Playing for the Devil's Fire

Gr 7 Up—Izayoc is an idyllic Mexican pueblo where 13-year-old Boli and his friends spend time ogling the girls, shining shoes to earn money, watching the luchadores (the wrestlers), and playing marbles in the hopes of winning the much-coveted "Devil's Fire" marble. The new highway, however, has opened the town up to dangerous people. Body parts appear, and locals disappear. Boli's parents report some trouble and soon vanish. With Boli's world crumbling around him and gangs taking over the town, nobody is safe. His only hope is a flawed, down-on-his-luck luchador who sees his better self reflected in the boy's eyes. This gritty, grim audiobook is performed by Ozzie Rodriguez, whose rich, Spanish-accented voice adds authenticity and emotion to the story. This is not a tale for the fainthearted, but it provides insight into the disintegrating lives of the characters as their world blows away.