Sito is a readable, empathic portrayal of a Hispanic teenager whose promising life was cut short because of failures in the criminal justice system ... The trouble is that the book doesn’t go far enough. The assumption that "there is an innate difference" between a victim and his assailants "hinders our ability to understand urban violence," Ralph declares at the outset ... To demonstrate this premise in Sito, we would need to know more about Julius, Rashawn and Miguel, too ... Sito is no less honest without their voices, but it is less complete.
Moving, thoughtful ... Ralph blends his knowledge of Sito, his own memories of being a terrified boy from an immigrant family and his research into minority teens caught in an ineffectual justice system to create a harrowing account of Sito’s life.
Ralph traces the legacy of a host of psychological problems that have led to crime ... Through a heart-wrenching study of a youth’s murder, Ralph reveals a larger picture of social decay, despair, and violence.
