Diamond Park

Phillippe Diederich

Hardcover

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A fast-paced YA novel about four Mexican American teenagers from Houston, a '59 Chevy Impala, and a murder that changes their lives forever.

Flaco isn't the kind of kid who gets in trouble. He doesn't want to give his mom or his aunt Ana Flor any grief--they've had enough since his cousin Carlos died serving in Afghanistan. But he finds a whole lot more trouble than he bargained for when he and his friends Tiny, Magaña, and Susi ride the bus from their Houston neighborhood to Diamond Park to buy a used car. And not just any car--a 1959 Impala convertible, a dream car. The transaction gets complicated fast, and Susi ends up with a knife in her hands, covered in blood. When Tiny has to disappear to avoid ICE, Flaco and Magaña head south in the Impala to set things right. In a wildly impetuous move, the two boys cross into Mexico hunting for a trafficker named Anaconda, the man they believe is the real killer, to clear Susi's name. In a breathtaking, seat-of-your-pants adventure they manage to kidnap him but in the process they discover how little they ever actually understood about what really happened in Diamond Park.

Book Details

Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Publish Date: Mar 8th, 2022
Pages: 288
Language: English
Edition: undefined - undefined
Dimensions: 8.40in - 5.40in - 1.10in - 0.85lb
EAN: 9780593354254
Recommended age: 13-17
Categories: • Places - Mexico• Hispanic & Latino• Social Themes - Friendship

About the Author

Phillippe Diederich is a freelance photographer and writer. He is the son of Haitian exiles, and he grew up in Mexico City. He is a recipient of the PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship and the author of two previous novels, including the acclaimed novel Playing for the Devil's Fire, a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults pick. He lives in Florida.

Praise for this book

A Booklist Best Book of 2022

★"Tense, raw and gorgeously written, Diamond Park will resonate with any reader who, in a world filled with ample reason for pessimism, strives instead for optimism."--Book Page, starred review

★ "Packs a punch while managing to wrest tough situations into the realm of hope."--Booklist, starred review

★"An important title displaying the complexities of Latinx culture and of finding a sense of self set against the backdrop of trying to catch a murderer, this story will keep readers on the edge with danger lurking behind every corner."--SLJ, starred review

"Phillippe Diederich's Diamond Park is a powerful novel about teenagers forced to grow up too soon, kids dealing with adult problems. Gripping and expertly paced, this literary thriller is about so many things--the implicit and explicit violence of the U.S.-Mexico border, the nuances of the Mexican-American experience, racial injustice. And most importantly family and friendship."--Jaquira Díaz, author of Ordinary Girls

"Dark, compelling, and surprisingly hopeful."--Kirkus Reviews

"Diederich interweaves Mexican American culture and murder in a rollicking road trip adventure that offers action without sacrificing emotional heft... Flaco's realistic narrative voice offers a unique and thought-provoking, conversational perspective on class, mental health, and misogyny."--Publishers Weekly