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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I almost put this book down.
The first chapter- the most important part of a novel, according to some -was abysmal. As if the stiff writing style and perpetually immature characters weren't enough, the narrative seems almost desperate for the reader to know that MT, our main character, is 'Spanish' (ie, Hispanic), but not one of those dark-skinned, dark-haired, 'obvious' immigrants (ie, Latina). Though she does call herself Latino halfway through the book- Honestly, the author doesn't seem to explain much beyond the fact that she's from Argentina and she's ESL, which isn't saying much: There are extremely white people who live in Argentina, thanks to the high population of German descendants. So, yeah... Came off just a little bit racist in those first few pages.
However, the parts that weren't outright bad were actually extremely emotionally compelling, and I decided to keep reading.
I am so glad that I did.
Written by an immigrant herself, this book is one of the most evocative stories I've ever read. It deals with the daily struggles of MT and her family in a blunt, no-frills way that only serves to expose every tender spot and emotion in our cast of characters. The plot, which at first seems to go nowhere, meanders from heartbreak to heartbreak, and breaks the the reader's heart as well.
Even I, a very white and natural-born America, could relate to MT. From the flashes of my own family I saw in her's, to the desperation for some kind of respite in her depression, there was a universal sorrow in MT's character.
All in all, this is a brilliant, poignant story, and one that does not get told enough. (I did have to take off one star for that beginning, though.)
p.s. I hope Josh and MT hang out a lot in Connecticut, where they make fun of Siobhan and listen to good music together. BFF.
The first chapter- the most important part of a novel, according to some -was abysmal. As if the stiff writing style and perpetually immature characters weren't enough, the narrative seems almost desperate for the reader to know that MT, our main character, is 'Spanish' (ie, Hispanic), but not one of those dark-skinned, dark-haired, 'obvious' immigrants (ie, Latina). Though she does call herself Latino halfway through the book- Honestly, the author doesn't seem to explain much beyond the fact that she's from Argentina and she's ESL, which isn't saying much: There are extremely white people who live in Argentina, thanks to the high population of German descendants. So, yeah... Came off just a little bit racist in those first few pages.
However, the parts that weren't outright bad were actually extremely emotionally compelling, and I decided to keep reading.
I am so glad that I did.
Written by an immigrant herself, this book is one of the most evocative stories I've ever read. It deals with the daily struggles of MT and her family in a blunt, no-frills way that only serves to expose every tender spot and emotion in our cast of characters. The plot, which at first seems to go nowhere, meanders from heartbreak to heartbreak, and breaks the the reader's heart as well.
Even I, a very white and natural-born America, could relate to MT. From the flashes of my own family I saw in her's, to the desperation for some kind of respite in her depression, there was a universal sorrow in MT's character.
All in all, this is a brilliant, poignant story, and one that does not get told enough. (I did have to take off one star for that beginning, though.)
p.s. I hope Josh and MT hang out a lot in Connecticut, where they make fun of Siobhan and listen to good music together. BFF.
Fresh, new perspective on life that I've not seen before in a story.
M.T. (Who has a full name no one can pronounce) is an 17 year old illegal immigrant. No one knows this outside of her family, not even her best friend Chelsea, who she's been friends with since kindergarten.
She has an abusive father, and a mother who always bows down to him. She wants a better life for herself and her little brother Jose; she despises her parents for making her illegal.
She's been told by her Father Time and time again that she can't go to college or get a decent job because of her immigration status, and she feels confined by her situation. If that's not enough, her parents keep saying they're going to move back to Argentina, but America is the only home she's ever known.
Her life finally seems to get a little better when she meets Nate, an all-American boy she meets courtesy of Chelsea's über-annoying cousin. She begins to really like him and their relationship blossoms.
Eventually, the dreariness of her situation gets to her and she gets sick of her life as a whole. She lashes out towards her friends while her father is lashing out at her even more than usual.
She's fighting an uphill battle and she doesn't know how to win.
You'll see what happens. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
M.T. (Who has a full name no one can pronounce) is an 17 year old illegal immigrant. No one knows this outside of her family, not even her best friend Chelsea, who she's been friends with since kindergarten.
She has an abusive father, and a mother who always bows down to him. She wants a better life for herself and her little brother Jose; she despises her parents for making her illegal.
She's been told by her Father Time and time again that she can't go to college or get a decent job because of her immigration status, and she feels confined by her situation. If that's not enough, her parents keep saying they're going to move back to Argentina, but America is the only home she's ever known.
Her life finally seems to get a little better when she meets Nate, an all-American boy she meets courtesy of Chelsea's über-annoying cousin. She begins to really like him and their relationship blossoms.
Eventually, the dreariness of her situation gets to her and she gets sick of her life as a whole. She lashes out towards her friends while her father is lashing out at her even more than usual.
She's fighting an uphill battle and she doesn't know how to win.
You'll see what happens. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Companion read for the 2015 Wichita Public Library Big Read.
Another good read for ESL students or students studying immigration/identity/assimilation.
I read an uncorrected proof of this book, so some things might've changed, but I don't think so.
I really liked this book, and I was debating between 4 or 5 stars and choose 4 because I felt like a couple of things were unresolved. I have only read a few good books on immigration, fictional anyway, and this is one of the ones that is up there. A struggle for a lot of illegal immigrants is going to college, and being able to stay with their family, and I understand MT's struggle, especially with her heritage.
The only reason why I didn't give this four stars is because I feel like the situation with Siobhan and her boyfriend never really got finished, and I'm not sure if I liked the ending or not.
I don't know if this author will write another book, but if she does, I will read it.
I really liked this book, and I was debating between 4 or 5 stars and choose 4 because I felt like a couple of things were unresolved. I have only read a few good books on immigration, fictional anyway, and this is one of the ones that is up there. A struggle for a lot of illegal immigrants is going to college, and being able to stay with their family, and I understand MT's struggle, especially with her heritage.
The only reason why I didn't give this four stars is because I feel like the situation with Siobhan and her boyfriend never really got finished, and I'm not sure if I liked the ending or not.
I don't know if this author will write another book, but if she does, I will read it.
This book was truly amazing. I can't think of any other way to describe it. I've never been one to read a book about people who are illegal immigrants, and that's because the one's I HAVE read weren't what I was looking for. But this book right here? It was realistic, it was true, it brought tears to my eyes, and I am glad to have read it.
I highly recommend it for everyone.
I highly recommend it for everyone.
A good book, not a great book. M.T. is an undocumented immigrant. Her father is abusive. She excels in school but faces limited options beyond high school because of her status. This was definitely a great read in these times. A bit cheesy in parts. The love story was a bit much. The M.T. symbolism was a bit much. Overall, a quick and informative read!
3.5 stars. Interesting concept. I've never encountered a YA book that dealt with issues of immigration, so I appreciate this. I think Andreu captured the immigrant experience, whether undocumented or not, quite well. I especially liked the way she captured the identity of children of immigrants and their feelings on statehood. 3.5/5 because the book struggled at times. Andreu tried to pick up too many sub plots so as to make M.T. a more rounded character, or perhaps to not make this solely an immigration story. The subplots didn't work. They were not explored, abandoned halfway or reintroduced at awkward moments for the sake it. Despite that, it's an interesting story on immigration, and would recommend on that alone.