The Last Summer of the Death Warriors is written by Francisco X. Stork, whose last book was Marcelo in the Real World. Both books deal with the dilemmas and choices that confront teens who are already faced with difficult circumstances. In Marcelo, the lead character, who has autism, is forced by his father to take a summer internship at a law firm. Not only must he work doubly hard to understand what is expected of him and to overcome others' assumptions about his abilities, he also observes what he suspects is unethical behavior in the firm and feels an obligation pursue the truth. Marcelo's voice is unique, and his insights into his view of the "real" world are at times profound and moving.
The Death Warriors focuses on the growing friendship between two very different teens. Pancho is an orphan, whose sister has just died under suspicious circumstances. Sent to an orphanage, Pancho is given the job to be a companion/helper to a another seventeen-year-old who has brain cancer. D.Q. wants to be friends, but all Pancho wants is to brood about the unfairness of life and how he can avenge his sister's death. D.Q. knows his cancer is terminal; his challenge is to die on his own terms, even though he is still a minor and his mother is convinced he can be saved if he continues with debilitating and painful treatments. Can he persuade Pancho to reject violence and join him in the pursuit of a life well-lived? Stork adds themes of romance, abuse of the developmentally disabled, racism, the contrast of wealth and poverty and the unexpected appearance of good and evil in this novel about faith and friendship.
