Genre: Realistic Fiction
Sol is the only member of her family born on the U.S. side of the Mexican border and as such has the ability to go to school in the U.S. Every morning she crosses the border and makes her way to the high school where she hopes to do well enough to get into a good college. When her mom dies of cancer, however, things get much more difficult. Her father is trying to run her mother’s restaurant but the economy is struggling and so is he. Her older brother is trying to find work to help the family out, but nothing seems to pay well enough to truly help with their mounting debt. When Sol is able to find a job working in a warehouse in the U.S., she makes the difficult decision to stay in the U.S. with a friend during the week so she can go to school and work. She knows the money would really help her family, but it’s a real strain on her and she feels disconnected to her family back home, especially her little brother who has been struggling the most among the family strife. Can Sol find a way to help her family without dropping her grades and/or burning out? Can Sol find a way to be happy in this new life in the U.S. and if she does will she feel guilty about feeling happy while her family suffers in Mexico? Will things ever begin to feel a little easier?
This powerful story follows a teenage girl trying desperately to mourn her mother while also trying to keep her family from drowning (financially and spiritually). They all feel helpless and like nothing ever goes their way and they will struggle forever. Sol tries her best to be everything to everyone, but at some point this is just impossible. The story does a really nice job of depicting immigration issues, anxiety, poverty, and grief on both sides of the border. Readers will find themselves thinking about Sol and others like her struggling every day in this country, long after the book ends. Recommended.
Young Adult Book Reviews 