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A Different Kind of Heat Paperback – May 9, 2006

5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 5 ratings

Luz Cordero is on fire. She’s burning up with rage. She was there the night her brother got killed. She saw the cop pull the trigger. She tried to do something positive about it by going to protests, but all her anger got her into trouble. Now Luz is living at the St. Therese Home for Boys and Girls, working to turn her life around.

Sister Ellen and Luz’s three fellow residents are helping. When Sister Ellen gives Luz a journal to write everything down, Luz is finally able to face the truth about what happened that night. And she’s able to forgive her brother, the man who took him away, and—most importantly—herself.

A Different Kind of Heat is a gritty, heartbreaking, and uplifting story of one girl’s struggle to forgive and remember.
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Antonio Pagliarulo was born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx. He attended LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts, and SUNY Purchase College, where he earned a B.A. in Sociology. He has written about crime, entertainment, and spirituality for numerous publications. He has also worked as a tutor for inner city teenagers. He lives in New York City.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Delacorte Books for Young Readers; First Edition (May 9, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0385732988
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0385732987
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 14 years and up
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 9 - 12
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.52 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 5 ratings

About the author

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Antonio Pagliarulo
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Born and raised in New York City, I started writing at an early age, thanks to a very cool teacher who eventually found out that the notebook I carried around contained lots of weird stories and virtually no homework. The pattern continued straight on through till high school and, come to think of it, hasn't stopped.

When people ask me to describe myself, I almost always respond with the same line: I'm a nice Italian- American kid from the Bronx. I sold chocolate door-to-door in my grammar school years and volunteered a lot as a teenager. Then it was off to college, where things got a little crazy...(just kidding!)

Working as a tutor for inner city teens, I was both moved and inspired by the stories I heard, the struggles I witnessed, and the triumphant spirit so many of these young people found within themselves. A DIFFERENT KIND OF HEAT is a gritty book; it's about the inner city because it was born in the inner city -- a place people too often forget, or just don't want to remember. But the stories and truths of our inner cities aren't ones we can afford to forget.

I still live in the Big Apple and I'll probably be here for the rest of my life. There are so many stories to write!

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2006
    Anger is not a "bad" or dangerous emotion, but how we express it can be. Wrestling with the life and culture of an inner city ghetto, its violence and hopelessness, Luz Cordero has many reasons to be angry. With her neglectful mother locked away in jail and the older brother who cared for her dead at the hands of police, she frequently loses control and winds up in a group home for problem teens. Her internal struggle to regain control of her emotions, and the external consequences of this struggle, are rendered with poignancy and honesty, so don't be surprised when the tears well up in your eyes. New author Antonio Pagliarulo's deft use of the journal format provides a sense of genuine immediacy to this story of an inner-city Hispanic girl's struggle to come to terms with the loss of mother and brother, and the violent, self-destructiveness of her own behavior. With time and the retreat to relative safety afforded by the group home, she begins to sort through the mess of emotion--feelings of abandonment, loneliness, helplessness, and rage--that often overpower her, a process that is vividly described in her prose and poetry. In developing a new perspective of herself, Luz also allows herself to begin to see things from the perspective of others, and recognize their humanity. This first novel is truly superb and highly recommended for older teens, especially young women dealing with similar issues, but young men should also find much to interest them in this superb book, as will adults of any age. I'm looking forward to the publication of the first book in the author's forthcoming series, "On the Avenue."
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2007
    Can anger and rage be changed to peace and forgiveness?

    After watching her brother shot by a cop in the street, Luz Cordero turns to gangs and violent protests to deal with her rage. Her brother is dead and her mother is in jail and Luz is angry at the world. Now Luz is living at the St. Therese Home for Boys and Girls and trying to pull herself together.

    Luz presents her story in journal form as she flashes back to her brother's death and her life as a gang member and protester. Protesting police brutality helped Luz for awhile until things got out of hand and she found herself on probation and sent to live with Sister Ellen. St. Therese's Home for Boys and Girls is home to Luz and several other residents, all with their own history of violence. The hope is that working together in group therapy sessions they can overcome their experiences and learn to live with their less-than-perfect lives.

    Things seem to be improving for Luz until one day she finds herself face-to-face with the young cop who shot her brother. The rage returns and Luz feels compelled to right the wrong of her brother's death. To her surprise, she finds that Officer Mickey Pesaturo is struggling with his own demons. Never having used his gun, he is dealing with the guilt of having taken a life, even though it was in the line of duty.

    Pagliarulo helps the reader see Luz's courage and determination to remember her brother and yet forgive the ugliness of the crime. This book will not disappoint.

    Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2007
    Excellently written, this book is a fast read. Contemporary life portrayed throughout a journal depicts a real life situation, growing up in an inner city environment.

    I rate it 5 stars, clear, crisp, engaging. The author excels in his depiction and use of the written language in this text.

    I look forward to his next publication impatiently.