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erica_o's review against another edition
3.0
I'm about halfway through the book right now and I find myself torn - I love the concept and the student stories are incredible. However, the writing does not display the students or the school in the most compelling fashion. It's as if the book is written somewhere between journalism (not surprising considering the author's background) and fiction and it fails to engage me. I find the author to be too biased and she takes too many liberties with her subjects; how can she know what they were thinking and feeling unless she followed them, interviewed them incessantly, KNEW these kids? There's no indication that the author was that immersed in the lives of these students; instead, it feels as if she's culled her information from teacher and student interviews, assignments and other papers, and perhaps a few parent/guardian interviews with only a minimum of actual participation.
In addition, she praises the school and its staff, but it almost sounds like she found the praise on the website or took it from staff interviews because, in reality, she paints a fairly common and, in some cases, even unpleasant picture of the school, the teachers, and the administration.
The hook, of course, is the lives of these students who have endured all kinds of hardship at a very young age and have found a way to enroll themselves in this International school in the hope of attaining a stable future. That is what keeps me reading. I feel their stories could have been told in a more comprehensive and compelling fashion with the help of a seasoned editor or even by another author, but Ms. Hauser recognized that the students' lives would be interesting enough to capture the reader's attention, no matter the writing style, and she was right.
I have finished the book and my thoughts really haven't changed. The right style of writing just wasn't there; I was never fully-engaged. I had put the book down for a week and picked it up to finish reading over the weekend and had forgotten who half the people were. They hadn't become memorable enough for me to remember them after a week.
I think I'd like to see this author write some more books, learn her style, and then do a follow-up piece on this in about ten years.
In addition, she praises the school and its staff, but it almost sounds like she found the praise on the website or took it from staff interviews because, in reality, she paints a fairly common and, in some cases, even unpleasant picture of the school, the teachers, and the administration.
The hook, of course, is the lives of these students who have endured all kinds of hardship at a very young age and have found a way to enroll themselves in this International school in the hope of attaining a stable future. That is what keeps me reading. I feel their stories could have been told in a more comprehensive and compelling fashion with the help of a seasoned editor or even by another author, but Ms. Hauser recognized that the students' lives would be interesting enough to capture the reader's attention, no matter the writing style, and she was right.
I have finished the book and my thoughts really haven't changed. The right style of writing just wasn't there; I was never fully-engaged. I had put the book down for a week and picked it up to finish reading over the weekend and had forgotten who half the people were. They hadn't become memorable enough for me to remember them after a week.
I think I'd like to see this author write some more books, learn her style, and then do a follow-up piece on this in about ten years.
jennifrencham's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't like this book as much as I thought I would. I did enjoy the stories of the different students as they came to the States, and their transition into an American high school. I would have enjoyed this more if it had been told from the perspective of one of the teachers or had been given more continuity. Also, I don't really think this is a book that teens would enjoy. The other award-winning book about immigrants would likely appeal more to teens, as the stories are considerably shorter and are told from a first-person perspective.
tricopot's review against another edition
5.0
Just a few pages into this book, I was completely hooked. The stories are fascinating and prove once again, à la Anne Fadiman or Tracy Kidder, that nonfiction can be just as riveting as fiction. The reader is constantly going back and forth between reliving moments of his/her own high school experiences -- flirting, trying desperately to fit in, walking through noisy hallways and using bathrooms covered in graffiti -- and being amazed at what these kids have lived through. Hauser doesn't just scrape the surfaces of the life of a former teenage diamond miner or a girl who rents a room on her own at age 17 because her dad and stepmom kicked her out; she enters into their lives and helps us to imagine what it would be like to be them. While it's clear that she formed strong relationships with the subjects of the book, she artfully accomplishes the feat of making herself invisible so that the reader feels that she or he is getting a documentary-like view of the lives of these courageous kids. Looking forward to seeing what comes next from this talented writer!
julieam's review against another edition
1.0
Couldn't get through it - the book was so disorganized and didn't seem to have any real point.
bookwormmichelle's review against another edition
5.0
I really liked this one. There IS some language in it, from the kids. But this well-done nonfiction tracking several immigrant teens in a school in New York City is marvelously engaging, and heartbreaking. I cried like a baby at the graduation scene. These were some amazing kids, and some pretty terrific teachers.
melissarochelle's review against another edition
4.0
First...the audio was a little tricky to follow at first because there are so many names, but it's still a really fascinating look at one year at the International High School @ Prospect Heights. I believe Hauser followed students and teachers from 2008-2009 and since then, several classes have left the IHS. I'd love to find out what happened to the students since. Where's Yasmeen? Is she still in school? Is Jessica still trying to just be friends with Harold? Did Mohammed graduate and go to college? How's Anne Perry's baby? Is her former student now her nanny? So many questions, but still this is a great book full of insight into the lives of immigrant teens.
brandiraefong's review against another edition
4.0
This book follows a group of students who attend a high school in New York that is specifically desgined to help students who either themselves or their parents (or both) are not United States citizens.
Many of the students in the book were brought here at a young age and have worked hard to try to overcome language and cultural barries as they attempt to thrive and have a chance at a better life. Others in the book were examples of how easy it is for the children of undocumented people to just slip through the cracks into a vicious cycle of poverty.
At times, it was a bit one sided; regardless though it was an interesting and timely look at minors and immigration issues.
Many of the students in the book were brought here at a young age and have worked hard to try to overcome language and cultural barries as they attempt to thrive and have a chance at a better life. Others in the book were examples of how easy it is for the children of undocumented people to just slip through the cracks into a vicious cycle of poverty.
At times, it was a bit one sided; regardless though it was an interesting and timely look at minors and immigration issues.
stevenyenzer's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fun and enlightening looking at the immigrant experience, but overlong and weighed down by the author's high-school-level love of simile.