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A review by raeanne
Barely Missing Everything by Matt Mendez
5.0
Read for free on Rivetedlit.com Dec 5th 2019.
I loved this. The third person narrative threw me at first, but it really works. As it goes on, it has a bit of "we're all unreliable narrators" type feel going on, as we get bits and pieces of events and have to connect the dots. Which just makes me love it more.
Fabi, Juan's mom, POV was another curve ball. A parental POV in YA? One who was a teen mom? Still struggling working mother? One who actually TALKS about unexpected pregnancies and abortion and swears and fucks up? Goddamn. At the end, she was my favorite.
AND omfg, the real talk about religion and gods? Juan's granddad GETS IT.
AND it's critical of the military industrial complex preying on poor people as a system of oppression and injustice.
There's so much outside of our control. And our choices hinge upon these unknowable domino effect choices and assumptions.
The plot is these boys against everything, growing up and finding themselves and making a way through in this fucked up world. Trying to get to Juan's dad before his executions. Trying to be something, go somewhere. They do that.
It's not a happy underdog feel good story for the colonizers to feel better about themselves. There are no good white people or saviors, just varying degrees of not getting it.
Life sucks and then you die.
Haters of this book are just barely missing everything.
I loved this. The third person narrative threw me at first, but it really works. As it goes on, it has a bit of "we're all unreliable narrators" type feel going on, as we get bits and pieces of events and have to connect the dots. Which just makes me love it more.
Fabi, Juan's mom, POV was another curve ball. A parental POV in YA? One who was a teen mom? Still struggling working mother? One who actually TALKS about unexpected pregnancies and abortion and swears and fucks up? Goddamn. At the end, she was my favorite.
AND omfg, the real talk about religion and gods? Juan's granddad GETS IT.
AND it's critical of the military industrial complex preying on poor people as a system of oppression and injustice.
There's so much outside of our control. And our choices hinge upon these unknowable domino effect choices and assumptions.
The plot is these boys against everything, growing up and finding themselves and making a way through in this fucked up world. Trying to get to Juan's dad before his executions. Trying to be something, go somewhere. They do that.
It's not a happy underdog feel good story for the colonizers to feel better about themselves. There are no good white people or saviors, just varying degrees of not getting it.
Life sucks and then you die.
Haters of this book are just barely missing everything.