"Have You Seen Luis Velez?," by the author of "Pay It Forward" is a feel-good piece for a dreary day

Описание: Hi! Welcome to Episode 107 of Pink’s Picks Book Recs: commentary from a retired high school English teacher.

Today’s cleverly-titled contemporary novel, “Have You Seen Luis Velez?” is written by the prolific author, Catherine Ryan Hyde. Probably her most famous piece (which was made into a film) is, “Pay It Forward.” “Have You Seen Luis Velez?,” set in Manhattan from Fall 2018 to Spring 2019, begins when our seventeen-year-old protagonist, Raymond, finds his elderly neighbor out in the hall of their walk-up west of Times Square, asking, “Have you seen Luis Velez?” The kind-hearted teenager forms an unlikely bond with the ninety-two-year-old and secretly vows to solve the mystery of the missing Luis who simply stopped showing up.

Though the book is not devoid of tragedy, it is, much like “Pay It Forward,” at its core, a “feel=good” read. “Have You Seen. . .” includes themes of: isolation, loneliness, guilt, racism, injustice, and conversely, kindness, self-discovery, family and friendship – especially how and where we find and forge the latter two.

Nonagenarian Millie is attracted to Raymond’s compassion, curiousity, and willingness to aid her. Raymond, in turn, is drawn to Millie’s wisdom and genuine interest in his life. She asks him the critical questions that no one else does.

Initially, Millie is oblivious – as is everyone – to Raymond’s quest to find Luis Velez. His search very much reminds me of another NYC-set novel, Jonathan Safran Foer’s, “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” when the adolescent protagonist traverses the boroughs seeking clues that will complete a puzzles regarding his suddenly-deceased dad. The journeys of these two young men and the people they meet along the way are very – hauntingly and delightfully – similar.

One of my favorites of Hyde’s stylistic choices is her food motif. Food – or lack thereof – serves as or symbolizes: parsimony, control, routine, sustenance as well as savior, communion, celebration, kindness, and love language. For example, Raymond’s mother and step-father are miserly and manipulative with food. In the opening scene, Raymond’s step-father denies him lunch money and instead prepares him a sandwich with a “single slice of baloney” (5) and adds a “sad-looking orange” (5) to a paper sack which isn’t nearly enough food for the “tall” (4) teenager. Later on, his mother smacks him on the head when he doesn’t hear her call for (her consistently tasteless) dinner. Raymond’s dad, on the other hand, orders take-out (pizza or Chinese) or they go to their favorite restaurant, Though the meals are tasty, they are planned to circumvent Raymond’s stepmother who refuses to feed them and rejects Raymond. Conversely, two of the Luis Velez families that Raymond tracks down (in his search for THE Luis Velez) invite him – a stranger – into their homes to share a meal. Raymond is served lovingly-prepared (and scrumptious!) Eggs Benedict and “dark chocolate” (98) cake. (Clearly not at the same time or address!) These are just a few of the multiple times that food furthers characterization and develops the plot.

Though they don’t adversely affect my opinion of the work, I did find a few pesky content flaws. I ask:
1. If Raymond’s dad is a dentist who presumably pays child support, why does Raymond lack clothes as well as food at his mom’s?
2. When Raymond misses school, why are his upcoming assignments issued on a scrap of paper rather than posted in Google Classroom? Raymond is not allowed to have a cell phone, but he does have a computer and internet. Teachers have been using Google Classroom for years.
3. Millie tells Raymond that when she arrived on Ellis Island in 1938, the NYC skyline was “all brick. . . [n]ot steel and glass” (253), yet the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings were opened in 1930 and 1931 respectively. How does her comment make sense?

I give the uplifting, “Have You Seen Luis Velez?” a “B.”
Until next time, stay safe, make good choices, and DO YOUR HOMEWORK!