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Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish
Marcus Vega is six feet tall, 180 pounds, and the owner of a premature mustache. When you look like this and you're only in the eighth grade, you're both a threat and a target. Marcus knows what classmates and teachers see when they look at him: a monster.
But appearances are deceiving. At home, Marcus is a devoted brother. And he finds ways to earn cash to contribute to his family’s rainy day fund. His mom works long hours and his dad walked out ten years ago—someone has to pick up the slack.
After a fight at school leaves him facing suspension, Marcus and his family decide to hit the reset button and regroup for a week in Puerto Rico. Marcus is more interested in finding his father, though, who is somewhere on the island. Through a series of misadventures that take Marcus all over Puerto Rico in search of the elusive Mr. Vega, Marcus meets a colorful cast of characters who show him the many faces of fatherhood. And he even learns a bit of Spanish along the way.
Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish is a novel about discovering home and identity in uncharted landscapes.
But appearances are deceiving. At home, Marcus is a devoted brother. And he finds ways to earn cash to contribute to his family’s rainy day fund. His mom works long hours and his dad walked out ten years ago—someone has to pick up the slack.
After a fight at school leaves him facing suspension, Marcus and his family decide to hit the reset button and regroup for a week in Puerto Rico. Marcus is more interested in finding his father, though, who is somewhere on the island. Through a series of misadventures that take Marcus all over Puerto Rico in search of the elusive Mr. Vega, Marcus meets a colorful cast of characters who show him the many faces of fatherhood. And he even learns a bit of Spanish along the way.
Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish is a novel about discovering home and identity in uncharted landscapes.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published August 21, 2018
293 people are currently reading
2719 people want to read
About the author
Pablo Cartaya
14 books222 followersPablo Cartaya is a professional code switcher and lover of all things Latinx. He talks a lot and writes a lot which are paradoxical conundrums to overcome on a daily basis. He is the author of the acclaimed middle-grade novel, The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora (Viking Children’s Books/Penguin Random House) which earned him a Publisher's Weekly "Flying Start" and starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, and Publisher's Weekly. For his performance recording the audiobook of his novel, Pablo received an Earphone Award from Audiofile Magazine and a Publisher's Weekly Audiobooks starred review. His novel Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish, also with Viking, is set for publication in summer 2018, with two forthcoming titles to follow in 2019 and 2020. Follow him on Twitter @phcartaya
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 530 reviews
November 14, 2019
3.5. Seen through the eyes of middle schooler, Marcus Vega, we see he is struggling trying to make friends (none), struggling with his height (6 ft tall and 180 lbs) and everyone seems scared of him. His life at home is equally stressful trying to be the man of the house and take care of Charlie, his brother with Down Syndrome, and his single mom that works long hours at the airport in Pennsylvania.
Then a bully calls his brother the R word so big bad Marcus punches him and nearly gets expelled. While this is horrible it also leads to Melissa, mom, to make the necessary changes they have needed for so long. Marcus begs to meet long lost father... the one who abandoned them 10 years ago.
My favorite parts are about the vacation they take to Puerto Rico. The people described and the family Marcus meets. He learns about what a real family does for one another and other life lessons he can carry with him back to Pennsylvania. Such a sweet story.
Authors Note: There is still so much to be done to those affected [the two catastrophic hurricanes], but I look to the future with hope. Pa'lante seguimos.
Then a bully calls his brother the R word so big bad Marcus punches him and nearly gets expelled. While this is horrible it also leads to Melissa, mom, to make the necessary changes they have needed for so long. Marcus begs to meet long lost father... the one who abandoned them 10 years ago.
My favorite parts are about the vacation they take to Puerto Rico. The people described and the family Marcus meets. He learns about what a real family does for one another and other life lessons he can carry with him back to Pennsylvania. Such a sweet story.
Authors Note: There is still so much to be done to those affected [the two catastrophic hurricanes], but I look to the future with hope. Pa'lante seguimos.
October 12, 2018
The other day a woman contacted me and wondered if I could offer any picture book/middle grade/ YA suggestions for a list of various topics. The list consisted of things like “OCD”, “death/grieving”, “trauma”, etc. Some of the subjects were difficult and others too easy (that “death/grieving” category by far had the most titles). And then there were the ones that were almost too broad. “Bullying” fell into that category. I mean, what kind of bullying would be best here? Physical intimidation? Psychological torture? Insidious peer pressure? Sometimes it feels like half the middle grade novels I read feature some form or combination of these three types. In the end, I came up with a couple of titles, and Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish was included on that list. This contemporary quest novel, where a boy searches for the father he’s never known, is not a typical bullying narrative, but it does have interesting things to say about how the perception of bullying sometimes overwhelms the act itself, and how adults fall prey to the same stereotypes as the kids they teach. But to be honest, part love letter to Puerto Rico, part Bildungsroman, this is a book that defies categories.
Here’s what we know about Marcus Vega. First off, he’s six feet tall. Second, he’s 180 pounds. And third, he’s in the eighth grade. And I don’t mean he’s been flunked a lot of time and remains in the eighth grade. I mean he’s an eighth grader that was given a heck of a growth spurt. The result is that he makes a tidy sum with his size. Not by bullying kids exactly. Instead, he offers protection (for a price) against bullies, like the nasty Stephen who is always looking for another kid’s weak spot. He finds just such a weak spot in Marcus by insulting his brother, Charlie, who attends middle school and has Down syndrome. When Marcus gets into a fight as a result, he’s faced with a suspension and his mom gets an idea. Why not visit the land of Marcus’s birth, Puerto Rico? Granted he hasn’t been there since he was a baby, but a change of scenery could be good for everyone. And Marcus is on board with the plan, but for reasons of his own. You see, he knows it’s possible that his father, the one who left when he was very young, is on that island. Maybe the two will be able to reconnect like never before. Or maybe, instead, Marcus will find family in Puerto Rico. Just not the kind he was looking for originally.
If you’re an author, you have a variety of choices to make when it comes to your characters. Let’s take Marcus’s dad as an example. I would love to talk with an honest-to-goodness kid about the moment when they’re more clued in to how crummy he is as a human being than Marcus. Marcus isn’t dumb, but Cartaya projects loud and clear the degree to which the kid is fooling himself about his own dad. Essentially every person he runs into on Puerto Rico may as well be carrying a sign saying, “Your dad is a crumb bum” for all the good that would do them. But if you’re Pablo Cartaya, how do you make that clear as crystal at the end of the book? Because the key here isn’t that Marcus’s dad is evil or anything. It’s that he’s weak. And to this end, Mr. Cartaya has the man offer Marcus something so oily and self-serving that it’s just . . . perfect. A brilliant capper that gives Marcus the impetus he needs to say everything to this man that needs to be said.
A deadbeat dad character is best when it’s not, as I said, an embodiment of mustache-twirling evil. But other characters need to be on that level of complexity as well. Take Marcus’s mom. She’s a single woman trying to scrape it together so that she can support two sons, one with Down syndrome. In a lot of books that would make her the saintly mother who knows no ills. What I like about this mom, though, is that there’s a clear-cut understanding that she honestly doesn’t know what she’s doing sometimes. She makes mistakes and she corrects them, but when all is said and done, I think it's fair to say that she’s knocking it out of the park with these boys. Marcus has problems in school but these are his problems that he is responsible for solving. As for Charlie, he’s the most interesting of all. I haven’t encountered many characters with Down syndrome in middle grade novels before, but I can imagine what some of the pitfalls might be. The easiest thing for an author would be to make Charlie a symbol or a victim rather than a human being. If Charlie were a perfect angel cooing aphorisms and spoonerisms with a dimple in each cheek I probably wouldn’t have been able to turn another page. Instead, Charlie’s a real person. He has his quirks (like an extreme love for “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”), his dislikes, his stubbornness, and his deep and abiding affection for his brother. There’s a moment at the end of the book when Marcus says that Charlie is “the coolest kid in the world,” and you truly believe that he thinks that. And, more importantly, that he might be right.
The elephant in the room (if this review were a room, that is) is the place that makes up the bulk of the setting. The Puerto Rico of this book is a pre-hurricane Puerto Rico, a fact that Mr. Cartaya makes clear from the get-go. As he writes in the front, “I hope that now these pages honor the memory of the lives lost.” This isn’t a hurricane novel (those will come) but a celebration of a place that is as much a character in this book as any of the people who live or visit there. It will be the rare child reader who doesn’t want to go there after reading this book.
The book I found myself pairing this with, in an odd way, was Tight by Torrey Maldonado. In both books you have a form of bullying that’s far more complex and difficult to handle than your classic schoolyard gimme-your-lunch-money type bullying. Then I started thinking of this year’s Crush by Svetlana Chmakova, which is a perfect complement to this book. In both cases you have a quiet, very big kid with an interior life all his own who is mistaken as a bully from time to time but couldn’t be sweeter. But there’s really nothing quite to compare to Marcus Vega. It doesn’t slot neatly into any holes. You could call it a book of brotherly love, or a son’s search for his father. You could say it was about finding family, or learning to accept yourself, or coping with change. It’s all those things wrapped up together, and by golly it not only also makes sense but hits you where it hurts. You honestly like the people in this book and want to spend time with them, wherever they go. The only category Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish truly belongs in is the “good book” category. One that kids will keep dipping into for years to come.
For ages 9-12.
Here’s what we know about Marcus Vega. First off, he’s six feet tall. Second, he’s 180 pounds. And third, he’s in the eighth grade. And I don’t mean he’s been flunked a lot of time and remains in the eighth grade. I mean he’s an eighth grader that was given a heck of a growth spurt. The result is that he makes a tidy sum with his size. Not by bullying kids exactly. Instead, he offers protection (for a price) against bullies, like the nasty Stephen who is always looking for another kid’s weak spot. He finds just such a weak spot in Marcus by insulting his brother, Charlie, who attends middle school and has Down syndrome. When Marcus gets into a fight as a result, he’s faced with a suspension and his mom gets an idea. Why not visit the land of Marcus’s birth, Puerto Rico? Granted he hasn’t been there since he was a baby, but a change of scenery could be good for everyone. And Marcus is on board with the plan, but for reasons of his own. You see, he knows it’s possible that his father, the one who left when he was very young, is on that island. Maybe the two will be able to reconnect like never before. Or maybe, instead, Marcus will find family in Puerto Rico. Just not the kind he was looking for originally.
If you’re an author, you have a variety of choices to make when it comes to your characters. Let’s take Marcus’s dad as an example. I would love to talk with an honest-to-goodness kid about the moment when they’re more clued in to how crummy he is as a human being than Marcus. Marcus isn’t dumb, but Cartaya projects loud and clear the degree to which the kid is fooling himself about his own dad. Essentially every person he runs into on Puerto Rico may as well be carrying a sign saying, “Your dad is a crumb bum” for all the good that would do them. But if you’re Pablo Cartaya, how do you make that clear as crystal at the end of the book? Because the key here isn’t that Marcus’s dad is evil or anything. It’s that he’s weak. And to this end, Mr. Cartaya has the man offer Marcus something so oily and self-serving that it’s just . . . perfect. A brilliant capper that gives Marcus the impetus he needs to say everything to this man that needs to be said.
A deadbeat dad character is best when it’s not, as I said, an embodiment of mustache-twirling evil. But other characters need to be on that level of complexity as well. Take Marcus’s mom. She’s a single woman trying to scrape it together so that she can support two sons, one with Down syndrome. In a lot of books that would make her the saintly mother who knows no ills. What I like about this mom, though, is that there’s a clear-cut understanding that she honestly doesn’t know what she’s doing sometimes. She makes mistakes and she corrects them, but when all is said and done, I think it's fair to say that she’s knocking it out of the park with these boys. Marcus has problems in school but these are his problems that he is responsible for solving. As for Charlie, he’s the most interesting of all. I haven’t encountered many characters with Down syndrome in middle grade novels before, but I can imagine what some of the pitfalls might be. The easiest thing for an author would be to make Charlie a symbol or a victim rather than a human being. If Charlie were a perfect angel cooing aphorisms and spoonerisms with a dimple in each cheek I probably wouldn’t have been able to turn another page. Instead, Charlie’s a real person. He has his quirks (like an extreme love for “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”), his dislikes, his stubbornness, and his deep and abiding affection for his brother. There’s a moment at the end of the book when Marcus says that Charlie is “the coolest kid in the world,” and you truly believe that he thinks that. And, more importantly, that he might be right.
The elephant in the room (if this review were a room, that is) is the place that makes up the bulk of the setting. The Puerto Rico of this book is a pre-hurricane Puerto Rico, a fact that Mr. Cartaya makes clear from the get-go. As he writes in the front, “I hope that now these pages honor the memory of the lives lost.” This isn’t a hurricane novel (those will come) but a celebration of a place that is as much a character in this book as any of the people who live or visit there. It will be the rare child reader who doesn’t want to go there after reading this book.
The book I found myself pairing this with, in an odd way, was Tight by Torrey Maldonado. In both books you have a form of bullying that’s far more complex and difficult to handle than your classic schoolyard gimme-your-lunch-money type bullying. Then I started thinking of this year’s Crush by Svetlana Chmakova, which is a perfect complement to this book. In both cases you have a quiet, very big kid with an interior life all his own who is mistaken as a bully from time to time but couldn’t be sweeter. But there’s really nothing quite to compare to Marcus Vega. It doesn’t slot neatly into any holes. You could call it a book of brotherly love, or a son’s search for his father. You could say it was about finding family, or learning to accept yourself, or coping with change. It’s all those things wrapped up together, and by golly it not only also makes sense but hits you where it hurts. You honestly like the people in this book and want to spend time with them, wherever they go. The only category Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish truly belongs in is the “good book” category. One that kids will keep dipping into for years to come.
For ages 9-12.
January 21, 2020
My son and I enjoyed this very much. Marcus is a serious boy who doesn’t have it easy with a single mom, little brother with Down syndrome, being 6 feet tall at 14, etc. After getting into a bit of trouble, he goes on a little odyssey around Puerto Rico to find his dad and finds so much more along the way.
The audiobook edition was excellent.
The audiobook edition was excellent.
May 13, 2019
The audio production of this book is amazing! Truly fantastic! If you have a chance to listen to the audio I highly suggest it.
You WILL fall in love with MARCUS, CHARLIE, and his whole family. This book has great characters, great setting, tons of themes to work through. It's really the total package.
Marcus is a little like Clifford the dog, except no one, thinks he's cute and cuddly. He's big but is he bad? Well, it probably won't take you long to decide. Once you meet his younger brother Charlie there will be no doubt left in your mind.
Marcus does his best to help out his single mother as she strives to make ends meets and provide for her two children. He takes on a lot of adult responsibilities for himself and his younger brother who has down syndrome. An incidence takes place, Charlie is at the center of it and Marcus goes before the principal.
What happens next is the adventure of a lifetime as his mom declares they need a break, a chance to breathe, to get away and clear their heads so they can think. Enter stage left, a cast of characters that will bring nothing but joy to a small family of three who desperately needs it. While in Puerto Rico Marcus searches for his father against the advice of other family members. He has questions and he just won't rest until he gets some answers.
What is family? What makes a family? How do you find peace with what/who you have?
Make room for this book!
You WILL fall in love with MARCUS, CHARLIE, and his whole family. This book has great characters, great setting, tons of themes to work through. It's really the total package.
Marcus is a little like Clifford the dog, except no one, thinks he's cute and cuddly. He's big but is he bad? Well, it probably won't take you long to decide. Once you meet his younger brother Charlie there will be no doubt left in your mind.
Marcus does his best to help out his single mother as she strives to make ends meets and provide for her two children. He takes on a lot of adult responsibilities for himself and his younger brother who has down syndrome. An incidence takes place, Charlie is at the center of it and Marcus goes before the principal.
What happens next is the adventure of a lifetime as his mom declares they need a break, a chance to breathe, to get away and clear their heads so they can think. Enter stage left, a cast of characters that will bring nothing but joy to a small family of three who desperately needs it. While in Puerto Rico Marcus searches for his father against the advice of other family members. He has questions and he just won't rest until he gets some answers.
What is family? What makes a family? How do you find peace with what/who you have?
Make room for this book!
July 23, 2018
Very well written - reads somewhat like a love-story to Puerto Rico and rightfully so. The author beautifully captures the things that make La Isla del Encanta so special! I was married to a PR man and have visited the island many times and reading Marcus' story reminded me of being a gringa seeing and experiencing the island for the first time. A great story of family and choosing our family.
I won this book in a giveaway and was given an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
I won this book in a giveaway and was given an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
October 15, 2018
I breezed through this book because it flows so seamlessly and the characters are so true to life. Marcus, Charlie, their mom, and everyone they meet jump off of the page and give a true feeling of family. I loved seeing Marcus’s journey, and I feel like this story fits together neatly in all the right ways.
September 14, 2018
Started out strong but ended up just okay for me. Felt bogged down by too many characters - what was the point of the twins? - and the pacing felt off at times. Very bittersweet to read about Puerto Rico.
September 6, 2018
this book is so good.
December 29, 2019
I’m only an hour into this audiobook and gosh it has so much heart.
Edited to add: Loved this somewhat quiet book about Marcus, who is a middle grader and super tall (he gets mistaken for a member of the teaching staff). Marcus is suspended after punching a classmate who uses the 'r-' word in reference to his younger brother with Down Syndrome. Cartaya's depiction of the two brothers' relationship is so tender: Marcus dotes on Charlie and does his best to parent him while his single mom is busy with work. He's shown to be empathetic and hardworking, while standing up for what he believes is the right course of action. With the suspension, though, the family takes the opportunity to revisit Puerto Rico, where Marcus was born. He hopes to connect with the father who left them many years earlier, though everyone warns him against getting his hopes up. There's a lively cast of distant relatives and friends who help to make Puerto Rico a special experience. A wonderful unpeeling of layers of family history and culture to find what's really important.
Edited to add: Loved this somewhat quiet book about Marcus, who is a middle grader and super tall (he gets mistaken for a member of the teaching staff). Marcus is suspended after punching a classmate who uses the 'r-' word in reference to his younger brother with Down Syndrome. Cartaya's depiction of the two brothers' relationship is so tender: Marcus dotes on Charlie and does his best to parent him while his single mom is busy with work. He's shown to be empathetic and hardworking, while standing up for what he believes is the right course of action. With the suspension, though, the family takes the opportunity to revisit Puerto Rico, where Marcus was born. He hopes to connect with the father who left them many years earlier, though everyone warns him against getting his hopes up. There's a lively cast of distant relatives and friends who help to make Puerto Rico a special experience. A wonderful unpeeling of layers of family history and culture to find what's really important.
January 24, 2020
The best thing about this book is Charlie, Marcus Vega's little brother who has Down Syndrome. Charlie is obsessed with Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. He's smart and funny and never helps to clear the dinner table. He's a treasure of a character and one I won't forget.
June 11, 2020
Great book for boys ages 10+. It is set in a middle school. Marcus is trying to find his place in the world. He has a single mother and his brother has Down's syndrome. Marcus is a natural protector. He wants to find his father and learns a valuable life lesson about family and friendship.
January 27, 2019
3.5 stars |
December 6, 2018
This was a cute book! I loved reading about pre-hurricane PR; a place I have visited as well. I also felt that it was realistic that Marcus - while more mature in some ways - still made mistakes or had reactions that kids his age would make. If I were his mom though I'd probably keep letting him make money from those kids! I like his bodyguard idea a lot. And GENIUS keeping that notebook of transactions. I know for sure I wouldn't have thought of that as his age. I don't even think of keeping receipts NOW. Brilliant!!
What I didn't like was that Stephen's punishment wasn't anywhere near as bad as Marcus'. Both were accusing each other of bullying AND it was only he said/he said, but Stephen had to do only one week of community service?? I bring this up because while Marcus made some bad decisions fight-wise, the principal said NO TOLERANCE bullying policy. So with the super small amount of evidence against them, they both should've been up for suspension/expulsion.
I kept thinking Marcus was some giant (he is for 8th grade!) but then I had to remember he's basically the same size as my dad. So I had to ask myself if his height-related troubles were for real or not and yes, they did seem plausible. My dad had all those problems too (although granted, not in 8th grade) and he was a hefty baby as well. I think I noticed this more because I have read other books where the character is an unusual size (or even an average size) and they get all dramatic about it and I don't think their size troubles are REMOTELY possible. I know, it's a weird thing to focus on.
Would read more by this author.
What I didn't like was that Stephen's punishment wasn't anywhere near as bad as Marcus'. Both were accusing each other of bullying AND it was only he said/he said, but Stephen had to do only one week of community service?? I bring this up because while Marcus made some bad decisions fight-wise, the principal said NO TOLERANCE bullying policy. So with the super small amount of evidence against them, they both should've been up for suspension/expulsion.
I kept thinking Marcus was some giant (he is for 8th grade!) but then I had to remember he's basically the same size as my dad. So I had to ask myself if his height-related troubles were for real or not and yes, they did seem plausible. My dad had all those problems too (although granted, not in 8th grade) and he was a hefty baby as well. I think I noticed this more because I have read other books where the character is an unusual size (or even an average size) and they get all dramatic about it and I don't think their size troubles are REMOTELY possible. I know, it's a weird thing to focus on.
Would read more by this author.
October 2, 2018
Another winner from author Pablo Cartaya! After his dad walked out on the family, Marcus has had to grow up faster than his peers; he looks out for his mom and his little brother Charlie, who has Down syndrome, but is also misunderstood at school due to his large size. When the neighborhood bully Stephen insults Charlie, Marcus doesn't think twice before throwing a punch that gets him suspended. Marcus's mom decides to take the boys to visit their family in Puerto Rico over spring break to regroup, and Marcus desperately hopes to locate his absent father, who lives somewhere on the island. A beautiful story about family and connecting with your culture. Ages 10 and up.
November 14, 2018
Engaging story, with a likeable protagonist who provides first-person narrative. I liked the way Marcus used his size to his advantage, offering his walk-home service to kids who were at risk of bullying -- but sympathized because at the root of it all, Marcus was still viewed as a misfit. And it was nice to see the close family relationship between himself, his mother and brother Charlie, along with the many extended family members they discovered in Puerto Rico.
May 31, 2018
It's a good story with great characters and Puerto Rico serves as almost another character - but the climactic moment is so unsatisfying - not that things should have gone differently, but the way the main character flips his mind so easily is the unsatisfying piece.
August 20, 2018
A great story about the protection and warmth that can come from family but also from being a part of something that is bigger than you.
September 11, 2020
The two parts of this book are pretty distinct. I'm surprised, when flipping back through it, that Marcus and his family don't leave PA for Puerto Rico until about a third of the way into the book.
Not that the beginning isn't memorable. Honestly, I think the idea of an extra-tall middle schooler who makes money through a side business protecting his classmates is a really great hook. I feel like the whole book could have been about that. His brother is a great character (extra points for Down syndrome representation!).
When Marcus and his family leave the country, however, it becomes a different book. It's easy to forget about Marcus' unusual size for his age after the first third of the book. The focus shifts to his personal journey, his dad, the story of their travels, the people they meet, etc.
All that to say, I enjoyed it a lot. Extra points for being ownvoices, of course.
But the shift in plot made it a little tricky to booktalk. I usually avoid mimicking the back cover, flap, or first chapter of books I booktalk, since those are common ways for people to quickly get a sense of a book in person. I paraphrased the scene where Marcus does something that gets him suspended, but I'm not sure that was the best way to sell this one, even though the kids seemed to enjoy the booktalk. I featured this in my middle school booktalk lineup in January 2020.
The Author's Note at the end of the book addresses the fact that this was written, with a fairly contemporary setting, prior to Hurricane Maria. However, it came out almost a year after that historic tragedy. Traveling to San Juan would be a very different experience before and after the disaster.
Not that the beginning isn't memorable. Honestly, I think the idea of an extra-tall middle schooler who makes money through a side business protecting his classmates is a really great hook. I feel like the whole book could have been about that. His brother is a great character (extra points for Down syndrome representation!).
When Marcus and his family leave the country, however, it becomes a different book. It's easy to forget about Marcus' unusual size for his age after the first third of the book. The focus shifts to his personal journey, his dad, the story of their travels, the people they meet, etc.
All that to say, I enjoyed it a lot. Extra points for being ownvoices, of course.
But the shift in plot made it a little tricky to booktalk. I usually avoid mimicking the back cover, flap, or first chapter of books I booktalk, since those are common ways for people to quickly get a sense of a book in person. I paraphrased the scene where Marcus does something that gets him suspended, but I'm not sure that was the best way to sell this one, even though the kids seemed to enjoy the booktalk. I featured this in my middle school booktalk lineup in January 2020.
The Author's Note at the end of the book addresses the fact that this was written, with a fairly contemporary setting, prior to Hurricane Maria. However, it came out almost a year after that historic tragedy. Traveling to San Juan would be a very different experience before and after the disaster.
April 16, 2020
Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish Book Review
Even though it was a lower-level book compared to some of my recent reads, this book was very emotional and quite interesting.
Marcus Vega is an 8th grader who weighs 180 pounds and is 6 feet tall. To earn some extra cash for his family, he acts as a bodyguard for younger students who wish to not get targeted by bullies when they walk to school and back home. Marcus has a younger brother who has a mental disorder and a father who left when he was very young.
When a bully gets on the sensitive side of Marcus and talks about his brother, he gets angry and just punches the kid. He gets temporarily suspended and things are getting worse day after day. His mother says that they need a reset and a rebirth, so they go back to Puerto Rico, where they live with their relatives.
Marcus wants to know what happened to his father, and he hopes he can get some information from his relatives in Puerto Rico. Instead, he gets to know more about his Peurto Rican part of him that he barely remembers, and he creates new memories and new experiences with his family.
One thing I think the author could improve on is to create Marcus's desire to find his father or contact his father constantly. It was really weird how one day he suddenly wondered where his father is and what happened. From there on, his curiosity takes over, and a big part of his life is trying to answer that question. What doesn't make sense is how it started so abruptly and he didn't think of it before.
This story touches upon bullying, bicultural, stress, and just life as a middle schooler.
I think this book was written very simply but contained very deep messages and emotions. I would recommend it as a quick and easy read that is unique. 4 stars.
Even though it was a lower-level book compared to some of my recent reads, this book was very emotional and quite interesting.
Marcus Vega is an 8th grader who weighs 180 pounds and is 6 feet tall. To earn some extra cash for his family, he acts as a bodyguard for younger students who wish to not get targeted by bullies when they walk to school and back home. Marcus has a younger brother who has a mental disorder and a father who left when he was very young.
When a bully gets on the sensitive side of Marcus and talks about his brother, he gets angry and just punches the kid. He gets temporarily suspended and things are getting worse day after day. His mother says that they need a reset and a rebirth, so they go back to Puerto Rico, where they live with their relatives.
Marcus wants to know what happened to his father, and he hopes he can get some information from his relatives in Puerto Rico. Instead, he gets to know more about his Peurto Rican part of him that he barely remembers, and he creates new memories and new experiences with his family.
One thing I think the author could improve on is to create Marcus's desire to find his father or contact his father constantly. It was really weird how one day he suddenly wondered where his father is and what happened. From there on, his curiosity takes over, and a big part of his life is trying to answer that question. What doesn't make sense is how it started so abruptly and he didn't think of it before.
This story touches upon bullying, bicultural, stress, and just life as a middle schooler.
I think this book was written very simply but contained very deep messages and emotions. I would recommend it as a quick and easy read that is unique. 4 stars.
December 29, 2018
Eleven-year-old Marcus Vega lives with his mom and brother Charlie in Springfield, Pennsylvania. His dad lives in Puerto Rico and events in Marcus’ life lead him and his family to visit Puerto Rico for a week.
Tough guy Marcus is on a mission to connect with his dad who has been absent for 10 years, but it is clear that Marcus is out of his comfort zone when he arrives in Puerto Rico for the first time. When he arrives at Uncle Ermenio’s house, Marcus thinks to himself, “If my mom is trying to convince us that this building that looks like it’s about to crumble is going to be 'super fun', she has officially lost her mind.”
Author Pablo Cartaya paints a vivid picture of Puerto Rico and its people from the big city of San Juan to the countryside as Marcus discovers relatives who had been unknown before his visit. What does Marcus ultimately discover on his trip about himself, family, and friendships? You will fall in love with Marcus, his family, and Puerto Rico when reading this book.
Tough guy Marcus is on a mission to connect with his dad who has been absent for 10 years, but it is clear that Marcus is out of his comfort zone when he arrives in Puerto Rico for the first time. When he arrives at Uncle Ermenio’s house, Marcus thinks to himself, “If my mom is trying to convince us that this building that looks like it’s about to crumble is going to be 'super fun', she has officially lost her mind.”
Author Pablo Cartaya paints a vivid picture of Puerto Rico and its people from the big city of San Juan to the countryside as Marcus discovers relatives who had been unknown before his visit. What does Marcus ultimately discover on his trip about himself, family, and friendships? You will fall in love with Marcus, his family, and Puerto Rico when reading this book.
July 18, 2022
Oh, how I love Marcus - and his little brother Charlie (who is a huge fan of Willy Wonka) who has Downs Syndrome. I love how the book started, how he then tried to find his dad in Puerto Rico, what Charlie said right before they left, and Marcus’s plans for finding who he is when he got back home. He’s just a good guy. I wish (for me - not necessarily for kids reading it) I’d have been able to get into his mom’s head a bit more - or hear her and his dad talk with each other - that part was missing for me (and maybe it’s because I haven’t talked to my own ex in over ten years). I also loved the splashes of Spanish that I was actually able to understand (thanks to Duolingo).
February 25, 2021
Middle School Battle of the Books title. Pretty good!
January 24, 2022
Terrific middle grade fiction. Readers join Marcus as he does a lot of thinking about himself, his family, and his "place" in his world. Seeing Puerto Rico through his eyes is an adventure, too. A teacher has asked me to share books about trips/explorations, and I will definitely promote this one.
October 31, 2023
4 stars
A quick, engaging read that'll satisfy its target audience (and the rest of us, too)!
A quick, engaging read that'll satisfy its target audience (and the rest of us, too)!
April 23, 2020
Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish by Pablo Cartaya was a effortless and quick read. I enjoyed the Spanish spoken throughout the book. This book touches on the culture of Puerto Rico. Some parts could have been improved like Marcus's sudden interest in his dad. I would recommend this to anyone who understands a little Spanish and enjoys learning other cultures.
January 21, 2022
I thought the "J" on the Library's spine tag stood for my name ;), but it turns out this book by Pablo Cartaya was actually aimed at a younger audience. All kidding aside, there is much to like about "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish". The middle third is actually a pretty fast and attractive sequence of events. Cartaya tells a good story that touches on themes of belonging, responsibility, acceptance, bullying, and family. Having spent my youth living a good distance from extended family, I could relate to how Marcus felt when he arrived in Puerto Rico and met his extended family for the first time. His sense of disorientation at their acceptance of him and their agerness to embrace he and his brother Charlie felt authentic to me. There are a number of good lessons for a "tween" reader in this book and I am glad I read it.
September 3, 2018
I loved this book. It was a great story of family, friends, and learning to live with yourself, despite what others might see when they look at you.
Marcus Vega doesn't fit in with the rest of the 8th graders at his middle school. He is bigger, stronger, and more intimidating. He uses this to his advantage and walks kids to and from school, for a profit, enforces a garbage tax, for a profit, and also houses cell phones during the day, for a profit. One of the kids he is trying to keep the others away from finally crosses the line and makes a rude comment about Charlie, Marcus' younger brother with Down Syndrome. Marcus punches him, and things go downhill from there. He is suspended and his mother decides that they need to take a family vacation to recharge and reconnect. They head to Puerto Rico, the place Marcus was born and the place his father fled to 10 years ago when he walked away from his wife and kids. Now Marcus thinks he will finally have a chance to ask his father why he would leave, and if he is finally ready to come back. Once in PR, Marcus discovers a whole family he never knew about and wonders why his father won't respond to his emails. On a five day adventure, Marcus finds out who the real hero of his story will be.
Highly recommend. So good.
Marcus Vega doesn't fit in with the rest of the 8th graders at his middle school. He is bigger, stronger, and more intimidating. He uses this to his advantage and walks kids to and from school, for a profit, enforces a garbage tax, for a profit, and also houses cell phones during the day, for a profit. One of the kids he is trying to keep the others away from finally crosses the line and makes a rude comment about Charlie, Marcus' younger brother with Down Syndrome. Marcus punches him, and things go downhill from there. He is suspended and his mother decides that they need to take a family vacation to recharge and reconnect. They head to Puerto Rico, the place Marcus was born and the place his father fled to 10 years ago when he walked away from his wife and kids. Now Marcus thinks he will finally have a chance to ask his father why he would leave, and if he is finally ready to come back. Once in PR, Marcus discovers a whole family he never knew about and wonders why his father won't respond to his emails. On a five day adventure, Marcus finds out who the real hero of his story will be.
Highly recommend. So good.
August 30, 2018
Something about this novel had me intensely enjoying the opportunity to escape into the tale, even more so compared to the author's prior release. I initially had my doubts, but only because some memories that I'd prefer leaving in the past resurfaced, as I was reading of how 14-year-old Marcus stood up to bullying in school only to end up antagonized as a result. I'll admit, to be reminded that adults can enable middle-school tormentors was no joy.
Yet these circumstances led to a sort of family intervention that, interestingly, allowed Marcus to reconnect with Puerto Rico (where he was born). He'd lived so long in the U S. mainland; now a door opened for him to meet relatives that had long remained distant. Concurrently, he was drawn to the possibility of tracking down (on the island) his father, who had long before walked out on his mom -- this was the novel's effective lure of suspense for me.
As a Mexican-American, I could somewhat relate to Marcus's ties with, and loss of, his cultural background. However, this tale became my education on Puerto Rico's beauty and peculiarities. (I couldn't help think of a recent hurricane's effects on life there.) Marcus's struggles with his conspicuous height brought to mind what a younger relative of mine likely experienced. I appreciated how Down's Syndrome was included as a story element.
Yet these circumstances led to a sort of family intervention that, interestingly, allowed Marcus to reconnect with Puerto Rico (where he was born). He'd lived so long in the U S. mainland; now a door opened for him to meet relatives that had long remained distant. Concurrently, he was drawn to the possibility of tracking down (on the island) his father, who had long before walked out on his mom -- this was the novel's effective lure of suspense for me.
As a Mexican-American, I could somewhat relate to Marcus's ties with, and loss of, his cultural background. However, this tale became my education on Puerto Rico's beauty and peculiarities. (I couldn't help think of a recent hurricane's effects on life there.) Marcus's struggles with his conspicuous height brought to mind what a younger relative of mine likely experienced. I appreciated how Down's Syndrome was included as a story element.
March 5, 2024
Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish is an emotional coming-of-age tale about identity, body image, poverty, and Latine identity. Set partly in Puerto Rico, this book is immersed in Latine culture, showcases warm dynamics in a single parent household, and unravels the emotional heartache and identity confusion that can result from missing a parents' presence. On the cusp of upper middle grade, this novel is angsty as Marcus figures out who he wants to be.
Full review: https://readingmiddlegrade.com/marcus...
Full review: https://readingmiddlegrade.com/marcus...
October 21, 2023
Puerto Rican families living in North America are not all the same, so it’s great to hear a unique story about the 13-year-old son who helps take care of his single mom and his younger brother with Downs Syndrome.
However, I was immediately turned off by the moral inconsistency in which Marcus “earns” money by having school kids pay him to either take care of their duties, help them remember to take care of themselves, or not tell on them when they fail. They pay him because he’s unusually large & mature-looking for his age, so he appears threatening. And he protects kids from a bully, who actively threatens them. It’s an ethical mess, but we’re supposed to see Marcus as a good-hearted, protective helper.
I couldn’t help but see him as a lunk who couldn’t understand basic logic. I realize readers may not trip on that & might embrace his more positive qualities, but I couldn’t get past it, and he’s fairly consistent with that quality right through to the end.
Sloppy, redundant writing, vague, unfocused intentions, and superficial characters mar this book, but it may be of interest to a middle schooler used to books that celebrate flawed characters, like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Mistakes Were Made, Max and the Midknights.
However, I was immediately turned off by the moral inconsistency in which Marcus “earns” money by having school kids pay him to either take care of their duties, help them remember to take care of themselves, or not tell on them when they fail. They pay him because he’s unusually large & mature-looking for his age, so he appears threatening. And he protects kids from a bully, who actively threatens them. It’s an ethical mess, but we’re supposed to see Marcus as a good-hearted, protective helper.
I couldn’t help but see him as a lunk who couldn’t understand basic logic. I realize readers may not trip on that & might embrace his more positive qualities, but I couldn’t get past it, and he’s fairly consistent with that quality right through to the end.
Sloppy, redundant writing, vague, unfocused intentions, and superficial characters mar this book, but it may be of interest to a middle schooler used to books that celebrate flawed characters, like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Mistakes Were Made, Max and the Midknights.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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