Review: PARROT IN THE OVEN: MI VIDA by Victor Martinez

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Martinez, Victor. 1996. Parrot in the Oven: Mi vida. New York: Joanna Cotler Books. ISBN 0060267046.

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Parrot in the Oven tells the story of a Hispanic teenaged boy, Manuel, growing up in the projects. The book shares events from his life such as the death of his grandmother, his troubled alcoholic father’s tirades, and his initiation into gang life. In the end, Manny is confronted with the choice between the feeling of belonging the gang offers and the personal beliefs he has held to for so long.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Martinez has a definite talent for writing evidenced in his use of descriptive, flowing language. For example, in this description of Manny’s reaction to hearing two girls calling his name; “It touched down softly on my heart and opened a tiny slit that spilled sweet and aching all around inside me.” Martinez captures the essence of a young boy dealing with the emotional strife of discovering girls. However, the book as a whole reads as a series of unconnected events. There is no real character development or clear setting revealed. I found myself going back to look for clues as to where and when these events were taking place. The book begins with a focus on Manny’s brother and his relationship with him but then leaves him there without much mention of him again until the last part of the book when he is referred to occasionally but mostly as a reference to Manny as Bernardo’s brother. Other unrelated events throughout the book made it particularly hard to read at times.

Although the book is difficult to get into, it does present some realistic life situations faced by young people living in the projects. Martinez touches on the motivations behind why a teenager would be attracted to gang life by building on Manny’s failure to really belong anywhere including in his own home. He also provides vivid descriptions of Manny’s home life and how his overbearing, alcoholic father kills the hopes and dreams of the other members of the household. Martinez’s portrayal of the Hispanic characters rings true especially when dealing with attitudes and racial relations.


4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
BOOKLIST review: “The novel, written in a fluid, poetic language, resembles a series of vignettes more than one connected story; and this structure not only leaves the character development of Manuel and his family uneven but also generates a disjointedness that is occasionally confusing. There is also a general lack of basic information, such as the exact setting of the story and the ages of Manuel and his siblings, that may make the characters and their environment difficult for readers to visualize. However, the stories themselves, from Manuel's sister's miscarriage to his initiation into a gang to his grandmother's death, are not easily forgotten, and the book is worth purchasing for its authentic portrayal of a Hispanic teen's experiences.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “Martinez writes with clear insight into the Chicano culture. His narrative is poetic, at times almost delicate, in depicting the joys, sorrows, and traumas of the Hernandez family. This novel will appeal to YAs in general and especially to Mexican-American readers.”

5. CONNECTIONS
After reading this book, a debate about issues faced by teens could follow focusing on why teens are drawn to gang membership and specifically why Manny felt the need to join a gang.

Given the fact that many Hispanic reviewers have commented that they felt connected to this book as a depiction of their own experiences, what does that tell non-Hispanic readers about the Hispanic culture? Would Hispanic students feel this is a current, accurate view of what it means to grow up in a Hispanic family or is this particular to growing up in the projects?