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On the Hook
"You know I'm coming. You're dead already."
Hector has always minded his own business, working hard to make his way to a better life someday. He's the chess team champion, helps the family with his job at the grocery, and teaches his little sister to shoot hoops overhand.
Until Joey singles him out. Joey, whose older brother, Chavo, is head of the Discípulos gang, tells Hector that he's going to kill him: maybe not today, or tomorrow, but someday. And Hector, frozen with fear, does nothing. From that day forward, Hector's death is hanging over his head every time he leaves the house. He tries to fade into the shadows -- to drop off Joey's radar -- to become no one.
But when a fight between Chavo and Hector's brother Fili escalates, Hector is left with no choice but to take a stand.
The violent confrontation will take Hector places he never expected, including a reform school where he has to live side-by-side with his enemy, Joey. It's up to Hector to choose whether he's going to lose himself to revenge or get back to the hard work of living.
Hector has always minded his own business, working hard to make his way to a better life someday. He's the chess team champion, helps the family with his job at the grocery, and teaches his little sister to shoot hoops overhand.
Until Joey singles him out. Joey, whose older brother, Chavo, is head of the Discípulos gang, tells Hector that he's going to kill him: maybe not today, or tomorrow, but someday. And Hector, frozen with fear, does nothing. From that day forward, Hector's death is hanging over his head every time he leaves the house. He tries to fade into the shadows -- to drop off Joey's radar -- to become no one.
But when a fight between Chavo and Hector's brother Fili escalates, Hector is left with no choice but to take a stand.
The violent confrontation will take Hector places he never expected, including a reform school where he has to live side-by-side with his enemy, Joey. It's up to Hector to choose whether he's going to lose himself to revenge or get back to the hard work of living.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published May 18, 2021
24 people are currently reading
3260 people want to read
About the author
Francisco X. Stork
13 books55.5k followersFrancisco X. Stork was born in Mexico. He moved to El Paso Texas with his adoptive father and mother when he was nine. He attended Spring Hill College, Harvard University and Columbia Law School. He worked as an attorney for thirty-three years before retiring in 2015. He is married and has two grown children and four beautiful grandkids. He loves to discover new books and authors. His favorite books are those where the author's soul touches his. He does not read reviews to his books so you should feel free to write whatever you want. Also, he is genuinely interested in learning about books and life from his friends on this site. He would love it if you find his books worthy to be read, but that's not why he wants to be your friend.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
April 4, 2023
Ah! This book . . . it has made me speechless and flabbergasted. Why did I ever sign up for this nerve-racking, utterly realistic, anxiety inducer? And why are my eyes constantly leaking? It is high time I dusted my room. My allergies are getting worse it seems.
Let's talk about the story then. Hector is your typical smart ass nerdy student who is timid around girls but brutal on a chessboard. He is all set for his future academic endeavours which can take him out of that shitty neighbourhood of drug dealers until everything goes down the drain when he is singled out by Joey. He is bullied and threatened to the point that the fear begins to consume him.
Things begin to take a turn for the worse when his brother Fili is killed by Joey in his fight against Joey's brother, Chavo. Hector temporarily decapacitates Chavo and both of them are sent to a school for correction for six months. A lie could have saved Hector but he has an ulterior motive now: revenge. He needs to kill Joey.
He could either go on with his life with the insurance money his brother has left or pursue revenge which will ultimately shut him permanently in federal prison. So what is it to be? The agony had me glued to the kindle the entire time, sharing his pain, anger and guilt of watching his brother helplessly being killed in front of him. It could be my primitive animalistic nature speaking here, but I wanted Hector to kill Joey, the consequences be damned. Yes, Joey had his share of a tragic past, but does knowing that take away the pain of a loved one lost forever?
Unfortunately, the odds are stacked against Hector. This is no fantasy movie where the traumatised hero can be transformed into a vigilante overnight. How could one fight against someone good in street fighting? And with each opportunity lost where Hector gets humiliated, my anger rose to new levels. That is why I really appreciate the way the author chose to end the story satisfying both the good and the bad.
It goes without saying that this is one of the best books I have read this year. It has been a long time since I felt so close to a particular character as if he is a living breathing human being with emotions so real.
Let's talk about the story then. Hector is your typical smart ass nerdy student who is timid around girls but brutal on a chessboard. He is all set for his future academic endeavours which can take him out of that shitty neighbourhood of drug dealers until everything goes down the drain when he is singled out by Joey. He is bullied and threatened to the point that the fear begins to consume him.
Things begin to take a turn for the worse when his brother Fili is killed by Joey in his fight against Joey's brother, Chavo. Hector temporarily decapacitates Chavo and both of them are sent to a school for correction for six months. A lie could have saved Hector but he has an ulterior motive now: revenge. He needs to kill Joey.
He could either go on with his life with the insurance money his brother has left or pursue revenge which will ultimately shut him permanently in federal prison. So what is it to be? The agony had me glued to the kindle the entire time, sharing his pain, anger and guilt of watching his brother helplessly being killed in front of him. It could be my primitive animalistic nature speaking here, but I wanted Hector to kill Joey, the consequences be damned. Yes, Joey had his share of a tragic past, but does knowing that take away the pain of a loved one lost forever?
Unfortunately, the odds are stacked against Hector. This is no fantasy movie where the traumatised hero can be transformed into a vigilante overnight. How could one fight against someone good in street fighting? And with each opportunity lost where Hector gets humiliated, my anger rose to new levels. That is why I really appreciate the way the author chose to end the story satisfying both the good and the bad.
It goes without saying that this is one of the best books I have read this year. It has been a long time since I felt so close to a particular character as if he is a living breathing human being with emotions so real.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2021
TW: graphic violence, death of sibling, physical & sexual abuse (mention), revenge, grief
Stork is a Mexican-American writer that pens a harrowing and poignant tale inspired by the struggles he faced as an immigrant growing up in El Paso.
This is a story about revenge.
Life for Hector and his family was finally looking up following a year of grief. But, a dispute between Hector and his brother (Fili) with members of the local Discípulos gang escalates and the results lead to consequences that Hector never planned for.
This story was incredible. This is one of those stories that really highlights how difficult it is for BIPOC in poor communities to escape violence even when “they do everything right”. This story is one that I’m all too familiar with and that I’ve seen play out time and time again within my community and family.
Stories like these also dismantle the biases that people have when it comes to juveniles who find themselves incarcerated and/or in reform school.
This story is incredibly emotional and really immerses you into the psyche of all of the characters. I honestly can’t recommend this one enough.
Thank you to I Read YA and Scholastic Inc for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
Stork is a Mexican-American writer that pens a harrowing and poignant tale inspired by the struggles he faced as an immigrant growing up in El Paso.
This is a story about revenge.
Life for Hector and his family was finally looking up following a year of grief. But, a dispute between Hector and his brother (Fili) with members of the local Discípulos gang escalates and the results lead to consequences that Hector never planned for.
This story was incredible. This is one of those stories that really highlights how difficult it is for BIPOC in poor communities to escape violence even when “they do everything right”. This story is one that I’m all too familiar with and that I’ve seen play out time and time again within my community and family.
Stories like these also dismantle the biases that people have when it comes to juveniles who find themselves incarcerated and/or in reform school.
This story is incredibly emotional and really immerses you into the psyche of all of the characters. I honestly can’t recommend this one enough.
Thank you to I Read YA and Scholastic Inc for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
May 21, 2021
Thanks to @scholasticinc and @coloredpagesblogtours for the gifted copy. Happy pub day to "On the Hook" by @francisco_stork!
QOTD: What book had a plot twist that completely left you speechless?
"Courage was more than willingness to take risks. It was a quality of mind that allowed a player to face imminent danger, even an inescapable trap, with self control. Courage did not panic, did not give up. It was composure under pressure, the ability to keep the mind alert and focused no matter what. It was doing what needed to be done even when you're afraid."
"On the Hook" is about Hector, a promising high school who is doing all the right things to get into a great college and make his family proud. He's a talented chess player with killer grades. One day he is threatened and attacked by a local gang member and freezes up. This eventually leads to a tragic incident which threatens to derail his entire future and changes his family forever.
I really enjoyed the pacing of the author's writing. The beginning really focuses on the back story and then "Bam" you get hit right in the face with the plot turn right in the middle of the book. The emotions conveyed are so honest and raw that you instantly feel Hector's pain. You almost want to intervene but you know you can't because it all feels so real. I had to close the book and take a break immediately because I was completely immersed in the story.
This story really moved me deeply even though I'm not the intended audience. It is a great one to read with youth and discuss closely. This is definitely one to add to your middle grade and older classroom libraries.
What really sticks out about this one are the core questions it poses:
♟How do you gain the courage to fight for your own life despite your circumstances?
♟How do you move past anger and revenge and not get lost in it?
♟How do you find your voice in an uber masculine world that dictates that men have to get physical in order to prove bravery?
♟How do you maintain your faith in the face of so much tragedy?
♟How do you separate duty and love?
♟Is revenge ever greater than the consequences?
♟How do you overcome crippling fear?
Bookdragon rating 4.25 🔥
QOTD: What book had a plot twist that completely left you speechless?
"Courage was more than willingness to take risks. It was a quality of mind that allowed a player to face imminent danger, even an inescapable trap, with self control. Courage did not panic, did not give up. It was composure under pressure, the ability to keep the mind alert and focused no matter what. It was doing what needed to be done even when you're afraid."
"On the Hook" is about Hector, a promising high school who is doing all the right things to get into a great college and make his family proud. He's a talented chess player with killer grades. One day he is threatened and attacked by a local gang member and freezes up. This eventually leads to a tragic incident which threatens to derail his entire future and changes his family forever.
I really enjoyed the pacing of the author's writing. The beginning really focuses on the back story and then "Bam" you get hit right in the face with the plot turn right in the middle of the book. The emotions conveyed are so honest and raw that you instantly feel Hector's pain. You almost want to intervene but you know you can't because it all feels so real. I had to close the book and take a break immediately because I was completely immersed in the story.
This story really moved me deeply even though I'm not the intended audience. It is a great one to read with youth and discuss closely. This is definitely one to add to your middle grade and older classroom libraries.
What really sticks out about this one are the core questions it poses:
♟How do you gain the courage to fight for your own life despite your circumstances?
♟How do you move past anger and revenge and not get lost in it?
♟How do you find your voice in an uber masculine world that dictates that men have to get physical in order to prove bravery?
♟How do you maintain your faith in the face of so much tragedy?
♟How do you separate duty and love?
♟Is revenge ever greater than the consequences?
♟How do you overcome crippling fear?
Bookdragon rating 4.25 🔥
July 4, 2021
Richie’s Picks: ON THE HOOK by Francisco X. Stork, Scholastic Press, May 2021, 304p., ISBN: 978-1-338-69215-0
“We tend to think of movie watching or reading as passive activities. That may be true physically, but it’s not true emotionally. When we watch a film or read a novel, we join ourselves to a character’s trajectory through the story world. We see things from their point of view--feel scared when they are threatened, wounded when they are hurt, pleased when they succeed. These feelings are familiar to us as readers or viewers. But our propensity to identify with characters is actually a remarkable demonstration of our ability to empathize with others.
When we examine this process of identification in fiction, we appreciate the importance of empathy--not only in enjoying works of literature, but in helping us form connections with those around us in the real world. The feelings elicited by fiction go beyond the words on a page or the images on a screen. Far from being solitary activities, reading books or watching movies or plays actually can help train us in the art of being human.”
-- Kenneth Oatley, “A Feeling for Fiction” (Greater Good Magazine, 2005)
“Hector stood on his toes to relieve the pressure, but Joey’s grip gradually increased until all the air coming into Hector’s lungs was cut off. Then, just as Hector was about to lose consciousness, Joey let him go. Hector sank to his knees, coughing and gagging. As soon as he could breathe, Joey pulled Hector’s hair until Hector was on his feet again.
‘Listen to me, culero.’ Joey grabbed Hector’s face and held it until Hector’s eyes were focused. ‘I’m gonna kill you.’
‘Please! No!’
‘Cállate. I’m talking. I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna slice you up. Not now. Soon. I want you to think about it. Every pinche minute of your pinche vida you be thinking about it. Be waiting for it. And this is so you don’t forget you’re a gusano. A mierda, a cobarde.’ Joey stuck his forearm in Hector’s neck and pushed his head hard against the recycling container. He lifted Hector’s T-shirt and slowly carved a C in the left side of Hector’s chest, above his heart. It was a thin cut, only the depth of the skin, and Hector was surprised when it did not hurt at first. Then there was a slight burning sensation that gradually increased until his whole body ached. Hector tightened his jaw to prevent himself from crying out. He felt the saltiness of tears fill his eyes.
‘Why?’ It was all he could think of saying.
‘I own you, puto,’ Joey said, a few inches from Hector’s face. ‘From now on you’re mine.’”
For days, as I’ve read ON THE HOOK, I’ve repeatedly felt the sharp pain of that box cutter slicing a big arc through the skin on my chest. As a long-ago victim of bullying, that scene, where Joey corners, threatens, and cuts Hector Robles, in the dark parking lot behind the Piggly Wiggly--and then threatens even worse if Hector tells anyone--left me falling asleep and awakening with Joey on my mind.
ON THE HOOK is an electrifying contemporary YA tale.
Joey, who is sixteen like Hector, is the little step-brother of Chavo, the local drug dealer. They all live in the El Paso projects. Chavo is reputed to have actually killed someone, so Hector is justifiably terrified.
Hector doesn’t know for sure why Joey has suddenly decided to make his life a living hell, but he suspects and fears that it’s related to the fact that Hector’s big brother Fili is now in a serious relationship with beautiful Gloria, who briefly dated Chavo until she found out what he was about.
Eventually, Chavo and Fili get into a fight because of Gloria. A fight that Joey ends abruptly with a baseball bat.
Life wasn’t always like this for Hector. His family had an idyllic home and home life that was lost when his father died, sending the family into a financial tailspin and leading them to an apartment in the projects. Through it all, Hector has remained a star student and a renowned high school chess player. He's got a great female friend who is also a bright student and stellar chess player.
Author Francisco X. Stork alludes to and utilizes Hemingway’s THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA to great effect. Hector finds himself pondering whether he is the fisherman or the fish on the hook.
Without revealing any more, I’ll say that ON THE HOOK might well assist adolescent readers in forming connections with those in the real world. It’s a story that’s likely going to haunt my thoughts for a while.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
https://twitter.com/richiespicks
richiepartington@gmail.com
“We tend to think of movie watching or reading as passive activities. That may be true physically, but it’s not true emotionally. When we watch a film or read a novel, we join ourselves to a character’s trajectory through the story world. We see things from their point of view--feel scared when they are threatened, wounded when they are hurt, pleased when they succeed. These feelings are familiar to us as readers or viewers. But our propensity to identify with characters is actually a remarkable demonstration of our ability to empathize with others.
When we examine this process of identification in fiction, we appreciate the importance of empathy--not only in enjoying works of literature, but in helping us form connections with those around us in the real world. The feelings elicited by fiction go beyond the words on a page or the images on a screen. Far from being solitary activities, reading books or watching movies or plays actually can help train us in the art of being human.”
-- Kenneth Oatley, “A Feeling for Fiction” (Greater Good Magazine, 2005)
“Hector stood on his toes to relieve the pressure, but Joey’s grip gradually increased until all the air coming into Hector’s lungs was cut off. Then, just as Hector was about to lose consciousness, Joey let him go. Hector sank to his knees, coughing and gagging. As soon as he could breathe, Joey pulled Hector’s hair until Hector was on his feet again.
‘Listen to me, culero.’ Joey grabbed Hector’s face and held it until Hector’s eyes were focused. ‘I’m gonna kill you.’
‘Please! No!’
‘Cállate. I’m talking. I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna slice you up. Not now. Soon. I want you to think about it. Every pinche minute of your pinche vida you be thinking about it. Be waiting for it. And this is so you don’t forget you’re a gusano. A mierda, a cobarde.’ Joey stuck his forearm in Hector’s neck and pushed his head hard against the recycling container. He lifted Hector’s T-shirt and slowly carved a C in the left side of Hector’s chest, above his heart. It was a thin cut, only the depth of the skin, and Hector was surprised when it did not hurt at first. Then there was a slight burning sensation that gradually increased until his whole body ached. Hector tightened his jaw to prevent himself from crying out. He felt the saltiness of tears fill his eyes.
‘Why?’ It was all he could think of saying.
‘I own you, puto,’ Joey said, a few inches from Hector’s face. ‘From now on you’re mine.’”
For days, as I’ve read ON THE HOOK, I’ve repeatedly felt the sharp pain of that box cutter slicing a big arc through the skin on my chest. As a long-ago victim of bullying, that scene, where Joey corners, threatens, and cuts Hector Robles, in the dark parking lot behind the Piggly Wiggly--and then threatens even worse if Hector tells anyone--left me falling asleep and awakening with Joey on my mind.
ON THE HOOK is an electrifying contemporary YA tale.
Joey, who is sixteen like Hector, is the little step-brother of Chavo, the local drug dealer. They all live in the El Paso projects. Chavo is reputed to have actually killed someone, so Hector is justifiably terrified.
Hector doesn’t know for sure why Joey has suddenly decided to make his life a living hell, but he suspects and fears that it’s related to the fact that Hector’s big brother Fili is now in a serious relationship with beautiful Gloria, who briefly dated Chavo until she found out what he was about.
Eventually, Chavo and Fili get into a fight because of Gloria. A fight that Joey ends abruptly with a baseball bat.
Life wasn’t always like this for Hector. His family had an idyllic home and home life that was lost when his father died, sending the family into a financial tailspin and leading them to an apartment in the projects. Through it all, Hector has remained a star student and a renowned high school chess player. He's got a great female friend who is also a bright student and stellar chess player.
Author Francisco X. Stork alludes to and utilizes Hemingway’s THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA to great effect. Hector finds himself pondering whether he is the fisherman or the fish on the hook.
Without revealing any more, I’ll say that ON THE HOOK might well assist adolescent readers in forming connections with those in the real world. It’s a story that’s likely going to haunt my thoughts for a while.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
https://twitter.com/richiespicks
richiepartington@gmail.com
July 13, 2021
Not bad though it’s very slow-paced. The characters talk so formally/awkwardly outside of Chavo and Joey. At one point, Hector’s sister tells her mom she uses “regular young-people talk.” *Scooby-doo noise* The plot reigns supreme here because the characters feel a bit bland.
Despite a few Spanish and English curse words, the tone felt like a very young YA or Middle Grade, due to a lot of telling, at times. I wonder if a first pov would’ve been more enjoyable? Now, this wasn’t Christian fiction, but faith and scriptures are certainly present.
Overall, I liked Hector’s family and his journey to becoming brave. Hector’s back and forth struggle with revenge was really good and his dynamic with Joey. Joey’s trash, but, as readers, as we learn more about him, we get as conflicted and muddled as Hector. While I understand the ending, the open-endedness felt a bit unsatisfying or unfinished.
2.5
Despite a few Spanish and English curse words, the tone felt like a very young YA or Middle Grade, due to a lot of telling, at times. I wonder if a first pov would’ve been more enjoyable? Now, this wasn’t Christian fiction, but faith and scriptures are certainly present.
Overall, I liked Hector’s family and his journey to becoming brave. Hector’s back and forth struggle with revenge was really good and his dynamic with Joey. Joey’s trash, but, as readers, as we learn more about him, we get as conflicted and muddled as Hector. While I understand the ending, the open-endedness felt a bit unsatisfying or unfinished.
2.5
November 21, 2021
I haven't been able to engage with Stork's books in any meaningful way since Marcelo in the Real World for some reason. They don't pull me in, turn on the waterworks, connect with me either in story or character or writing, but I recognize that there is something here in this book that feels a little Jason Reynolds mixed with a little The Outsiders, Karen McManus, and Yacqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass.
A boy threatened but with the cutthroat way he must interact with his family and enemies makes it a hard scrabble life even with his talent across opponents on the chess board.
A boy threatened but with the cutthroat way he must interact with his family and enemies makes it a hard scrabble life even with his talent across opponents on the chess board.
May 16, 2022
This is a rewrite of Stork's first YA novel. I gave a presentation on this author every year to my eighth-grade students, just as a model of the presentation with which they were to conclude their research. One of my students asked about getting a copy of "Behind the Eyes", which was out of print and unavailable. This is Stork's updated version, created because he had become of what he felt were the shortcomings of the earlier book; I wish I could contact my student and tell him, "Here it is!" It's an examination of revenge, justice, and compassion. It is not oversimplified. It is a very good book.
June 2, 2021
One of my former students has been talking about this author for years. I'm so glad that I finally sat down to read one of his books. It captures that thing that we always try to tell teens, but they rarely want to hear - One mistake can alter your entire future. I don't want it to be true, but getting wrapped up in the carceral system does that to too many kids.
June 26, 2021
This novel is a 3.5 for me. I'll read anything Francisco X. Stork writes because he chooses his words so carefully and allows tension to build, moment by moment, as he crafts his stories, including this one. Undoubtedly, there will be many adolescents with whom this story will resonate, and high school sophomore Hector Robles may remind them of themselves and others they know. Hector lives with his older brother, Fili, his younger sister Aurora, and his Mami in the projects of El Paso. Drugs and gangs abound in the nearby streets, but Hector considers college a way out. Plus, his brother has plans to move the family to a safer neighborhood similar to the one in which they lived before their father's death. Everything changes when Fili is killed during an argument with Chavo, a gang leader, and Hector reacts impulsively. He's sent to reform school, but that's exactly where Joey, his brother's killer, is. Hector is given good advice by several of the inmates, but his anger keeps him determined to exact revenge on Joey. Slowly, he starts to realize that he may never to make things okay again, but he still has a future. The comparison between the two boys and the characters in The Old Man and the Sea is quite interesting since no matter the outcome of the fight between the two, both will be marked in some way. The book's pacing is spot-on, and I read quickly to see how everything would unfold even though I was pretty sure about the outcome. I also appreciated having a friendship and not a romance between Hector and Azi, who also has ambitions for the future and loves chess just as much as Hector does. In fact, I missed her presence in the last part of the book.
June 18, 2021
Francisco Stork wrote this book so boys in reform school could see themselves in the main character. Stork is following in the path of Walter Dean Myers, who wrote for boys in jail, and I know his books will help many carve out better paths for themselves. Read the full review on my blog, and follow me there to get full reviews in your inbox: https://shouldireaditornot.wordpress....
August 25, 2021
It amazes me that Francisco Stork, a man in his 60s, can write about teens in what sounds like an authentic way. As always, his characters are multi-faceted: they don't represent anyone but themselves. At the same time, I imagine many young adults finding themselves in his stories.
This novel had me on the edge of my seat. I honestly couldn't predict what would happen to main character Hector.
The theme of this novel is so important. What is courage? What does it look like? The book also addresses family, grief, Latino culture, achievement. It is a book I would happily reread.
This novel had me on the edge of my seat. I honestly couldn't predict what would happen to main character Hector.
The theme of this novel is so important. What is courage? What does it look like? The book also addresses family, grief, Latino culture, achievement. It is a book I would happily reread.
September 25, 2022
On The Hook is a book I really wanted to read upon finding out the premise. A semi-remake of an earlier novel by Francisco Stork, On The Hook is about a teenager named Hector, who had a promising future coming for him. He was an academic athlete, a member of his chess club, and has many colleges opting for him to attend. However, he is bullied by Joey, a local kid of the projects known for his connections to his brother, Chavo, a rumored drug dealer and gangster. At first, Hector tried to ignore Joey's threat, even after an altercation, but when his older brother, Fili, becomes involved, things turned for the worse. Chavo and Fili get into a fight that ultimately resulted in Fili being killed by Joey, and Hector is caught up in the situation, and is transferred to a juvenile reform school with Joey. Stuck together in the same secluded space, Hector wants to get back at Joey and make him pay for what he did. In between his quest for vengeance, he encounters other classmates and adults who offer him some wisdom on his situation. And throughout the story, Hector must decide what to do: either fuel his hatred until he could finally duel it out against his bully or seek pursuit of his own happiness, even if it may mean letting his brother's murderer go free.
This novel, while a slow-pacer in its plot, had me "on the hook" of each page literally, lol. According to the author, his inspirations for this story comes from his own father growing up in a similar neighborhood in El Paso. Hector is a promising boy who happens to live in the projects. His chance to go to college is his way of believing he could escape the harshness of his neighborhood environment, even if he is uneasy of leaving behind his loving family and his girl crush, Azi. But during that altercation between Fili & Chavo, Hector did one mistake that ultimately side-tracked his way of life. One mistake that, for other people, could ruin their chances at having a life. Stork writes the feelings of Hector in a realistic way: he is vengeful, in mourning, and confused. And we are left to turn the pages to see what is the decision he ultimately chooses. Most of us would know that entering the cycle of hate would mean a no-winner, Hector knows this, but he still wants justice for his brother, especially when it appears Joey is adapting to the reform school they're stuck at. What makes his decision harder is upon discovering the abusive realm his bully had grown up also, giving Joey a more fleshed out character, but also further doubt on whether what Hector wants from him is already going to do anymore than what he experienced.
On The Hook provides the realistic environment many young people face in difficult situations, especially if they grew up in similar environments. It also shows us how one mistake is all it takes to sentence themselves away and lose everything. The ending to the book is more open-ended, which I feel is probably the best decision. A happy ending may make the story too unbelievable to tell, and a grimmer one may turn off readers and destroy the meaning its trying to say. Therefore, we are left to know the good and bad Hector faces ultimately with his decision, and how he can start moving on from this dark point of his young life. The author presents the story very well, even if I wished some of the plot could move a little faster, and on a more grounded level that readers can emphasize and relate to no matter where they came from in this coming of age tale.
This novel, while a slow-pacer in its plot, had me "on the hook" of each page literally, lol. According to the author, his inspirations for this story comes from his own father growing up in a similar neighborhood in El Paso. Hector is a promising boy who happens to live in the projects. His chance to go to college is his way of believing he could escape the harshness of his neighborhood environment, even if he is uneasy of leaving behind his loving family and his girl crush, Azi. But during that altercation between Fili & Chavo, Hector did one mistake that ultimately side-tracked his way of life. One mistake that, for other people, could ruin their chances at having a life. Stork writes the feelings of Hector in a realistic way: he is vengeful, in mourning, and confused. And we are left to turn the pages to see what is the decision he ultimately chooses. Most of us would know that entering the cycle of hate would mean a no-winner, Hector knows this, but he still wants justice for his brother, especially when it appears Joey is adapting to the reform school they're stuck at. What makes his decision harder is upon discovering the abusive realm his bully had grown up also, giving Joey a more fleshed out character, but also further doubt on whether what Hector wants from him is already going to do anymore than what he experienced.
On The Hook provides the realistic environment many young people face in difficult situations, especially if they grew up in similar environments. It also shows us how one mistake is all it takes to sentence themselves away and lose everything. The ending to the book is more open-ended, which I feel is probably the best decision. A happy ending may make the story too unbelievable to tell, and a grimmer one may turn off readers and destroy the meaning its trying to say. Therefore, we are left to know the good and bad Hector faces ultimately with his decision, and how he can start moving on from this dark point of his young life. The author presents the story very well, even if I wished some of the plot could move a little faster, and on a more grounded level that readers can emphasize and relate to no matter where they came from in this coming of age tale.
March 25, 2021
“Respect and disrespect. Killing and revenge and cowardice. Stupid, meaningless words, all of them. None of them worth dying for.” (270)
Hector and his family were still grieving the loss of his father to cancer, his brother dealing with it through drinking. But Hector was a good, smart kid on his way to a better life. Then things were finally looking up; Fili was drinking less, in love, and planning to buy a house to move the family out of the projects where Chavo, the drug dealer, and his brother Joey ran things. What would induce Hector, a chess team champion, writing contest winner with college aspirations, who worked a grocery job to help his mother pay the bills, to confess to a crime in order to end up in reform school.
At school and home in the projects, Joey threatens to kill Hector, carving a “C” in Hector’s chest, and Hector becomes consumed with the shame of his own cowardice. When Joey kills Fili, he and Hector are sent to the same reform school, where Hector has to decide how to make things “balance[d]” as decreed by the apparition of his father. Should he humiliate Joey in the boxing ring and then kill him? Will those acts make him less of a coward? Or does he listen to his many mentors?
“X-Man went suddenly quiet. He looked as if he was remembering something painful. ‘Dude, you gotta find a way to move on. When your flashlight’s stuck like that, you’re not seeing, like Mr. Diaz says. And seeing’s the only way to free yourself.’” (214)
Francisco Stork’s newest novel is filled with 3-dimensional characters who jump off the page into the reader’s heart. I felt protective of Hector, wanting to cheer him on and shake him and counsel him. I grieved for Fili and his lost future as if I had known him. Even Joey, the villain, came alive as his story validates the idea that everyone has a back story and their own demons.
Maybe the balance Hector needs to create is in himself.
This is a story that many adolescents need to read as books can be “mirrors” or a “windows” but can also provide maps. Christopher Myers wrote, “They [the children I meet in schools visits] see books less as mirrors and more as maps. They are indeed searching for their place in the world, but they are also deciding where they want to go. They create, through the stories they’re given, an atlas of their world, of their relationships to others, of their possible destinations.” (The Apartheid of Children’s Literature,” Sunday Review, The NY Times).
Hector and his family were still grieving the loss of his father to cancer, his brother dealing with it through drinking. But Hector was a good, smart kid on his way to a better life. Then things were finally looking up; Fili was drinking less, in love, and planning to buy a house to move the family out of the projects where Chavo, the drug dealer, and his brother Joey ran things. What would induce Hector, a chess team champion, writing contest winner with college aspirations, who worked a grocery job to help his mother pay the bills, to confess to a crime in order to end up in reform school.
At school and home in the projects, Joey threatens to kill Hector, carving a “C” in Hector’s chest, and Hector becomes consumed with the shame of his own cowardice. When Joey kills Fili, he and Hector are sent to the same reform school, where Hector has to decide how to make things “balance[d]” as decreed by the apparition of his father. Should he humiliate Joey in the boxing ring and then kill him? Will those acts make him less of a coward? Or does he listen to his many mentors?
“X-Man went suddenly quiet. He looked as if he was remembering something painful. ‘Dude, you gotta find a way to move on. When your flashlight’s stuck like that, you’re not seeing, like Mr. Diaz says. And seeing’s the only way to free yourself.’” (214)
Francisco Stork’s newest novel is filled with 3-dimensional characters who jump off the page into the reader’s heart. I felt protective of Hector, wanting to cheer him on and shake him and counsel him. I grieved for Fili and his lost future as if I had known him. Even Joey, the villain, came alive as his story validates the idea that everyone has a back story and their own demons.
Maybe the balance Hector needs to create is in himself.
This is a story that many adolescents need to read as books can be “mirrors” or a “windows” but can also provide maps. Christopher Myers wrote, “They [the children I meet in schools visits] see books less as mirrors and more as maps. They are indeed searching for their place in the world, but they are also deciding where they want to go. They create, through the stories they’re given, an atlas of their world, of their relationships to others, of their possible destinations.” (The Apartheid of Children’s Literature,” Sunday Review, The NY Times).
May 17, 2021
'That's what courage is, finding a way to live with our cowardice. / It is a lot easier to hate than it is to mourn.'
Set in El Paso, Texas, On The Hook follows the life of Hector, champion of the chess team and a grounded, hard-working boy. But unlike him, his brother Fili is not one to take bullshit from anyone. Trouble knocks at their door when Fili starts dating the notorious Chavo's ex-flame and refuses to bow down to Chavo. Chavo's brother Joey thus, starts sending death threats to Hector. This leads to a very ugly event between both the pairs which takes Joey and Hector to reform-school (a mild version of prison?) where they spend their time finding different ways to blow off their grudges' steam towards each other.
I liked the way the author approaches the subject of 'hate and fear being the real prison' in the book. Hector lives in fear from the start but by telling the truth in court his character goes through a commendable development. I also found his conversation with the prisoner Cortini, very thought-provoking. Up until then, the book runs well. The whole El Paso aesthetic is quite picturesque too.
But afterwards, Hector's grudge towards Joey starts becoming a drag, especially when he saves Joey's life and learns about his abusive childhood. The fact that he keeps on pestering for a boxing grudge match against Joey does not align with his character development to escape the real prison of hate, according to me. Which is why, the ending could've been more satisfying and complete, even though things turn out to be okay with Hector. I also would've liked to see more of Fili and Joey.
To conclude, I loved the aesthetic and the author's conquest towards hate and fear. But the ending of the book and the protagonist's growth could've been way, way better.
Thank you so much @coloredpagesblogtours for my ecopy. 🥰
Set in El Paso, Texas, On The Hook follows the life of Hector, champion of the chess team and a grounded, hard-working boy. But unlike him, his brother Fili is not one to take bullshit from anyone. Trouble knocks at their door when Fili starts dating the notorious Chavo's ex-flame and refuses to bow down to Chavo. Chavo's brother Joey thus, starts sending death threats to Hector. This leads to a very ugly event between both the pairs which takes Joey and Hector to reform-school (a mild version of prison?) where they spend their time finding different ways to blow off their grudges' steam towards each other.
I liked the way the author approaches the subject of 'hate and fear being the real prison' in the book. Hector lives in fear from the start but by telling the truth in court his character goes through a commendable development. I also found his conversation with the prisoner Cortini, very thought-provoking. Up until then, the book runs well. The whole El Paso aesthetic is quite picturesque too.
But afterwards, Hector's grudge towards Joey starts becoming a drag, especially when he saves Joey's life and learns about his abusive childhood. The fact that he keeps on pestering for a boxing grudge match against Joey does not align with his character development to escape the real prison of hate, according to me. Which is why, the ending could've been more satisfying and complete, even though things turn out to be okay with Hector. I also would've liked to see more of Fili and Joey.
To conclude, I loved the aesthetic and the author's conquest towards hate and fear. But the ending of the book and the protagonist's growth could've been way, way better.
Thank you so much @coloredpagesblogtours for my ecopy. 🥰
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2021
✨Book Review 😇
📚 ON THE HOOK
Author : francisco . x stork
Ratings : 4.7/5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
📚synopsis:
"You think you’re better than everyone else? Listen to me, I’m going to kill you."
📚I start reading this book at 6 am and continued flipping through it through out the day except for comfort and meal breaks. The only moment of disappointment came afterwhen I finished it because I did not want it to end. (But the ending of the story is very nice. )
📚This disclosure sounded good to me, in light of the fact that these are obviously characters he's lived with for quite a while.It’s easy to pigeonhole this book as being only about high school junior, and budding chess champion, Hector Robles: who is terrorized by a local drug dealer and, must choose between avenging a terrible wrong or following a path that feels, to Hector at least, selfish and about his happiness alone.
📚But at its heart, this book is really about family: both a single family driven by duty and love to doggedly pursue joy despite the obstacles our world throws at them, and family as a collective: an ideal that pushes individuals to think beyond themselves, their dreams or even their own lifetime in order to protect and support the ones they love.
📚My reader’s heart was captivated by Hector’s story. I feared for him and kept turning the page in order to find out what would happen to him next. But my human heart, the one called daughter, sister, wife and friend, fell in love with, was moved by and cheered on Hector’s family: both the one he was related to and the one he chose. It’s true, readers who love Jason Reynold’s Long Way Down and Kekla Magoon’s How It Went Down will likely also connect with On The Hook.
📚But I think fans of Jeff Zenter’s The Serpent King and Robin Benway’s Far From The Tree will also find a home in Francisco X Stork’s On The Hook: a book that challenges readers to think deeply about what happens when the choice between duty and happiness is reframed to focus, instead, on love.
📚A book that moves perusers to contemplate what happens when the decision among obligation and satisfaction is reevaluated to center
😊In the end I want to appreciate the work of author and I also want to thank author that they give me such a amazing book for reading🙏🙏
📚 ON THE HOOK
Author : francisco . x stork
Ratings : 4.7/5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
📚synopsis:
"You think you’re better than everyone else? Listen to me, I’m going to kill you."
📚I start reading this book at 6 am and continued flipping through it through out the day except for comfort and meal breaks. The only moment of disappointment came afterwhen I finished it because I did not want it to end. (But the ending of the story is very nice. )
📚This disclosure sounded good to me, in light of the fact that these are obviously characters he's lived with for quite a while.It’s easy to pigeonhole this book as being only about high school junior, and budding chess champion, Hector Robles: who is terrorized by a local drug dealer and, must choose between avenging a terrible wrong or following a path that feels, to Hector at least, selfish and about his happiness alone.
📚But at its heart, this book is really about family: both a single family driven by duty and love to doggedly pursue joy despite the obstacles our world throws at them, and family as a collective: an ideal that pushes individuals to think beyond themselves, their dreams or even their own lifetime in order to protect and support the ones they love.
📚My reader’s heart was captivated by Hector’s story. I feared for him and kept turning the page in order to find out what would happen to him next. But my human heart, the one called daughter, sister, wife and friend, fell in love with, was moved by and cheered on Hector’s family: both the one he was related to and the one he chose. It’s true, readers who love Jason Reynold’s Long Way Down and Kekla Magoon’s How It Went Down will likely also connect with On The Hook.
📚But I think fans of Jeff Zenter’s The Serpent King and Robin Benway’s Far From The Tree will also find a home in Francisco X Stork’s On The Hook: a book that challenges readers to think deeply about what happens when the choice between duty and happiness is reframed to focus, instead, on love.
📚A book that moves perusers to contemplate what happens when the decision among obligation and satisfaction is reevaluated to center
😊In the end I want to appreciate the work of author and I also want to thank author that they give me such a amazing book for reading🙏🙏
May 13, 2021
On The Hook is a YA Contemporary Novel and oh boy is it going to be hard to write one of these things up without giving away MAJOR SPOILERS.
ahem.
Anyway, On The Hook is a book about revenge, as the cover says. It's about what craving revenge can do to you mentally, emotionally, and physically. It's about getting lost in revenge and how it can tempt you to give up your very future, your entire chance at happiness, because of what it helps you avoid.
The book, in many ways, reminded me a slightly darker version of Holes by Louis Sachar. That could possibly be because of the judge staring down at our boy going "Camp Green Lake or jail?" (In Holes, obviously) vs the judge in this book and her reactions to the situation Hector is in. It could be because, in Holes, Stanley teaches a boy named Hector to read, and in On The Hook, Hector teaches Sasón to read. Or it could just be that a hole is dug at some point in both books and nicknames run rampant.
Either way, On The Hook was a very interesting read and it dealt with some tough subjects - including knowing which lines you shouldn't cross. All of these vague, rambling words to say, I recommend this book. Especially to people who once enjoyed the book holes, or who like to see kids attempt to change themselves for the better... kids who build character...
I read an Advanced Reader's Copy of the book, but On The Hook is due for release on May 18, 2021, and I feel I should also point out that the actual letter that came with the proof copy says the book is "The Outsiders for the 21st Century". The Outsiders and Holes are not the same, but I guess I should recommend this read to fans of the Outsiders, as well. It might be a better fit that way.
Content Warning: Violence, Mention of Sexual Assault, Mention of Suicide
ahem.
Anyway, On The Hook is a book about revenge, as the cover says. It's about what craving revenge can do to you mentally, emotionally, and physically. It's about getting lost in revenge and how it can tempt you to give up your very future, your entire chance at happiness, because of what it helps you avoid.
The book, in many ways, reminded me a slightly darker version of Holes by Louis Sachar. That could possibly be because of the judge staring down at our boy going "Camp Green Lake or jail?" (In Holes, obviously) vs the judge in this book and her reactions to the situation Hector is in. It could be because, in Holes, Stanley teaches a boy named Hector to read, and in On The Hook, Hector teaches Sasón to read. Or it could just be that a hole is dug at some point in both books and nicknames run rampant.
Either way, On The Hook was a very interesting read and it dealt with some tough subjects - including knowing which lines you shouldn't cross. All of these vague, rambling words to say, I recommend this book. Especially to people who once enjoyed the book holes, or who like to see kids attempt to change themselves for the better... kids who build character...
I read an Advanced Reader's Copy of the book, but On The Hook is due for release on May 18, 2021, and I feel I should also point out that the actual letter that came with the proof copy says the book is "The Outsiders for the 21st Century". The Outsiders and Holes are not the same, but I guess I should recommend this read to fans of the Outsiders, as well. It might be a better fit that way.
Content Warning: Violence, Mention of Sexual Assault, Mention of Suicide
November 8, 2021
Thoughts and Themes: This isn’t the type of book that I would normally pick up just based on the cover of it. I’m really glad that I got sent this book and decided to listen to it on audio because I really did enjoy this book. This book was heavy in everything that it covered but it was also really a great story.
I really enjoyed the pacing of this book as the beginning of it set up the background for the story and then suddenly there is a shift and the story changes not just in theme but also in the mood. I think this is a great book for middle school students and its great to start many different and difficult conversations.
Something else that I really enjoyed in this book was the villain because there is more than one villain in this book. There is obviously the villain that we all know in Joey but then there is the villain that Hector becomes to himself. In his ploy for revenge, Hector becomes a villain to himself and gets trapped lost in his feelings of anger and his need for revenge.
Something else that I really enjoyed about this book is the way that it shows how hard it is for BIPOC to get away from violence regardless of the life they lead. I thought it was great that we see how everyone constantly points out how Hector is a good student and a good son. I thought them constantly pointing this out but having others ignore it and even Hector forget this about himself added to the story and the pain that you feel for this family. This book shows how sometimes we have false perceptions of youth who end up incarcerated or in reform schools.
Characters: In this book you get introduced to several characters through their interactions with Hector. You get to meet some of Hector’s friends and family briefly, and then you get to meet Joey, and some of the people at Furmon Academy.
I really liked the different interactions that Hector has at Furmon Academy with all the different people that he gets to meet. I liked that we got to see a different side to hector through his time there and how different people change the course of actions that he takes. I thought it was great to see how the older generation had an impact on him and also the impact that this place was having on Joey.
Writing Style: This story is told in third person with the focus being on Hector. I liked that the narrator was telling us what was happening instead of hearing everything first hand from Hector. I think having the narrator see and tell all was a good way for this book to be told because we get to feel for each of the characters and not just Hector. I also think that this method allows the reader to take a step back though which sometimes isn’t always a good thing. I think its important that while this book is fictional, we remember that this is the life of many BIPOC youth.
I really enjoyed the pacing of this book as the beginning of it set up the background for the story and then suddenly there is a shift and the story changes not just in theme but also in the mood. I think this is a great book for middle school students and its great to start many different and difficult conversations.
Something else that I really enjoyed in this book was the villain because there is more than one villain in this book. There is obviously the villain that we all know in Joey but then there is the villain that Hector becomes to himself. In his ploy for revenge, Hector becomes a villain to himself and gets trapped lost in his feelings of anger and his need for revenge.
Something else that I really enjoyed about this book is the way that it shows how hard it is for BIPOC to get away from violence regardless of the life they lead. I thought it was great that we see how everyone constantly points out how Hector is a good student and a good son. I thought them constantly pointing this out but having others ignore it and even Hector forget this about himself added to the story and the pain that you feel for this family. This book shows how sometimes we have false perceptions of youth who end up incarcerated or in reform schools.
Characters: In this book you get introduced to several characters through their interactions with Hector. You get to meet some of Hector’s friends and family briefly, and then you get to meet Joey, and some of the people at Furmon Academy.
I really liked the different interactions that Hector has at Furmon Academy with all the different people that he gets to meet. I liked that we got to see a different side to hector through his time there and how different people change the course of actions that he takes. I thought it was great to see how the older generation had an impact on him and also the impact that this place was having on Joey.
Writing Style: This story is told in third person with the focus being on Hector. I liked that the narrator was telling us what was happening instead of hearing everything first hand from Hector. I think having the narrator see and tell all was a good way for this book to be told because we get to feel for each of the characters and not just Hector. I also think that this method allows the reader to take a step back though which sometimes isn’t always a good thing. I think its important that while this book is fictional, we remember that this is the life of many BIPOC youth.
June 30, 2025
What I Did Like:
+Writing a main character you can relate to as they make an awful decision is always a topic I appreciate. You’re right there with them, maybe you’d even make the same choice. For this reason, the events are powerful and they resonate.
+I loved the ending. Quick note for anyone new here: I like endings that make you THINK and keep resonating with you after the last page. I don’t like predictable and I don’t need a happily ever after ending with everything tied up. This ending was excellent for a reader like me.
+The real focus of this book is on revenge, anger, grief, and inner strength. It’s beautifully written to bring those to life in an excellent way.
Who Should Read This One:
-Contemporary fans who want a powerful story about grief, revenge, and choices that shape our lives.
My Rating: 4 Stars
Exactly what I wanted from the book, these lessons deliver in a powerful way.
For Full Review: https://alltherightreads.com/2025/06/...
+Writing a main character you can relate to as they make an awful decision is always a topic I appreciate. You’re right there with them, maybe you’d even make the same choice. For this reason, the events are powerful and they resonate.
+I loved the ending. Quick note for anyone new here: I like endings that make you THINK and keep resonating with you after the last page. I don’t like predictable and I don’t need a happily ever after ending with everything tied up. This ending was excellent for a reader like me.
+The real focus of this book is on revenge, anger, grief, and inner strength. It’s beautifully written to bring those to life in an excellent way.
Who Should Read This One:
-Contemporary fans who want a powerful story about grief, revenge, and choices that shape our lives.
My Rating: 4 Stars
Exactly what I wanted from the book, these lessons deliver in a powerful way.
For Full Review: https://alltherightreads.com/2025/06/...
April 12, 2021
With their father dead, sophomore Hector, his older brother Fili, younger sister Aurora, and Mami have had to move into the projects, where the local drug dealing family, including classmate Joey and his older brother, rule through fear and intimidation.
Joey terrorizes chess-playing, hard working Hector, threatening his family and a girl who is his best friend. It all culminates when, as Hector waits in the car, the older brothers fight over a girl. Joey kills Fili, and, desperate to help his brother, Hector runs Joey and his brother over. Both Hector and Joey are sentenced to the same juvenile detention lock-up where Joey begins to thrive but Hector must come to terms with his grief, fear of cowardice, and desire for revenge.
Fast-paced, full of big ideas, a good choice for high school book clubs. Earc from Edelweiss.
Joey terrorizes chess-playing, hard working Hector, threatening his family and a girl who is his best friend. It all culminates when, as Hector waits in the car, the older brothers fight over a girl. Joey kills Fili, and, desperate to help his brother, Hector runs Joey and his brother over. Both Hector and Joey are sentenced to the same juvenile detention lock-up where Joey begins to thrive but Hector must come to terms with his grief, fear of cowardice, and desire for revenge.
Fast-paced, full of big ideas, a good choice for high school book clubs. Earc from Edelweiss.
January 11, 2022
[ 3.5 stars ]
I really enjoyed how the story shifted between tense/hopeful in the first third, and evolved to be FULLY intense with circumstances I had not seen coming. The plot was properly fuelled.
However, I was disappointed with how the main engagement factor (Joey’s death threat) developed. It didn’t seem to have an actual motive,,, though maybe that makes it much more terrifying.
As for the characters, I wouldn’t consider them anything else but “real.” They felt like actual teenagers with real problems, and their development and closure left me satisfied.
What really pushes the story away from being a 4+ star read is the writing. At times I felt like I was just reading sentences, not a cohesive story.
Having said that, this is not a story one can easily forget. Especially with all that eye-opening advice... I’m thinking all that was more for me than for Hector:P
I really enjoyed how the story shifted between tense/hopeful in the first third, and evolved to be FULLY intense with circumstances I had not seen coming. The plot was properly fuelled.
However, I was disappointed with how the main engagement factor (Joey’s death threat) developed. It didn’t seem to have an actual motive,,, though maybe that makes it much more terrifying.
As for the characters, I wouldn’t consider them anything else but “real.” They felt like actual teenagers with real problems, and their development and closure left me satisfied.
What really pushes the story away from being a 4+ star read is the writing. At times I felt like I was just reading sentences, not a cohesive story.
Having said that, this is not a story one can easily forget. Especially with all that eye-opening advice... I’m thinking all that was more for me than for Hector:P
April 7, 2021
An emotional story about Hector and his family, living in a rough area where a strong gang dominates the streets. This book really helps the reader understand how hard it is for kids to escape the violence in some neighborhoods. Hector has goals of college and helping his family but those dreams are shattered in an instant. I could not put this book down and was devastated at some of the events in the story. The author's note shares that the story evolved from an earlier novel he wrote (that may draw readers to his previous work).
September 15, 2021
Friends, I feel like I've been striking out on books lately. I appreciate the messages behind this book and the ultimate goal of what the author was trying to achieve, I just couldn't get into the voice. Hector's voice felt robotic for me for most of the novel, and I just wanted a little more emotion behind it. He was angry for a lot of the book, I just didn't really feel it.
This is very much a character driven story, and usually I like those, but I couldn't get into this one. It's a quick read and an important read, just not one of my favorites.
This is very much a character driven story, and usually I like those, but I couldn't get into this one. It's a quick read and an important read, just not one of my favorites.
March 5, 2022
Finished this one in two days, too, but moreso due to it reading more like a middle grade level book versus a teen read.
It broke my heart but didn't entirely or satisfyingly put it back together -- probably the point based on some of the central messages Stork relays.
But that's the thing for me; somehow it wasn't gritty enough that the central messages just didn't hit the same way.
I'd recommend this for my junior high students but not sure it'd hold the attention of audiences used to more grit when reading stories like this!
It broke my heart but didn't entirely or satisfyingly put it back together -- probably the point based on some of the central messages Stork relays.
But that's the thing for me; somehow it wasn't gritty enough that the central messages just didn't hit the same way.
I'd recommend this for my junior high students but not sure it'd hold the attention of audiences used to more grit when reading stories like this!
December 6, 2023
Now... I understand the meaning of the title after reading the book.
This was a wild ride. It took me about halfway to get into it, but when they went to Furman, things kicked off. The motivations behind Hector's revenge on Joey were good and realistic. The build-up was good, and the ending was very realistic.
Bits of the plot were predictable for me, but it all came together in the end, satisfyingly.
I would have liked an Epilogue that showed Hector in Socorro, and what happened to Joey in the Army, but it was still good. 4/5 overall.
This was a wild ride. It took me about halfway to get into it, but when they went to Furman, things kicked off. The motivations behind Hector's revenge on Joey were good and realistic. The build-up was good, and the ending was very realistic.
Bits of the plot were predictable for me, but it all came together in the end, satisfyingly.
I would have liked an Epilogue that showed Hector in Socorro, and what happened to Joey in the Army, but it was still good. 4/5 overall.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2025
On the Hook, by Francisco X. Stork, is a standalone novel.
It has been several years since I read this book, so I do not remember it perfectly. From what I remember, this is the story of a teen who is badly bullied and witnesses his brother's death due to gang violence, which lead him to being arrested and moving through the criminal justice system. This was a perfectly fine book, but it was really not a good match for my personal experiences or interests.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
It has been several years since I read this book, so I do not remember it perfectly. From what I remember, this is the story of a teen who is badly bullied and witnesses his brother's death due to gang violence, which lead him to being arrested and moving through the criminal justice system. This was a perfectly fine book, but it was really not a good match for my personal experiences or interests.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2021
This is a book that shifted between cloying, predictable, affecting, and original. These shifts make it a little tough for me to rate. On the one hand, making a protagonist the [presumptive] captain of the chess team to emphasize his good-student status is cliche; allowing that good student to make a violent choice was refreshing.
The story felt a little unbalanced, with a long wind-up to the second act. While I didn't connect with Hector, I wonder if teen readers will see something real in his mixed emotions and need for revenge.
The story felt a little unbalanced, with a long wind-up to the second act. While I didn't connect with Hector, I wonder if teen readers will see something real in his mixed emotions and need for revenge.
November 8, 2022
This is a story of revenge. How to exact that revenge and live with the consequences. How do you move forward after your life is shattered and you take that extra step that cements the poor choice you have made as a result. This book was a glimpse into the author’s life growing up in the projects of El Paso. Harsh, gripping, and devastating are what comes to mind after reading this book. Read in one sitting and it blew me away.
November 17, 2022
3.5
J asked me to read this when he finished it.
Parts were highly implausible like Hector and Joey being placed in the same juvenile center and the grudge match being allowed/condoned by the facility.
The revenge gesture was also unlikely and doesn't feel as if it would be enough for someone who had lost his brother to senseless violence.
This does present some heavy topics, so credit for attempting that even if it is mostly plot driven.
J asked me to read this when he finished it.
Parts were highly implausible like Hector and Joey being placed in the same juvenile center and the grudge match being allowed/condoned by the facility.
The revenge gesture was also unlikely and doesn't feel as if it would be enough for someone who had lost his brother to senseless violence.
This does present some heavy topics, so credit for attempting that even if it is mostly plot driven.
May 2, 2021
Like Jason Reynolds’s Long Way Down, ON THE HOOK is a powerful view of anger and hate and the trap of revenge. Readers will relate to the ubiquitous emotions of these characters no matter what their background and be drawn into their complex lives and stories. Francisco X Stork writes a compelling and important story that you won’t want to put down until you know what happens. So well done.
July 14, 2021
Another great page-turner from Francisco Stork. Both a thriller and a heart-warming and heart-wrenching drama about a bright and loving teenage boy living in the El Paso projects who must choose between avenging the murder of his brother and the harder job of living a full life without letting the anger take control. Hector will stay with me for a long time.
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