Reviews tagging 'Deportation'

Solito by Javier Zamora

45 reviews

simplythegirl's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

4.5

If you'd like an authentic story about an immigrant's journey crossing the border than this book is it! There are similar books out there that are all just trauma p*rn but Javier Zamora really encompasses the beauty along with the hardship that he endured on his journey. His perspective of a kid also makes the whole thing very heartwrenching cute heartwarming and scary at the same time. There was a sense of community and a sense of loss but also victory when he reaches the USA. It's such a touching and sweet story but also very nerve-wracking and scary because of the stakes. I absolutely loved this book. This is super relatable in terms of culture for me even though I never went through what the author did the culture is what we share so that was really fun. There's also some sweet and light humor that flows pretty nicely. The book definitely explores the importance of family and what it means to be a family. If you are not a spanish speaker I would definitely keep a piece of paper and make a key for the spanish words because they come up a lot. I'm a Spanish speaker so it wasn't something I dealt with but others may. It definitely is worth a read.

there is some cursing, violence, guns, blood, vomit, other bodily fluids, and abuse so read with caution.

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librabby's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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leweylibrary's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring tense slow-paced

5.0

THIS is the book that someone wanting to understand what it's like to migrate from South or Central America should read rather than American Dirt.

While I do wish I would've gotten a bit more from Javier's adult perspective--that last chapter had me SOBBING--this was still such a powerful and important book. Javier, a poet, has such an incredible voice and apparently an incredible memory because holy cow remembering things with this level of detail so many years later. I also wish we would've gotten to experience more of his reunion with his parents!! That's the part that you're waiting for the whole time and then all you get are two shadows and a small reflection from 2021 on what it was like to see them. I also think I might have enjoyed the physical book more because I do not know enough Spanish for the Spanish and Spanglish parts to be very clear to me audibly 😅

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savvylit's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective

4.75

This entire memoir is told through Zamora's perspective as a nine-year-old child. The covert border crossings that he must make become even more harrowing when viewed through his young eyes. Javier is so often powerless due to his age - he has to trust that the coyotes will do as they say and take him across borders safely. He has to trust the other folks in his group of migrantes to advocate for him. Javier wavers between feeling pure joy at the thought of reuniting with his parents and total exhaustion and fear due to the journey's length and extreme conditions. His youth is evident on every page - his fear of using the toilet alone, his watching a lizard he calls Paula, his naming of dangerous cacti as "fuzzies" or "spikies." It's incredibly devastating to experience Javier's sweet naivete in juxtaposition with the constant danger.

However, Solito is so much more than a harrowing tale of a dangerous journey. It's also a testament to found families and the kindness of others. As the journey progresses, Javier becomes close with a mother and daughter, Patricia & Carla, and their friend Chino. Chino and Patricia end up helping Javier every step of the way as surrogate parents. They make sure that Javier has food and water, they keep him warm, they tie his shoes, they escort him when it's time to bathe so he won't be alone... The love that the four of them develop for one another and the ways that they support each other throughout Solito is spectacular and deeply moving.

Ultimately, Solito is perhaps one of the most gut-wrenching and difficult memoirs that I have ever read. Again, any retelling of a journey even slightly similar to Javier's would be an emotional read. But seeing the world through his nine-year-old eyes is what really makes this story unforgettable.

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100_pages_hr's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.0

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kshertz's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

I can’t say enough good things about this book. This story is so raw and true. The journey is so brutal for such a small child. The trauma and the pain is felt on the page. This author puts it all out there and I am grateful. It allows me to share with my students what kids their age are going through and continue to go through. For some of them, they can also feel less alone reading this book. I want every teen to know this authors name and story so they can be a generation that doesn’t allow for false rhetoric to persist around those coming across fake borders. Amazing book. Have everyone you know read it.

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lettuce_read's review against another edition

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5.0

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feistyannotatingbooks's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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amiegold's review against another edition

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hopeful informative inspiring slow-paced

4.5

I feel really guilty for not rating this book higher. But honestly, it was just a bit slow paced for me. I might’ve enjoyed it more if I had read it versus listening to it. I did not enjoy the narration by the author as much, I think because it didn’t match the tone of the book from a child’s perspective. I have coworkers who are immigrants and this book!was very informative and helped me understand what they and their families may be going through. Makes me wish that we had a world without borders, and because of that I recommend reading it

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morrisimo's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.5

A devastating memoir following the author's migration from El Salvador to the United States. A very compelling and detailed read, and exposes a lot of small things you wouldn't know about the crossing. It's visceral and difficult, but an important, intimate story.

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