Reviews

Imaginary Borders by Xiuhtezcatl Martinez

megndenny's review against another edition

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informative inspiring fast-paced

4.0

tjazz's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

cheesepuppy's review against another edition

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5.0

Phenomenal book that I think I’ll be mentally processing for the next several days/weeks/etc. I hadn’t realized how intertwined all of these issues are. Some I didn’t realize were connected at all. Though, I’m super embarrassed to admit that.

Honestly, I almost closed the book whe. It started off with the Joe Rogan podcast. I would never had guessed  how that was going to play  out

babyv's review against another edition

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challenging informative medium-paced

5.0

lovelynovellas's review against another edition

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informative fast-paced

4.0

vanillafire's review against another edition

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hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

sadiebedford's review against another edition

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hopeful informative inspiring

4.0

tsunanisaurus's review

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3.0

There’s absolutely no doubt that Xiuhtezcatl is an influential, passionate, and important voice in our world. He has made so much impact and continues to do so while encouraging others to find the path that leads them to do doing the same.

That being said, this book felt so scattered and incomplete. It had no source page, a lot of info dumping, lot of context jumping, and so on. You can feel the powerfulness of his words lurking below the surface but it just didn’t come together for me.

I still recommend it, the entire Pocket Change Collective series, and listening to the audio if it is accessible.

bethanymiller415's review against another edition

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4.0

The Pocket Change Collective is a series of “small books with big ideas from today’s leading activists.” They are 4”x6” and 64 pages, so they truly are pocket-sized. The authors are a diverse group of young adults (most are in their twenties) whose stories are accessible and could be inspirational to teens. They focus on big ideas like climate change, art, and LGBTQIAA+ issues through the lens of each writer’s experiences that led them to their particular form of activism.

Xiuhtezcatl Martinez calls on young people to make their voices heard in the fight to stop climate change in Imaginary Borders. Martinez’s journey as a climate activist began when he was just six years old and has continued into his young adulthood through his work with Earth Guardians. Martinez writes about going through a period of feeling disconnected from his activism until he began to fuse it with his work as a musician. He asserts that climate change is an issue that does not respect the imaginary borders of race, class, party, and nationality created by humans (“A superstorm doesn’t ask your political affiliation before wiping away your home”). He explains how climate justice is tied to racial and social justice and argues that for real change to occur, people from every stratum of society must be willing to make changes. This quick read would be great for teens who are budding activists or those wanting to better understand the social issues tied to climate change.

rayne_1906's review against another edition

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informative inspiring fast-paced

3.75

Audiobook - 48 minutes - I thought this was an insightful view on the intersections of race and poverty with the climate crisis, and touches on the realities of activism, especially as a young person.