Growing up in a violence-ridden housing project,
sixteen-year-old Hector Robles kept his head to the ground. A
studious
boy, he was the last person anyone would expect to end up on the wrong
side of
a feud with the local gang. However, when his impulsive older
bother sets
his sights on Gloria, the neighborhood knockout and on-again, off-again
girlfriend of Chava, leader of the Discípulos,
that’s exactly what happens.
Peopled with a vast array of fairly realistic
characters, the novel explores
the all-too-real struggles of children growing up in the inner city.
However, while the story is interesting and compulsively
readable, it
lacks a sense of urgency. Despite being set both in the projects of El
Paso and
within a military-style reform school, Behind
the Eyes fails to be as gritty as expected. Though this may
be
because the book is targeted to a young adult audience, one can't help
feeling
that the book has been somewhat sanitized. That being said, an
unexpected
ending does give the novel – and Hector's character – substance.
A Boston-based lawyer, Francisco Stork has a background in Latin
American
literature. His debut novel, The
Way of the Jaguar, received second place in the 25th anniversary Chicano/Latino
Literary Prize competition in 1999.
Behind the Eyes is Stork's
first novel for young adults.