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The fuse races toward the hill, and I tear my eyes away and glance at Zach. Im sorry. The fuse hisses. Its ten feet away from the pile now and moving fast. I think ZachUse notices me, but Im not sure. After only all, Im in his blind spot. Yeah, I know. Whatever, he says. pages 317-329 Here goes. The sparks disappear into the pile, and for a moment all is quiet. I pat him on the back. Maybe the balloons bro The first two explosions are muffled, coming almost exactly at the same time. Dirt and mud spray everywhere, and we dive to the ground and cover our heads. About a second after the first two explosions, the third M-80 detonates. Because it was launched into the air by the force of the first two, there is no soil or water to muffle the sound of the report, and it nearly deafens me. I even feel the force of the blast against the back of my neck. Little pieces of balloon drift to the earth around us. My ears ring as we wait for the echoes to die down. I prop myself up on my elbows. That was awesome. Zach busts out laughing. Frankie, you have crap all in your hair. We lean back against the stump as the cobalt wisps of gunpowder smoke float gently above us. Mrs. Mason appears at the living room window, folding a dish towel with a worried look on her face. To reassure her that our hands are still undamaged, still five-fingered and connected to our wrists, Zach and I raise our arms high above our heads and wave

Discussion Guide
Disney Hyperion Books

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About the Book

Frankie Towers has always looked up to his older brother, Steve. And with good reasonSteve is a popular senior who gets whatever he wants: girls, a soccer scholarship, andlately street cred. Frankie, on the other hand, spends his time shooting off fireworks with his best friend, Zach, working at his parents restaurant, and obsessing about his crush, Rebecca Sanchez. Although Frankie has some reservations, he doesnt spend much time thinking about Steves crusade to win the respect of the local cholos. Then Frankie gets into a fight with John Daltonlongtime nemesis of Steves and the richest, preppiest kid in their New Mexican high school. After the fight, Steve takes Frankie under his wing, and Frankies social currency begins to rise. The cholos who used to ignore him start to recognize him; he even lands a date to homecoming with Rebecca. But after another incident with Dalton, Steve is bent on retaliating. Frankie starts to think that his brother may be taking this respect thing too far. Soon hell have to make a choice between respecting his brother and respecting himself. In an honest and humorous debut novel, Coert Voorhees examines what it means for a young man to come of age.

Pre-Reading
Who has the most influence over you as a person? Are there people you listen to even when its against your best judgment? How do we abdicate power to these people?

Discussion Guide
1. Describe Frankies first attempt at asking Rebecca Sanchez to homecoming. What does it reveal about him as a person? Where does he fit in the social pyramid of his high school? Is it a similar pyramid to your own school? Why? 2. Describe Frankie and Zachs friendship. Frankie says they are close enough to hammer each other with racial slurs. Why do guys do this? How does their friendship change over the course of the novel? Are all friendships tested?

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3. Why does Steve have more privileges and fewer responsibilities than Frankie? How would you feel if you were Frankie? Do parents always treat siblings differently? 4. Have you, like Frankie, ever felt the cold slap of rejection? How did Frankie handle it? Do you think Rebecca actually likes him or not? Why? How can you tell if someone is interested in you? 5. Describe the fight at the first mesa party Frankie attends. How is this a shift from his previous role in the social scene? Does it give him an earned or false sense of confidence? In high school, what is confidence based on? 6. Discuss the cause and effects of the beating Frankie takes after school. What precipitated this violence? What events spiral out from this one event? How common is violence between teens in your own school and community? How do his parents react?

7. Despite the beating, Frankie manages to score a date with Rebecca. Would you pursue her with Dalton in the wings? Describe what happens on their first date. Why does Frankie want a poster of this moment hanging up in my room (p. 165)? What happens with Rebecca? 8. How is Steve navigating a world beyond that of high school? Is he smart to ally himself with guys who have such tough reputations? Would you feel safe with them or not? 9. How has Frankies relationship with his brother changed since his freshman year? Why do you think his brother has started to include him in his social circle? How do some siblings become friends and confidantes to one another while others distance themselves? Why does Frankie want to impress his brother so much? 10. Compare Carmenita (Steves girl) to Rebecca Sanchez. How do the boys parents react to the different girls? Do you think that girls still suffer from bad reputations for doing the same things that boys get congratulated for? Is it fair? Do you think it will ever change?

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11. Why do Frankie and Rebecca view the Daltons business from vastly different angles? Have the Daltons taken advantage of the Sanchez legacy or merely profited from sound business practices? Who do you think is right? Why? 12. What surprise does Frankie face about the familys restaurant business? Do you think his parents made the right choice? How do you think Frankies parents would react if they knew it was the Daltons son who was to blame for Frankies beating? 13. How do the brothers decide to get back at the Daltons? During the entire process, how does Frankie feel at each step? Why does he feel powerless to stand up to Steve? What do both of them have at stake? Why does Steve seem so cavalier about his scholarship and athletics? Besides Rebecca, what could Frankie lose?

14. On the night of homecoming, Frankie finally confronts his father about the injustices between himself and Steve. What precipitated this discussion? Is it long overdue? Why do you think Frankie was silent for so long? Do you think his parents are to blame for Steves behavior or not? Is it fair to let one child pursue excellence while another is left with more responsibility? 15. Describe the homecoming dance for Frankie and Rebecca. How is it better, in many ways, than Frankie could have hoped for? What unexpected act of kindness surprises him? Have you ever been the recipient, or the creator, of such a moment? 16. Explain why Frankie finally takes a stand with Steve in the parking lot at the dance. Is he right to spare Dalton? What would the long-term consequences have been if Frankie had not stepped in? How does it have unexpected consequences?

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17. Why does Flaco turn on Steve? Do you think Steve understood the cruelty of the people he was trying to impress? Are any of them really innocent? Predict what you think the future holds for Steve, Dalton, and Frankie. 18. How do race and class reveal themselves throughout the novel? Is most of the violence a symptom of these issues or is it unrelated? Defend your stance. 19. How does the relationship between the Towers brothers change over the course of the novel? What does the time capsule represent? Do you think the events in the novel will ultimately bring them closer or not? Why? 20. Which scene in the novel is your favorite? Why? What can you learn as a writer from studying this scene? Five years from now, what will stick with you from the Towers brothers story?

About the Author

Coert Voorhees was born in New Mexico, where he developed a weakness for Hatch green chile. A former Fulbright Scholar, he received his MFA in fiction from the University of Houston. This is his first novel. Visit him on the Web at: www.coertvoorhees.com.

Author Interview
What authors have been most influential to you as a writer? The most influential writer was a Chilean playwright named Jorge Daz, who became somewhat of a grandfather to me when I was in Chile working on a translation project. Jorge was the one who encouraged me to write before anyone else didwho planted the seed, so to speak. It sounds a bit drastic, but I think its accurate to say that I wouldnt be a writer if it hadnt been for him. As far as fiction writers go, I grew up reading Stephen King, Tom Clancy, Clive Cussler, and other authors who really know how to tell a story, who have command over the plot at all times. I love how they incorporate research into their novels, too, not only educating their readers about some obscure device or historical fact, but also using it as a structure around which to

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build their scenes. Recently, Ive been reading a lot of short fiction by writers like Antonya Nelson, Denis Johnson, and William Trevor. Theres so much to learn from great short story writers about efficiency, subtlety, and exploring the psychology of a character. Im fascinated with figuring out how best to combine deep characterization with elements of more plot-based stories. Why did you decide to explore the relationship between brothers in your first novel? Do you have brothers? Its funnyI didnt initially decide to explore the sibling relationship at all. I was more interested in the father-son relationship when I first started working on the novel. Central to the story was the idea of a role model who disappoints, leaving you to figure out your path on your own. But as the novel took shape, it became clear that Steve was going to play a huge role in Frankies life. He became a more complex character, and also a useful character from a storytelling perspective. Steve is faced with the same decisions that Frankie might eventually be faced with, but Frankie has just enough distance to observe and comment. That way those decisions arent all encompassing for Frankie, as we sense they are for Steve. Frankie can see whats going on even as hes trying to deal with other issues, such as his best friend, his parents, his

potential girlfriend, etc. And now the novel is called The Brothers Torres, which points to how important Steve became. I couldnt get rid of him, no matter what my initial intentions were with the story. I have a younger sister but no brothers, although I wouldnt have minded one. What do you hope readers take away from reading the novel? Really that life is complicated, and discovering who we are is hard, and there are no easy answers. The best we can do is to keep trying to be honest with ourselves. Id also love for readers to take away a sense of New Mexico and its culture, its setting, its food. I miss it a lot, and one of the things I enjoyed most about writing the book was immersing myself in New Mexico again. More than anything, though, I hope readers will enjoy the story and connect in some way with one of the characters. What can your fans look forward to next? Im certainly not finished writing about the way we navigate a world in which there seem to be hundreds of forces pulling us in opposite directions. Im interested in the contrast (and resulting conflict) between societal, familial, and personal pressures, and how the news entertainment media plays a role in our lives. And Ill still

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try to find a workable balance between plot and character. Ive had a lot of readers ask for a sequel to The Brothers Torres, which sounds interestingit would be nice to get back to Borges. If I decided to do that, I think it would be fun to take it from Zachs point of view. Continuing the story but from a different perspective, with a different read, a different sensibility.

This guide was created by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, a reading specialist and childrens author. Visit her Web site at www.tracievaughnzimmer.com to find hundreds of other guides to childrens and young adult literature. Many more discussion guides can be found on the Disney Hyperion Books Web site at: www.hyperionbooksforchildren.com

Also available: The Brothers Torres Hardcover Edition ISBN: 978-1-4231-0304-2 $16.99 Available wherever books are sold

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