review by Jacob Chon, age 15

The Closest I’ve Come by Fred Aceves

    Marcos Rivas is like any other high school student. He simply wants to be loved.  From his basketball games with other guys from the hood, to his abusive stepfather, Marcos’s life is not giving him that. All he gets are closed doors and superficial contact.  But then, he meets Zach, a nerdy student, and Amy, a punk girl, at a class designed to give them the tools needed to succeed in school. All of a sudden, his life is turned upside down. Together, the three of them learn what it means to love, and what it means to be loved. And Marcos learns what it means to have a family.
    Fred Aceves captures how the average teenage boy feels. Marcos feels trapped. He cannot talk about his emotions with anyone, because that is considered weak. Marcos also feels unloved, another common trait amongst pubescent guys. By simply reading The Closest I’ve Come, anyone can identify with him. His struggles feel familiar to anyone in the real world, and his life is authentic. Marcos is someone that one can connect to. This book was an enjoyable experience, and I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a YA novel not just about romantic love. 4/5 stars.


Find this book in our catalog: The Closest I’ve Come

Catalog Number: On Call

310 pages