Review by Booklist Review
Mateo Garcia works a daily shift at his father's corner bodega, time that he would rather spend with his best friends, going to Broadway shows, or pursuing his goal of attending NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. But all of Mateo's plans go out the window the day his undocumented immigrant parents are picked up by ICE agents. Mateo's every waking moment (and his sleepless nights) is occupied with taking care of his seven-year-old sister, Sophie, and trying to figure out where his parents have been taken. He's afraid to tell anyone at school. Fortunately, a family friend, Jorge, steps in and finds a pro bono lawyer. Meanwhile, Mateo struggles to make rent on the family apartment and to feed and clothe Sophie. When going to school and avoiding Child Protective Services prove too much, the siblings move in with Jorge's family. It's not until Sophie's inability to adjust to life without their parents forces Mateo to consider leaving all his dreams behind that he's finally able to consider reaching out to his friends for support. Debut author Aleman was born in Mexico and his writing is stellar, clear and emotional, realistic and suspenseful. The story is complex and heart-wrenching, yet full of hope and familial love, making this an excellent choice even for younger YA readers.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A gay Mexican American high school junior who dreams of attending the Tisch School of the Arts finds his life drastically upended in this thoroughly openhearted debut. Though Mateo "Matt" Garcia, 16, has undocumented parents, he leads a relatively mundane life in New York City; he attends SAT prep classes to prepare for college applications, takes shifts at the family bodega, and has recently attended his first open call for an off-Broadway play with his white gay best friend, Adam. But when he comes home one day to find both of his parents gone--each facing the threat of deportation from ICE--Mateo must take on added responsibilities and care for his seven-year-old sister Sophie while the future of his family hangs in the balance. Capturing the acute pain of forced separation and fraying familial bonds ("I'm starting to feel as though there's an invisible wall between us"), as well as the richness and depth of his protagonist's interior life, Aleman strikingly foregrounds the experiences of children impacted by U.S. deportation policy in this weighty novel, which will leave an indelible mark on the hearts of readers. Ages 14--up. Agent: Pete Knapp, Park & Fine Literary and Media. (May)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up--Mateo is a Mexican American teenager with dreams of stardom. He and his friend Adam want to be drama students at the prestigious Tisch School at NYU. He begins to doubt that dream when another actor at an audition makes a racist comment. Mateo has always had trouble sewing together all of the different parts of his identity. He's never felt fully Mexican or fully American. Mateo is a brother, son, actor, part-time worker at his father's bodega, and gay. He knows he loves watching telenovelas with his mother and hanging out with his best friends Kimmie, who is half Korean, and Adam, who is Italian American. Mateo's carefully constructed path to acting school is disrupted when his mother and father are arrested by ICE agents. The protagonist has to figure out how to keep his father's business afloat, manage new living conditions, and still maintain a positive disposition at school. He feels ill-equipped to deal with the adult responsibilities that have been placed on him. The foundation of his world begins to crumble as Mateo tries to figure out how to support his sister and his parents in a new uncertain landscape. This is a novel about the human face of the immigrant community and is an insightful look at U.S. immigration policy and the families it affects. The uncertainty and heartbreak faced by families separated by deportation is brilliantly displayed. The friendships are genuine and the characters multifaceted. VERDICT This title is ideal for public and school libraries looking for a coming-of-age novel that explores the issues of immigration.--Desiree Thomas, Worthington Lib., OH
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart. Mateo's life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year--that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo's relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can't understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo's self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman's narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated. An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
