From The El Paso Scene August 2005
The Confessional by J.L. Powers (Knopf).
The novel focuses on the interior lives of six teen-age boys attending a fictional counterpart of Cathedral High School in El Paso, nearly a year after a terrorist attack on a border bridge that has fueled anti-Mexican feelings.
An Anglo student is mysteriously slain shortly after his vicious beating of a Hispanic classmate. In the chaotic aftermath, each of the novel’s characters examines his own life and the lives of their friends, with everyone suddenly suspect — if not of the murder itself, perhaps in some way as an accomplice.
In her debut novel, Powers successfully takes the readers into the hearts and minds of these six narrators. While the story is a whodunit, the propelling elements of the story are the contrasting characters and the different ways they express teen-age angst.
The novel is billed as “young adult” fiction, although parents and teachers might be taken aback by the harsh language throughout the book. So don’t look for it on any required reading lists, particularly at Cathedral High.
Teens themselves, however, will find plenty to identify with. So will any El Pasoan who enjoys a story saturated by border culture and local landmarks.
Powers’ writing should not be unfamiliar to long-time Scene readers — Jessica wrote several feature stories for the Scene a few years ago. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in African History at Stanford University.
– Randy Limbird
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