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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
I read The Only Road out loud with my son, and it may be one of the most important books I've read with him before. Timely and current, it helps to bring the immigrant struggle to life. We were riveted by Jamie and Angela's story, hopeful that it would have a happy ending. It's not one we'll soon forget, I hope.
#popsugarreadingchallenge2020 (prompt #16)
#popsugarreadingchallenge2020 (prompt #16)
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Required reading for kids age 11+ who don't have personal experience with undocumented migration.
4.5 stars. An excellent story about immigration for middle grade readers that is based on actual events.
I am really glad that I read this book. I haven't read much middle grade since being in middle school myself and this one definitely did not disappoint. After working in a school with many children who were new to the states, it was frightening and heartbreaking to learn about how they might have arrived in front of me. The ending felt a bit easy, which considering this is a middle grade novel and the amount of heartbreak throughout, I can forgive it to an extent but woah they sure did make it across the actual border in like 3 pages (or so it felt).
I liked how it felt like Jaime grew up from when he left his small town to when he reached his destination. I feel like he had age appropriate realizations that were crucial to his character.
The Spanish used throughout was great and I liked (?? maybe because I speak Spanish) that not all of it was translated. I appreciated how the author addressed different "accents" (not dialects, even though they are from Guatemala where indigenous languages are frequently spoken as the primary language). She talked about different linguistic features between different Guatemala like "vos" vs "usted" which was really cool, since many do not know about these idiosyncrasies in the Spanish language!
As soon as I finished, I ordered the second book in the series as I can't wait to read about Jaime and Angela's transition into the US school system and life in the US after all that they have been through. I think that this is a great book for educators to read to try and understand what their students possibly have been through, especially since this story is told from the perspective of a 12 y/o.
I liked how it felt like Jaime grew up from when he left his small town to when he reached his destination. I feel like he had age appropriate realizations that were crucial to his character.
The Spanish used throughout was great and I liked (?? maybe because I speak Spanish) that not all of it was translated. I appreciated how the author addressed different "accents" (not dialects, even though they are from Guatemala where indigenous languages are frequently spoken as the primary language). She talked about different linguistic features between different Guatemala like "vos" vs "usted" which was really cool, since many do not know about these idiosyncrasies in the Spanish language!
As soon as I finished, I ordered the second book in the series as I can't wait to read about Jaime and Angela's transition into the US school system and life in the US after all that they have been through. I think that this is a great book for educators to read to try and understand what their students possibly have been through, especially since this story is told from the perspective of a 12 y/o.
Un libro bien poderoso y detallado para todos edades y culturas. Me encantaba compartirlo con mis alumnos de 5to/6to grado para la lectura a distancia, y a ellos les fascinó tanto que me pidieron leer la secuela inmediatamente. Me alegra encontrar un libro al nivel de lectura de esta clase y que representa una historia muy importante para nuestra comunidad escolar. La Encrucijada comienza pronto!
I liked the plot of the story; however, it was the three points of view that sort of ruined it for me. The characters were somewhat developed, but I just cannot get over the points of view. I could not relate to any of the characters and had a hard time liking them. I definitely had good hopes for this book.
*I received this in exchange for an honest review, provided by NetGalley.
*I received this in exchange for an honest review, provided by NetGalley.
Eye-opening novel about the treacherous journey to the United States.