Reviewed by hoopsielv for TeensReadToo.com

Rick jumps at the opportunity to spend his seventeenth summer in a Mexican barrio. He'll be able to improve his Spanish, live with family friends, and help them build a real house on their property. He's confident that he will learn a lot about life in a completely different culture.

He learns quickly that the Romeros are a struggling family who put their guest as their priority even if it means they go without. He doesn't even mind being called a "gringo" by the locals.

The construction project quickly turns out to be the hardest thing Rick has ever done in more ways than one. Physically, he's never been so tired and sore in his life. The family has invested all their time and money to create a home and it seems like they are running out of both. Will they be able to finish it before the rainy season?

Rick spends what little free time he has with Ellen, an American who is vacationing at her father's elaborate home. It seems worlds away from the barrio. They meet secretly for a while, and once Rick introduces her to his new "family", the cultural and social differences seem like an elephant in the room. Can they get past these to truly get to know each other?

This was a wonderful book. I highly recommend it! ( )