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The Closest I've Come: An Inspiring YA Novel About a Latino Teen, Bravery, and Being True to Yourself
Marcos Rivas wants to find love.
He’s sure as hell not getting it at home, where his mom’s racist boyfriend beats him up. Or from his boys, who aren’t exactly the “hug it out” type. Marcos yearns for love, a working cell phone, and maybe a pair of sneakers that aren’t falling apart. But more than anything, Marcos wants to get out of Maesta, his hood—which seems impossible.
When Marcos is placed in a new after-school program for troubled teens with potential, he meets Zach, a theater geek whose life seems great on the surface, and Amy, a punk girl who doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her. These new friendships inspire Marcos to open up to his Maesta crew, too, and along the way, Marcos starts to think more about his future and what he has to fight for. Marcos ultimately learns that bravery isn’t about acting tough and being macho; it’s about being true to yourself.
He’s sure as hell not getting it at home, where his mom’s racist boyfriend beats him up. Or from his boys, who aren’t exactly the “hug it out” type. Marcos yearns for love, a working cell phone, and maybe a pair of sneakers that aren’t falling apart. But more than anything, Marcos wants to get out of Maesta, his hood—which seems impossible.
When Marcos is placed in a new after-school program for troubled teens with potential, he meets Zach, a theater geek whose life seems great on the surface, and Amy, a punk girl who doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her. These new friendships inspire Marcos to open up to his Maesta crew, too, and along the way, Marcos starts to think more about his future and what he has to fight for. Marcos ultimately learns that bravery isn’t about acting tough and being macho; it’s about being true to yourself.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published November 7, 2017
43 people are currently reading
1497 people want to read
About the author
Fred Aceves
7 books66 followersFred Aceves was born in New York to A Mexican father, and a Dominican mother, which makes him 100% Mexican, 100% Dominican, and 100% American. He spent most of his youth in Southern California and Tampa, Florida, where he lived in a poor neighborhood like the one described in The Closest I’ve Come.
At the age of 21 he started traveling around the world, living in Chicago, New York, The Czech Republic, France, Argentina, Bolivia, and Mexico, his father’s native land. Among other jobs, he has worked as a delivery driver, server, cook, car salesman, freelance editor, and teacher of English as a second language.
At the age of 21 he started traveling around the world, living in Chicago, New York, The Czech Republic, France, Argentina, Bolivia, and Mexico, his father’s native land. Among other jobs, he has worked as a delivery driver, server, cook, car salesman, freelance editor, and teacher of English as a second language.
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October 15, 2017Sped through this in a couple of hours today and loved it. This book has endless amounts of Voice and I'm so thrilled to see more coming-of-age stories centering teens of color. After reading so many great ones by WoC lately (CALLING MY NAME! THE EDUCATION OF MARGOT SANCHEZ! I AM NOT YOUR PERFECT MEXICAN DAUGHTER! to name a few from this year), I'm glad to see some coming up for boys too, as the number of YAs centering boys of color not written by Matt de la Pena, Walter Dean Myers, Bil Wright, Jason Reynolds, Lamar Giles, or Adam Silvera are frighteningly low. (And I mean, we're talking looking at the last couple of decades.) My real favorite thing about this book, though, is that for Marcos, coming of age means learning how to shed toxic masculinity (among other things), and damn if I wouldn't kill to see that in more books, period. Definitely recommend to fans of WHEN I WAS THE GREATEST.
cw: racial slurs, child abuse
cw: racial slurs, child abuse
November 20, 2017
Just finished this one & it's looking like a 4 star read for all of the positive elements Aceves weaves into a very hard life lived by our MC. Told in first person POV, The Closest I've Come is raw & uncensored giving Marcos' voice & narrative life. This is a review I will really enjoy writing :)
UPDATE: Full review can also be found on Lair Of Books:
https://lairofbooksblog.wordpress.com...
PLOT
The Closest I’ve come follows Marcos Rivas’ life course in a rough neighborhood /violent household & the motivation he finds to want to get out. For Marcos, the daily grind is made up of getting up for school & hanging out with his boys after school to avoid having to go home. Life at home isn’t easy & he is met with either his mothers silence and closed doors or her boyfriends fists. Mentally checked-out, Marcos’ mother is a alcoholic who doesn’t really have much of any relationship with him. Marcos himself would love to play the role of over protective son however, the truth is that internally, more than anything he wishes she would show any signs of caring for him. Life outside his home isn’t exactly the best either but in his community he has developed friendships that have become a safe place to turn to. Academics have never really been Marcos’ main focus & with no one in his corner rooting and or encouraging him to apply himself, he hasn’t given much thought to life after High School. He believes that Maesta is the end all be all for him and many other teens like him. We come across teachers who provide Marcos with the confidence he needs & who most of all, believe in him.
At times, The Closest I’ve Come was difficult to read because of the violence Marcos experiences at the hands of his mothers boyfriend. It seemed like all the odds are set against this kid & with nothing really inspiring him & his own home being so volatile, I wondered when he would catch a break. With little to no money whatsoever, we see our MC try to earn cash the right way by cleaning parking lots but we also see one of his friends who is a straight A student go about it illegally by delivering drugs. Having myself lived in for many years what was considered a “ghetto” neighborhood, the reality is that too many bright futures are dimmed before they even get a chance to begin. There were so many tough themes in this book paired with positive reinforcement from Marcos’ educators that I found myself rooting him on in realizing that he is valued.
CHARACTERS
We see a tremendous amount of character growth take place within our MC Marcos which is perhaps the strongest aspect of The Closest I’ve Come. Aceves wrote Marcos’ character in first Person POV which allows the reader to really get into his thought process. From the way he views his barely existent relationship with his mother to how he handles rejection, Marcos isn’t a confidant cocky teenage boy. His physical appearance is something he is always hyper aware of because he lacks funds to buy clothes or pay for grooming. Something as simple as a haircut could boost his confidence briefly & a lot of the time he didn’t get the end result he was seeking but the effort was there. I LOVED this character & how humble he is the core, he definitely had me in his corner the whole way through. We meet some of his friends from around his neighborhood, mostly through visits to the courtyard to shoot hoops. There’s a sense of loyalty from these guys that I’ve seen for myself in neighborhoods where most don’t have it to make ends meet. I enjoyed one particular scene where one of the guys sets up shop on his stoop to cut hair for a couple of dollars, very much like a brotherhood. Although we meet many of Marcos’ acquaintances, they aren’t as fleshed out as our MC but nonetheless they serve their purpose in giving the reader a picture of what Marcos has in his life. The friends he has don’t really know how bad his home life is but I was glad to see them rise to the occasion when he really needed them.
WRITING & FINAL THOUGHTS
Told in first person POV, The Closest I’ve Come is raw & uncensored giving Marcos’ voice & narrative life. Own Voices, Fred Aceves the author, is Latinx & he was raised in a poor working class neighborhood just like the one he brings to life in this book. From the dialogue between Marcos and his friends in the streets to his stream of consciousness on life after High School, our MC is raw & uncut just like the world he lives in. Many who come from similar backgrounds will find this book to be very relatable. To those who don’t, The Closest I’ve Come is a insiders look to a reality that exists in our real world. Not only do we get POC representation but we also see socioeconomic diversity when Marco meets & befriends a HS student from a wealthy background. The challenges Marco has in his life are going to resonate with others & that is one of the biggest reasons I am happy to see this narrative hit the shelves.
*HUGE thanks to HarperTeen, Edelweiss, and Fred Aceves for the eGalley copy of The Closest I’ve Come in exchange for an honest review.
UPDATE: Full review can also be found on Lair Of Books:
https://lairofbooksblog.wordpress.com...
PLOT
The Closest I’ve come follows Marcos Rivas’ life course in a rough neighborhood /violent household & the motivation he finds to want to get out. For Marcos, the daily grind is made up of getting up for school & hanging out with his boys after school to avoid having to go home. Life at home isn’t easy & he is met with either his mothers silence and closed doors or her boyfriends fists. Mentally checked-out, Marcos’ mother is a alcoholic who doesn’t really have much of any relationship with him. Marcos himself would love to play the role of over protective son however, the truth is that internally, more than anything he wishes she would show any signs of caring for him. Life outside his home isn’t exactly the best either but in his community he has developed friendships that have become a safe place to turn to. Academics have never really been Marcos’ main focus & with no one in his corner rooting and or encouraging him to apply himself, he hasn’t given much thought to life after High School. He believes that Maesta is the end all be all for him and many other teens like him. We come across teachers who provide Marcos with the confidence he needs & who most of all, believe in him.
At times, The Closest I’ve Come was difficult to read because of the violence Marcos experiences at the hands of his mothers boyfriend. It seemed like all the odds are set against this kid & with nothing really inspiring him & his own home being so volatile, I wondered when he would catch a break. With little to no money whatsoever, we see our MC try to earn cash the right way by cleaning parking lots but we also see one of his friends who is a straight A student go about it illegally by delivering drugs. Having myself lived in for many years what was considered a “ghetto” neighborhood, the reality is that too many bright futures are dimmed before they even get a chance to begin. There were so many tough themes in this book paired with positive reinforcement from Marcos’ educators that I found myself rooting him on in realizing that he is valued.
CHARACTERS
We see a tremendous amount of character growth take place within our MC Marcos which is perhaps the strongest aspect of The Closest I’ve Come. Aceves wrote Marcos’ character in first Person POV which allows the reader to really get into his thought process. From the way he views his barely existent relationship with his mother to how he handles rejection, Marcos isn’t a confidant cocky teenage boy. His physical appearance is something he is always hyper aware of because he lacks funds to buy clothes or pay for grooming. Something as simple as a haircut could boost his confidence briefly & a lot of the time he didn’t get the end result he was seeking but the effort was there. I LOVED this character & how humble he is the core, he definitely had me in his corner the whole way through. We meet some of his friends from around his neighborhood, mostly through visits to the courtyard to shoot hoops. There’s a sense of loyalty from these guys that I’ve seen for myself in neighborhoods where most don’t have it to make ends meet. I enjoyed one particular scene where one of the guys sets up shop on his stoop to cut hair for a couple of dollars, very much like a brotherhood. Although we meet many of Marcos’ acquaintances, they aren’t as fleshed out as our MC but nonetheless they serve their purpose in giving the reader a picture of what Marcos has in his life. The friends he has don’t really know how bad his home life is but I was glad to see them rise to the occasion when he really needed them.
WRITING & FINAL THOUGHTS
Told in first person POV, The Closest I’ve Come is raw & uncensored giving Marcos’ voice & narrative life. Own Voices, Fred Aceves the author, is Latinx & he was raised in a poor working class neighborhood just like the one he brings to life in this book. From the dialogue between Marcos and his friends in the streets to his stream of consciousness on life after High School, our MC is raw & uncut just like the world he lives in. Many who come from similar backgrounds will find this book to be very relatable. To those who don’t, The Closest I’ve Come is a insiders look to a reality that exists in our real world. Not only do we get POC representation but we also see socioeconomic diversity when Marco meets & befriends a HS student from a wealthy background. The challenges Marco has in his life are going to resonate with others & that is one of the biggest reasons I am happy to see this narrative hit the shelves.
*HUGE thanks to HarperTeen, Edelweiss, and Fred Aceves for the eGalley copy of The Closest I’ve Come in exchange for an honest review.
November 9, 2017
All I can say is wow. I've gushed to this book so many times to so many people, and I honestly hope that I convinced them to read it through my word-tumbling, fast-paced explanations. I was so impressed with this book, and I can't wait until Aceves' second (if he's already writing one...I hope so, though)--I'll be the first in line to buy it!
This book discusses lots of topics that I'm familiar with only theoretically, such as being poor, in a domestically difficult (to say the least) situation, and a woman who's allowed and expected to be emotional. However, as a sidenote, I will say that I legitimately know that I know how it feels like being a punk(-esque) teenager named Amy (but to a certain extent, to be fair).
Aceves writes with an engaging voice that makes you root for Marcos at almost every turn. And when you're not rooting for him, you end up obsessively reading so that you can read about him making a Realization.
I love how this book discusses drug-dealing, friend-zoning, and friends-being-friends-ing. It's just so good.
Also, for any of you from the Pacific Northwest, our favorite Barefoot Bandit snags a mention!! (Honestly, I called my mom about this and she hollered for a straight minute). Though it might be a reference lost on some people, it was a really, really great one that made me laugh so hecking hard.
I only wish I had better words to describe how much I loved this book to you all. It was fun, engaging, and very Real in terms of what so many people are dealing with. It's honestly refreshing to read about this perspective in a YA novel, and I hope this continues the trend that's slowly making its way to the surface.
Review cross-listed here!
This book discusses lots of topics that I'm familiar with only theoretically, such as being poor, in a domestically difficult (to say the least) situation, and a woman who's allowed and expected to be emotional. However, as a sidenote, I will say that I legitimately know that I know how it feels like being a punk(-esque) teenager named Amy (but to a certain extent, to be fair).
Aceves writes with an engaging voice that makes you root for Marcos at almost every turn. And when you're not rooting for him, you end up obsessively reading so that you can read about him making a Realization.
I love how this book discusses drug-dealing, friend-zoning, and friends-being-friends-ing. It's just so good.
Also, for any of you from the Pacific Northwest, our favorite Barefoot Bandit snags a mention!! (Honestly, I called my mom about this and she hollered for a straight minute). Though it might be a reference lost on some people, it was a really, really great one that made me laugh so hecking hard.
I only wish I had better words to describe how much I loved this book to you all. It was fun, engaging, and very Real in terms of what so many people are dealing with. It's honestly refreshing to read about this perspective in a YA novel, and I hope this continues the trend that's slowly making its way to the surface.
Review cross-listed here!
March 7, 2018
This is a book every Latino teen has to read. The world building and characters are authentic and will draw you in.
June 24, 2020
3.5 Stars
December 14, 2017
Marcos Rivas lives in Florida, and he's the poorest of the poor, living in the poorest apartments in town. Knowing that his mom would rather buy liquor than him a new pair of tennis shoes is a kick in the gut. But knowing she'd choose her abusive, racist, criminal boyfriend over him makes him feel things no kid should have to feel.
This story made my heart ache. It also made me cheer for Marcos and the decisions he ultimately made. In this screwed up world, sometimes things do turn out all right, which is why I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone seeking the light at the end of the tunnel.
This story made my heart ache. It also made me cheer for Marcos and the decisions he ultimately made. In this screwed up world, sometimes things do turn out all right, which is why I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone seeking the light at the end of the tunnel.
July 9, 2017
The Closest I've Come is a remarkable book with a very authentic voice. Marco lives in the projects with a mentally absentee mom. For the past year his mother has allowed her physically abusive boyfriend to live in the apartment. She knows that Brian abuses Marco but does nothing to stop it. But Marco is more than his home life. He's a product of his neighborhood, Maesta, and his crew. Just about any urban inner-city youth reading the novel will see similarities between their circumstances in life and Marco's. As a sophomore, Marco is too young to be hired for most jobs but he needs money in order to have any kind of game with the girls. Not wanting to go the way of drug dealing, he and his friends try to interest neighbors in car washes, lot cleanings, and anything else that would give them enough money for a hair cut. Then Marco is picked for a special program at school for students who show promise but lack scholastic skills. Also in this program is Amy, a girl Marco thinks could be his girlfriend - if he worked up the courage to talk to her.
The Closest I've Come can work as a novel for many readers but it will also work well as a teaching piece for book clubs. While the cover is a beautiful illustration, a more cutting edge, urban, pictorial cover would allow this novel to be appreciated by more teens.
The Closest I've Come can work as a novel for many readers but it will also work well as a teaching piece for book clubs. While the cover is a beautiful illustration, a more cutting edge, urban, pictorial cover would allow this novel to be appreciated by more teens.
August 19, 2019
This was not an easy read by any stretch of the imagination, but it was so rewarding. Set in Tampa, The Closest I've Come is the story of Marcos who lives in the projects. He attends high school, but doesn't meet his full potential. Instead of giving up on him, his teachers invest in him. This story is like a love letter to them and the confidence they can give a teen who is trying to find his footing in the world. Tender, but tough, I highly, highly recommend this story that explores toxic masculinity, first love, and just being a boy with the world against him.
December 3, 2023
Made me feel all the feels
January 8, 2018
This is a funny book with some serious times . The author is Fred Aceves and this is his first ever novel.
Marcus the main character in the story is a boy who is around the age of 15. Who is skinny, poor and likes to play basketball with his boys. He hangs out with a group of friends from his neighbor hood. Who deals drugs, play basketball and look for jobs for money. His mother works at Walmart. She gets about minimum wage but Marcus's step dad Bryan spends it all on alcohol. Marcus and his step dad don’t get along all that well. Marcus comes to school some days with bruises on his body and under is eyes from his step father abusing him. Marcus is also trying to get a girlfriend named Amy who is nothing like him. The only things they have in common are being poor and having an ass of a stepdad. His friend is trying to get some extra money by selling some drugs but it doesn't go the way he wanted it too.
The environment of the book is set in Florida in a little town called Masea in the hood. Over time throughout the book Marcus realizes that he needs to get his life together so he can move away from his town and leave all of his problems behind.
Fred Aceves did an excellent job on this book for being his first novel. This is based on the author's childhood and what growing up was like for him. I thought that Aceves did I great job with his friends and were they came into his story and with the setting of the book.
This is one of my favorite books of all time. It is a very fun read with a lot happening in the story. It makes you laugh at times and makes you think too. It is not a very long novel to read and it is a fast pace. The author Aceves tells the story straight forward. There is a lot of profound language and there is drug abuse in the book. That's why this is one of my favorite books.
The only thing I would change throughout the whole book is the ending. The ending did not have anything to do with the book it just showed how close him and his friends were. I recommend this book to people above the age of 12 or students in high schools because of the drug abuse and the profound language.
Otherwise this is a very fun read, with all of the ups and downs it has and all the surprising moments it has, this book will surely be in your top ten reads of all time. It is a real eye opener and makes you question the author after reading The Closest I’ve Come. I can not compare it to any other book because it is Aceves first book he has written. This is still a excellent book.
Harper Collins Publisher 2017
320 pages
Marcus the main character in the story is a boy who is around the age of 15. Who is skinny, poor and likes to play basketball with his boys. He hangs out with a group of friends from his neighbor hood. Who deals drugs, play basketball and look for jobs for money. His mother works at Walmart. She gets about minimum wage but Marcus's step dad Bryan spends it all on alcohol. Marcus and his step dad don’t get along all that well. Marcus comes to school some days with bruises on his body and under is eyes from his step father abusing him. Marcus is also trying to get a girlfriend named Amy who is nothing like him. The only things they have in common are being poor and having an ass of a stepdad. His friend is trying to get some extra money by selling some drugs but it doesn't go the way he wanted it too.
The environment of the book is set in Florida in a little town called Masea in the hood. Over time throughout the book Marcus realizes that he needs to get his life together so he can move away from his town and leave all of his problems behind.
Fred Aceves did an excellent job on this book for being his first novel. This is based on the author's childhood and what growing up was like for him. I thought that Aceves did I great job with his friends and were they came into his story and with the setting of the book.
This is one of my favorite books of all time. It is a very fun read with a lot happening in the story. It makes you laugh at times and makes you think too. It is not a very long novel to read and it is a fast pace. The author Aceves tells the story straight forward. There is a lot of profound language and there is drug abuse in the book. That's why this is one of my favorite books.
The only thing I would change throughout the whole book is the ending. The ending did not have anything to do with the book it just showed how close him and his friends were. I recommend this book to people above the age of 12 or students in high schools because of the drug abuse and the profound language.
Otherwise this is a very fun read, with all of the ups and downs it has and all the surprising moments it has, this book will surely be in your top ten reads of all time. It is a real eye opener and makes you question the author after reading The Closest I’ve Come. I can not compare it to any other book because it is Aceves first book he has written. This is still a excellent book.
Harper Collins Publisher 2017
320 pages
September 23, 2019
Original review can be found on TOMES AND TEXTILES.
“Maybe all living things are amazing if you get close enough to really look.” — The Closest I've Come by Fred Aceves
💚
For #latinxheritagemonth today, I am bringing you a type story I usually don’t focus on—centered around a boy. Honestly, there aren’t many stories centered around boys is YA. We see even less representation for boys of color. The Closest I’ve Come gives us total focus on both in Marcos Rivas’s story. He attends high school in my home town of Tampa, Florida and lives in the Maesta’s housing development on the wrong side of the tracks.
💚
We meet Marcos walking the halls and streets with his buddies, while he wonders if love will ever find him. He seemingly has no respect for his teachers or classes. He struggles tremendously with his home life, poverty, his confidence, emotionally, but he wants to rise. He meets a friend from a different socio-economic background and Marcos’s financial struggles, as well all the fall-out emotionally of not being able to buy new clothes or even afford to cut his hair, really cuts deep. Marcos is the single compelling narrative of this novel and I just couldn’t put it down.
💚
Kudos to Fred for also singing the praises of teacher’s hard work behind the scenes—especially the unsung heroes who find and value students despite gruff exteriors and give them a chance to grow and blossom beyond their expectations. This story is a love letter to those hard-working educators.
💚
While this book touches on toxic masculinity, Fred’s next novel, The New David Espinoza, tackles that topic as well as steroid abuse and male body dysmorphia—be in the lookout for it in February 2020.
Original review and more book talk can be found on TOMES AND TEXTILES.
“Maybe all living things are amazing if you get close enough to really look.” — The Closest I've Come by Fred Aceves
💚
For #latinxheritagemonth today, I am bringing you a type story I usually don’t focus on—centered around a boy. Honestly, there aren’t many stories centered around boys is YA. We see even less representation for boys of color. The Closest I’ve Come gives us total focus on both in Marcos Rivas’s story. He attends high school in my home town of Tampa, Florida and lives in the Maesta’s housing development on the wrong side of the tracks.
💚
We meet Marcos walking the halls and streets with his buddies, while he wonders if love will ever find him. He seemingly has no respect for his teachers or classes. He struggles tremendously with his home life, poverty, his confidence, emotionally, but he wants to rise. He meets a friend from a different socio-economic background and Marcos’s financial struggles, as well all the fall-out emotionally of not being able to buy new clothes or even afford to cut his hair, really cuts deep. Marcos is the single compelling narrative of this novel and I just couldn’t put it down.
💚
Kudos to Fred for also singing the praises of teacher’s hard work behind the scenes—especially the unsung heroes who find and value students despite gruff exteriors and give them a chance to grow and blossom beyond their expectations. This story is a love letter to those hard-working educators.
💚
While this book touches on toxic masculinity, Fred’s next novel, The New David Espinoza, tackles that topic as well as steroid abuse and male body dysmorphia—be in the lookout for it in February 2020.
Original review and more book talk can be found on TOMES AND TEXTILES.
July 13, 2018
a strong 3.5 stars
August 6, 2019
Excellent read. Aceves skillfully challenges the norm of toxic masculinity through the experiences and growth of the main character, providing young readers (and not-so-young readers) with a healthy role model for boys and young men. Central to the lives of the main character and his peers is poverty, classism, racism, and abuse, reflecting the stories of countless underrepresented young people throughout the US while also providing the reader with hope via the main character’s resilience and desire for a better life. Should be a must-read in US schools.
February 13, 2018
This book is the cutest thing in the world! Between a harsh family life and the hope to find true love, the main character has to cope and adapt to a new culture once he leaves his racist, and abusive step dad in order to take control of his life. I love the love story and accurately portrays living in a Latin type ghetto. Ugh such an amazing book!
December 18, 2019
a great story perfect for students who don't care for school or reading.
original voice and authentic pov
*update Ending the year this book, this book made my top 5 of the year. Firstly, this book is hilarious. the "relationship" is too realistic I was rooting for him. I yelled, laughed, sighed, and was mad for a relatively short book to take you on such a journey is a talent.
#part2!
Thanks
original voice and authentic pov
*update Ending the year this book, this book made my top 5 of the year. Firstly, this book is hilarious. the "relationship" is too realistic I was rooting for him. I yelled, laughed, sighed, and was mad for a relatively short book to take you on such a journey is a talent.
#part2!
Thanks
June 26, 2018
Great #ownvoices story! Especially loved that educators were portrayed in a positive light. When Marcos realizes that we (educators) probably really do care, I’m all like, “uhh...yeah, we ain’t in this for the money.”
Read
April 26, 2017Really liked this book - lots of character growth, which I think is important to see. You can admit you're wrong, or that you've made mistakes, and the world doesn't end.
Read
March 3, 2023I rated Book Title by Author five stars because it exceeded my expectations, and I couldn’t put it down.: Set in Maesta, California sometime in the 21st century, The story follows Marcos as he sets out on a quest to get through his sophomore year. I discovered this book when watching a video in class and this book was shown. What I really liked about it was when Marcos goes to the after school program for his grades and first meets Amy. He had been invited to an after school program called , Futures Success. During the class this girl Amy gets picked on by one of Marcos friends Uppercut. That's when Amy stood up to Uppercut and Marcos started to like Amy for being so brave. It made me think that Marcos would finally start to take school and his life more seriously now that he had someone to work for. And because of this new turn in the book it hooked me in ever further and I couldn’t stop reading it. I also liked when Marcos finally stood up to his mom for being so distant and always choosing her boyfriends over him. Marcos' mom had always ignored him even after his step father had put him in the hospital for assault. When Marcos started yelling at his mom trying to get her to understand that she should care about him, and he loves her, this made me feel so angry. Because she just couldn’t, and wouldn’t listen to what he had to say. Marcos kept trying to tell her that she needs to care for him and not whoever else she has been entertaining. This made me feel sad for Marcos because all he wanted was a mom who cared for him. He wanted someone to ground him for his bad grades or ask him how his day was after school even if his response was small. And because of this I just got even more connected to the book and I couldn’t put it down. I feel like this was important to show the reader because even though he doesn’t have consequences for his actions after his stepfather left, he still wanted his mom to act like one. Marcos just wanted to feel like he was loved and this shows the reader how desperate he was for his mothers attention that he would start yelling at her for her to even look him in the eyes. This matters because it shows the reader to be grateful for who you have, and that not everyone has a support system they can lean onto. I feel like I would definitely read another book from this author because this book was so well written and it was an easy read. I feel like if you liked the show on my block you would like this book just because it has the same feel to it. They both take place in a more dangerous city and it follows teenagers who go through struggles that no one, let alone a kid should go through. And If you read concrete rose then I feel like you would really like this book too because they both have elements of racism and gang related violence that make the characters very interesting and powerful.
December 19, 2021
Once I got used to the writing style, I thought it was a cool story!
November 21, 2019
I loved it, between 4 to 5... I'll change it later.
December 12, 2018
THE CLOSEST I’VE COME by Fred Aceves is a unique book. I’ve been reading young adult literature for as long as I became a reader and --- I think a lot of people would agree with me here --- most of the time it’s in the female’s point of view. At this point, I can’t remember the last time I read a book that was in a male’s perspective.
The male perspective is just an eye grabber. THE CLOSEST I’VE COME follows Marcos Rivas’ search for love. Right from the beginning, we are introduced to an innocent and sweet character in a horrible situation. With an emotionally distant mother, who sits back and watches her boyfriend physically abuse Marcos, and an overwhelming sense of solitude, Marcos is just searching for someone to believe in him. The closest thing he has to that is his group of friends from the same neighborhood, the Maesta.
It was so interesting to read Marcos’ conflicting relation to his “ghetto” neighborhood. While he acquainted himself with those of the same origin as he, he wanted nothing more than to escape that lifestyle. It’s a recurring conflict where he feels the most understood and connected to those who grew up and look the same as he, yet we see him struggle to disassociate himself with the Maesta. At first, Marcos isn’t able to separate where he is from and who he wants to be. Reading from his perspective allowed me to understand his struggle with his identity. Oftentimes it even made sense. Marcos’ struggle is one I heavily identified with, whether it’s because I’m a teenager or because I’m a first generation high-school graduate, the internal conflict with people’s low expectations has never been so heavily highlighted in any book I have ever read. How does someone succeed if it seems as though the world expects them to fail?
It’s funny because no matter how open-minded people seem to be, unfortunately, there are still some stereotypes we fall back on --- whether consciously or not. Marcos isn’t a “don’t judge a book by its cover” example, his “cover” being baggy jeans and too big shirts. No, Marcos is a victim of unfortunate stereotypes, it shouldn’t matter where he lives, who he’s associated with, or the type of clothes he wears. Except it does, and he lets other’s perspectives of him affect his self-worth.
What I found most interesting about Marcos was how insecure he was of himself, yet how humble and honest his actions were. He saw his straight A friend fall into drug dealing and saw him get the things he couldn’t even dream of getting, yet he still attempted to get money through sweeping parking lots.
Throughout his journey, there was nothing I wanted more than to reach in and yell “hey, I get it! You’re not alone!” Alas, I couldn’t and instead, I got to be immersed in the story of a wonderfully crafted character. If you’re looking for a coming-of-age story, this is for you. If you’re looking for a diverse read, this is for you. If you’re looking for amazing character development and intriguing storytelling, this is for you. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, Fred Aceves does and he does not disappoint.
Reviewed by Sabina Z., Teen Board Member
The male perspective is just an eye grabber. THE CLOSEST I’VE COME follows Marcos Rivas’ search for love. Right from the beginning, we are introduced to an innocent and sweet character in a horrible situation. With an emotionally distant mother, who sits back and watches her boyfriend physically abuse Marcos, and an overwhelming sense of solitude, Marcos is just searching for someone to believe in him. The closest thing he has to that is his group of friends from the same neighborhood, the Maesta.
It was so interesting to read Marcos’ conflicting relation to his “ghetto” neighborhood. While he acquainted himself with those of the same origin as he, he wanted nothing more than to escape that lifestyle. It’s a recurring conflict where he feels the most understood and connected to those who grew up and look the same as he, yet we see him struggle to disassociate himself with the Maesta. At first, Marcos isn’t able to separate where he is from and who he wants to be. Reading from his perspective allowed me to understand his struggle with his identity. Oftentimes it even made sense. Marcos’ struggle is one I heavily identified with, whether it’s because I’m a teenager or because I’m a first generation high-school graduate, the internal conflict with people’s low expectations has never been so heavily highlighted in any book I have ever read. How does someone succeed if it seems as though the world expects them to fail?
It’s funny because no matter how open-minded people seem to be, unfortunately, there are still some stereotypes we fall back on --- whether consciously or not. Marcos isn’t a “don’t judge a book by its cover” example, his “cover” being baggy jeans and too big shirts. No, Marcos is a victim of unfortunate stereotypes, it shouldn’t matter where he lives, who he’s associated with, or the type of clothes he wears. Except it does, and he lets other’s perspectives of him affect his self-worth.
What I found most interesting about Marcos was how insecure he was of himself, yet how humble and honest his actions were. He saw his straight A friend fall into drug dealing and saw him get the things he couldn’t even dream of getting, yet he still attempted to get money through sweeping parking lots.
Throughout his journey, there was nothing I wanted more than to reach in and yell “hey, I get it! You’re not alone!” Alas, I couldn’t and instead, I got to be immersed in the story of a wonderfully crafted character. If you’re looking for a coming-of-age story, this is for you. If you’re looking for a diverse read, this is for you. If you’re looking for amazing character development and intriguing storytelling, this is for you. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, Fred Aceves does and he does not disappoint.
Reviewed by Sabina Z., Teen Board Member
January 26, 2019
This is the first YA book I've read in a couple of years, so please take this review within that context.
To me, there are two strengths of this book that stand out and set it apart from the lion’s share of YA literature. The first is the author’s ability to forge moments of genuine connection between Marcos and the adults around him. Marcos Rivas, the main character, recognizes the ways in which the adults around him fail to connect with the teens they parent and teach. Rather than allow himself to be passive in the face of those failures, he offers his own perspective on the world, and allows the adults to accept or reject it. For those adults who accept Marcos’ perspective, they have the opportunity to offer him wisdom in return. The conversations between Marcos and the adults in his life manage, for the most part, to avoid becoming after school specials or cynical demonstrations of the unbridgeable gulf between race, age, and class.
The second strength is the way friendship takes precedence over romantic love as the primary relationship examined in Marcos’s life. Parent, teacher, and romantic relationships do appear in this book, but Aceves reserves the majority of his words for consideration of what it means to be a friend, from life-long friends to new friends, and what it looks like to navigate the grey zone between friendship and romance.
One aspect of the book that I feel could have been given some greater depth is the way Marcos interacts with law enforcement. With the ascendance of The Hate U Give as a YA novel and movie, the characters’ interactions with police officers and people in authority felt a little flat and served more as a plot device than an authentic depiction. Given the amount of time Aceves spends to build up Maesta as a realistic setting, the depictions of law enforcement's interactions with the neighborhood members bounce inconsistently between them being helpful or bigoted depending on how the plot requires them to behave.
However, I found that this last quibble does not detract much from the overall story and theme. It’s hard to sell a book about toxic masculinity to teens when it is presented as a book about toxic masculinity. The Closest I’ve Come finds a way to tell a story that honors the difficulty of being a young man, while also suggesting that men can be supported and empowered to find the deep connections that can bear them through those difficulties.
To me, there are two strengths of this book that stand out and set it apart from the lion’s share of YA literature. The first is the author’s ability to forge moments of genuine connection between Marcos and the adults around him. Marcos Rivas, the main character, recognizes the ways in which the adults around him fail to connect with the teens they parent and teach. Rather than allow himself to be passive in the face of those failures, he offers his own perspective on the world, and allows the adults to accept or reject it. For those adults who accept Marcos’ perspective, they have the opportunity to offer him wisdom in return. The conversations between Marcos and the adults in his life manage, for the most part, to avoid becoming after school specials or cynical demonstrations of the unbridgeable gulf between race, age, and class.
The second strength is the way friendship takes precedence over romantic love as the primary relationship examined in Marcos’s life. Parent, teacher, and romantic relationships do appear in this book, but Aceves reserves the majority of his words for consideration of what it means to be a friend, from life-long friends to new friends, and what it looks like to navigate the grey zone between friendship and romance.
One aspect of the book that I feel could have been given some greater depth is the way Marcos interacts with law enforcement. With the ascendance of The Hate U Give as a YA novel and movie, the characters’ interactions with police officers and people in authority felt a little flat and served more as a plot device than an authentic depiction. Given the amount of time Aceves spends to build up Maesta as a realistic setting, the depictions of law enforcement's interactions with the neighborhood members bounce inconsistently between them being helpful or bigoted depending on how the plot requires them to behave.
However, I found that this last quibble does not detract much from the overall story and theme. It’s hard to sell a book about toxic masculinity to teens when it is presented as a book about toxic masculinity. The Closest I’ve Come finds a way to tell a story that honors the difficulty of being a young man, while also suggesting that men can be supported and empowered to find the deep connections that can bear them through those difficulties.
April 29, 2018
This book is a giant YES. I loved everything about this book.
Marcos Rivas is a 15-year-old Latino growing up in the Maesta neighborhood of Tampa, Florida--a community riddled with crime, drugs, and few economic opportunities. His mother is present but emotionally absent from his life, either drunk or working long hours away from their apartment. For the past year, she has allowed her racist, alcoholic boyfriend Brian to live with them, who physically and verbally terrorizes Marcos on a daily basis. For all intents and purposes, she is aware of the abuse but does nothing to stop it. Because most of the money in the household is spent on alcohol, Marcos seeks out meager job opportunities to earn enough cash to be presentable to his friends.
At school, Marcos spends his time hanging with friends and playing pranks on teachers. He is failing all of his classes and doesn't see the point in doing better or thinking about his future. He has a crush on a girl named Amy and quietly begins to pursue her romantically after they are both selected to participate in a mentoring program called Future Success. Little by little, as he begins to turn his life around, he begins to realize that by getting his life together, he can be better than the circumstances that his life situation brings.
This story is told in the first person POV and had an excellent sense of the main character's voice all throughout. There was never a time when I didn't understand Marcos, I definitely felt his feelings and saw his world view through his eyes. Marcos' story was compelling and powerful, and even though the ending doesn't resolve his many issues, I was ok with it. Poverty and familial dysfunction aren't easily solvable, and in many cases, cannot be physically escaped. What is important is that Marcos develops a sense of hope, a new way of being in a world does not intend for his success.
This is my (3rd or 4th?) foray this past month into YA books with Black and/or Latino male characters, by Black and Latinx writers. I can't stress to you how important that I feel that is, particularly that there to be stories about kids of color in the language and the contexts that they are culturally familiar with. "The Closest I've Come" is definitely one of the books that's re-imagining a diverse new world of literature.
4.5 stars. Loved this!
Marcos Rivas is a 15-year-old Latino growing up in the Maesta neighborhood of Tampa, Florida--a community riddled with crime, drugs, and few economic opportunities. His mother is present but emotionally absent from his life, either drunk or working long hours away from their apartment. For the past year, she has allowed her racist, alcoholic boyfriend Brian to live with them, who physically and verbally terrorizes Marcos on a daily basis. For all intents and purposes, she is aware of the abuse but does nothing to stop it. Because most of the money in the household is spent on alcohol, Marcos seeks out meager job opportunities to earn enough cash to be presentable to his friends.
At school, Marcos spends his time hanging with friends and playing pranks on teachers. He is failing all of his classes and doesn't see the point in doing better or thinking about his future. He has a crush on a girl named Amy and quietly begins to pursue her romantically after they are both selected to participate in a mentoring program called Future Success. Little by little, as he begins to turn his life around, he begins to realize that by getting his life together, he can be better than the circumstances that his life situation brings.
This story is told in the first person POV and had an excellent sense of the main character's voice all throughout. There was never a time when I didn't understand Marcos, I definitely felt his feelings and saw his world view through his eyes. Marcos' story was compelling and powerful, and even though the ending doesn't resolve his many issues, I was ok with it. Poverty and familial dysfunction aren't easily solvable, and in many cases, cannot be physically escaped. What is important is that Marcos develops a sense of hope, a new way of being in a world does not intend for his success.
This is my (3rd or 4th?) foray this past month into YA books with Black and/or Latino male characters, by Black and Latinx writers. I can't stress to you how important that I feel that is, particularly that there to be stories about kids of color in the language and the contexts that they are culturally familiar with. "The Closest I've Come" is definitely one of the books that's re-imagining a diverse new world of literature.
4.5 stars. Loved this!
January 31, 2018
Sophomore Marcos Rivas has just been nominated a special program at school called Future Success. It’s for students who show a lot of promise, but might have other obstacles to overcome-- such as trouble at home. Marcos certainly has that. His mom’s boyfriend Brian is a drunk, racist, and abusive man with a short temper who frequently beats Marcos up. Despite having learned many ways to avoid Brian, Marcos can't completely avoid the insults and beatings. Marcos's mom hears the abuse, but Marcos isn't sure if she simply doesn't know about the physical beatings or if she simply chooses to ignore them. Marcos is embarrassed to join the Future Success program because he’d rather play pranks on his teachers and hang out with his Maesta boys in their poor Tampa, Florida neighborhood. Being smart was never a survival tactic before. He’s also surprised that a teacher saw any promise in him, since no one has ever called him smart. But when the program begins, Marcos meets Zach, a boy who seems to have everything together, and Amy, a girl who is Marcos’s polar opposite: she’s white, tough, and a fan of punk. Inexplicably, Marcos falls hard for Amy, and somehow these three become more of a family than Marcos has ever had. This is author Fred Aceves’ debut novel, and he tells a compelling story about trying to overcome obstacles and finding support in the most unusual of places. What sets this book apart from the bulk of YA today is in the way we see street-tough Marcos fighting his own doubts and demons, and the way in which Aceves shows us a tender, caring side of Marcos that up to now his friends never have. Teens will relate to Marcos's inner turmoil, and his heartbreak when he realizes that his new friend Amy, who makes Marcos absolutely swoon, already has a boyfriend she's never mentioned. Rather than a tidy happy ending, The Closest I've Come has an ending more in line with real life. This isn't a rags-to-riches fairy tale where Marcos beats all the odds to win it all. The ending isn’t exactly happy, but it is fitting and offers hope for a kid who had the deck stacked against him from the start.
January 13, 2018
4.5
Huge thank you to Harper Collins Canada for this ARC!
Sometimes it is extremely hard to not judge a book by its cover. There are some books that simply don't win the cover lottery, and often that's a shame given it means potentially missing out on a great read.
The Closest I've Come is an example of that. When I received it in the mail the cover caused me to put it off. Then, it just kept staring at me and I knew I had to see if the text would grab me. I am so glad this book exists. This amazing debut looks at Marcos, a boy who gets admitted into a special program for teens who are troubled, but show potential academically. Marcos picks fights, and believes that bravery comes from having a lot of machismo. Clearly he learns this isn't the case.
The joy I felt reading this book was infinite. Marcos' is a tough guy -- vulgar, rough around the edges, but learning to become a better person is a lot of what this story entails. Marcos wants to win the affection of Amy, who happens to also be in the same special class as him. Amy is a rough and tumble gal who needs no man, and boy does she let Marcos know. This book looks at the emotions of under-privileged Latino teens, and I felt for the cast. There's also an amazing twist that happens in this book that I remember when I read it, my hand slammed down on the table freaking out.
Seriously, what a hidden gem of a book. While The Closest I've Come doesn't exactly have the most appealing cover, the contents inside are worth investigating. Fred Aceves' debut is an interesting novel about growing up, and Marcos takes so many interesting directions in this story. While Marcos' voice is rough around the edges, he's worth sticking with, because watching his friendships develop and seeing his self-growth are enjoyable for start to finish.
Huge thank you to Harper Collins Canada for this ARC!
Sometimes it is extremely hard to not judge a book by its cover. There are some books that simply don't win the cover lottery, and often that's a shame given it means potentially missing out on a great read.
The Closest I've Come is an example of that. When I received it in the mail the cover caused me to put it off. Then, it just kept staring at me and I knew I had to see if the text would grab me. I am so glad this book exists. This amazing debut looks at Marcos, a boy who gets admitted into a special program for teens who are troubled, but show potential academically. Marcos picks fights, and believes that bravery comes from having a lot of machismo. Clearly he learns this isn't the case.
The joy I felt reading this book was infinite. Marcos' is a tough guy -- vulgar, rough around the edges, but learning to become a better person is a lot of what this story entails. Marcos wants to win the affection of Amy, who happens to also be in the same special class as him. Amy is a rough and tumble gal who needs no man, and boy does she let Marcos know. This book looks at the emotions of under-privileged Latino teens, and I felt for the cast. There's also an amazing twist that happens in this book that I remember when I read it, my hand slammed down on the table freaking out.
Seriously, what a hidden gem of a book. While The Closest I've Come doesn't exactly have the most appealing cover, the contents inside are worth investigating. Fred Aceves' debut is an interesting novel about growing up, and Marcos takes so many interesting directions in this story. While Marcos' voice is rough around the edges, he's worth sticking with, because watching his friendships develop and seeing his self-growth are enjoyable for start to finish.
January 11, 2018
Marcos Rivas is desperate to find love. Despite not getting it from any of the people in his life, he's full of it, but he's got no one to give it to. He knows first hand that you can't choose your family, but social norms keep him from finding it with his friends. As he says, he and his boys don't do emotions. However, after being placed in a special class at school for troubled teens with potential, Marcos finds himself making two unlikely friends that set the wheels of change in motion.
This book was both heartbreaking and uplifting. I read this for the Teen Book Club at my job, where I mostly work with youth from an underprivileged population. As I read this, I couldn't help but wonder how my kids would see themselves in this book—who would they identify with, who wouldn't they, and why?—because I definitely saw a lot of them in here. I'm eager to hear their opinions on the book this month.
Though the book centers around an extremely poor neighborhood of mostly people of color, it is not just a book about how hard life can be on the other side of the tracks. The struggles to find love and acceptance for who you are, to be the master of your own future, and to win the fight against loneliness are universal themes that we all can relate to. Plus, all throughout this book, Marcos was dropping truth bombs like crazy. I think this book is a definite read. This kid knows what he's talking about.
This book was both heartbreaking and uplifting. I read this for the Teen Book Club at my job, where I mostly work with youth from an underprivileged population. As I read this, I couldn't help but wonder how my kids would see themselves in this book—who would they identify with, who wouldn't they, and why?—because I definitely saw a lot of them in here. I'm eager to hear their opinions on the book this month.
Though the book centers around an extremely poor neighborhood of mostly people of color, it is not just a book about how hard life can be on the other side of the tracks. The struggles to find love and acceptance for who you are, to be the master of your own future, and to win the fight against loneliness are universal themes that we all can relate to. Plus, all throughout this book, Marcos was dropping truth bombs like crazy. I think this book is a definite read. This kid knows what he's talking about.
January 24, 2019
The book was boring at first since it was not known to me what it would be about for the character - is he American? African? Spanish? Though the ethnicity might have been given away due to the cover but who knows? The main reason of it being boring from the start was the introduction of characters. I also did not like much how it seems deperate of Marcos, the protagonist, to have a girlfriend. Although, that will later on be one of the important topics of the book. Surely, this book should have something better than bejng a contemporary on high school life and indeed, it did. The themes of the book are strong and significant, though a cheesy or cliche topic to many. It touches the real effects of abuse and discrimination. It lets you realize that things are not what they seem to be. It will also show you a great character developmeny from Marcos as he realizes his worth and who he is. This is quite a great read for a coming-of-age novel.
January 25, 2018
teen fiction (realistic high school; poor Hispanic, Black, and White kids living in urban Florida; learning the value of friends when parents can't provide consistent support) #ownvoices
This story reminds me of the print article about a teacher who gained perspective into her students' lives when she gave her class a writing assignment: "What do you wish your teacher knew about you?" For those of us who have always lived comfortably outside of poverty, it may never occur to us that some students struggle with school because they're too busy trying to feed themselves/trying to avoid abusive guardians/just trying to survive day to day (plus all of the other obstacles that occur throughout their lives). This book provides some valuable insight for adults in that way, but I think it would also resonate with its intended teen audience.
This story reminds me of the print article about a teacher who gained perspective into her students' lives when she gave her class a writing assignment: "What do you wish your teacher knew about you?" For those of us who have always lived comfortably outside of poverty, it may never occur to us that some students struggle with school because they're too busy trying to feed themselves/trying to avoid abusive guardians/just trying to survive day to day (plus all of the other obstacles that occur throughout their lives). This book provides some valuable insight for adults in that way, but I think it would also resonate with its intended teen audience.
April 17, 2019
Marcos Rivas is a tough kid with a tough life, but inside what he really wants is someone to spill his heart out to. At home, his mom might as well not be there as she leaves him at the mercy of her abusive boyfriend. With his boys, he knows someone will have his back, but he's expected to be a fighter. And at school, his teachers' expectations are so low you can barely see him.
Then someone signs Marcos up for a program for underachieving kids with a lot of potential. He meets some new friends. Maybe even a new girlfriend. Things start to change with his friends, with his mom. Some of it good, but a lot of it not.
It's hard to know what to say about this book because honestly, not a lot happens. There's not much plot, but it does have a great cast of characters. My description probably doesn't do it justice.
Then someone signs Marcos up for a program for underachieving kids with a lot of potential. He meets some new friends. Maybe even a new girlfriend. Things start to change with his friends, with his mom. Some of it good, but a lot of it not.
It's hard to know what to say about this book because honestly, not a lot happens. There's not much plot, but it does have a great cast of characters. My description probably doesn't do it justice.
January 2, 2018
The Closest I've Come is a window into the Maesta projects and Marcos Rivas' life. A world of fights, drug deals, uncaring mothers, abusive father-figures, and poverty so dire that food is scarce and sneakers are held together with tape. When one of Marcos' teachers nominates him to be in the Future Success program, Marco meets two friends - a punk girl that steals his heart and a rich, drama boy that truly cares about Marcos' thoughts and feelings. The lessons the three learn from supporting one another spill over into the classroom and awaken the teacher to the real struggles preventing the students from succeeding. It's a story of friendship and heartbreak that resonates with hope and perseverance.
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