American part of our identity. So it surprised to see another minority group stand by it so strongly. Definitely a learning experience for me.
So what did I walk away feeling like once this novel was over? I have to say I felt hopeful and proud of the characters in that book. They stood up for what they believed in even when they didn’t have much material reason to anymore. I also high-fived the author in my head for all the moments when resistance against the “white default” was put into the novel. Pig Park is a truer representative of poor urban neighborhoods than any I have read in a long time for that reason. The author creates a neighborhood as it truly exists and not how Fox News would have you believe it exists.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2017
Decent teen fiction with a hint of mystery and romance.
January 11, 2018
I think the overall story is good and the quality of writing is good. However, the story was slow going and there was a lot of repetition that seemed misplaced.
March 13, 2018
A workable enough first novel in the YA genre with lots of details that set the scenes, but a super deus ex machina conclusion that's about 95% happy kinda strains credibility.
March 29, 2016
I liked it. I initially felt the characters didn't have enough depth. It was too similar to 'This Side of Home' that I'd just read. I felt it was predictable, but good for a young adolescent (5th grade).
1. The representations of language, culture, setting, and relationships were that of a second generation Mexican American teenage girl living in a southwestern, economically struggling suburban community. I think is was accurate, but I do feel like it could've had more depth. Her paternal grandmother spoke Spanish, as did her father and other adults in the community, but language wasn't addressed. The culture was that of a mostly suburban Mexican American community. The setting was a small suburban industrial community that was once flourishing, now struggling financially and looking for a way to survive economically. The relationships were that of dating/crushes teenagers, families (single parent, separated parents) and work, labor and economic power.
2. The characters are fully realized and shown to have agency. Examples of this are the main character (Masi) working with her father and the community to keep the neighborhood economically alive. The novel examines the underlying gentrification through shady real estate deals and the abuse of a culture (selling Mexican food in "Mexican costumes") and Masi's awareness of it all, including her parents separation and reunion (Mom needed space).
3. Difference in constructed in the neighborhood members and the real estate developers/project managers. It was a class and racial difference. To this novel, it meant a great deal for a character's belonging in an unequal world. Masi saw her family business struggling, not only financially, but culturally (there was no need for a bakery). The inequity was in the developer's ideas of what the town "needed" for revival (and were willing to fiscally support), versus what the community truly wanted and tolerated.
4. Material wealth is acknowledged in the story. Masi recounts how her family acquired the business; through sacrifice and labor, and then the death of her grandmother. It was not simply an adventure in entrepenurship with some extra money. The novel tells of how community members sacrificed saved money to contribute to the building of a pyramid in the town square meant to revive its economy, taking a financial risk. It tells of a community being strongly invested in itself.
5. Characters lives and perspectives are interrelated and interdependent to a certain extent. The novel is told by the main character, and every other character is told from her perspective. There are times when I did not enjoy the lack of information when it came to her romance interests involvement with the real estate developers. It would have liked more social action on the teens part. It didn't tell of community members who did not participate in the process of reviving the neighborhood (although it was a small town). It was very much an adult controlled environment, with agency only allowed in their personal lives.
6. Perceptions of difference were transformed in a couple of ways. The main characters mother needing time away for herself, and the impact it had on her and her father was transformative. Her romance interest being involved (to a certain extent) to the manipulation of the neighborhood people. Her changing awareness of relationships, her own romantic interests/crushes, father/mother, and running a business were transformative. The implications for future relations were in her decision to be fully vested in her family business, when initially, she didn't have much hope.
1. The representations of language, culture, setting, and relationships were that of a second generation Mexican American teenage girl living in a southwestern, economically struggling suburban community. I think is was accurate, but I do feel like it could've had more depth. Her paternal grandmother spoke Spanish, as did her father and other adults in the community, but language wasn't addressed. The culture was that of a mostly suburban Mexican American community. The setting was a small suburban industrial community that was once flourishing, now struggling financially and looking for a way to survive economically. The relationships were that of dating/crushes teenagers, families (single parent, separated parents) and work, labor and economic power.
2. The characters are fully realized and shown to have agency. Examples of this are the main character (Masi) working with her father and the community to keep the neighborhood economically alive. The novel examines the underlying gentrification through shady real estate deals and the abuse of a culture (selling Mexican food in "Mexican costumes") and Masi's awareness of it all, including her parents separation and reunion (Mom needed space).
3. Difference in constructed in the neighborhood members and the real estate developers/project managers. It was a class and racial difference. To this novel, it meant a great deal for a character's belonging in an unequal world. Masi saw her family business struggling, not only financially, but culturally (there was no need for a bakery). The inequity was in the developer's ideas of what the town "needed" for revival (and were willing to fiscally support), versus what the community truly wanted and tolerated.
4. Material wealth is acknowledged in the story. Masi recounts how her family acquired the business; through sacrifice and labor, and then the death of her grandmother. It was not simply an adventure in entrepenurship with some extra money. The novel tells of how community members sacrificed saved money to contribute to the building of a pyramid in the town square meant to revive its economy, taking a financial risk. It tells of a community being strongly invested in itself.
5. Characters lives and perspectives are interrelated and interdependent to a certain extent. The novel is told by the main character, and every other character is told from her perspective. There are times when I did not enjoy the lack of information when it came to her romance interests involvement with the real estate developers. It would have liked more social action on the teens part. It didn't tell of community members who did not participate in the process of reviving the neighborhood (although it was a small town). It was very much an adult controlled environment, with agency only allowed in their personal lives.
6. Perceptions of difference were transformed in a couple of ways. The main characters mother needing time away for herself, and the impact it had on her and her father was transformative. Her romance interest being involved (to a certain extent) to the manipulation of the neighborhood people. Her changing awareness of relationships, her own romantic interests/crushes, father/mother, and running a business were transformative. The implications for future relations were in her decision to be fully vested in her family business, when initially, she didn't have much hope.
October 26, 2014
Review Copy: Digital ARC from pubisher
Masi worries about her neighborhood, the family bakery, and her parents too. She has many issues pulling at her emotions, but she is also a young person wanting to enjoy her summer hanging out with friends and maybe even experience a little romance along the way.
Masi looks at the neighborhood revitalization plan as one way to take care of several things. With everyone working together, she gets to spend time with friends and maybe a special someone along with solving her family’s financial problems. She gets behind the plan and works hard at every task she is given. I found it a bit unrealistic that the adults in the neighborhood signed onto the somewhat sketchy plan so quickly, but as a reader, I decided to just believe it anyway.
The book really focuses on community and their willingness to sacrifice and work for the greater good. It also gives a picture of a few people who are willing to say, do and sell anything to get what they want. There is a huge contrast between the two types of characters. There wasn’t a lot of gray area there.
The family bakery was my favorite place in the story. I wanted to spend more time in the kitchen. The descriptions of so many breads and cookies made my mouth water. I was truly hoping to see a recipe for the Ginger Pigs, or marranitos, by the end of the book. They look like gingerbread, though it is molasses that is giving it a distinct flavor and color rather than ginger. Since there was no recipe and they sounded so yummy, I started looking online and found many recipes for this traditional Mexican cookie, so I may still get to try them.
The main character is fifteen and her romantic interests are only a year or two older. Masi is a sweet and innocent girl and her flirtations are also. She and her friends are mostly together only around the community events. We don’t see them interacting much beyond the neighborhood issues so I had less of a sense of who the other teens were. I would classify Pig Park as a young adult book because of the ages, but it is on the younger side. It would be a great title to offer when people are asking for what they often call “clean reads” for teens.
Recommendation: Get it soon if you work with tweens or middle schoolers and want to add some diverse realistic fiction. Otherwise, borrow it someday. Even with financial issues and a potential family split, it is a fairly light and fun look into a unique urban neighborhood.
Originally posted at Rich in Color http://richincolor.com/2014/09/review...
Masi worries about her neighborhood, the family bakery, and her parents too. She has many issues pulling at her emotions, but she is also a young person wanting to enjoy her summer hanging out with friends and maybe even experience a little romance along the way.
Masi looks at the neighborhood revitalization plan as one way to take care of several things. With everyone working together, she gets to spend time with friends and maybe a special someone along with solving her family’s financial problems. She gets behind the plan and works hard at every task she is given. I found it a bit unrealistic that the adults in the neighborhood signed onto the somewhat sketchy plan so quickly, but as a reader, I decided to just believe it anyway.
The book really focuses on community and their willingness to sacrifice and work for the greater good. It also gives a picture of a few people who are willing to say, do and sell anything to get what they want. There is a huge contrast between the two types of characters. There wasn’t a lot of gray area there.
The family bakery was my favorite place in the story. I wanted to spend more time in the kitchen. The descriptions of so many breads and cookies made my mouth water. I was truly hoping to see a recipe for the Ginger Pigs, or marranitos, by the end of the book. They look like gingerbread, though it is molasses that is giving it a distinct flavor and color rather than ginger. Since there was no recipe and they sounded so yummy, I started looking online and found many recipes for this traditional Mexican cookie, so I may still get to try them.
The main character is fifteen and her romantic interests are only a year or two older. Masi is a sweet and innocent girl and her flirtations are also. She and her friends are mostly together only around the community events. We don’t see them interacting much beyond the neighborhood issues so I had less of a sense of who the other teens were. I would classify Pig Park as a young adult book because of the ages, but it is on the younger side. It would be a great title to offer when people are asking for what they often call “clean reads” for teens.
Recommendation: Get it soon if you work with tweens or middle schoolers and want to add some diverse realistic fiction. Otherwise, borrow it someday. Even with financial issues and a potential family split, it is a fairly light and fun look into a unique urban neighborhood.
Originally posted at Rich in Color http://richincolor.com/2014/09/review...
January 15, 2015
I enjoyed reading this YA book and it was a quick read. I'd give it a 3.5.
This is a younger YA book, ages 12-15, which deals with a lot of issues: economic instability, parental separation, community and friendship. The plot is described as "Fifteen-year-old Masi Burciaga's neighborhood is becoming more and more of a ghost town since the lard company moved away. Her school closed down. Her family's bakery and the other surviving businesses may soon follow. As a last resort, the neighborhood grown-ups enlist all the remaining able-bodied boys and girls to haul bricks to help build a giant pyramid in the park in hopes of luring visitors. Maybe their neighbors will come back too. But something's not right about the entrepreneur behind it all."
Although I did enjoy the book, I felt there could have been more character development. When I finished I felt the only character I 'knew,' was the protagonist. Near the end, the characters of Felix and Belinda felt contrived.
The writing is clear, descriptive, and age appropriate. It was refreshing to read about a multiracial community who shared very similar problems and who worked together for a common goal. There is a love interest, very tame but realistic, which was also nice to read given that many current 15-year old characters are often involved in 'heavier' relationships. I'd recommend this book for middle school and early high school readers.
This is a younger YA book, ages 12-15, which deals with a lot of issues: economic instability, parental separation, community and friendship. The plot is described as "Fifteen-year-old Masi Burciaga's neighborhood is becoming more and more of a ghost town since the lard company moved away. Her school closed down. Her family's bakery and the other surviving businesses may soon follow. As a last resort, the neighborhood grown-ups enlist all the remaining able-bodied boys and girls to haul bricks to help build a giant pyramid in the park in hopes of luring visitors. Maybe their neighbors will come back too. But something's not right about the entrepreneur behind it all."
Although I did enjoy the book, I felt there could have been more character development. When I finished I felt the only character I 'knew,' was the protagonist. Near the end, the characters of Felix and Belinda felt contrived.
The writing is clear, descriptive, and age appropriate. It was refreshing to read about a multiracial community who shared very similar problems and who worked together for a common goal. There is a love interest, very tame but realistic, which was also nice to read given that many current 15-year old characters are often involved in 'heavier' relationships. I'd recommend this book for middle school and early high school readers.
October 20, 2014
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
Building a pyramid in a park to save a neighborhood from going out of business is an interesting idea for a story, and I was excited to find out what would happen, would the idea work? I wasn’t expecting the residents of the neighborhood to be as easily convinced by the idea of the pyramid as they turned out to be. I thought there’d be more hesitancy, more questioning of who was involved and what their motives were, but everyone just seemed to go along with it pretty quickly. It felt odd to see a whole group of people that trusting, or maybe naïve, but I guess they were desperate and hopeful this would work out.
There were sections of the book that were a bit slow, where not much happens. You could tell the story was leading up to something, but would it ever get there? Unlike the very gradual procession of the story up to this point, the final part of the story seems to happen all in a rush. A huge event is going on and it’s just kind of glossed over in a page or two. There wasn’t much detail or description of what was happening, which seemed strange and out of place, as the rest of the book focused so much on describing what was going on and how it affected the characters.
Building a pyramid in a park to save a neighborhood from going out of business is an interesting idea for a story, and I was excited to find out what would happen, would the idea work? I wasn’t expecting the residents of the neighborhood to be as easily convinced by the idea of the pyramid as they turned out to be. I thought there’d be more hesitancy, more questioning of who was involved and what their motives were, but everyone just seemed to go along with it pretty quickly. It felt odd to see a whole group of people that trusting, or maybe naïve, but I guess they were desperate and hopeful this would work out.
There were sections of the book that were a bit slow, where not much happens. You could tell the story was leading up to something, but would it ever get there? Unlike the very gradual procession of the story up to this point, the final part of the story seems to happen all in a rush. A huge event is going on and it’s just kind of glossed over in a page or two. There wasn’t much detail or description of what was happening, which seemed strange and out of place, as the rest of the book focused so much on describing what was going on and how it affected the characters.
February 8, 2016
This was okay but rather disjointed. It would have almost been better in a journal/diary format.
*Spoilers*
This may have been the author's attempt to mimic the rapid-fire and quickly attention-shifting mind of a 15 year old but there were many things going on (town building pyramid, Masi wanting to be near her friend, crushing on her friend's brother, crushing on new guy, worried about bakery, worried about parents, then her mom leaving to stay with grandparents and having diabetes and the father trying to win her back. Whew! It was a lot going on and often it felt like a few lines or even pages were missing to connect some of Masi's thoughts and actions but it was still a decent read and might be interesting to suggest to kids who enjoyed the book "The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place"
FTC Disclosure: The Publisher provided me with a copy of this book to provide an honest review. No goody bags, sponsorship, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
*Spoilers*
This may have been the author's attempt to mimic the rapid-fire and quickly attention-shifting mind of a 15 year old but there were many things going on (town building pyramid, Masi wanting to be near her friend, crushing on her friend's brother, crushing on new guy, worried about bakery, worried about parents, then her mom leaving to stay with grandparents and having diabetes and the father trying to win her back. Whew! It was a lot going on and often it felt like a few lines or even pages were missing to connect some of Masi's thoughts and actions but it was still a decent read and might be interesting to suggest to kids who enjoyed the book "The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place"
FTC Disclosure: The Publisher provided me with a copy of this book to provide an honest review. No goody bags, sponsorship, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
February 9, 2015
Cinco Puntos Press is a publishing company that needs a lot more recognition for its diverse settings and multicultural perspectives. In this novel, fifteen-year-old Masi is trying to reinvigorate her dying neighborhood of Pig Park (named so because of its industrial lard company) by agreeing to build a pyramid with her friends. Amidst the convergence of community pride, Masi's mother leaves Chicago for Texas where she is diagnosed with diabetes, and her father has to stay and keep the family bakery afloat. Masi is soon entangled with a young man named Felix who is interested in rebuilding the neighborhood, and her attention from the pyramid and her family is easily swayed. Martinez writes dynamic characterizations and a genuine feeling of community improvement for a community not unlike many we see every day. Reviewscomingatya.blogspot.com.
December 5, 2015
When I received this book as a birthday present, I wasn't too sure what to think - but Masi's voice is one I don't hear too often, and it was well worth seeing this to the end. The basic premise was great, as well as the themes juggled in this book (economic insecurity, globalization (?) and how the loss of a major company can almost shutter an entire neighborhood).
The only flaw, I'd say, is that it feels a little too busy towards the end and like we're juggling too many bricks at once - but it was still an enjoyable read, and I'd give it a try if you're into realistic fiction geared towards 12-15 year olds.
The only flaw, I'd say, is that it feels a little too busy towards the end and like we're juggling too many bricks at once - but it was still an enjoyable read, and I'd give it a try if you're into realistic fiction geared towards 12-15 year olds.
January 1, 2016
Chicag0-based coming-of-age story? Sounds interesting, right? The setting and Masi are so clearly drawn, particularly the despair she feels at not just "normal" changes but at the larger ones of her school closing down and the neighborhood dying. It was the when they started building the pyramid that they lost me: how anyone thought this would revitalize an area required a suspension of belief that I just couldn't manage.
December 28, 2014
This was a book I won. It was about a community that was trying to revitalize itself after the American Lard Company left. It is a young adult book and was written for young adults. The writing style was for young adults with not much depth. It was not my style, but I think teens would enjoy it. I will pass it on. Thanks!
July 30, 2015
3 Stars - I Liked It
My sister had gotten me this book and is set in Chicago. It talks about the town working together in order to save their neighborhood that has hidden gems that the city doesn't know about. It shows how the small businesses in your area can have the best things that you would never have expected.
My sister had gotten me this book and is set in Chicago. It talks about the town working together in order to save their neighborhood that has hidden gems that the city doesn't know about. It shows how the small businesses in your area can have the best things that you would never have expected.
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