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zbmorgan's review against another edition
5.0
I know there is a great deal of controversy about this book, because now, apparently, we are so racist that you have to be white to write a book about white people, Latin to write about Latin people, and Black to write about Black people. This book doesn't follow those rules, and it's pissed some people off.
Regardless, it's a well told story with fully fleshed out characters going through something that is both absolutely preposterous in the 21st century yet absolutely believable. Lydia and Luca are on a quest to America to escape the cartels, and they meet people along the way. it's a journey story much along the lines of the Odyssey and Huck Finn, and completely impossible to put down. I closed the book and immediately thought 'I will never be the same'. That's a rare book.
Regardless, it's a well told story with fully fleshed out characters going through something that is both absolutely preposterous in the 21st century yet absolutely believable. Lydia and Luca are on a quest to America to escape the cartels, and they meet people along the way. it's a journey story much along the lines of the Odyssey and Huck Finn, and completely impossible to put down. I closed the book and immediately thought 'I will never be the same'. That's a rare book.
godofwar's review against another edition
1.0
after reading about the controversy surrounding this book and finding out how many lies were put into the marketing I'm taking away my review and demoting the rating to one star. Jeanine Cummins is really dirty for the scummy tactics used to sell this
luce765's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
yasmingrabmeier's review against another edition
Really disappointing to read about the controversy surrounding this book only after I’d already finished the novel. I won’t rate it just based on the fact that I can’t separate all that from the book itself.
hannah_f_08's review against another edition
Lost interest! Just not my kinda book.
jennierickson13's review against another edition
I wish I had read into the controversy behind this book before reading the book itself. I’d highly recommend reading some of the reviews and criticisms before deciding whether to pick it up.
That being said, I was fully invested in the characters and the story the whole way through. The high stakes kept me on the edge of my seat.
After reading some of the articles and critical reviews, though, I felt that I needed to take a step back to evaluate my feelings about the book and the larger issues at play (e.g. cultural appropriation in literature).
If anything, the research I’ve done after reading the book has been as informative as I felt the book was in the moment. I’ve come away with many other authors and resources to check out to learn more about similar topics.
That being said, I was fully invested in the characters and the story the whole way through. The high stakes kept me on the edge of my seat.
After reading some of the articles and critical reviews, though, I felt that I needed to take a step back to evaluate my feelings about the book and the larger issues at play (e.g. cultural appropriation in literature).
If anything, the research I’ve done after reading the book has been as informative as I felt the book was in the moment. I’ve come away with many other authors and resources to check out to learn more about similar topics.
allytron3000's review against another edition
3.0
It was hard to really get into this book after reading comments that it was an inaccurate portrayal of Mexico. It seemed believable, but what do I know?
The book tracks a mother and her son’s dangerous journey from Mexico to America, running from the cartel. It’s high pace. I can’t say I really enjoyed it, it was pretty tense and uncomfortable a lot of the time but not poorly written. Wouldn’t be surprised if this gets made into a film.
The book tracks a mother and her son’s dangerous journey from Mexico to America, running from the cartel. It’s high pace. I can’t say I really enjoyed it, it was pretty tense and uncomfortable a lot of the time but not poorly written. Wouldn’t be surprised if this gets made into a film.