A review by thechiaraface
The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

 This is creative/narrative non-fiction that tells the stories of a variety of undocumented immigrants in the United States along with the authors own experience as an undocumented immigrant and dreamer herself. This slim book (~200 pgs) combines sensitive investigative reporting and a powerful personal narrative. 
 
This book is compelling, informative, and eye-opening. The writing is incisive, filled with honesty and care. Her writing style is straight-forward, casual, and questioning. She does not hesitate to include phrases like 'what the f***' like an average person would say when put in such a difficult situation. The author does not pretend to have the answers, but poses insightful questions, creates thought-provoking narratives, and paints nuanced portraits of her subjects - fellow undocumented americans,as well as her own life. She shows the many sides of undocumented Americans not shown in the news - the heartbreak, the hope, the nuance the headlines are missing. This book is raw and revealing. I was immensely moved by this book and I HIGHLY recommend this book. If you were one of the many people who read American Dirt this past year, may I suggest balancing it out with this #ownvoices non-fiction.  
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