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abocanegra89's review against another edition
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
marissagoodell92's review
challenging
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
robin_e's review against another edition
5.0
I think this is a must read. I don’t have words to explain everything I feel, but I truly believe this is a book you don’t want to miss out on.
revri's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
OVERALL RATING: 8.29/10 -> 4.25 stars on StoryGraph.
Characters: 9
I think Mateo was a good choice for both the protagonist and the storyteller roles and it felt like I was really in his mind and live through the same adversities as him. Although his character development isn’t always consistent or strong, the way the author didn’t hide any of his flaws makes the story touching and sympathetic to me.
Setting/Theme: 9
The book does a wonderful job of directly depicting and criticizing the then-real-life immigration crisis through the perspective of the immigrants. Furthermore, Mateo’s self-identity crisis of not feeling American or Mexican was also a though-provocative and welcomed addition to the story being told.
If I have to point out one area of improvement, it would be the love story between Mateo and Adam. I’m glad that the author did not fall into the trap of spending too much time on their relationship and straying far away from the core of the book. But still, their love connection is a bit undeveloped and deserves more care so that it doesn’t feel too unnecessary and irrelevant.
Writing Style: 8
The story is told through the lens of Mateo, which makes the story rich in intrapersonal communication aspect. I also loved how the culture gets integrated into the book in a way that isn’t too overwhelming or underrepresented.
However, a complaint of mine was that the author relied on terms like “holding breath”, “knot in my throat” or “stomach twisted” a bit too much to capture high-tension moments, which made it a bit repetitive and ineffective.
Plot: 6
I have a contrasting feeling about each of the 2 parts. The first part of the book hit it out of the park for me as it perfectly invites the reader to learn about Mateo’s family situation and his struggle while steadily building up to the climax. Unfortunately, the book fumbled slightly with the second part especially towards the end because of how everything was resolved so passively and incredulously. I foresaw the open ending but the execution just made the whole book feel like a fever dream and left me a bit unsatisfied.
Intrigue: 8
Since I had a much more favorable view towards the first half, it’s not a surprise that I was more gravitated toward that part than the writing later down the line. The latter part isn’t a dead weight because it still has its captivating charm but the problem is that it doesn’t leave a strong impact on me like I expected coming from the first part.
Logic: 8
Not to say that miracles couldn’t happen in real life but I feel like the ending is a bit too good to be true for me. Like how coincidentally someone wants to buy the bodega right when they need money the most, or how Jorge and Amy could move out to a much better house and why didn’t they move sooner if they could afford to do that?
Enjoyment: 10
Despite some shortcomings, I still relished my time spent on this book and it was an eye-opening experience, one that left me with much food for thought.
heyitsmeg777's review
5.0
*My Ma tells me I feel too much.*
Yes Mateo, me too. I feel too much and this book?
Got me hooked, got me on edge, made me cry, and made me laugh, cheer, cry some more and I absolutely fell in LOVE with this book. It literally changed my life. Maybe not super HUGE change to my life, but it definitely does change my perspective on stuff like immigration, what it means to be American when your parents are immigrants, and the heavy burden of being an older sibling all while being sensitive and someone who feels too much.
I saw so much of myself in Mateo (older sibling, spanish-speaking, questioning what it means to be American, Hamilton fan, fear of cockroaches (EEK) etc.) The list could go on, but his journey of seeing his parents get ripped away from him and his journey of bottling everything up to try to stay strong made me tear up so much. Let me just say that for a debut novel, Daniel Aleman is a master at making you feel stuff. (I mean, many authors do this to us readers, but this one grips us with realistic tragedies that make us consider the life of undocumented people)
I know it's an issue that not many may care about. Some citizens of the US may just be indifferent to it. They might just hear the word "immigration" like saying "politics" and just ignore it. This book gives you a reason WHY we shouldn't ignore it. It gives us a reason for all of us who are children of immigrants to consider what it REALLY means to be American in a world where we'll (almost) always be an outsider. It's hard to belong, but we're never really alone and I loved that about this book.
Mateo could lean on the help of Uncle Jorge and his diverse friends Kimmie and Adam (which btw are precious beans) and even people in his community. Oh, and maybe even the cockroaches too.
My point is, EVERYONE should read this book. It's not just to cry a little or to sympathize with a character or to "feel too much" while reading this book, but it's to change your mind. It's to educate yourself with what REALLY happens when deportation happens. It's to make ourselves as people a bit kinder towards those who struggle for a place here in US. It's a book that leads to bigger conversations that we may not be ready to have, but that we should anyway. It was an enlightening experience for me. If I could give it a 10/5, I absolutely would.
Yes Mateo, me too. I feel too much and this book?
Got me hooked, got me on edge, made me cry, and made me laugh, cheer, cry some more and I absolutely fell in LOVE with this book. It literally changed my life. Maybe not super HUGE change to my life, but it definitely does change my perspective on stuff like immigration, what it means to be American when your parents are immigrants, and the heavy burden of being an older sibling all while being sensitive and someone who feels too much.
I saw so much of myself in Mateo (older sibling, spanish-speaking, questioning what it means to be American, Hamilton fan, fear of cockroaches (EEK) etc.) The list could go on, but his journey of seeing his parents get ripped away from him and his journey of bottling everything up to try to stay strong made me tear up so much. Let me just say that for a debut novel, Daniel Aleman is a master at making you feel stuff. (I mean, many authors do this to us readers, but this one grips us with realistic tragedies that make us consider the life of undocumented people)
I know it's an issue that not many may care about. Some citizens of the US may just be indifferent to it. They might just hear the word "immigration" like saying "politics" and just ignore it. This book gives you a reason WHY we shouldn't ignore it. It gives us a reason for all of us who are children of immigrants to consider what it REALLY means to be American in a world where we'll (almost) always be an outsider. It's hard to belong, but we're never really alone and I loved that about this book.
Mateo could lean on the help of Uncle Jorge and his diverse friends Kimmie and Adam (which btw are precious beans) and even people in his community. Oh, and maybe even the cockroaches too.
My point is, EVERYONE should read this book. It's not just to cry a little or to sympathize with a character or to "feel too much" while reading this book, but it's to change your mind. It's to educate yourself with what REALLY happens when deportation happens. It's to make ourselves as people a bit kinder towards those who struggle for a place here in US. It's a book that leads to bigger conversations that we may not be ready to have, but that we should anyway. It was an enlightening experience for me. If I could give it a 10/5, I absolutely would.
qnawal97's review
4.0
Actual Rating: 4/5
---
Indivisible by Daniel Aleman is a great novel following the story of Matt who lives with his parents and little sister in NYC and is impacted by the unexpected deportation of his parents who were undocumented and came to the US as teenagers. It is a heart-wrenching account of something many young people have been experiencing for the last decade, especially within the last few years with the increasing restrictions on immigration. I really enjoyed reading this as I know of many people who have experienced this exact reality and have never seen it contextualized in a story in this way. I think its definitely a timely read for right now and should be something that teens are reading in school as I think its both affirming for young folks who may be undocumented or children of undocumented parents and also contributes towards their peers developing critical skills in developing empathy and understanding of this social crisis.
---
Indivisible by Daniel Aleman is a great novel following the story of Matt who lives with his parents and little sister in NYC and is impacted by the unexpected deportation of his parents who were undocumented and came to the US as teenagers. It is a heart-wrenching account of something many young people have been experiencing for the last decade, especially within the last few years with the increasing restrictions on immigration. I really enjoyed reading this as I know of many people who have experienced this exact reality and have never seen it contextualized in a story in this way. I think its definitely a timely read for right now and should be something that teens are reading in school as I think its both affirming for young folks who may be undocumented or children of undocumented parents and also contributes towards their peers developing critical skills in developing empathy and understanding of this social crisis.
sparker94's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
mbhoppe13's review
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
froghag's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5