It’s just like when I forget my homework on my bed or like when I misplace my cell phone or forget to put on deodorant in the mornings. I don’t do these things on purpose either - they just…happen.
-- Isaac as Narrator (Chapter 1)

Importance: One of the problems Isaac faces as the novel opens is his difficulty keeping track of time, objects, and his homework. He does not want to let his mother down, but he knows that she worries about him, and he wants to do better for her. He recognizes that other people struggle too and let Amá down, particularly Apá.

Not that I blame him. I’m not the kind of son you can brag about to all your friends. My dad was a star athlete and the most popular boy in school…nothing like me.
-- Marco as Narrator (Chapter 2)

Importance: Marco’s biggest problem as he starts middle school is that his father...