You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
This book does a great job of illustrating the struggles that undocumented immigrants face on their journey. It really made me think about the reasons why people leave their families to embark on such a dangerous trip. I am not sure I agree with the age recommendation of 8-12, however. There are some swears in the book, as well as heavy issues (some more obvious, some that may go over a child's head); not sure an 8-year-old should be reading it!
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
A children's book that deals with heavy topics such as immigration, death, sexual assault, race, etc.
The novel was written so well. It is hard to put my thoughts into words because, knowing the story is written with reference to true incidents, my heartaches. Jamie and Angela, the two main characters, are the bravest characters I have ever read about. The two demonstrate that family is the epitome of it all.
During his turn, Jamie scrubbed himself and rubbed the smelly shampoo into his scalp quickly before spending the remaining eighty-four seconds enjoying the lukewarm water pouring down his head. Back home, with no indoor plumbing in the house, showers meant standing outside in the rain. This really was the land of dreams and opportunity (269). This is a quote from this book that really stuck out to me. It made me even more hyper-aware of diverse living conditions and how, to some, a shower is everything they wished for and more.
Moreover, this novel has educated me on such serious and important topics, and I do suggest that anyone and everyone give this a read.
The novel was written so well. It is hard to put my thoughts into words because, knowing the story is written with reference to true incidents, my heartaches. Jamie and Angela, the two main characters, are the bravest characters I have ever read about. The two demonstrate that family is the epitome of it all.
During his turn, Jamie scrubbed himself and rubbed the smelly shampoo into his scalp quickly before spending the remaining eighty-four seconds enjoying the lukewarm water pouring down his head. Back home, with no indoor plumbing in the house, showers meant standing outside in the rain. This really was the land of dreams and opportunity (269). This is a quote from this book that really stuck out to me. It made me even more hyper-aware of diverse living conditions and how, to some, a shower is everything they wished for and more.
Moreover, this novel has educated me on such serious and important topics, and I do suggest that anyone and everyone give this a read.
adventurous
emotional
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:
No
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
After his cousin Miguel is beaten to death by a gang called the Alphas for refusing to join them, Jaime, 12, and Miguel’s sister Ángela, 15, receive a note from the gang instructing them to show up a a certain place in six days. Though the note doesn’t say it, both children know that they will meet the same fate as Miguel if they aren’t there.
The Alphas are a powerful gang of young people dealing in drugs and death, and even the drug addicted police chief is unable to do anything about their reign of terror in this small Guatemalan town.
Not wanting to lose more children to the gang, Jaime’s parents, together with Miguel’s parents decide to send them to live with Jaime’s older brother Tomás. Tomás has been legally living and working in New Mexico on a ranch. After gathering as much money together as they can, the two families say good-bye to their children one night as they climb into the back of a pickup truck that will smuggle them across the border into southern Mexico.
Arriving in Tapachula, Mexico, Jaime and Ángela realize they still have a long, dangerous journey ahead of them. They decide to take a bus from there to Arriaga, but even that proves to be an ordeal when corrupt immigration guards board it at a checkpoint not far from Tapachula. There, they watched a woman taken off the bus, while a guard tests Ángela's pronunciation to see if she sounds Guatemalan not Mexican.
Arriving in Arriaga, the cousins make their way over to a church that offers shelter to others who are also heading north, hoping to cross the border. The “priest’ at the church also helps runaways meet coyotes who will take them across the border for a price. From Arriaga, the cousins travel by train in a locked, airless freight car which takes them to the border of Mexico and New Mexico. Once again, they need to pay a coyote to take them across the border, finding work for a while to make the money to pay for the trip. Eventually, they do cross the Rio Bravo, only to find themselves in another refugee camp, awaiting Tomás’s arrival.
The Only Road is not an easy book to read despite being narrated by 12 year old Jaime, but he does humanize the plight of why Central American refugees are trying to get away from gang and drug infested towns for a better life. After Miguel’s death, it becomes clear that there are only three choices available for Jaime and Ángela are join the Alphas or be murdered by them, or runaway. I can’t imagine being put into the same position as their parents and having to make the decision to send them on a dangerous, iffy journey alone and so far away, with no guarantees they won’t be killed, or caught and sent home.
Sneaking across the border becomes understandable when people find themselves in the kind of untenable situation that Jaime and Ángela's families faced and who had no recourse with the local governments that could not or would not protect the. In that respect, The Only Road shows how very vulnerable these young kids are to the people who will take advantage of them financially, with no compunction about leveling physical and sexual abuse on these desperate runaways.
The Only Road is a very timely and poignant novel, especially with all the talk in Washington about building a southern border wall. It was inspired by real events, Jamie and Ángela's story reflecting the many young people trying to immigrate to the United States, a phenomena that has increased in recent years as gangs and gang violence has proliferated in Central America. One needs only to read the newspapers to understand what is happening.
There are lots of Spanish words used in this book and readers will find an in-depth Glossary in the back matter. There are also suggestions for Further Reading for All Ages, from picture books to YA, as well as Online Resources for more information. Diaz also includes a separate section of Further Reading for Teachers that may not be appropriate for children.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley
This review was originally posted at Randomly Reading
The Alphas are a powerful gang of young people dealing in drugs and death, and even the drug addicted police chief is unable to do anything about their reign of terror in this small Guatemalan town.
Not wanting to lose more children to the gang, Jaime’s parents, together with Miguel’s parents decide to send them to live with Jaime’s older brother Tomás. Tomás has been legally living and working in New Mexico on a ranch. After gathering as much money together as they can, the two families say good-bye to their children one night as they climb into the back of a pickup truck that will smuggle them across the border into southern Mexico.
Arriving in Tapachula, Mexico, Jaime and Ángela realize they still have a long, dangerous journey ahead of them. They decide to take a bus from there to Arriaga, but even that proves to be an ordeal when corrupt immigration guards board it at a checkpoint not far from Tapachula. There, they watched a woman taken off the bus, while a guard tests Ángela's pronunciation to see if she sounds Guatemalan not Mexican.
Arriving in Arriaga, the cousins make their way over to a church that offers shelter to others who are also heading north, hoping to cross the border. The “priest’ at the church also helps runaways meet coyotes who will take them across the border for a price. From Arriaga, the cousins travel by train in a locked, airless freight car which takes them to the border of Mexico and New Mexico. Once again, they need to pay a coyote to take them across the border, finding work for a while to make the money to pay for the trip. Eventually, they do cross the Rio Bravo, only to find themselves in another refugee camp, awaiting Tomás’s arrival.
The Only Road is not an easy book to read despite being narrated by 12 year old Jaime, but he does humanize the plight of why Central American refugees are trying to get away from gang and drug infested towns for a better life. After Miguel’s death, it becomes clear that there are only three choices available for Jaime and Ángela are join the Alphas or be murdered by them, or runaway. I can’t imagine being put into the same position as their parents and having to make the decision to send them on a dangerous, iffy journey alone and so far away, with no guarantees they won’t be killed, or caught and sent home.
Sneaking across the border becomes understandable when people find themselves in the kind of untenable situation that Jaime and Ángela's families faced and who had no recourse with the local governments that could not or would not protect the. In that respect, The Only Road shows how very vulnerable these young kids are to the people who will take advantage of them financially, with no compunction about leveling physical and sexual abuse on these desperate runaways.
The Only Road is a very timely and poignant novel, especially with all the talk in Washington about building a southern border wall. It was inspired by real events, Jamie and Ángela's story reflecting the many young people trying to immigrate to the United States, a phenomena that has increased in recent years as gangs and gang violence has proliferated in Central America. One needs only to read the newspapers to understand what is happening.
There are lots of Spanish words used in this book and readers will find an in-depth Glossary in the back matter. There are also suggestions for Further Reading for All Ages, from picture books to YA, as well as Online Resources for more information. Diaz also includes a separate section of Further Reading for Teachers that may not be appropriate for children.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley
This review was originally posted at Randomly Reading
INCREDIBLE YA novel - very real - couldn't put it down!
Timely in its appearance during social and political relevance, The Only Road by Alexandra Diaz follows the story of two children, Jamie and his cousin, in their attempt to cross the border into America after a threat to their lives from a notorious Guatemalan gang forces the kids to leave their homes and families in Central America. What they don’t expect is the sheer number of deadly obstacles standing in between their home and the safety of freedom. Fraught with danger and illegal implications, the story is filled with both intense action and fear. However, gang violence, drug running, illegal activity, and reference to rape are some of the many triggers present in the story. Still, this sad reflection on the very real horrors for Central American children has the potential to resonate with a diverse group of middle grade readers.
Holy moly. I’m mentoring for a class reading this book and I have not been this intrigued by a book for school in a very long time. I really liked the relationship between Jaime and Angela, it did seem like they were brother and sister instead of just cousins. I recommend reading this book if you want a fast paced, interesting middle grade novel. It definitely isn’t light and airy, but it is worth the read.