My Father, the Angel of Death
by Ray Villareal
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Book Summary Information
Author: Ray VillarealEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-10-31
ISBN: 1558854665
Number of pages: 164
Publisher: Piņata Books
Book Reviews of My Father, the Angel of Death
Book Review: Backstage with the Superstars of ACW
Summary: 5 Stars
Feisty little Pinata Press has brought us a giant smackdown of a book, the life of Mark Baron, the Angel of Death, as seen through the eyes of his lonely little son, Jesse, now in the 7th grade and worn down from the constant travelling his dad's job entails. His Dad, you see, happens to be a superstar of ACW, American Championship Wrestling, but it's not all that much fun being the son of a man famous for his strength, bravery and macho attitude in the ring and on TV. Other kids in Jesse's new San Antonio school want to get to know him, but they're puzzled because he's not much like his dad.
Fat Wendell wants to be Jesse's friend, but Jesse is too preoccupied with his parents' marital problems to realize that "WendY' is offering him a precious gift of friendship. Three hardcore thug kids in the same middle school, Manuel, Chester Leonard and Hugo Sanchez, are always pushing around and intimidating the smaller kids. They even corner innocent girls and steal their purses to pocket their tiny hoards of dollar bills. Then Jesse steps in, gulping, telling the mean trio to stop harassing the beautiful, foxy half-Spanish Sara Young.
This intervention leads to a bit of romance for our boy, just when his relations with his parents are coming to a showdown. The mother is always nagging Mark to give up the ring. "Look at your knees, Mark," she cries out. "You're 38 years old and you have the legs of an old man." Mark says that he's in the hurting business.
One thing leads to another as a pushy teacher at school fails little Jesse, and then blackmails him, saying she will turn his F into an A if he can produce the Angel of Death, Mark Baron himself, to come to her school and make a rare piblic appearance. Mrs. Petrovsky is a crazed fan like Kathy Bates in Misery and she'll do anything, anything, to get those autographs from her favorite wrestling hero.
Everywhere Jesse goes with his mom and dad, even a trip to their local diner, is spoiled by fans. It made me think that I would hate to be the son of a famous TV personality and/or athlete.
The back cover says that this is the first book by author Ray Villareal. After reading a couple of bestsellers by Irv Muchnick, I wanted something along the same lines as WRESTLING BABYLON and I picked up this book sort of by association. Though Villareal doesn't have Muchnick's classic sportswriters' pizzazz, he is a careful and thorough writer and I got the impression all the Latino parts were very inspiring, all the more so if I was actually in the targeted age group of 5th to 8th grade this novel is aimed at.
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