In the novel I’m reading the main character is Manny Hernandez. He is 14 years old and he has an older brother who can’t keep a job, a dad who is abusive, and an alcoholic, and a mom who doesn’t say much, and just cleans to let her troubles go. The problem Manny faces is he wants to be someone who is respected. Manny wants to be more than a penny,but that is hard when you have a father that’s abusive, and a brother who cant keep a job. This problem impacts the Manny, because with his brother, and father bringing him down with the bad examples they are setting for him it’s very hard to be someone to respect.

The setting of this story is the past tense summer. As Manny tells the story of his summer adventure the first chapter is just explaining about his older brother Bernado, and how he is ruthless. Manny describes how they live in a gang    neighborhood.