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A review by sel_28
Everything Within and In Between by Nikki Barthelmess
4.0
I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump lately, so it was nice to get completely captivated by a book again.
This is the story of Ri Fernández, a biracial Mexican-American teenager who struggles with her cultural identity and with her family. Her mother left her when she was young, and the only family member she has left is her strict grandmother who wants them to assimilate, so she kept her from exploring more about her culture and didn’t even let her learn Spanish. She decides to take Spanish II so she could learn, despite how her grandma feels about it. When she has the chance to reconnect with her mother, she takes it, hoping that it will help her as she is on the journey of figuring out who she is, and she also hopes that her mother accepts her for who she is. But there is so much more to her family history than she thought.
Overall, I really did enjoy this book. A lot of Ri’s story was very relatable. I’m not white-passing like she is, and I wasn’t completely kept away from my culture, but being born and raised in America meant that my experiences were different from those of my parents and other members of my family. I know what it’s like to not feel Latine enough and not as connected with your culture. My Spanish isn’t perfect either. I’ve felt the embarrassment of messing up in Spanish class, which is something that a lot of people would assume should come easy to me, like how they assumed with Ri. I also know how it feels to have trouble focusing on the mistakes your family makes because you know how hard they work to give you a better life. There’s the pressure to make them proud, especially when you’re reminded how everything they do is for your future. Then, they tell you how this is why you have to get a good education and a good job. The expectations can be a lot.
There were also a lot of times where I wanted to yell at her because of the choices she was making. I know, she’s a teenager, and they make mistakes. She could still be frustrating at times. But I’m glad she later acknowledged her mistakes.
The talks about colorism in the Latine community were something that was needed. It’s something that should be discussed more, and it can be hard for a lot of Latines to admit that it exists. There are issues in our community, and colorism is one of them. Ri is white-passing, so she didn’t realize this problem existed. I’m glad that she acknowledged the privilege that she had. People are going to treat her differently compared to how they treat her grandmother. It’s something that she needed to be aware of.
Brittany’s behavior wasn’t excused, which was good because there were a lot of micro aggressions. She did care about Ri, and she didn’t seem to realize her behavior was problematic, but that doesn’t make it okay. She needed to recognize her mistakes and change. Words aren’t enough; action is needed. It would’ve been nice to see more of that change happening, especially since this was a breakthrough for their friendship, but I understand that the author wanted to wrap things up.
Then, there was the romance sub-plot. Was it completely necessary to her arc? Not really. But I’m a romantic, so I still thought it was cute.
What really shined here were the friendships and family relationships. I really liked that Nina and Ri talked about what happened in the past. Ri messed up; there is no excusing that. Nina doesn’t lie and say it never hurt. Like how Brittany’s behavior wasn’t excused, I’m glad that Ri’s wasn’t either and that she acknowledged that she needs to do better.
Everything that happened with her mother was heartbreaking. The conversation she had with her grandmother after everything that happened with her mother had me tearing up. She finally told Ri more of their family’s past. I know how much it hurts to hear about the struggles your family has gone through and how it eventually all lead to where you are now. It was a difficult conversation, but it was one that they needed to have.
That being said, the letter that was included at the end was a nice way to end it. She misses and loves her mother, but she knows that she needs to change. She’s determined to persevere, whether she’s in her life or not.
Overall, I give this book 4.5 stars.
CW: parental abandonment, sexual harassment, abusive relationship, alcoholism, drug use, micro aggressions, colorism, racism, teen pregnancy, mentions of sex
This is the story of Ri Fernández, a biracial Mexican-American teenager who struggles with her cultural identity and with her family. Her mother left her when she was young, and the only family member she has left is her strict grandmother who wants them to assimilate, so she kept her from exploring more about her culture and didn’t even let her learn Spanish. She decides to take Spanish II so she could learn, despite how her grandma feels about it. When she has the chance to reconnect with her mother, she takes it, hoping that it will help her as she is on the journey of figuring out who she is, and she also hopes that her mother accepts her for who she is. But there is so much more to her family history than she thought.
Overall, I really did enjoy this book. A lot of Ri’s story was very relatable. I’m not white-passing like she is, and I wasn’t completely kept away from my culture, but being born and raised in America meant that my experiences were different from those of my parents and other members of my family. I know what it’s like to not feel Latine enough and not as connected with your culture. My Spanish isn’t perfect either. I’ve felt the embarrassment of messing up in Spanish class, which is something that a lot of people would assume should come easy to me, like how they assumed with Ri. I also know how it feels to have trouble focusing on the mistakes your family makes because you know how hard they work to give you a better life. There’s the pressure to make them proud, especially when you’re reminded how everything they do is for your future. Then, they tell you how this is why you have to get a good education and a good job. The expectations can be a lot.
There were also a lot of times where I wanted to yell at her because of the choices she was making. I know, she’s a teenager, and they make mistakes. She could still be frustrating at times. But I’m glad she later acknowledged her mistakes.
The talks about colorism in the Latine community were something that was needed. It’s something that should be discussed more, and it can be hard for a lot of Latines to admit that it exists. There are issues in our community, and colorism is one of them. Ri is white-passing, so she didn’t realize this problem existed. I’m glad that she acknowledged the privilege that she had. People are going to treat her differently compared to how they treat her grandmother. It’s something that she needed to be aware of.
Brittany’s behavior wasn’t excused, which was good because there were a lot of micro aggressions. She did care about Ri, and she didn’t seem to realize her behavior was problematic, but that doesn’t make it okay. She needed to recognize her mistakes and change. Words aren’t enough; action is needed. It would’ve been nice to see more of that change happening, especially since this was a breakthrough for their friendship, but I understand that the author wanted to wrap things up.
Then, there was the romance sub-plot. Was it completely necessary to her arc? Not really. But I’m a romantic, so I still thought it was cute.
What really shined here were the friendships and family relationships. I really liked that Nina and Ri talked about what happened in the past. Ri messed up; there is no excusing that. Nina doesn’t lie and say it never hurt. Like how Brittany’s behavior wasn’t excused, I’m glad that Ri’s wasn’t either and that she acknowledged that she needs to do better.
Everything that happened with her mother was heartbreaking. The conversation she had with her grandmother after everything that happened with her mother had me tearing up. She finally told Ri more of their family’s past. I know how much it hurts to hear about the struggles your family has gone through and how it eventually all lead to where you are now. It was a difficult conversation, but it was one that they needed to have.
That being said, the letter that was included at the end was a nice way to end it. She misses and loves her mother, but she knows that she needs to change. She’s determined to persevere, whether she’s in her life or not.
Overall, I give this book 4.5 stars.
CW: parental abandonment, sexual harassment, abusive relationship, alcoholism, drug use, micro aggressions, colorism, racism, teen pregnancy, mentions of sex