With its slick cover and exciting James Bond-referencing cover blurb, this book looks like a promising offer for the upper elementary set. It certainly has plenty of action and adventure, but I can’t really recommend it for that age group, or even older readers. You’ll see why.
Tom’s parents are set to leave on a long overdue vacation, without kids. But when Tom burns down their shed, no one is willing to let him come for a visit. With nowhere else to turn, they drop Tom off with his Uncle Harvey, a man who probably should not be trusted with children.
Harvey ends up taking Tom to Peru with him where he is involved in shady business dealings with drug lords and a quest for treasure, both of which are guaranteed to put him and Tom in harm’s way, repeatedly. It’s written like a modern action movie, with plenty of car chases, shots fired, easy coincidences to allow the plot to move forward and bad guys without the least bit of nuance or depth.
In the course of affairs, Tom ends up undertaking some pretty adult things: shooting a gun, driving a car and being at least partially responsible for the death of a character. None of these things affect him in the least emotionally. At one point Tom even considers the death and comes to the conclusion that he feels not the least bit guilty. While all of this keeps the tone of the book light, it also trivializes violence much in the same way as many modern video games.
I also found the characterization of the Peruvians to be pretty appalling. With one exception (Uncle Harvey’s not-exactly a girlfriend), they are depicted as criminals, thieves or excessively poor and ignorant. Even in the days of the explorers…the English captain supposedly believed the locals to be “dirty thieves” and so named their island “The Island of Thieves”. And of course, all of them are bribable. You start flashing those good old American dollars and they’ll do whatever you ask. Or you could be a rich, powerful drug lord and control them with massive amounts of money and threats. From a hotel clerk to the governor of a prison to the police everyone has a price. I try to imagine a former Peruvian student of mine reading this and it makes me cringe.
Not particularly recommended for, but at least moderately appropriate for: I would say this would be best suited to sixth through eighth graders. Any older and it will read as a bit juvenile and any younger, well, it’s a bit violent. But I can’t really recommend it for anyone given the racism. In addition to the violence, there are some passages that are quite difficult to read (a contrast to the not-particularly-complicated overall text). A part of the adventure involves consulting an old-fashioned journal riddled with unconventional spellings, construction and references that will be largely unknown to readers. This may make it hard for some readers to decipher.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – Tom’s parents are going on vacation without their children. Tom expects they will have smoochy dinners. An adult’s date is mentioned. Uncle Harvey kisses a woman. Tom looks away at one point. When asked if she is his girlfriend he says “yes and no” and that it is complicated and Tom will understand when he is older.
Profanity – “gringo” can be considered offensive by some, “darn,” in a few places it says that a character “cursed” but does not use any swear words.
Death, Violence and Gore – Harvey tells Tom that guinea pig and chips is the national dish of Peru; that they cut a guinea pig in half, open him out and fry him on a griddle. A man carries a pistol. A man threatens to cut off someone’s pinky. A man punches another man. He the has his arm twisted up behind his back. A man tries to kick another man during a struggle. A man is hit over the head with a lamp and passes out. A character has supposedly committed several hundred murders. Tom has a friend who has an air rifle and whose father owns a shotgun. Tom has a pistol pointed at him (repeatedly). A car nearly hits a man, intentionally. They are in a car accident that results in a blackout, some bleeding and them. Tom is worried that they’ll be thrown off a cliff. A man is gripped by the throat and strangled (although not to death). A man threatens to kill people repeatedly. In the journal it tells of a man who was whipped until he bled. A crocodile is brutally killed (stuck with swords and spikes, shot) and eaten. Natives kill an Englishman. Another man died of illness. Guards at a prison are supposed to shoot first, ask questions later. The prison is filled with terrorists and murderers. Tom wonders if the drug dealer will kill them when he gets bored or annoyed with them. Tom eats guinea pig (he is not told that he has eaten it until after the meal). Tom considers the possibility of fighting the men with guns. If people fall overboard they will almost certainly die due to huge waves and cold water. People are shot at and hit. A man’s face is bloodied (but not from a gun). Tom and his uncle are surrounded by armed men. The men have rifles and pistols. Harvey carries a knife. Some of Tom’s ancestors were hanged. There’s a lot of discussion about killing people. Men are punched in the face. Tom shoots a man with a gun. Tom imagines murdering someone. A man is run over by a car. More shots are fired at people.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – Uncle Harvey tells Tom’s parents to drink a glass of wine. A friend of Uncle Harvey’s mentions “sinking a few jars” which seems to be a euphemism for drinking. A man smokes a cigar. A man is offered whiskey for breakfast. A major character is a drug dealer. Men drink beer and a colorless liquid. Sailors drink rhumm. A woman smokes a cigarette. An adult offers to buy Tom “many drinks”.
Frightening or Intense Things – The main character opens the book by playing with matches. Unsurprisingly, this causes the shed he is in to catch fire and burn down. Tom’s uncle plans to leave him unchaperoned in New York City. Uncle Harvey says he has enemies. A stranger urges them to get in his car; it seems like they are forced. Uncle Harvey swears on Tom’s life. There are all kinds of criminals in the book. In Peru they pass children begging in the slums. Two men nearly drown.
