Two (YA) by Ashley Hope Perez

Two (YA) by Ashley Hope Perez

What Can(t) Wait
"...I know from the looks on my parents' faces that this we
they're taking about is going to be a lot of me. Whether I like it or
not, helping Ceci just got bumped to obligation number one in my
life. Because when you're sister's in trouble--real trouble--you just
don't get to walk away."
Marisa (17) has grown up seeing her immigrant parents struggle
for family survival. They have nothing to show for their hard work.
Although her brother and sister are high school graduates they're not
doing that much better. She wants more out of life. She wants to
think about which company to work for, not how to pay the electric bill.
"So why do I make my life so hard?Because I want to make
something of myself. Because I want my mom to look at me in ten years
and finally understand why a high school diploma wasn't enough for me."
Marisa has a chance to make her dreams come true. Her AP
calculus teacher is helping her apply to a college with a prestigious
engineering program. The problem is her parents. They're not only
indifferent to her academic achievements, but opposed to her going on
beyond high school. Her mother wonders why marriage and motherhood
aren't enough and secretly fears that if she goes away to college
she'll never come back. Her uber controlling father sees higher
education as avoidance of real work. Duty to family must come first.
Her brother-in-law has been in a serious accident. It will take
a lot of expensive physical therapy for him to even walk. He'll never
be able to do physical labor, the only kind he's qualified for, again.
What Can(t) Wait is the poignant and powerful narrative of a
girl caught between two worlds, a must read for peers coming from more
privileged environments.

The Knife And The Butterfly
"I wake up with that all-over shitty feeling you get the day
after a rumble. Head splitting, guts twisted. All that's left of my
dream is a memory of black and silver. I sit up, thinking about
snatching the baggie from under the couch and going to the back lot
for a joint before Pelon can bust my balls for smoking his weed."
Azael is in for a rude awakening. He finds himself in a locked
cell in what initially seems to be a prison. But it's nothing like
the juvie he just got out of. Nobody will even tell him what he's
charged with. He's mostly supposed to spend time observing a white
girl who also seems to be in some kind of lockdown and learning
something that will allow him to get out.
"Meemaw came today, but Shauna still hasn't shown her ugly
face. Meemaw says to be patient, but she doesn't know when I'm going
to be out of here. She asked me if I wanted her to pray with me like
she always does when I'm in trouble..."
Lexi's visits from a man in a suit who may be a lawyer seem to
indicate that she'll be testifying at a trial. Is it her own? Or is
she a prosecution witness who will be bearing witness against Azael?
Somehow she seems to know who he is.
Through Azael's flashbacks and Lexi's journal you get glimpses
of the precarity of their growing up years (Azeal being homeless after
his father's deportation, Lexi's mother's instability and
irresponsibility) and the appeal gang membership had for them.
Although Perez based her narrative on an actual event and researched
gang life, graffiti, and Houston's immigrant community, she elaborated
her main characters in a way that goes beyond stereotypes to portray
the complexities of their lives and circumstances.
"Above all I wanted to show Azael and Lexi's world as much more
than just a patchwork of crime and violence. In addition to the very
real threat of their circumstances and the danger of poor choices, I
hope to have captured these two teens' vulnerability and their
potential for redemption. For teens like Lexi and Azael, the knife is
often easier to find than the butterfly, but that doesn't mean the
butterfly isn't there."
On a purrrsonal note, I had a wonderful experience yesterday. This
semester I'm taking a series of three five week classes instead of one
fifteen week one. On zoom. Sigh! Last week was my first class. I
learned about all the homework and was terrified. Most of it required
computer skills I didn't have. I emailed my professor and her TA,
Caitlin, to express my concerns. Caitlin emailed right back with an
offer to meet up. We spent quality time together at the library. I
learned so much from her that I've actually turned in this weeks
homework and started on next week's. And I feel confident in my
ability to complete the class just fine. There is a lesson in this
that I believe works for the real world as well as academia. If
you're in a situation where you need help find the right person or
people to contact and describe the problem as clearly as you can.
Don't give up or fake it until you maybe can't make it. Conversely if
you're in a position to help please do. America's rugged
individualism tradition does very few people any favors. We all have
strengths and weaknesses. When we give and receive help it aids in
the creation of the village, the solidarity we need to cocreate a
better, more sustainable world (Jules)
Our good friend Lisa is now experiencing the joy of the pitter patter
of little paws in her home. She's adopted a dog. I predict so much
happiness for them both. And she sure will get more exercise since
puppies need to go out to do their business. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to Caitlin for graciously giving
homework help and Lisa for opening her home and life to a new best
little friend.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway


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