One of the Boys: Daniel Magariel

This book was unique in that it captured the lives of two boys living with their self destructing father, where you often read about an addicted mother. I don't remember the boys getting names in the book leaving it open to the idea, these boys could be anyone and everyone. The story starts with the father picking up his youngest son from his mother (they are divorced)because the mother claims the boy is out of control. Soon they call the child protective custody and make up a story about abuse so the father gets full custody. He takes the boys to New Mexico to start a new life because e was happiest there for a time in his life. The boys think they are going to start a new life, but their father gets into drugs and pulls the boys into his downward spiral. The oldest boy is forced to quick basketball, which he loves, because he misses too many practices taking care of his father. He then has to get a job to feed them and starts stealing from the store to get by. The little brother who is coming of age, starts to realize his father isn't the hero he thought he was and is pitting him against his brother. After a brutal beating from his father and dealing with his father's drug dealer, the cops show up at the door with the oldest brother arrested for stealing. The dad tells him not to open it and heads back to his room to get high, the boy opens the door and we assume both boys are taking into child custody. The book ends with a happy memory of the three of them on the trip from Kansas to New Mexico before everythingn fell apart.