Diamond Park
Teens track a suspected murderer in fast-paced adventure.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Diamond Park by Phillippe Diederich is a thrilling tale of adventure, friendship, and courage. When Flaco and his friends Tiny, Magaña, and Susi, go to Diamond Park to buy a 1959 Impala convertible, they get more than what they bargained for. Suddenly, they find themselves involved in a homicide and Susi is a suspect. Trying to clear her name, Flaco and Magaña cross into Mexico to try and find a human trafficker named Anaconda, the man they believe is the real killer. There's quite a bit of violence: A character is assassinated. The main character chases a coyote (human trafficker) around Mexico. Characters are often attacked, punched, and beaten. Sex is mentioned a couple of times. In one scene, a character leaves a club with a stripper, but nothing explicit is described. Teens drink beer, and a side character dies of a drug overdose. Frequent strong language includes "s--t," and "f--k,"and there's some swearing in Spanish.
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What's the Story?
In DIAMOND PARK friends Flaco, Magaña, Tiny and Susi find themselves in a midst of a murder mystery when they least expect it. After taking the bus from their Houston neighborhood to Diamond Park to buy a used 1959 Impala convertible, Susi ends up holding a knife, covered in blood, where a murder has just been committed. After Tiny is forced to leave Houston to avoid ICE, Flaco and Magaña must put their fears aside and embark in an unlikely adventure to find the man they believe to be the killer.
Is It Any Good?
This thrilling adventure makes for a beautiful read. Through his cast of well-crafted characters, author Phillippe Diederich infuses Diamond Park with heartwarming moments and life lessons that are sure to stay with readers long after they finish the novel.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how to realistically pursue one's dreams. In Diamond Park, Flaco struggles with choosing between pursuing a stable, traditional job as a doctor or following his dream to be an artist. How can we bridge the distance between these two seemingly opposite directions?
How can we cultivate through friendship? Flaco and Magaña risk it all to help their friend Susie and later Flaco reflects on what a true friend Magaña turned out to be. How can one find and, most importantly, be a true friend to others?
Book Details
- Author: Phillipe Diederich
- Genre: Literary Fiction
- Topics: Cars and Trucks, Friendship, High School
- Character Strengths: Communication, Compassion, Empathy
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: March 8, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 14 - 17
- Number of pages: 288
- Available on: Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Kindle
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: May 2, 2022
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