Buried Onions

Buried Onions by Gary Soto was an interesting book about a Mexican boy from Fresno fighting to get out and make a better life for himself. Eddie had been a gangaster growing up but changed due to deaths occuring all around him and situations arising that he just didnt want to be a part of. Eddie tried to attend college but failed at that. He tried to hold down a simple job of painting address numbers but other problems arose from this, such as a stolen vehicle, another friend gets stabbed and he gets arrested. Eddie is tyring so hard to stay away from the violence that is around him but after his cousin gets killed his aunt and a "friend" named Angel keep trying to convince him to find and kill the man responsible. Eddie's only real friend Jose and past mentor, Coach, help Eddie get through the situations that are ruining his life and sending him spiraling in the wrong direction. Eddie seems to be in the wrong place in the wrong time, and just can't catch a break.
The book is suppossed to be a grade level 6 book. However I feel that the violence that takes place and the situations that Eddie is in should make this book be a read for more mature audiences.I think that the book may be read by 6th graders that are in this situation; the violent inner city, gang ridden communities. But I also think that it should be read by highschool audiences from 18-20 to relate directly to Eddie, since he is 19 in the book. It is an easy book to read as far as text and flow of sentences go. The author does a great job at leaving the reader in suspence waiting for the next page to see what is going to happen to Eddie next. Wanting things to go right for him is what is hopeful but it just doesnt seem to happen this way.