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The Only Road #1
El único destino (The Only Road)
PURA BELPRÉ HONOR BOOK
ALA NOTABLE BOOK
“Powerful and timely.” —Booklist (starred review)
“An important, must-have addition to the growing body of literature with immigrant themes.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
En esta absorbente y emocionante novela juvenil, Jaime de doce años emprende el peligroso y traicionero viaje que le transforma su vida de su hogar en Guatemala a Estados Unidos para vivir con su hermano mayor.
Twelve-year-old Jaime makes the treacherous and life-changing journey from his home in Guatemala to live with his older brother in the United States in this gripping and realistic middle grade novel.
Jaime está sentado en su cama dibujando cuando oye un grito. Sabe inmediatamente que su primo hermano y mejor amigo, Miguel, está muerto.
Todos en el pequeño pueblo de Guatemala donde Jaime vive conocen a alguien que ha sido asesinado por los Alfas, una pandilla poderosa que es conocida por su violencia y por el tráfico de drogas. Aquellos que rehúsan trabajar para ellos son atacados o asesinados como Miguel. Jaime y su prima Ángela, la hermana de Miguel, temen que ellos van a ser los próximos. Solamente hay un camino para ambos. Deben de salir huyendo de su hogar en Guatemala para irse a vivir con el hermano mayor de Jaime en Nuevo México.
IInspirada en hechos actuales, El único destino es la historia de un niño que siente que abandonar su hogar y emprender esta travesía es su única oportunidad para tener mejor calidad de vida. Es una historia de pánico y de valentía, de amor y de pérdida, donde personas extrañas se convierten en familia en el viaje peligroso que le cambia la vida a un niño.
Jaime is sitting on his bed drawing when he hears a scream. Instantly, he knows: Miguel, his cousin and best friend, is dead.
Everyone in Jaime’s small town in Guatemala knows someone who has been killed by the Alphas, a powerful gang that’s known for violence and drug trafficking. Anyone who refuses to work for them is hurt or killed—like Miguel. With Miguel gone, Jaime fears that he is next. There’s only one choice: accompanied by his cousin Ángela, Jaime must flee his home to live with his older brother in New Mexico.
Inspired by true events, The Only Road is an individual story of a boy who feels that leaving his home and risking everything is his only chance for a better life. It is a story of fear and bravery, love and loss, strangers becoming family, and one boy’s treacherous and life-changing journey.
ALA NOTABLE BOOK
“Powerful and timely.” —Booklist (starred review)
“An important, must-have addition to the growing body of literature with immigrant themes.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
En esta absorbente y emocionante novela juvenil, Jaime de doce años emprende el peligroso y traicionero viaje que le transforma su vida de su hogar en Guatemala a Estados Unidos para vivir con su hermano mayor.
Twelve-year-old Jaime makes the treacherous and life-changing journey from his home in Guatemala to live with his older brother in the United States in this gripping and realistic middle grade novel.
Jaime está sentado en su cama dibujando cuando oye un grito. Sabe inmediatamente que su primo hermano y mejor amigo, Miguel, está muerto.
Todos en el pequeño pueblo de Guatemala donde Jaime vive conocen a alguien que ha sido asesinado por los Alfas, una pandilla poderosa que es conocida por su violencia y por el tráfico de drogas. Aquellos que rehúsan trabajar para ellos son atacados o asesinados como Miguel. Jaime y su prima Ángela, la hermana de Miguel, temen que ellos van a ser los próximos. Solamente hay un camino para ambos. Deben de salir huyendo de su hogar en Guatemala para irse a vivir con el hermano mayor de Jaime en Nuevo México.
IInspirada en hechos actuales, El único destino es la historia de un niño que siente que abandonar su hogar y emprender esta travesía es su única oportunidad para tener mejor calidad de vida. Es una historia de pánico y de valentía, de amor y de pérdida, donde personas extrañas se convierten en familia en el viaje peligroso que le cambia la vida a un niño.
Jaime is sitting on his bed drawing when he hears a scream. Instantly, he knows: Miguel, his cousin and best friend, is dead.
Everyone in Jaime’s small town in Guatemala knows someone who has been killed by the Alphas, a powerful gang that’s known for violence and drug trafficking. Anyone who refuses to work for them is hurt or killed—like Miguel. With Miguel gone, Jaime fears that he is next. There’s only one choice: accompanied by his cousin Ángela, Jaime must flee his home to live with his older brother in New Mexico.
Inspired by true events, The Only Road is an individual story of a boy who feels that leaving his home and risking everything is his only chance for a better life. It is a story of fear and bravery, love and loss, strangers becoming family, and one boy’s treacherous and life-changing journey.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2016
223 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 438 reviews
February 4, 2020
4.5
'The Only Road' was such a hard book to put down. The story follows a Guatemalan boy and girl on their journey through Mexico to New Mexico, USA. After Jaime gets sick and can't make it to school, his cousin Miguel gets approached by the local gang to "do them a favor." Miguel rejects this and he gets shot down in broad daylight. Jaime knows he is next and maybe his cousin Angela also, Miguel's sister. Jaime and Angela's families get money together to help them leave Guatemala forever, instead of being drug dealers or getting killed.
The journey for them is scary and lucky. They meet kind people and horrible people along the way. It is such a powerful book for the young adult crowd. I will have my son read this soon.
Mexicans are told the same things Americans are told; foreigners are only going to rob and rape you. There are so many issues with the borders but imagine if John Lennon's song were true.
"Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace"
Very worthy book to be read. I'm always torn on these issues (being born in Mexico) but I know there is a right from wrong. As a whole, people can be hateful but individually I believe people are kind and would help someone in need.
'The Only Road' was such a hard book to put down. The story follows a Guatemalan boy and girl on their journey through Mexico to New Mexico, USA. After Jaime gets sick and can't make it to school, his cousin Miguel gets approached by the local gang to "do them a favor." Miguel rejects this and he gets shot down in broad daylight. Jaime knows he is next and maybe his cousin Angela also, Miguel's sister. Jaime and Angela's families get money together to help them leave Guatemala forever, instead of being drug dealers or getting killed.
The journey for them is scary and lucky. They meet kind people and horrible people along the way. It is such a powerful book for the young adult crowd. I will have my son read this soon.
Mexicans are told the same things Americans are told; foreigners are only going to rob and rape you. There are so many issues with the borders but imagine if John Lennon's song were true.
"Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace"
Very worthy book to be read. I'm always torn on these issues (being born in Mexico) but I know there is a right from wrong. As a whole, people can be hateful but individually I believe people are kind and would help someone in need.
December 16, 2019
Intense and heartbreaking and thought provoking. Anyone who approves of the current round of massive deportations of undocumented immigrants should read this to understand a little of why people from Mexico and South and Central America choose to come to the U.S. illegally and what they go through just to get here.
This was ostensibly written for kids, but I think it would be a great book to read and discuss as a family or even for a community read.
This was ostensibly written for kids, but I think it would be a great book to read and discuss as a family or even for a community read.
March 3, 2021
(4.5) ¡Me encantó! Un libro con una temática importante como la inmigración. Es un relato para niños entre 9-12 años que cuenta la historia de como Jaime y Ángela tienen que dejar Guatemala y llegar a Estados Unidos. Un libro que se puede disfrutar a cualquier edad y que te conmoverá.
March 14, 2020
Digital audiobook performed by Ramon de Ocampo.
5***** and a ❤
Twelve-year-old Jaime and his fifteen-year-old cousin, Angela, are forced to flee their Guatemalan village due to the Alpha gang’s terrorizing families in their area. Their families make the heart-wrenching decision to send the youngsters to America to live with Jaime’s older brother after Angela’s brother is killed by the gang for refusing to join. The novel details their harrowing journey through Mexico, where they encounter other gangs, as well as officials who do not want the refugees in their country.
It’s a powerful story and very well told. I loved these characters! The dangers they face include robbery, beatings, incarceration, hunger, lack of shelter, and various threats from both fellow refugees and local inhabitants they encounter on this 1,500-mile long journey. Having little more than a small bag of provisions, a sewing kit, some money sewn into the seams of their clothes, a crude map with some information on safe houses along the way, and Jaime’s sketchbook, they find in themselves courage, inventiveness, tenacity and compassion. A few of their fellow refugees have made the attempt before and they learn quickly from them a few tricks to be able to pass as Mexicans. Other fellow refugees turn out to be almost as dangerous as the gangs that control various territories they pass through. Despite the many dangers they face, they cling to hope and to the telephone number they’ve memorized – so they can call Jaime’s older brother if / when they make it across the border to the USA.
Because this is for the young adult market the book is probably less horrific that the realities, though it still alludes to the many dangers such refuges face. Threats of injury, dismemberment or death when boarding a moving train, for example. The possibility of assault and rape from gangs that “patrol” the tracks. The lack of food, water or shelter as they make their way through a desert landscape.
Ramon de Ocampo does a marvelous job of narrating the audiobook. He sets a good pace and gives the young characters reasonably “young” voices. Diaz includes a number of Spanish words / phrases in the text (there is a glossary / dictionary at the back), and Ocampo’s pronunciation of Spanish is spot on. (Though I can’t really speak to whether he sounds Guatemalan vs Mexican.)
5***** and a ❤
Twelve-year-old Jaime and his fifteen-year-old cousin, Angela, are forced to flee their Guatemalan village due to the Alpha gang’s terrorizing families in their area. Their families make the heart-wrenching decision to send the youngsters to America to live with Jaime’s older brother after Angela’s brother is killed by the gang for refusing to join. The novel details their harrowing journey through Mexico, where they encounter other gangs, as well as officials who do not want the refugees in their country.
It’s a powerful story and very well told. I loved these characters! The dangers they face include robbery, beatings, incarceration, hunger, lack of shelter, and various threats from both fellow refugees and local inhabitants they encounter on this 1,500-mile long journey. Having little more than a small bag of provisions, a sewing kit, some money sewn into the seams of their clothes, a crude map with some information on safe houses along the way, and Jaime’s sketchbook, they find in themselves courage, inventiveness, tenacity and compassion. A few of their fellow refugees have made the attempt before and they learn quickly from them a few tricks to be able to pass as Mexicans. Other fellow refugees turn out to be almost as dangerous as the gangs that control various territories they pass through. Despite the many dangers they face, they cling to hope and to the telephone number they’ve memorized – so they can call Jaime’s older brother if / when they make it across the border to the USA.
Because this is for the young adult market the book is probably less horrific that the realities, though it still alludes to the many dangers such refuges face. Threats of injury, dismemberment or death when boarding a moving train, for example. The possibility of assault and rape from gangs that “patrol” the tracks. The lack of food, water or shelter as they make their way through a desert landscape.
Ramon de Ocampo does a marvelous job of narrating the audiobook. He sets a good pace and gives the young characters reasonably “young” voices. Diaz includes a number of Spanish words / phrases in the text (there is a glossary / dictionary at the back), and Ocampo’s pronunciation of Spanish is spot on. (Though I can’t really speak to whether he sounds Guatemalan vs Mexican.)
March 22, 2017
After his cousin Miguel is beaten to death by a gang called the Alphas for refusing to join them, Jaime, 12, and Miguel’s sister Ángela, 15, receive a note from the gang instructing them to show up a a certain place in six days. Though the note doesn’t say it, both children know that they will meet the same fate as Miguel if they aren’t there.
The Alphas are a powerful gang of young people dealing in drugs and death, and even the drug addicted police chief is unable to do anything about their reign of terror in this small Guatemalan town.
Not wanting to lose more children to the gang, Jaime’s parents, together with Miguel’s parents decide to send them to live with Jaime’s older brother Tomás. Tomás has been legally living and working in New Mexico on a ranch. After gathering as much money together as they can, the two families say good-bye to their children one night as they climb into the back of a pickup truck that will smuggle them across the border into southern Mexico.
Arriving in Tapachula, Mexico, Jaime and Ángela realize they still have a long, dangerous journey ahead of them. They decide to take a bus from there to Arriaga, but even that proves to be an ordeal when corrupt immigration guards board it at a checkpoint not far from Tapachula. There, they watched a woman taken off the bus, while a guard tests Ángela's pronunciation to see if she sounds Guatemalan not Mexican.
Arriving in Arriaga, the cousins make their way over to a church that offers shelter to others who are also heading north, hoping to cross the border. The “priest’ at the church also helps runaways meet coyotes who will take them across the border for a price. From Arriaga, the cousins travel by train in a locked, airless freight car which takes them to the border of Mexico and New Mexico. Once again, they need to pay a coyote to take them across the border, finding work for a while to make the money to pay for the trip. Eventually, they do cross the Rio Bravo, only to find themselves in another refugee camp, awaiting Tomás’s arrival.
The Only Road is not an easy book to read despite being narrated by 12 year old Jaime, but he does humanize the plight of why Central American refugees are trying to get away from gang and drug infested towns for a better life. After Miguel’s death, it becomes clear that there are only three choices available for Jaime and Ángela are join the Alphas or be murdered by them, or runaway. I can’t imagine being put into the same position as their parents and having to make the decision to send them on a dangerous, iffy journey alone and so far away, with no guarantees they won’t be killed, or caught and sent home.
Sneaking across the border becomes understandable when people find themselves in the kind of untenable situation that Jaime and Ángela's families faced and who had no recourse with the local governments that could not or would not protect the. In that respect, The Only Road shows how very vulnerable these young kids are to the people who will take advantage of them financially, with no compunction about leveling physical and sexual abuse on these desperate runaways.
The Only Road is a very timely and poignant novel, especially with all the talk in Washington about building a southern border wall. It was inspired by real events, Jamie and Ángela's story reflecting the many young people trying to immigrate to the United States, a phenomena that has increased in recent years as gangs and gang violence has proliferated in Central America. One needs only to read the newspapers to understand what is happening.
There are lots of Spanish words used in this book and readers will find an in-depth Glossary in the back matter. There are also suggestions for Further Reading for All Ages, from picture books to YA, as well as Online Resources for more information. Diaz also includes a separate section of Further Reading for Teachers that may not be appropriate for children.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley
This review was originally posted at Randomly Reading
The Alphas are a powerful gang of young people dealing in drugs and death, and even the drug addicted police chief is unable to do anything about their reign of terror in this small Guatemalan town.
Not wanting to lose more children to the gang, Jaime’s parents, together with Miguel’s parents decide to send them to live with Jaime’s older brother Tomás. Tomás has been legally living and working in New Mexico on a ranch. After gathering as much money together as they can, the two families say good-bye to their children one night as they climb into the back of a pickup truck that will smuggle them across the border into southern Mexico.
Arriving in Tapachula, Mexico, Jaime and Ángela realize they still have a long, dangerous journey ahead of them. They decide to take a bus from there to Arriaga, but even that proves to be an ordeal when corrupt immigration guards board it at a checkpoint not far from Tapachula. There, they watched a woman taken off the bus, while a guard tests Ángela's pronunciation to see if she sounds Guatemalan not Mexican.
Arriving in Arriaga, the cousins make their way over to a church that offers shelter to others who are also heading north, hoping to cross the border. The “priest’ at the church also helps runaways meet coyotes who will take them across the border for a price. From Arriaga, the cousins travel by train in a locked, airless freight car which takes them to the border of Mexico and New Mexico. Once again, they need to pay a coyote to take them across the border, finding work for a while to make the money to pay for the trip. Eventually, they do cross the Rio Bravo, only to find themselves in another refugee camp, awaiting Tomás’s arrival.
The Only Road is not an easy book to read despite being narrated by 12 year old Jaime, but he does humanize the plight of why Central American refugees are trying to get away from gang and drug infested towns for a better life. After Miguel’s death, it becomes clear that there are only three choices available for Jaime and Ángela are join the Alphas or be murdered by them, or runaway. I can’t imagine being put into the same position as their parents and having to make the decision to send them on a dangerous, iffy journey alone and so far away, with no guarantees they won’t be killed, or caught and sent home.
Sneaking across the border becomes understandable when people find themselves in the kind of untenable situation that Jaime and Ángela's families faced and who had no recourse with the local governments that could not or would not protect the. In that respect, The Only Road shows how very vulnerable these young kids are to the people who will take advantage of them financially, with no compunction about leveling physical and sexual abuse on these desperate runaways.
The Only Road is a very timely and poignant novel, especially with all the talk in Washington about building a southern border wall. It was inspired by real events, Jamie and Ángela's story reflecting the many young people trying to immigrate to the United States, a phenomena that has increased in recent years as gangs and gang violence has proliferated in Central America. One needs only to read the newspapers to understand what is happening.
There are lots of Spanish words used in this book and readers will find an in-depth Glossary in the back matter. There are also suggestions for Further Reading for All Ages, from picture books to YA, as well as Online Resources for more information. Diaz also includes a separate section of Further Reading for Teachers that may not be appropriate for children.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley
This review was originally posted at Randomly Reading
April 28, 2021
I didn't read the whole thing - I really wanted to like it because immigration is such an important current issue, and kids would understand it better if they could put themselves into a Central American immigrant's shoes through fiction. However, this book just felt like way too much tell, not show. I kept reading because I kept hoping... and it was a fine story... I'll keep hoping that something amazing comes out on this same topic within the next year or two. (Surely someone's writing a story about a family separated at the border!)
I read Diaz's _Santiago's Road Home_ this summer and LOVED it, and last week I read the sequel to this book, _The Crossroads_, and likewise LOVED it... so I tried this one again. I recall reading it several years before the date listed below as my first-read-date, for the purposes of the MCPS book committee I was on, but maybe that's a fictional memory. I do recall not being able to get into it, but I did not remember that it was because of too much tell, not show. This time through, that thought never entered my mind, and I thoroughly enjoyed the story (though "enjoyed" is more accurately in quotes, as it is a VERY dark book).
I am surprised by the 8-12 rating; I might even rate it 12+. I had to recommend it with caveats for my 5th graders.
I read Diaz's _Santiago's Road Home_ this summer and LOVED it, and last week I read the sequel to this book, _The Crossroads_, and likewise LOVED it... so I tried this one again. I recall reading it several years before the date listed below as my first-read-date, for the purposes of the MCPS book committee I was on, but maybe that's a fictional memory. I do recall not being able to get into it, but I did not remember that it was because of too much tell, not show. This time through, that thought never entered my mind, and I thoroughly enjoyed the story (though "enjoyed" is more accurately in quotes, as it is a VERY dark book).
I am surprised by the 8-12 rating; I might even rate it 12+. I had to recommend it with caveats for my 5th graders.
November 26, 2023
Wonderful story about two children who leave Guatemala in the middle of the night to escape the drugs and gangs to make a new life in America.
November 1, 2017
This book broke my heart. But it is such an important read. The author kept up constant tension throughout. So much so that I had a stomach ache while reading one night.
August 29, 2023
Very interesting. Lots of twists and turns!
It definitely changes the way I see immigrants.
It definitely changes the way I see immigrants.
April 3, 2017
This book tells a very important story, one that needs to be told, and shared, and widely read — which made it all the more disappointing that it honestly wasn't very good. The plot was compelling, but the characters were one-dimensional. There was some lip service paid to Jaime's growth as a character, his learning to take initiative and responsibility, but it was much more told than actually shown. And the writing was just bad: muddled sentences, awkward phrasing, and just a lot of sloppy wordsmithing. I don't care about gorgeous prose — I'm much more concerned with substance over style — but this was bad enough to get in the way of the story in places, and that's a problem. I hope more books like this will be written, because as I said, these are stories that need to be told, but I hope next time a more capable writer (or at least a better editor) is behind the wheel.
December 29, 2017
The Alphas run Jaime's small Guatemalan town, and everyone is right to be afraid of them. When Jaime's cousin Miguel is killed by them, and then Jaime and Miguel's sister Angela are "invited" to join, their parents scrap together as much money as possible and send them north. Jaime's older brother Tomas is working in New Mexico, and their only hope for a life worth living is to make it to him. But this means crossing two borders and the entire country of Mexico on their own. This is a harrowing journey and the descriptions are realistic and often graphic. Readers will not be able to rest until they make it to the end. Highly recommended for grades 5 & up, especially in today's political climate.
June 1, 2018
Sometimes you read a book that's grounded in a real-life situation, and it does such an incredible, powerful job of putting you in those characters' shoes -- of making you realize that yes, people go through this, children go through this -- that you wish you could somehow get everyone in the country to read it. It feels that true, and that important.
This is one of those books. I believe it's listed as middle grade as far as age is concerned; ignore that. Adults will get as much out of it (maybe more) as the target age group. The book follows a 12-year-old boy and his 15-year-old cousin as they make the journey, unaccompanied, from Guatemala to the U.S., and all the dangers, struggles, and small joys they live through along the way.
Eagerly awaiting the sequel.
This is one of those books. I believe it's listed as middle grade as far as age is concerned; ignore that. Adults will get as much out of it (maybe more) as the target age group. The book follows a 12-year-old boy and his 15-year-old cousin as they make the journey, unaccompanied, from Guatemala to the U.S., and all the dangers, struggles, and small joys they live through along the way.
Eagerly awaiting the sequel.
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May 1, 2018I think that this was a very good book that has lots of meaning and really gives you a look inside what it would be like to immigrate. Although they are only immigrating to Mexico from Guatemala that seems even worse. In my opinion if you want to read a book that really lets you see what it would be like to immigrate then read The Only Road. I would easily give this book a 5/5 stars.
February 23, 2021
We had fun learning & trying to pronounce the spanish words & following the journey on google maps. A couple of swear words for a book written for 8-12 year olds. Any book that makes me cry in the end gets a bump up in stars. I would have loved to see Jamie's beautiful illustrations scattered among the pages.
June 23, 2025
This was heartbreaking. It’s much more heartbreaking to think that people are actively living through this. The most heartbreaking thing of all is the hatred and intolerance that is rampant in this country right now.
I did have several moments where I needed to put this down and close my eyes to process what I’d just read. Even so, I think everyone should read this. Empathy is free! I definitely applaud the author for this one.
I did have several moments where I needed to put this down and close my eyes to process what I’d just read. Even so, I think everyone should read this. Empathy is free! I definitely applaud the author for this one.
October 15, 2022
I couldn’t put this one down. A story of bravery, hope, family, friendship, and the kindness of strangers. Bonus points for the extraordinary character, Vida, a super dog that had me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book!!
October 17, 2023
What a nail-biter! This book is just great, and brought a tear to my eyes. The ending was beautiful, and I loved everything about it. The writing was well-paced and the imagery was great.
January 26, 2024
What a touching story!
May 19, 2022
Re-read before an author visit. Excellent!
January 25, 2024
Fast paced plot, sad and exciting at the same time
September 30, 2020
I think every US citizen should read this book to help them better understand what many people, including young people, have to survive in order to make it to the United States border. I appreciated how this book is written from the perspective of a 12-year-old boy and for a younger audience. It's not overly gorey or gruesome, but it gives clear insight into the danger and trauma faced by people who come to the United States out of desperate hope. I hope that many of my friends and family members read this book and develop an even greater sense of compassion for those who have suffered in their own society of origin and who are often marginalized in ours.
March 17, 2021
خلاصه کتاب
در شهری که جیمی دگواتمالا زندگی می کند همه فهمیده اند که پسر خاله جیمی میگوئل به دست گروه خلافکار آلفا کشته شده اند
وقتی که میگوئل کشته می شود جیمی تنها دوست و همدم خود را از دست میدهد جیمی میترسد نفر بعدی او باشد که کشته شود
برای فرار از دست آلفا ها فقط یک راه وجود دارد
این است که جیمی پیش برادرش برود به نیومکزیکو
و در سفر طولانی جیمی به همراه دختر خاله اش آنجلا به این سفر ادامه می دهند
نظر من درمورد این کتاب
من تابه حال کتابی درمورد سختی زندگی بچه های گواتمالایی نخوانده بودم
این کتاب کتاب جالبی برای من بود این کتاب پر از پستی و بلندی آنجلا و جیمی هنگام سفر بود
در شهری که جیمی دگواتمالا زندگی می کند همه فهمیده اند که پسر خاله جیمی میگوئل به دست گروه خلافکار آلفا کشته شده اند
وقتی که میگوئل کشته می شود جیمی تنها دوست و همدم خود را از دست میدهد جیمی میترسد نفر بعدی او باشد که کشته شود
برای فرار از دست آلفا ها فقط یک راه وجود دارد
این است که جیمی پیش برادرش برود به نیومکزیکو
و در سفر طولانی جیمی به همراه دختر خاله اش آنجلا به این سفر ادامه می دهند
نظر من درمورد این کتاب
من تابه حال کتابی درمورد سختی زندگی بچه های گواتمالایی نخوانده بودم
این کتاب کتاب جالبی برای من بود این کتاب پر از پستی و بلندی آنجلا و جیمی هنگام سفر بود
February 11, 2017
Wow. This is so well done, and so significant to our social conversations. This is definitely more middle school, but I'm wishing it could be for my kids. Having some frame of reference to talk about the challenge of Central American kids trying to come to the US, and why their families feel/need to send them, and to do it in a really readable, really interesting story is fantastic. Here's to more books that give us such experiences.
June 13, 2017
A pretty wonderful story about the terrible choices some kids need to make, in this case, to leave their homes and families to get away from vicious gangs who would otherwise force them into virtual slavery. There is a happy ending but that doesn't make the situation better for the next kid racing to a train, risking death and dismemberment to try to cross the border into the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.
January 29, 2021
What would you do for freedom? Jaime and his cousin Ángela only have two options if they stay in their small Guatemalan village - work for or be killed by the gang that just killed Ángela’s brother. Instead their parents make the harrowing choice to send these 2 teens on their own to Jaime’s brother in New Mexico. A beautiful story of the reasons for and challenges of people trying to have just a little bit of safety.
July 12, 2017
While extremely worth-while as a read for middle grade kids (and maybe younger), it would have been better as either a straight memoir/non-fiction or a more complex story with the journey as a background event (hard to imagine). The 13yo son found it far too slow and unexciting and abandoned it mid-way, which speaks to something going awry (considering the actual danger involved).
August 31, 2021
3.5 stars- Middle grade students will find the storyline interesting and educational. As an adult reader, I felt some of the “intense” moments needed to be a bit more intense to show the danger in what the characters were doing. Overall, I enjoyed this book and will read more by this author
March 7, 2017
A very timely, but heavy book about a 12-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl escaping gang violence in Guatemala by trying to get to the United States.
September 15, 2020
Amazing book! Audiobooks was nicely done. One of the best books I’ve read since Refugee by Alan Gratz.
October 16, 2022
This book was hard to read, given that it is the story of so many who try to escape from the terrible circumstances of their homes and attempt to make the dangerous and often deadly trip north to the US. It was especially difficult to consider that these were children doing this on their own, relying mostly upon their own instincts, intelligence and luck to keep them alive and moving forward. It was stressful enough to simply read about such precarious circumstances, and yet to think that this is the reality of these refugees is hard to comprehend. Diaz does well with showing the stark truth of the situation and balancing despair with hope throughout. Jaime and Ángela, as well as the friends they meet along the way, are characters you desperately want to succeed.
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