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hdbblog's review against another edition
4.0
There's a little piece of myself that this book took, that I don't think I'll ever get back. I'm not sure I want it back. The Secret Side of Empty struck that perfect spot, right in the deepest parts of my heart, that made me feel the tiniest bit empty myself. M.T.'s story is one that I've seen firsthand. I've seen families broken by the system, unable to do anything but survive. I knew this book dealt with illegal immigration. I knew I'd be meeting a girl who was living it. I just didn't know that it would hit me this hard.
What is so interesting about The Secret Side of Empty is that M.T.'s life is set against the backdrop of wealth. The school she attends is filled with the privileged masses. Her best friend Chelsea is an amazing person, but her life seems so perfect compared to M.T.'s own. It's a heartbreaking premise. I sat, and watched, as M.T. slowly lost more and more of herself. When you're a Senior in high school, you're supposed to be looking forward to the future. What do you do when there doesn't seem to be a future? When you feel trapped in the life that has been built for you?
That's the thing that struck me most of all. The unfairness of it all. Maria E. Andreu builds an protagonist who deserves the world. She is brilliant, caring, and filled with a zeal to learn. Here is a girl who reads for pleasure, and actually enjoys tests. A girl who wants nothing more than to have a future. To watch this sucked away by people who didn't understand what they were doing ate at me. Her father, who hated what she had become and was abusive. Her school, who couldn't see past what M.T. couldn't say. And even her poor mother, who felt helpless and could only watch.
I can't really explain to you the levels that this book explores. There's so much about finding yourself, about struggle, about friendship. The Secret Side of Empty may have had its moments that I didn't connect with, but overall this book took my breath away. There are books I read that I enjoy, and then there are books I read that make my heart hurt a bit but make me feel fulfilled. This is one of those books, and I'm so glad it was placed in my hands.
What is so interesting about The Secret Side of Empty is that M.T.'s life is set against the backdrop of wealth. The school she attends is filled with the privileged masses. Her best friend Chelsea is an amazing person, but her life seems so perfect compared to M.T.'s own. It's a heartbreaking premise. I sat, and watched, as M.T. slowly lost more and more of herself. When you're a Senior in high school, you're supposed to be looking forward to the future. What do you do when there doesn't seem to be a future? When you feel trapped in the life that has been built for you?
That's the thing that struck me most of all. The unfairness of it all. Maria E. Andreu builds an protagonist who deserves the world. She is brilliant, caring, and filled with a zeal to learn. Here is a girl who reads for pleasure, and actually enjoys tests. A girl who wants nothing more than to have a future. To watch this sucked away by people who didn't understand what they were doing ate at me. Her father, who hated what she had become and was abusive. Her school, who couldn't see past what M.T. couldn't say. And even her poor mother, who felt helpless and could only watch.
I can't really explain to you the levels that this book explores. There's so much about finding yourself, about struggle, about friendship. The Secret Side of Empty may have had its moments that I didn't connect with, but overall this book took my breath away. There are books I read that I enjoy, and then there are books I read that make my heart hurt a bit but make me feel fulfilled. This is one of those books, and I'm so glad it was placed in my hands.
aprilcote's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fascinating perspective on growing up in America as an undocumented immigrant. M.T. Is a high school senior struggling with the prospect of “what’s next” knowing that she cannot attend college or pursue a career beyond those allowed to people who don’t have citizenship. Her parents have bred fear of deportation into her for her entire life. She doesn’t share her secret with her best friend or her new boyfriend. Her avoidance of getting her license or attending college are a mystery to them. She tries to navigate her last year of high school while feeling like it’s the last year of her life.
For me, this was an interesting take on the Dreamers of our country and I really appreciated the insight and felt like this book taught me quite a bit. I love books that shed light on important issues and entertain while they educate. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For me, this was an interesting take on the Dreamers of our country and I really appreciated the insight and felt like this book taught me quite a bit. I love books that shed light on important issues and entertain while they educate. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
abbygoldsmith's review against another edition
Such a deep look at the emotional turmoil being an undocumented immigrant can cause in teenagers.
luisasm's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting book actually. With some great characters, although the main character was extremely kind of unlikable. She was the most stereotypical teenager, which unfortunately describes most of the teenage population in reality. Whiny, overdramatic, self-centered. Her few good characteristics were definitely her strength and determination. The most fascinating thing in this book was the examination of all the limitations of being illegal. Taking a deeper look at an issue like that was really great, because it's something new and shows things that most people don't even consider. It portrayed the sad truth that coming to the US can actually rip families apart not prosper. MT being abused by her father was really impactful, and I appreciated all the issues this book dealt with very deftly.
sfujii's review against another edition
4.0
What a powerful book. I was hooked the entire time. The story jumps right in to M.T.'s life and struggles as an undocumented student. This is something I have a very strong connection to, working in the public school system. It was well written, engaging and thoughtful. The end was wrapped up a bit too abruptly for me, but the rest of it was great.
"17 ways to say illegal...Broken Alone Not allowed Wrong Trapped Shunned Unwanted Not good enough Apart A secret On the wrong side Misplaced A threat A mistake Voiceless Unheard Still here anyway."
"17 ways to say illegal...Broken Alone Not allowed Wrong Trapped Shunned Unwanted Not good enough Apart A secret On the wrong side Misplaced A threat A mistake Voiceless Unheard Still here anyway."
readwithpassion's review against another edition
4.0
In the last year, I have met many people who have told me that they were or are undocumented immigrants. Immigration reform is a hot topic in politics right now, and I can't help but wonder if people are thinking about others in terms of their humanity. I've become increasingly heavy-hearted as I have listened to speeches about immigration, and I longed to learn more about the topic. After searching news articles, research studies, statistics, and government websites, I felt that I needed more story, and so I picked up this book from the library. It received excellent reviews, and I understand why. The author draws upon her personal experiences as a formerly undocumented immigrant, and the narrator, M. T., feels very real. I learned about some of the struggles undocumented immigrants experience, and I am grateful for all that I learned from this book. M. T. deals with other complex issues beyond her immigrant status---relationship issues, domestic abuse, and contemplations of suicide. There is so much to discuss regarding the text. I loved the book and am so glad I found it. I highly recommend it.
beths0103's review against another edition
3.0
This is a quick, engrossing read and, in general, I really enjoyed it. My main concern with it, however, is that since the characters are so engrossed in the actual technology of today -- Facebook especially -- I worry that this will be one of those books that gets weeded out of libraries when it's no longer relevant to teens anymore. There is already much talk about Facebook being a dead form of social media for teens. I know that seems nit-picky, but I guess that's part of my bias as a reader: I want my contemporary fiction to feel timeless, not "of the day" so to speak.
ylshelflove's review against another edition
4.0
What first struck me about this book, before I'd turned to the first page, was the fact that the author drew from her own personal experiences. After I turned to the first page, I didn't need anything else to keep me reading.
M.T. really shatters the stereotype of the illegal immigrant. She has pale skin, blond hair and stellar grades. She lives it up with her friends on road trips, shady parties, and agonizes with her best friend over boys. But she's also selfish and not always kind. She's real.
That's something else I really enjoyed about this book. The main characters are very dimensional. None of them can be described in just one word; they each have their own unique facets that affect the way that others interact with them and vice versa.
The only reason I give this book less than 5 stars is that in the last quarter or so, the plot lost its steam. Things were going on but seemingly without the characters. It was too rushed, I guess you could say. Nonetheless, an excellent read.
Child Guard
Language: A few instances of d***, that's it
Romance: Lots of kissing but not really described, one suggestion of "Let's do it tonight" though it's not followed through
Triggers:Physically abusive father, suicidal thoughts
Other:Teens often smoke and drink, though in those instances there is a 'wrongful' tone
M.T. really shatters the stereotype of the illegal immigrant. She has pale skin, blond hair and stellar grades. She lives it up with her friends on road trips, shady parties, and agonizes with her best friend over boys. But she's also selfish and not always kind. She's real.
That's something else I really enjoyed about this book. The main characters are very dimensional. None of them can be described in just one word; they each have their own unique facets that affect the way that others interact with them and vice versa.
The only reason I give this book less than 5 stars is that in the last quarter or so, the plot lost its steam. Things were going on but seemingly without the characters. It was too rushed, I guess you could say. Nonetheless, an excellent read.
Child Guard
Language: A few instances of d***, that's it
Romance: Lots of kissing but not really described, one suggestion of "Let's do it tonight" though it's not followed through
Triggers:Physically abusive father, suicidal thoughts
Other:Teens often smoke and drink, though in those instances there is a 'wrongful' tone
maggiemaggio's review against another edition
4.0
Before I get into my review I feel the need to tell you my own feelings on immigration issues/illegal immigrants so you’ll know where I’m coming from because personal opinion will figure heavily into this book. I grew up in a town with a lot of migrant workers from Mexico and Central and South America and I’ve always admired them and felt sympathetic towards them (especially seeing how terribly many people treat them). I don’t think the United States should open up our borders to anyone and everyone, but I do think there has to be some better solution for immigrants, especially for the children who were brought over here without a choice.
I’ve been on a role lately with political books that take some big, scary issue, like immigration (or Middle Eastern politics) and break it down to a personal level. The most pleasant surprise about The Secret Side of Empty was how much I liked and related to the main character, M.T.. By all outside appearances M.T. is just a normal 17-year-old girl. She does very well in school, she’s vice president of the National Honor Society, she plays soccer, she has a great best friend, and she’s interested in boys, if maybe a little inexperienced for her age. But M.T. has a big secret, she and her family are here illegally. Her parents came over from Argentina with her when she was young and have lived in the US illegally ever since.
Let’s talk about the “normal” parts of the story first. M.T. is definitely a girl I would have been happy to be friends with. She’s smart, she’s funny, and, probably due to her family’s circumstance, she’s wise beyond her years. M.T.’s relationship with her best friend Chelsea was great. It was a very supportive friendship and it was great to read about two friends who really cared about each other. M.T. and Chelsea do all the normal teenage things like drive around pointlessly, shop at the mall, and flirt with random guys. It’s during one of their pointless driving sessions that M.T. meets Nate, a cute boy who goes to the local public school (M.T. and Chelsea go to an all girl’s Catholic school). M.T. dating was adorable. She did things like Google how to be in a relationship and what to say to boys. Maybe that sounds silly, but it really worked in the book and went along with M.T.’s personality.
Then there’s the secret side of M.T.’s (I love how the word “empty” in the title kind of sounds like her name) life. Not only is her family here illegally, her father is also an abusive bully. When M.T.’s parents first came they had dreams of making money and moving back to Argentina to start a life there flush with American cash, but that didn’t happen. Now her father bounces from waiter job to waiter job barely making enough money to pay for the lentils they eat for most meals and her family is stuck in America, where they’re not supposed to be, but their only other option is going back to Argentina where there are no opportunities. Unfortunately M.T.’s beaten down father often takes his aggravation and disappointment out on M.T.’s face, something that was so painful to read about.
Throughout the book M.T. tries her hardest to make the best out of a difficult situation. She tries to protect her much younger brother even though his love of SpongeBob drives her crazy; she resents her mom for keeping them in this situation, but she still tries to help her in small ways; and she does things like tutor to make her own money. Still, M.T. can’t do things like get a driver’s license or go away to college and, about 60% of the way through the book, it all starts to wear her down and she has kind of a mental break. I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by saying this, but it wasn’t the direction I expected the book to go. Going into the book I expected the story to be more about M.T. getting citizenship or M.T. getting deported, but the story was a lot quieter than that and a lot more about M.T.’s personal journey.
Before the breakdown part of the book I was really into the story, I thought it was perhaps a tad slow, but I was all in to the main character, the story, and the message of the book. Unfortunately, after the breakdown thing, I was less into the book. I want to say the breakdown came out of no where, but that’s not really true, it makes sense that someone handling everything M.T. is going through would eventually snap. It was just jarring that all of the sudden all of the things that were important to her–school, Chelsea, Nate–became so unimportant. There were even some more dramatic moments that, again, aren’t necessarily unbelievable given M.T.’s circumstances, but given the M.T. we knew in the first part of the book, seemed to come from left field.
By the end of the book I still liked M.T., the idea of the story, and the message of the book, but there was somewhat of a bad taste in my mouth because of how things were handled. There were also several storylines that were dropped, or randomly resolved, or dropped and then randomly resolved. The circumstances of the ending were great and fit into the story, I just wish the storytelling had been handled differently and that things would have been fleshed out more.
Bottom Line: Even though I struggled with the turn the story took and how things were resolved at the end of the book I would still absolutely recommend The Secret Side of Empty. The topic of immigration is so important and I loved how Maria E. Andreu told M.T.’s story by breaking down the huge issue of immigration to show how to affects one very smart, driven, normal girl. I don’t say much about schools and libraries, because what do I know about education, but this is a book I think all teens should be reading.
This review first appeared on my blog.
I’ve been on a role lately with political books that take some big, scary issue, like immigration (or Middle Eastern politics) and break it down to a personal level. The most pleasant surprise about The Secret Side of Empty was how much I liked and related to the main character, M.T.. By all outside appearances M.T. is just a normal 17-year-old girl. She does very well in school, she’s vice president of the National Honor Society, she plays soccer, she has a great best friend, and she’s interested in boys, if maybe a little inexperienced for her age. But M.T. has a big secret, she and her family are here illegally. Her parents came over from Argentina with her when she was young and have lived in the US illegally ever since.
Let’s talk about the “normal” parts of the story first. M.T. is definitely a girl I would have been happy to be friends with. She’s smart, she’s funny, and, probably due to her family’s circumstance, she’s wise beyond her years. M.T.’s relationship with her best friend Chelsea was great. It was a very supportive friendship and it was great to read about two friends who really cared about each other. M.T. and Chelsea do all the normal teenage things like drive around pointlessly, shop at the mall, and flirt with random guys. It’s during one of their pointless driving sessions that M.T. meets Nate, a cute boy who goes to the local public school (M.T. and Chelsea go to an all girl’s Catholic school). M.T. dating was adorable. She did things like Google how to be in a relationship and what to say to boys. Maybe that sounds silly, but it really worked in the book and went along with M.T.’s personality.
Then there’s the secret side of M.T.’s (I love how the word “empty” in the title kind of sounds like her name) life. Not only is her family here illegally, her father is also an abusive bully. When M.T.’s parents first came they had dreams of making money and moving back to Argentina to start a life there flush with American cash, but that didn’t happen. Now her father bounces from waiter job to waiter job barely making enough money to pay for the lentils they eat for most meals and her family is stuck in America, where they’re not supposed to be, but their only other option is going back to Argentina where there are no opportunities. Unfortunately M.T.’s beaten down father often takes his aggravation and disappointment out on M.T.’s face, something that was so painful to read about.
Throughout the book M.T. tries her hardest to make the best out of a difficult situation. She tries to protect her much younger brother even though his love of SpongeBob drives her crazy; she resents her mom for keeping them in this situation, but she still tries to help her in small ways; and she does things like tutor to make her own money. Still, M.T. can’t do things like get a driver’s license or go away to college and, about 60% of the way through the book, it all starts to wear her down and she has kind of a mental break. I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by saying this, but it wasn’t the direction I expected the book to go. Going into the book I expected the story to be more about M.T. getting citizenship or M.T. getting deported, but the story was a lot quieter than that and a lot more about M.T.’s personal journey.
Before the breakdown part of the book I was really into the story, I thought it was perhaps a tad slow, but I was all in to the main character, the story, and the message of the book. Unfortunately, after the breakdown thing, I was less into the book. I want to say the breakdown came out of no where, but that’s not really true, it makes sense that someone handling everything M.T. is going through would eventually snap. It was just jarring that all of the sudden all of the things that were important to her–school, Chelsea, Nate–became so unimportant. There were even some more dramatic moments that, again, aren’t necessarily unbelievable given M.T.’s circumstances, but given the M.T. we knew in the first part of the book, seemed to come from left field.
By the end of the book I still liked M.T., the idea of the story, and the message of the book, but there was somewhat of a bad taste in my mouth because of how things were handled. There were also several storylines that were dropped, or randomly resolved, or dropped and then randomly resolved. The circumstances of the ending were great and fit into the story, I just wish the storytelling had been handled differently and that things would have been fleshed out more.
Bottom Line: Even though I struggled with the turn the story took and how things were resolved at the end of the book I would still absolutely recommend The Secret Side of Empty. The topic of immigration is so important and I loved how Maria E. Andreu told M.T.’s story by breaking down the huge issue of immigration to show how to affects one very smart, driven, normal girl. I don’t say much about schools and libraries, because what do I know about education, but this is a book I think all teens should be reading.
This review first appeared on my blog.
hereisenough's review against another edition
5.0
This book is kind of really really good.
The voice is amazing and perfect and the characters… love them.
It was such a good perspective to read… I mean who reads/writes about illegal immigrants and portrays them as human? this book does. and the darkness to it was a good level… not too much but enough to make you sad but not so crappy that you feel like committing suicide reading it. really good.
The voice is amazing and perfect and the characters… love them.
It was such a good perspective to read… I mean who reads/writes about illegal immigrants and portrays them as human? this book does. and the darkness to it was a good level… not too much but enough to make you sad but not so crappy that you feel like committing suicide reading it. really good.