Miguel Castaneda takes on the role of narrator in a tale told through his own words. de la Pena's newest work is presented in the form of a court ordered journal being written by a Mexican-American teen who has found himself living at the Lighthouse, a group home for troubled boys. Each is there for their own reasons, but all of them have come through the courts.

Miguel is still reeling from what led to his own arrive at the Lighthouse. He turns toward the books in the home;s collection for socialization and keeps primarily to himself. The only exceptions are Mong, an Asian teen with what appears to be severe violence and anger issues, and Rondell, an African American teen with great basketball skills who struggles with intellectual challenges due to his mother's drug addiction. The three find themselves pulled together, despite obvious difference.

When Mong decides to try and run away, he approaches Miguel about the possibility of joining him. Miguel takes him up on the offer, but only if Rondell can come along as well. Before long, the three are on the road, trying to make there way down to Mexico where they hope to find employment working at one of the holiday resorts so many American vactioners find themselves relaxing at.

As with most "road trip" tales, the story quickly transcends the obvious physical journey as the readers join the internal journey the characters take as they explore where they are in their lives and where they are going. For Miguel, it is largely about coming to terms with what led to his own incarceration. While the readers know it is tied to his older brother Diego, it is not until the end that they truly learn what happened. Unfortunately, it really isn't a major surprise at that point.

With that said, the journey is really what is important. Readers are introduced to three strong and troubled boys. Because of the violence they have been involved with, they would not normally be considered sympathetic, but de la Pena masterfully allows the reader to experience their lives and the troubles that really placed them at a disadvantage. While their experiences (and the characters themselves) do not excuse their actions, the reader cannot help but connect with them and even hope for the best for each of them.

Mong, Rondell, and Miguel are all very real kids. They speak in the harsh language that is realistic of their world, but they are also filled with honest human emotion. Readers cannot help but wonder what might have been different for each of them had they been a part of a much friendlier world.

Their journey is a troubled one as they deal with running out of food, being tricked by other teens, and continually skirting the right and the wrong of the law. In some cases, these tangential subplots lead for a book much longer than it needs to be in order to tell the story, which will likely turn many interested readers away. Those willing to take the challenge of the many pages will be rewarded with an amazing tale, though one that seems to not really tie up the realities of what will happen to the boys when they reach their ultimate destination. The important thing is that each has come to terms with their own lives, and that is really what this journey is all about.