M. E. Delgado

Reviewed by Marta Morrison for TeensReadToo.com

Marlo doesn't know who, or what, to believe. His father, who describes all women as temptations to men who only want material things and when a man can't supply all they want, they go to other men who will; or his mother, who fights for her freedoms and who Marlo can't talk to because he is afraid he can't trust her because she is a woman.

Marlo is a fantastic artist and is very sensitive. Because he believes what his dad tells him about women he has never had a relationship with a girl. He holds himself at a distance with both his mother and his sister. He puts all of his passion into making elaborate sandcastles at the beach and into his drawings and paintings. Not being a strong student, he looks forward to a life of working in construction with his father. He figures that his painting will just be something to do to pass the time.

Then enters Desiree, a reader/writer with the beautiful eyes. She grabs Marlo's heart and all that his dad has told him goes out the window. He learns about the Art Institute and decides, with Desiree's help, to take college prep classes. To his amazement, he does well and he and Desiree become an item. Marlo learns through his relationship with Desiree, and finally with his mother, about all the shades of gray and how we all are not perfect and can make mistakes.

I enjoy the writing of this author; though sometimes it is heavy-handed, the language is lyrical and very descriptive. I thought the character I liked the most was Marlo's mother, because I could relate to her. She was fighting for her freedom to work and not be tied to the house and the kitchen. I would have loved to have been able to see Marlo's paintings and sandcastles, because they sounded amazing.… (mehr)

The First Sandcastle is a coming of age story about a young man growing up in a dysfunctional family. The main character, Marlo Clemente, attempts to reconcile the love he feels for his mother and the warped view of life taught by his father... that women are evil.

Marlo's art and his friends provide solace from everyday home life. When one of Marlo's friends (Danny) falls in love with a girl who uses Danny for her own purposes and then crushes his hopes and dreams, this only reinforces what Marlo has learned from his father.

How Marlo deals with the further confusion that sets in when he meets a girl he feels is unlike others is a captivating story that gives the reader a lot to think about. The peer pressure of growing up, and the issues a normal teen must deal with, along with the not-quite-separate issues that evolve from the family's dysfunctional relationships among themselves and others are deeply felt by the reader. The timeless feel and the steady pacing of this story should provide a basis for a wide audience, though I have the feeling that it is also the ideal YA novel.

Mr. Delgado builds the highly emotional story to a dramatic climax and makes the reader feel every minute of Marlo's pain when he discovers that he's just as his girlfriend's mother says: "exactly like all the other boys". Marlo's relationship with his own mother improves and she helps him realize that we are all human and fallible.

This review has also been published on Dragonviews and Amazon.com… (mehr)