Parrot in the ovum is a gritty and moving coming of age story about a young Chicago boy named Manny Hernandez many lives in a poor neighbourhood in France now California and is surrounded by violence poverty and drug abuse the book is narrated by Manny and he does the story of his life from the age of 14 to 16. Manny is a complex and sympathetic character and he is trying to find his way in the world he is strongly struggling to deal with his abusive father his mother and his brothers drug addiction the book is full of imaginary and powerful writing Martin is does a great job of capturing these of life in a poor barrio he also does a great job of portraying the inner terminal of many as he tries to find is way in the world.