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mandyist's review
3.0
And the prize for the most flawed narrator of the year goes to: Ri Fernández. A strange way to start a review, I know, but I spent a fair bit of Nikki Barthelmess's Everything Within and In Between actively disliking the main character and despairing over her constant lies, tendency to jump to conclusions and refusal to communicate with those closest to her. I wasn't sure where the story was going for much of the book when suddenly, Barthelmess wraps it all together to deliver a solid ending.
Ri Fernández's grandmother wants her to live the American dream, to succeed in the world and enjoy the privilege that passing for white can bring her. The only problem is that Ri is desperate to reclaim her Mexican heritage and to rekindle her relationship with the mother who abandoned her.
When Ri begins taking Spanish classes at school, it sets her on course for a collision with her grandmother but also opens her eyes to the micro-aggressions and outright racism encountered by her Mexican friends and family.
Will Ri be able to navigate her messy relationships and feelings without losing everybody she loves?
This is a difficult novel to rate because I didn't enjoy it for the first three-quarters of the book and, as mentioned above, I did not like the protagonist. I was also confused by the timing in the story and couldn't quite understand - apart from the author telling us that it was happening - why situations with Ri's sudden love interest and best friend were escalating as quickly as they were. The situation seemed to go from zero to stratospheric in three days.
I also have specific concerns with the depiction of substance abuse in the novel, including cocaine. This is based entirely on my experience with teen addiction but I prefer substance-abuse themes in YA novels to be more cautionary. I did appreciate that Ri came to realise the dangers of her actions based on her predisposition towards addiction.
Nevertheless, something kept me going to the end and I'm glad I finished. I enjoyed how the various storylines were resolved and especially appreciated the character development of Ri and her best friend.
With trigger warnings for racism, prejudice, micro-aggressions, on-page drug abuse, alcoholism and parental abandonment, I give Everything Within and In Between an okay three out of five stars. As an adult, I enjoyed the outcome of the story but I'd recommend that parents and teachers engage in deeper discussions on the substance abuse present in the book.
Everything Within and In Between has been released to coincide with National Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States.
I received an electronic copy of this novel for the purposes of this review. I will always provide an honest review, whether books are provided to me or purchased by me.
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Ri Fernández's grandmother wants her to live the American dream, to succeed in the world and enjoy the privilege that passing for white can bring her. The only problem is that Ri is desperate to reclaim her Mexican heritage and to rekindle her relationship with the mother who abandoned her.
When Ri begins taking Spanish classes at school, it sets her on course for a collision with her grandmother but also opens her eyes to the micro-aggressions and outright racism encountered by her Mexican friends and family.
Will Ri be able to navigate her messy relationships and feelings without losing everybody she loves?
This is a difficult novel to rate because I didn't enjoy it for the first three-quarters of the book and, as mentioned above, I did not like the protagonist. I was also confused by the timing in the story and couldn't quite understand - apart from the author telling us that it was happening - why situations with Ri's sudden love interest and best friend were escalating as quickly as they were. The situation seemed to go from zero to stratospheric in three days.
I also have specific concerns with the depiction of substance abuse in the novel, including cocaine. This is based entirely on my experience with teen addiction but I prefer substance-abuse themes in YA novels to be more cautionary. I did appreciate that Ri came to realise the dangers of her actions based on her predisposition towards addiction.
Nevertheless, something kept me going to the end and I'm glad I finished. I enjoyed how the various storylines were resolved and especially appreciated the character development of Ri and her best friend.
With trigger warnings for racism, prejudice, micro-aggressions, on-page drug abuse, alcoholism and parental abandonment, I give Everything Within and In Between an okay three out of five stars. As an adult, I enjoyed the outcome of the story but I'd recommend that parents and teachers engage in deeper discussions on the substance abuse present in the book.
Everything Within and In Between has been released to coincide with National Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States.
I received an electronic copy of this novel for the purposes of this review. I will always provide an honest review, whether books are provided to me or purchased by me.
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
the_bookish_gal21's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
psistillreadyou's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Racism, Sexual assault, and Alcoholism
Minor: Drug use
regans's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
girlreading's review
4.0
An emotional and honest coming-of-age contemporary filled with heart.
Everything Within and In Between is an introspective story of a biracial teen's journey to reclaim and reconnect with her Latinx heritage after being told to squash it her whole life. It's about absent parents and toll they take. It's about friendships old, new, healthy and toxic. It's about so much of what comes with becoming a teen, e.g. academic expectations, crushes and discovering you limits, beliefs and sense of self. It's about privilege, prejudice and racism. It's about realising the people you've surrounded yourself with might not be the kind of people you once thought they were. It's about all that and so much more.
The cast of characters were superb, the relationships brilliantly explored and the story heartfelt, thoughtful, poignant. I loved it. I would also 10/10 recommend the audiobook, as Frankie Corzo's narration was (as always) superb.
TW: racism, microagressions, substance abuse, sexual harassment, absent parent
Everything Within and In Between is an introspective story of a biracial teen's journey to reclaim and reconnect with her Latinx heritage after being told to squash it her whole life. It's about absent parents and toll they take. It's about friendships old, new, healthy and toxic. It's about so much of what comes with becoming a teen, e.g. academic expectations, crushes and discovering you limits, beliefs and sense of self. It's about privilege, prejudice and racism. It's about realising the people you've surrounded yourself with might not be the kind of people you once thought they were. It's about all that and so much more.
The cast of characters were superb, the relationships brilliantly explored and the story heartfelt, thoughtful, poignant. I loved it. I would also 10/10 recommend the audiobook, as Frankie Corzo's narration was (as always) superb.
TW: racism, microagressions, substance abuse, sexual harassment, absent parent
shelvesofstarlight's review
4.0
This book was wonderful and an amazing contemporary read focusing on one girl and her search for the identity she feels she has lost. Along the way she learns truths about her life and embraces the culture she feels isolated from whilst making new friends. I had such a great time reading it!!
I was sent an arc if this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I was sent an arc if this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
lberestecki's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25