The Me Inside of Me — T. Ernesto Bethancourt

Gr 7-10 Freddie, a 17-year-old Mexican-American living in one of California's middle-class barrios, is suddenly very wealthy due to a plane crash which kills his parents and sisters. Motivated by anger, resentment and grief, Freddie acquires a fancy sports car, garish clothes and admission to Valverde, a pretentious prep school that caters to its rich, spoiled students. Although his attempts to fit in fail, he is befriended by Lenny, a brilliant, wealthy, nonconforming outcast at Valverde. Through his experiences at Valverde, Freddie comes to terms with his resentment towards a racist society and begins to discover his own values, talents and aspirations. The major problem with this book is that while the issues of racism and inequality are certainly serious and worthy subjects for a novel, it would seem that the main issue for Freddie should be that his entire family has been wiped out, but his grief takes a back seat to his adjustment to sudden affluence. Despite this flaw, Freddie will evoke readers' sympathy. Bethancourt has a knack for realistic dialogue, and young adult readers will be comfortable with his style. Janet Bryan, Shawsheen Valley Technical High School, Billerica, Mass.