A review by ashlightgrayson
Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by Laekan Zea Kemp

emotional hopeful reflective medium-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

3.5

This story was incredibly heartwarming, and as a Latinx person myself, made me feel like I was joining a family and a new home. The way Kemp describes the atmosphere in the restaurant makes you feel like you are there in-person. She also has an accurate depiction about how a lot of Latinx families are not great at addressing mental health concerns and male figures in Latinx culture have difficulty expressing emotion. Pen and Xander embody the struggles of many Mexican and Mexican Americans youths in the United States. Pen wishes to follow her dream of owning her own business as her parents have done. However, she must fight against her family's expectations that she obtain a college education and take advantage of the opportunities that they have worked so hard for her to have. Xander deals with the abandonment of his parents as well as surviving in an atmosphere where illegal immigrants are not welcome. The characters also feel genuine and relatable and are independently engaging. I'm looking forward to future books published by Kemp. Hopefully her previously independently published The Girl in Between series will be traditionally published, or something similar in the future. I'm always down for a fantasy story.
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