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Borderless
Caught in the crosshairs of gang violence, a teen girl and her mother set off on a perilous journey from Guatemala City to the US border in this “engrossing” ( Kirkus Reviews ) young adult novel from the author of Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From .
For seventeen-year-old Maya, trashion is her passion, and her talent for making clothing out of unusual objects landed her a scholarship to Guatemala City’s most prestigious design school and a finalist spot in the school’s fashion show. Mamá is her biggest supporter, taking on extra jobs to pay for what the scholarship doesn’t cover, and she might be even more excited than Maya about what the fashion show could do for her future career.
So when Mamá doesn’t come to the show, Maya doesn’t know what to think. But the truth is worse than she could have imagined. The gang threats in their neighborhood have walked in their front door—with a boy Maya considered a friend, or maybe even more, among them. After barely making their escape, Maya and her mom have no choice but to continue their desperate flight all the way through Guatemala and Mexico in hopes of crossing the US border.
They have to cross. They must cross! Can they?
For seventeen-year-old Maya, trashion is her passion, and her talent for making clothing out of unusual objects landed her a scholarship to Guatemala City’s most prestigious design school and a finalist spot in the school’s fashion show. Mamá is her biggest supporter, taking on extra jobs to pay for what the scholarship doesn’t cover, and she might be even more excited than Maya about what the fashion show could do for her future career.
So when Mamá doesn’t come to the show, Maya doesn’t know what to think. But the truth is worse than she could have imagined. The gang threats in their neighborhood have walked in their front door—with a boy Maya considered a friend, or maybe even more, among them. After barely making their escape, Maya and her mom have no choice but to continue their desperate flight all the way through Guatemala and Mexico in hopes of crossing the US border.
They have to cross. They must cross! Can they?
336 pages, Hardcover
First published April 25, 2023
26 people are currently reading
5661 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer De Leon
6 books205 followersJennifer De Leon is author of the YA novel Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From (Simon & Schuster, 2020) which was chosen as a Junior Library Guild selection, and the essay collection White Space: Essays on Culture, Race, & Writing (UMass Press, 2021), which is a recipient of the Juniper Prize in Creative Nonfiction. She is also the editor of Wise Latinas: Writers on Higher Education (University of Nebraska Press, 2014), an anthology that won an International Latino Book Award. An Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Framingham State University and faculty member in the Creative Writing & Literature Master Program at Harvard University, she has published prose in over a dozen literary journals including Ploughshares, Iowa Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, and more. Jenn makes her home outside the Boston area with her husband and two sons. Her next YA novel, Borderless, is forthcoming in February 2023.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
July 27, 2023
As a Guatemalan-American, I am so glad there are now more books representing Guatemala 🇬🇹
April 25, 2023
This book was impactful and hard to put down. I was blown away by this storyline and how invested I felt in the main character throughout. This story is real, raw, and heartbreaking, I still get teary-eyed, and angry, when I think about it. Maya was so well-written. You could tell she was an adolescent and struggling to navigate friendships, relationships, and family expectations. Her passion for fashion or trashion was super cool and her inner dialogue allowed readers to see the way her brain brought those visions to life. I wish the book could have included sketches of her designs, it would have been awesome to see.
Her interactions with her friends, family, and love interest were realistic and genuine. The bond that she had with her mother was really sweet and there was so much love between them. The last third of the book was challenging to read and the way the characters were treated at certain points was absolutely gut-wrenching. The descriptions of crossing the Rio Grande and being in the las hielaras were harrowing and what I expect to be an accurate representation of what happens to people caught crossing the border. A story like this novel highlights is a prime example of how the treatment of people seeking asylum in the USA is so horrible and that change needs to happen.
Many thanks to @simonandschuster @bookclubfavorites #bookclubfavorites for this free copy of Borderless for review.
Her interactions with her friends, family, and love interest were realistic and genuine. The bond that she had with her mother was really sweet and there was so much love between them. The last third of the book was challenging to read and the way the characters were treated at certain points was absolutely gut-wrenching. The descriptions of crossing the Rio Grande and being in the las hielaras were harrowing and what I expect to be an accurate representation of what happens to people caught crossing the border. A story like this novel highlights is a prime example of how the treatment of people seeking asylum in the USA is so horrible and that change needs to happen.
Many thanks to @simonandschuster @bookclubfavorites #bookclubfavorites for this free copy of Borderless for review.
July 5, 2023
This book was really great at bringing up the reasons people leave Central America - an uncaring government, a police force that protects its own interests, gang violence, poverty and so on. For many, the reason they leave is because there is no life for them - they will die if they stay there and they need to be in a new place to survive.
So that's why it got three stars. HOWEVER, I had a very hard time with Maya. She continually made bad decisions that put herself and her mother in danger and all over a boy. She never took the threats seriously and, as someone who didn't visit family in Mexico for a decade because of gang violence, that was very annoying to me. She kept making bad decisions, even after she realized the danger she was in. But, that might be me putting a lot on a 17-year-old girl - she changed a lot by the end of the book. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
So that's why it got three stars. HOWEVER, I had a very hard time with Maya. She continually made bad decisions that put herself and her mother in danger and all over a boy. She never took the threats seriously and, as someone who didn't visit family in Mexico for a decade because of gang violence, that was very annoying to me. She kept making bad decisions, even after she realized the danger she was in. But, that might be me putting a lot on a 17-year-old girl - she changed a lot by the end of the book. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
June 23, 2023
Oh wow! I couldn’t finish this book fast enough. Truly an eye opening story about migrants who cross the border for asylum. She’s a brilliant author who is sharing her heritage and I’m so looking forward to discussing this in a bookclub.
August 8, 2024
This story broke my heart. Knowing that real stories like this exist is devastating. No one would ever leave their home and roots if they had no other choice. If any of us were in this position, we would do whatever we had to do to protect our loved ones and survive.
July 19, 2023
Oh man. This is the type of book where you spend the entire time yelling at the main character to make different choices— but unlike most horror movies, her choices make sense with the information she has. As a reader I had deep empathy for Maya even as she unknowingly risked her and her mother’s lives and safety in Guatemala. Beautifully told page turner.
July 18, 2023
this books is so amazing my favorite read of the year it hurts to know that this happens to people in those countries every day, that this is what people go through and this is a journey many of them have to live through. It hurts to know that people so close to me, my parents, my cousins, my aunts, had to live through that so i could be here today. I know Maya is a character but this story could be any other hispanic 16 year old girls story and my heart hurts for the lisbeths that lost their best friend suddenly over night, for the sebastians who had to find their own way alone and leave someone they love, to the carmen’s who were separated from their babies im sorry to anyone who had to experience that my heart is with you and i hope you made it out i hope you’re living a better and safer life. This is amazing thank you Jennifer De Leon .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 25, 2023
Definitely worth a read - adds a human story to the horrors we are witnessing at our borders. Real people with real stories and dreams, who are treated inhumanely. The only unsatisfying part of the story is the end, where we don't get closure for some of the characters we have grown to care about - but nor have so many who've faced journeys like Maya's.
August 2, 2024
Maya loves fashion. She’s studying to be a fashion designer at Guatemala’s most prestigious fashion training program. Her passion is working with unconventional and recycled materials. One day, Maya’s best friend and classmate introduces her to a new guy. What follows is a devastating series of events that lead to Maya and her mother seeking to cross the Mexico-United States border seeking asylum. Maya’s choices and coming of age are heart-wrenching to watch. She has a close relationship with her mother and that relationship is tested as the plot develops. Recommended for older middle schoolers and high schoolers. //proreview
You wouldn't know it to look at what I wear every day, but I know a little bit about fashion. My partner is a fashion designer/textile artist, who had a successful business making clothes out of other, upcycled clothes for years prior to the pandemic. We've watched most of the fashion design-focused reality shows we've been able to get ahold of. So I was excited to see how much of this focused on Maya's fashion passion.
It did surprise me how long it took to get to the border, considering the title of the book. The events focused on in the summaries I'd read don't occur until I'd gotten about two thirds of the way through the pages. That slight mis-sell besides, though, I found this very engrossing.
The life she describes in Guatemala reminded me a lot of the times I've visited Mexico. I loved reading about the town where her mom grew up. And I appreciated the nitty-gritty details given to the border crossing and process.
I'll be thinking about Maya for a long time, I think.
You wouldn't know it to look at what I wear every day, but I know a little bit about fashion. My partner is a fashion designer/textile artist, who had a successful business making clothes out of other, upcycled clothes for years prior to the pandemic. We've watched most of the fashion design-focused reality shows we've been able to get ahold of. So I was excited to see how much of this focused on Maya's fashion passion.
It did surprise me how long it took to get to the border, considering the title of the book. The events focused on in the summaries I'd read don't occur until I'd gotten about two thirds of the way through the pages. That slight mis-sell besides, though, I found this very engrossing.
The life she describes in Guatemala reminded me a lot of the times I've visited Mexico. I loved reading about the town where her mom grew up. And I appreciated the nitty-gritty details given to the border crossing and process.
I'll be thinking about Maya for a long time, I think.
August 9, 2024
This book was a terrible read
The characters in this book were not very developed, and I could not understand how they stood each other. The relationships between everyone in this book were beyond me, as they all seemed strenuous and shallow.
Sebastion and Maya didn't really have any chemistry at all, so I could not figure out why they kissed and whatnot only after a week of knowing each other. This can definitely work in some books, but there was no reason for her to like him, and he really was not that charismatic.
Maya and her mom also seemed more like they were forced to live with each other rather than having a close bond. They fought the entire book, and not once did I see a moment where I could believe they had an almost friendship-like bond while they lived in Guatemala.
The biggest one, though, that made the least sense, was Lisbeth and Oscar. There was no reason as to why she would like someone like him or why she was so stupid and clueless to his rising rank in his gang. When she learned of his affiliation with his gang, she immediately believed Maya and broke up with him. If she really was in love with him as the author claimed, why did she believe that he had killed someone with no questions asked?
The plot also sucked.
It really seemed like the author wanted two stories at the same time, so she made it into one in the worst way possible. The two stories were the one in Guatemala and the one crossing the border. The climax of the book felt like when her mother was being held at gunpoint by Oscar and his brother. This was foreshadowed after catching a glimpse of it in the beginning. The chapters would also say "_ number of days to go" until this exciting day until Maya finally sees the true danger she's in.
So tell me why the most climactic part of the book was halfway through? The rest of the story was her hardships crossing the border. I felt that this would have been a better story than the one where she makes friends with gang members. It shows the realities of seeking asylum as a Latino immigrant, but unfortunately, it feels very rushed and out of place. I feel that if this was the story, instead of half assing it when the author realized her story was too short, it would have been more impactful and heartwrenching.
Although, going to the US was never mentioned in the story until they decided to up and leave in that moment. This may have been to show the urgency to leave thay many people feel when they are in danger in their home countries. However, it was poorly done and should have at least been mentioned at least once before they left. It also should have been the real story, as the book is literally called "Borderless," when most of the time, she is nowhere near crossing the border physically and mentally. The climax of the story should not have been halfway through the book, and the author should have picked a narrative to stick with. Personally, I believe she did a better job describing the hardships of immigration and seeking asylum, and not so much with the relationships in Maya's world in Guatemala.
It also really confused me as to why the author chose to mention the fact that Maya and her father were Mayan and did not explore enough of that part of her. We hear about one Mayan God and vaguely about her father (who is dead throughout the whole book) and how he had been discriminated against, probably at some point, according to the story.
The other thing that bugged me was just that way the book was written. This is a story about a Guatemalan girl who knows English, but everyone in her life up until the very end does not speak it. The whole book was in English, except for the random few words sprinkled in that were in Spanish. It really took me out of the serious parts of the story. Lines like "...this is all just... demasiado..." After learning about the death of a close neighbor really had the opposite effect. As someone who speaks both English and Spanish, this could have been written a lot smoother with Spanish dialogue and English narration. Or even just write the whole thing in one language. I don't understand the need to put a word or a phrase in the middle of an English sentence when it could just be a mix of English and Spanish sentences.
Another note about her and her mother's relationship: I still don't understand the ending of the book. She claims that her mother and her are so close and they do everything together even if it is at the expense of the happiness of one. She goes on and on in a tell not show kind of way about how she and her mother are so close and united, but all we see is an overbearing mother and a rebellious teen. After pages and pages of her saying she's going back over the border to see her mother after only she gains access to her sponsor, she changes her mind real quickly when she realizes her mom can just to do it all again by herself. Her mother may love her daughter enough to want her to stay, but this is not congruent with the desperate attempt made to make us believe they do everything together.
Lastly, why was this book called "Borderless"? This whole book is full of borders that she doesn't even break down. When I first saw the cover, I assumed it was about a girl who explored the many parts of herself and her culture, but instead runs around with a boy she knows is bad news and tries to fight her mother by breaking her rules. It is sad to see her anxiety around moving to a different city, which is supposedly a big point of contention with Maya, and she is doing everything in her power to avoid it. But it is immediately ruined when they go across the US BORDER, which is a lot more drastic than a city a few hours away.
All in all, I don't recommend it. This author took all the parts of her book that she should have left in the drafts and made it into a published copy of something weird that I had to read for summer reading.
The characters in this book were not very developed, and I could not understand how they stood each other. The relationships between everyone in this book were beyond me, as they all seemed strenuous and shallow.
Sebastion and Maya didn't really have any chemistry at all, so I could not figure out why they kissed and whatnot only after a week of knowing each other. This can definitely work in some books, but there was no reason for her to like him, and he really was not that charismatic.
Maya and her mom also seemed more like they were forced to live with each other rather than having a close bond. They fought the entire book, and not once did I see a moment where I could believe they had an almost friendship-like bond while they lived in Guatemala.
The biggest one, though, that made the least sense, was Lisbeth and Oscar. There was no reason as to why she would like someone like him or why she was so stupid and clueless to his rising rank in his gang. When she learned of his affiliation with his gang, she immediately believed Maya and broke up with him. If she really was in love with him as the author claimed, why did she believe that he had killed someone with no questions asked?
The plot also sucked.
It really seemed like the author wanted two stories at the same time, so she made it into one in the worst way possible. The two stories were the one in Guatemala and the one crossing the border. The climax of the book felt like when her mother was being held at gunpoint by Oscar and his brother. This was foreshadowed after catching a glimpse of it in the beginning. The chapters would also say "_ number of days to go" until this exciting day until Maya finally sees the true danger she's in.
So tell me why the most climactic part of the book was halfway through? The rest of the story was her hardships crossing the border. I felt that this would have been a better story than the one where she makes friends with gang members. It shows the realities of seeking asylum as a Latino immigrant, but unfortunately, it feels very rushed and out of place. I feel that if this was the story, instead of half assing it when the author realized her story was too short, it would have been more impactful and heartwrenching.
Although, going to the US was never mentioned in the story until they decided to up and leave in that moment. This may have been to show the urgency to leave thay many people feel when they are in danger in their home countries. However, it was poorly done and should have at least been mentioned at least once before they left. It also should have been the real story, as the book is literally called "Borderless," when most of the time, she is nowhere near crossing the border physically and mentally. The climax of the story should not have been halfway through the book, and the author should have picked a narrative to stick with. Personally, I believe she did a better job describing the hardships of immigration and seeking asylum, and not so much with the relationships in Maya's world in Guatemala.
It also really confused me as to why the author chose to mention the fact that Maya and her father were Mayan and did not explore enough of that part of her. We hear about one Mayan God and vaguely about her father (who is dead throughout the whole book) and how he had been discriminated against, probably at some point, according to the story.
The other thing that bugged me was just that way the book was written. This is a story about a Guatemalan girl who knows English, but everyone in her life up until the very end does not speak it. The whole book was in English, except for the random few words sprinkled in that were in Spanish. It really took me out of the serious parts of the story. Lines like "...this is all just... demasiado..." After learning about the death of a close neighbor really had the opposite effect. As someone who speaks both English and Spanish, this could have been written a lot smoother with Spanish dialogue and English narration. Or even just write the whole thing in one language. I don't understand the need to put a word or a phrase in the middle of an English sentence when it could just be a mix of English and Spanish sentences.
Another note about her and her mother's relationship: I still don't understand the ending of the book. She claims that her mother and her are so close and they do everything together even if it is at the expense of the happiness of one. She goes on and on in a tell not show kind of way about how she and her mother are so close and united, but all we see is an overbearing mother and a rebellious teen. After pages and pages of her saying she's going back over the border to see her mother after only she gains access to her sponsor, she changes her mind real quickly when she realizes her mom can just to do it all again by herself. Her mother may love her daughter enough to want her to stay, but this is not congruent with the desperate attempt made to make us believe they do everything together.
Lastly, why was this book called "Borderless"? This whole book is full of borders that she doesn't even break down. When I first saw the cover, I assumed it was about a girl who explored the many parts of herself and her culture, but instead runs around with a boy she knows is bad news and tries to fight her mother by breaking her rules. It is sad to see her anxiety around moving to a different city, which is supposedly a big point of contention with Maya, and she is doing everything in her power to avoid it. But it is immediately ruined when they go across the US BORDER, which is a lot more drastic than a city a few hours away.
All in all, I don't recommend it. This author took all the parts of her book that she should have left in the drafts and made it into a published copy of something weird that I had to read for summer reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2024
A Great YA Novel About An Asylum Seeker
A girl and her mother escape problems in Guatemala to reach the United States and seek asylum. The path is dangerous and there is no easy way to go. Finally the United States border appears. Will they be accepted and safe? This is an excellent YA novel to show what people are going through in order to ask for asylum. Highly recommended.
A girl and her mother escape problems in Guatemala to reach the United States and seek asylum. The path is dangerous and there is no easy way to go. Finally the United States border appears. Will they be accepted and safe? This is an excellent YA novel to show what people are going through in order to ask for asylum. Highly recommended.
September 2, 2024
PSA: the dog probably does not live
This book broke my heart and also I wanted it to end differently. But it was realistic, and life doesn't always have happy endings—especially not people immigrating to the United States.
An excellent YA novel. One star has been removed because I wish we lived in a world where we always knew what happened to our Sebastians.
Total score: 4/5 stars
This book broke my heart and also I wanted it to end differently. But it was realistic, and life doesn't always have happy endings—especially not people immigrating to the United States.
An excellent YA novel. One star has been removed because I wish we lived in a world where we always knew what happened to our Sebastians.
Total score: 4/5 stars
February 13, 2025
This book hit quite close to home. As a daughter to Guatemalan immigrants, I was always told of the beauty of Guatemala and the danger and corruption that began creeping up in the cities. Maya's struggles as well as her mother's perfectly capture that.
But I love Guatemala regardless. It's a beautiful country with amazing and hardworking people. And the best food ever!!! I'm so lucky I get to visit every year. It feels like the topic of immigration is more relevant than ever now and people that are seeking a better place deserve to get the help they need.
But I love Guatemala regardless. It's a beautiful country with amazing and hardworking people. And the best food ever!!! I'm so lucky I get to visit every year. It feels like the topic of immigration is more relevant than ever now and people that are seeking a better place deserve to get the help they need.
May 8, 2023
So, so good.
June 20, 2023
I never thought I would be reading a book about a teen girl living in Guatemala. As a Guatemalan this makes my heart happy.
May 20, 2024
Wow. Wow. Wow. I need an epilogue.
July 23, 2024
One of my new favorite books
January 6, 2023
Grabbing and nicely-woven, this tale places a girl's inspiring determination against a harsh reality and allows fate to pull both in unexpected ways.
Maya is blessed and not about to give up on the gifts fate has given her. Living alone with her mother in a very small apartment, she attends a top-notch fashion school thanks to a scholarship her talents have earned her. When the school announces a fashion contest with a prize, which could launch Maya's career as a designer, she's determined to do her best and more. But just as she's chosen to enter the finals, her best friend introduces her to a cute and sweet guy. Maya does her best to balance her growing relationship with him and her preparations for the contest. That is, until the violence and gangs make the neighborhood increasingly dangerous. Maya's mother wants to move to another town before something terrible happens, but the contest isn't far away, and Maya does everything she can to convince her to stay just a few more days. And that works...until it doesn't. Now, Maya and her mother are on the run.
I read this book in one sitting and was surprised at how engaged I was and how quick the read flowed. The characters are easy to sink into (most of the time), the scenes flow with ease, and the plot never slows. If Maya isn't doing her best to solve another problem for the fashion contest, she's dealing with her mother's worries about the gangs, handling a changing relationship with her best friend, or figuring out her own new feelings for what may or may not be a nice guy. For every step she gets closer to her dream, an entirely different aspect of life...and not necessarily directly hers...causes things to shift in ways that threaten to destroy her hopes. Or she makes bad decisions herself...which weren't smart. But no matter what, all of this keeps the tension high.
While the blurb suggests that the story concentrates on the journey and escape across the US border, it actually spends most of the time in Guatemala City and Maya's increasingly complicated life. The journey to the border, crossing, and immigration problems once on the US side hit only in the last few chapters, coming across more as a quick wrap-up to an end. Plus, several strings were left open...which some readers will appreciate and others will be left wondering what happened to those characters. (Sebastian?) Either way, it works and leaves off with the open unknown, which Maya herself probably feels.
There is some romance, but this sits as a side-dish to the rest of the plot. There's also violence and death, which may trigger more sensitive readers. And then, there's perseverance, hope, and some food for thought. In other words, it's a packed and interesting read, which is worth picking up. I received a DRC and enjoyed the characters.
Maya is blessed and not about to give up on the gifts fate has given her. Living alone with her mother in a very small apartment, she attends a top-notch fashion school thanks to a scholarship her talents have earned her. When the school announces a fashion contest with a prize, which could launch Maya's career as a designer, she's determined to do her best and more. But just as she's chosen to enter the finals, her best friend introduces her to a cute and sweet guy. Maya does her best to balance her growing relationship with him and her preparations for the contest. That is, until the violence and gangs make the neighborhood increasingly dangerous. Maya's mother wants to move to another town before something terrible happens, but the contest isn't far away, and Maya does everything she can to convince her to stay just a few more days. And that works...until it doesn't. Now, Maya and her mother are on the run.
I read this book in one sitting and was surprised at how engaged I was and how quick the read flowed. The characters are easy to sink into (most of the time), the scenes flow with ease, and the plot never slows. If Maya isn't doing her best to solve another problem for the fashion contest, she's dealing with her mother's worries about the gangs, handling a changing relationship with her best friend, or figuring out her own new feelings for what may or may not be a nice guy. For every step she gets closer to her dream, an entirely different aspect of life...and not necessarily directly hers...causes things to shift in ways that threaten to destroy her hopes. Or she makes bad decisions herself...which weren't smart. But no matter what, all of this keeps the tension high.
While the blurb suggests that the story concentrates on the journey and escape across the US border, it actually spends most of the time in Guatemala City and Maya's increasingly complicated life. The journey to the border, crossing, and immigration problems once on the US side hit only in the last few chapters, coming across more as a quick wrap-up to an end. Plus, several strings were left open...which some readers will appreciate and others will be left wondering what happened to those characters. (Sebastian?) Either way, it works and leaves off with the open unknown, which Maya herself probably feels.
There is some romance, but this sits as a side-dish to the rest of the plot. There's also violence and death, which may trigger more sensitive readers. And then, there's perseverance, hope, and some food for thought. In other words, it's a packed and interesting read, which is worth picking up. I received a DRC and enjoyed the characters.
April 13, 2025
Reviewed for THC Reviews
Borderless is a stand-alone contemporary YA novel. Seventeen-year-old Maya lives in a lower-class neighborhood in Guatemala City with her mother. Her passion and talent for trashion earned her a scholarship to a prestigious trade school where she’s honing her craft. After being named a finalist in the school’s annual fashion show, she starts preparing to vie for the prize money and the chance to show off her designs at a local store, something that could really help her and her mom improve their financial status. However, because of gang activity in her neighborhood, her mother is making plans to move them to San Marcos. Maya is very upset about this, especially since the contest could make or break her future career as a fashion designer. Mama is very adamant that they need to go to be safer, but she agrees to let Maya participate in the show first. As she begins work on the designs that she wants to show, her best friend, Lisbeth, starts dating a hot guy named Oscar who gives Maya bad vibes, but when Oscar’s cousin, Sebastian, who was recently deported from the United States, shows an interest in Maya, she’s flattered by his attentions. Eventually Maya discovers that Oscar is part of a gang, and wonders if Sebastian might be, too. Sebastian assures her that it’s more for protection and that they aren’t doing the really bad stuff, and Maya believes him. But when she goes to check on an elderly neighbor one day, she witnesses Oscar murdering the woman’s son. Oscar sees Maya but lets her go, after which she’s terrified that the gang might come after her. All of her fears are realized when her mother doesn’t show up for the fashion show and Maya returns home to find her mother being held at gunpoint. They manage to escape, but knowing that there isn’t any place in Guatemala that is safe for them anymore, they make a run for the U. S. border with an old friend who used to be a coyote. Once across, though, Maya and her mother are arrested by Border Patrol officers and separated, at which point difficult decisions must be made in order to secure their future.
Maya is a good girl who has thus far managed to stay out of the gang trouble that plagues their neighborhood. She does get upset with her mom, though, for wanting to move away from the only life she’s ever known and from a potentially bright future as a fashion designer. She’s very talented and thinks that if she can just win the school’s contest, she might be able to make a better life for herself and her mom, so when she’s named a finalist, she works hard to perfect her designs for the show. But all her dreams come crashing down when Lisbeth starts dating Oscar and gradually gets mixed up in gang activity. Maya is very flattered by Sebastian romancing her, quickly fancying herself in love with him, which somewhat blinds her to what’s really going on. Although Oscar gives her sketchy vibes, Sebastian seems nice, so she naively thinks that whatever gang connection they have isn’t so bad. When she finds out otherwise the hard way, she and her mom have to give up everything they own in an attempt to save their lives. With Mama’s friend helping them, the trip to the border isn’t as bad as it is for many people in similar circumstances, but the crossing itself is extremely difficult, as is the way they’re treated by Border Patrol. Ultimately Maya must make some really tough decisions without her mom. Maya is generally a typical teenager, testing boundaries. She may have given her mother a hard time over the move, but when they have no choice but to run, she listens to her. She does allow her head to be turned by Sebastian and engages in a little rebellion in order to see him, but when it counts, she can be mature.
Since this is a YA novel, I’ll offer my take on the appropriateness of the content for its target audience. There is a fair bit of language including several f-bombs. As I mentioned, Maya gets very upset with her mother, when she informs her of the plan to move. She says some unkind things and thinks others in her mind, but after witnessing the murder, she finally understands that her mother was only trying to keep them safe. She also rebels against her mother’s wishes to see Sebastian. There’s mention of Maya’s father being killed, as well as a number of mentions of illegal gang activity. Maya sees a man begging for his life before being shot. She also witnesses a woman drowning during the border crossing. Maya’s mother is held at gunpoint, leaving her fearful for their lives, and in the aftermath, once they escape. Maya kisses Sebastian, and in one scene, they engage in a heaving petting session, removing some clothes and touching underneath clothes. However, the scene ends with a closed door. I think maybe readers are supposed to extrapolate that they had sex, but IMO, the text is rather ambiguous, possibly leaving it open to interpretation. Taking everything into account, I think, overall, the book is probably suitable for a mature teen audience of about sixteen and up.
Overall, Borderless was a good book, although it didn’t play out entirely like I thought it would. The first half, or maybe more, of the story focuses on Maya’s life in Guatemala. I suppose this made sense, because it demonstrates all that she had to give up and leave behind in an instant. I’m just not really a fashionista, though, so the parts where she’s working on perfecting her clothing designs and participating in the fashion show just didn’t hold my attention as well as other parts. I love romance, so I was somewhat engaged in Maya and Sebastian’s relationship, but I was always off balance wondering whether he was a good guy or not. The parts about increasing gang activity and violence in Maya’s neighborhood were a little more interesting. However, I didn’t become super-engaged until Maya and her mom start their run for the border. This, IMO, was the best part of the book, because it shows what many migrants go through in order to make a better life for themselves. It also shows how migrants are often treated when they reach the U.S. border and request asylum. None of this is easy to read but it paints a pretty vivid picture of the dehumanizing conditions in the detention centers and how families are sometimes torn apart in the process. I don’t know that this it the type of book that a reader could say that they enjoyed per se, but it is one that was a very worthwhile read. However, it doesn’t wrap up in a neat little bow like I prefer, and there’s much left unexplored, given that the future is uncertain for Maya and her mom. Borderless might not have been perfect for me, but I think it has a good message that people need to hear that might help to make them more empathetic toward immigrants, and for that reason, I would recommend it.
Borderless is a stand-alone contemporary YA novel. Seventeen-year-old Maya lives in a lower-class neighborhood in Guatemala City with her mother. Her passion and talent for trashion earned her a scholarship to a prestigious trade school where she’s honing her craft. After being named a finalist in the school’s annual fashion show, she starts preparing to vie for the prize money and the chance to show off her designs at a local store, something that could really help her and her mom improve their financial status. However, because of gang activity in her neighborhood, her mother is making plans to move them to San Marcos. Maya is very upset about this, especially since the contest could make or break her future career as a fashion designer. Mama is very adamant that they need to go to be safer, but she agrees to let Maya participate in the show first. As she begins work on the designs that she wants to show, her best friend, Lisbeth, starts dating a hot guy named Oscar who gives Maya bad vibes, but when Oscar’s cousin, Sebastian, who was recently deported from the United States, shows an interest in Maya, she’s flattered by his attentions. Eventually Maya discovers that Oscar is part of a gang, and wonders if Sebastian might be, too. Sebastian assures her that it’s more for protection and that they aren’t doing the really bad stuff, and Maya believes him. But when she goes to check on an elderly neighbor one day, she witnesses Oscar murdering the woman’s son. Oscar sees Maya but lets her go, after which she’s terrified that the gang might come after her. All of her fears are realized when her mother doesn’t show up for the fashion show and Maya returns home to find her mother being held at gunpoint. They manage to escape, but knowing that there isn’t any place in Guatemala that is safe for them anymore, they make a run for the U. S. border with an old friend who used to be a coyote. Once across, though, Maya and her mother are arrested by Border Patrol officers and separated, at which point difficult decisions must be made in order to secure their future.
Maya is a good girl who has thus far managed to stay out of the gang trouble that plagues their neighborhood. She does get upset with her mom, though, for wanting to move away from the only life she’s ever known and from a potentially bright future as a fashion designer. She’s very talented and thinks that if she can just win the school’s contest, she might be able to make a better life for herself and her mom, so when she’s named a finalist, she works hard to perfect her designs for the show. But all her dreams come crashing down when Lisbeth starts dating Oscar and gradually gets mixed up in gang activity. Maya is very flattered by Sebastian romancing her, quickly fancying herself in love with him, which somewhat blinds her to what’s really going on. Although Oscar gives her sketchy vibes, Sebastian seems nice, so she naively thinks that whatever gang connection they have isn’t so bad. When she finds out otherwise the hard way, she and her mom have to give up everything they own in an attempt to save their lives. With Mama’s friend helping them, the trip to the border isn’t as bad as it is for many people in similar circumstances, but the crossing itself is extremely difficult, as is the way they’re treated by Border Patrol. Ultimately Maya must make some really tough decisions without her mom. Maya is generally a typical teenager, testing boundaries. She may have given her mother a hard time over the move, but when they have no choice but to run, she listens to her. She does allow her head to be turned by Sebastian and engages in a little rebellion in order to see him, but when it counts, she can be mature.
Since this is a YA novel, I’ll offer my take on the appropriateness of the content for its target audience. There is a fair bit of language including several f-bombs. As I mentioned, Maya gets very upset with her mother, when she informs her of the plan to move. She says some unkind things and thinks others in her mind, but after witnessing the murder, she finally understands that her mother was only trying to keep them safe. She also rebels against her mother’s wishes to see Sebastian. There’s mention of Maya’s father being killed, as well as a number of mentions of illegal gang activity. Maya sees a man begging for his life before being shot. She also witnesses a woman drowning during the border crossing. Maya’s mother is held at gunpoint, leaving her fearful for their lives, and in the aftermath, once they escape. Maya kisses Sebastian, and in one scene, they engage in a heaving petting session, removing some clothes and touching underneath clothes. However, the scene ends with a closed door. I think maybe readers are supposed to extrapolate that they had sex, but IMO, the text is rather ambiguous, possibly leaving it open to interpretation. Taking everything into account, I think, overall, the book is probably suitable for a mature teen audience of about sixteen and up.
Overall, Borderless was a good book, although it didn’t play out entirely like I thought it would. The first half, or maybe more, of the story focuses on Maya’s life in Guatemala. I suppose this made sense, because it demonstrates all that she had to give up and leave behind in an instant. I’m just not really a fashionista, though, so the parts where she’s working on perfecting her clothing designs and participating in the fashion show just didn’t hold my attention as well as other parts. I love romance, so I was somewhat engaged in Maya and Sebastian’s relationship, but I was always off balance wondering whether he was a good guy or not. The parts about increasing gang activity and violence in Maya’s neighborhood were a little more interesting. However, I didn’t become super-engaged until Maya and her mom start their run for the border. This, IMO, was the best part of the book, because it shows what many migrants go through in order to make a better life for themselves. It also shows how migrants are often treated when they reach the U.S. border and request asylum. None of this is easy to read but it paints a pretty vivid picture of the dehumanizing conditions in the detention centers and how families are sometimes torn apart in the process. I don’t know that this it the type of book that a reader could say that they enjoyed per se, but it is one that was a very worthwhile read. However, it doesn’t wrap up in a neat little bow like I prefer, and there’s much left unexplored, given that the future is uncertain for Maya and her mom. Borderless might not have been perfect for me, but I think it has a good message that people need to hear that might help to make them more empathetic toward immigrants, and for that reason, I would recommend it.
May 1, 2023
Set in Guatemala City, Maya is a 17-year-old teen passionate about "trash-ion" and upcycling materials. However, when she witnesses something she should not have, she comes into the cross-hairs of the local gang. So begins her perilous escape with her mom to leave Guatemala for the safe, yet unknown, land across the border.
This story was definitely a slow burn and, unlike the summary, was mostly about Maya's life in Guatemala City as she navigates fashion school and the reality of her zona's gang "situation." Maya, like any teen, is preoccupied within her universe and makes naive mistakes anyone in her position would have. But I found myself shaking my head and saying "Ay Mayita, don't do it..." But again, she's a teen who's rose-colored glasses are beginning to come off.
The crossing of the border and what comes after is actually just a small fraction of the novel. I really wanted to love this book because of the premise and the efforts Jennifer De Leon makes to humanize each character and the perilous situation. Unfortunately, a lot of the book is either summary, exposition, or repetition of Maya's inner monologue with much of the conflict, which was actually really heart-breaking, occurring at the end of the novel.
This story was definitely a slow burn and, unlike the summary, was mostly about Maya's life in Guatemala City as she navigates fashion school and the reality of her zona's gang "situation." Maya, like any teen, is preoccupied within her universe and makes naive mistakes anyone in her position would have. But I found myself shaking my head and saying "Ay Mayita, don't do it..." But again, she's a teen who's rose-colored glasses are beginning to come off.
The crossing of the border and what comes after is actually just a small fraction of the novel. I really wanted to love this book because of the premise and the efforts Jennifer De Leon makes to humanize each character and the perilous situation. Unfortunately, a lot of the book is either summary, exposition, or repetition of Maya's inner monologue with much of the conflict, which was actually really heart-breaking, occurring at the end of the novel.
January 17, 2024
As a Guatemalan-American, having not been to the motherland at all, I appreciate this book so much for many reasons. The Spanglish, the slang, and the culture embedded into this story. I also see my family’s history thru this story. I saw myself in the main character; always questioning her decisions and actions, and thinking about what her mother would do or say. I also gushed at every time the Quetzal, our beloved bird was mentioned.
Although I sigh at the fact that many fiction books about Guatemala, Central American, Latines are about migration, separation and borders, this book really shows how easy it is for a family and community to be uprooted from different forms of violence and systems.
I really wish the book was long and gave more context to what Maya’s future was going to be.
To the author, if you ever come across this, please keep writing! Central American literature is very much needed and so important, especially because of the little representation! So proud of you and your work. Bendiciones 🙏🏼🫶🏼
Although I sigh at the fact that many fiction books about Guatemala, Central American, Latines are about migration, separation and borders, this book really shows how easy it is for a family and community to be uprooted from different forms of violence and systems.
I really wish the book was long and gave more context to what Maya’s future was going to be.
To the author, if you ever come across this, please keep writing! Central American literature is very much needed and so important, especially because of the little representation! So proud of you and your work. Bendiciones 🙏🏼🫶🏼
June 17, 2023
This is a 3.5 star review. The topic is so important and timely- and it was a really interesting and captivating plot plan. The written voice of the teen just felt kind of childish - lots of exclamation marks used, and just felt too young for a HS student. I did love learning her story however, and am very glad I read the book. One difference from many of the migrant stories I've read was that this took place in Guatemala for 75% of the story - the journey to America was only the last part of the book. I really liked learning about the changes in her home country that led to her and her mother fleeing. A good book for teens.
April 27, 2023
It was an interesting book to read considering I'm from Guatemala. It was okay, i don't love the Spanglish in books because apparently, Maya was speaking Spanish and it felt forced sometimes. Idk that's not relevant.
July 25, 2025
If you want to know why people in Central America come to the USA illegally then read this book.
January 15, 2023
Jenn DeLeon has once again written a young adult book that has universal appeal!
Maya is a teenager living in Guatemala City, happily planning for her school's upcoming fashion show. Maya creates designs from trash (known as trashion) and other found objects. She is wildly talented and a finalist in the competition that will help her to set her career in action. She shares her big dreams with her best friend, Lisbeth and her mother, Carmen, who is enthusiastically supportive of her daughter. Maya and her friends live a typical teen life...texting, hanging out in cafés and gossiping about boys. And the, one day, Lisbeth finds a boyfriend, who is a "marero," a gang member. The mareros are taking over Central America, and life in Maya's colonia is threatened with their presence. Her mother, increasingly worried, wants to move immediately to a province where their life will be less stressful. But, she agrees to wait until after the competition.
And then, things go upside down, when Maya finds herself a witness to a gang murder. Maya and her mother (and another friend, who is also implicated in the crime), have to flee Guatemala overnight. They head for the US, where they cross the border under direst of circumstances. Once in a hielera (the freezing cold and barren prison where ICE puts undocumented migrants), Maya's existence is the total opposite of the carefree and empassioned life she lived in Guatemala. The end of the book is both sad and hopeful - but to tell more would be to spoil.
DeLeon makes the streets of Guatemala City come alive with their noises, smells and colors. The reader can picture Maya as she designs and sews her creations, and roots for her all the way. The depiction of the crossing of the Rio Bravo is harrowing - as are the descriptions of the hielera -- you can almost hear the crunching of the aluminum blankets that the migrants are given. This is a story that you can read in one or two sittings - as once you get started, you won't want to put it down.
Teens of all backgrounds are bound to thoroughly enjoy this spectacular novel. Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC. This book will be published in April of 2023. Watch for it!
Maya is a teenager living in Guatemala City, happily planning for her school's upcoming fashion show. Maya creates designs from trash (known as trashion) and other found objects. She is wildly talented and a finalist in the competition that will help her to set her career in action. She shares her big dreams with her best friend, Lisbeth and her mother, Carmen, who is enthusiastically supportive of her daughter. Maya and her friends live a typical teen life...texting, hanging out in cafés and gossiping about boys. And the, one day, Lisbeth finds a boyfriend, who is a "marero," a gang member. The mareros are taking over Central America, and life in Maya's colonia is threatened with their presence. Her mother, increasingly worried, wants to move immediately to a province where their life will be less stressful. But, she agrees to wait until after the competition.
And then, things go upside down, when Maya finds herself a witness to a gang murder. Maya and her mother (and another friend, who is also implicated in the crime), have to flee Guatemala overnight. They head for the US, where they cross the border under direst of circumstances. Once in a hielera (the freezing cold and barren prison where ICE puts undocumented migrants), Maya's existence is the total opposite of the carefree and empassioned life she lived in Guatemala. The end of the book is both sad and hopeful - but to tell more would be to spoil.
DeLeon makes the streets of Guatemala City come alive with their noises, smells and colors. The reader can picture Maya as she designs and sews her creations, and roots for her all the way. The depiction of the crossing of the Rio Bravo is harrowing - as are the descriptions of the hielera -- you can almost hear the crunching of the aluminum blankets that the migrants are given. This is a story that you can read in one or two sittings - as once you get started, you won't want to put it down.
Teens of all backgrounds are bound to thoroughly enjoy this spectacular novel. Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC. This book will be published in April of 2023. Watch for it!
January 27, 2025
I loved that the teenager did the stupid teenager things. I love that the villain has a heart and a face. The humanity in this book cannot be understated. SEEING the kids in cages and seeing how one wound up there. Seeing her journey from comfortable teenager to “asylum seeking migrant” from unaffected to totally transformed.
Love the TRASHion fashion.
Love the symbolisms in the sewing and the birds.
So many teenage boys have no choice but to join gangs (or the equivalent) and then just survive within them. Floating between different kinds of survival. Knowing that the gangs are wrong, but also having to live in reality of their cities. Sebastian is that boy. Brought to the states at one, deported at 17 and then on the run again at 18, with no family, no ties. No country.
I loved that it was all so morally grey and ambiguous. It was a slow realization that everything was terribly wrong. Even the murder was grey because, do you keep your mouth shut? Do you go to the cops you know are taking bribes? do you warn your friends or is that putting her in danger? It was all so grey until it was RED and then, they had to flee.
Borderless. Pain. Love.
Love the TRASHion fashion.
Love the symbolisms in the sewing and the birds.
So many teenage boys have no choice but to join gangs (or the equivalent) and then just survive within them. Floating between different kinds of survival. Knowing that the gangs are wrong, but also having to live in reality of their cities. Sebastian is that boy. Brought to the states at one, deported at 17 and then on the run again at 18, with no family, no ties. No country.
I loved that it was all so morally grey and ambiguous. It was a slow realization that everything was terribly wrong. Even the murder was grey because, do you keep your mouth shut? Do you go to the cops you know are taking bribes? do you warn your friends or is that putting her in danger? It was all so grey until it was RED and then, they had to flee.
Borderless. Pain. Love.
March 12, 2023
Jennifer De Leon’s books are humanizing. That’s the very best compliment I can pay them. We so often hear of undocumented people referred to as animals or vermin or an invasion, horrible things to say about any human being. If you can read this book, meet Maya and her mother, and still look down on people fleeing a dangerous situation to find a better life, then YOU are the inhuman monster, not them. Everyone deserves a chance to thrive, to do more than survive. If that means you leave first and worry about legalities later? Then your situation must have been unsurvivable and I hope you have someone who can help make the best of a terrible situation with you.
While I felt this book was a bit too forced teen voice (some parts came across like that Steve Buscemi meme about the fellow youths) and some of the minor plot points felt a bit inconceivable, it was not a bad book and, as I said about her other book, if reading this makes teens grow up to not treat migrants like shit? It’s done its work.
While I felt this book was a bit too forced teen voice (some parts came across like that Steve Buscemi meme about the fellow youths) and some of the minor plot points felt a bit inconceivable, it was not a bad book and, as I said about her other book, if reading this makes teens grow up to not treat migrants like shit? It’s done its work.
May 12, 2023
Maya Silva loves fashion and wants to be a famous designer someday. She landed a scholarship to attend a prestigious fashion high school in her city in Guatemala. She is over-the-moon excited when she learns she is a finalist for the schools annual fashion show. She spends all of her extra time working on her creations which she constructs mainly with items others would consider trash.
While Maya is feverishly working on her pieces for the fashion show, her best friend, Lisbeth, is developing a relationship with a young man that Maya doesn't care for; he gives her a creepy feeling. But Maya wants her friend to be happy so she keeps her feelings to herself. Until she can't. And when she tells Lisbeth what she knows about Oscar, Maya's world is turned upside down.
A realistic and beautiful portrayal of the realities of life in violent countries. If you are a person against undocumented immigrants, this is a book for you; a view from their experiences.
While Maya is feverishly working on her pieces for the fashion show, her best friend, Lisbeth, is developing a relationship with a young man that Maya doesn't care for; he gives her a creepy feeling. But Maya wants her friend to be happy so she keeps her feelings to herself. Until she can't. And when she tells Lisbeth what she knows about Oscar, Maya's world is turned upside down.
A realistic and beautiful portrayal of the realities of life in violent countries. If you are a person against undocumented immigrants, this is a book for you; a view from their experiences.
June 25, 2023
This was a beautiful story about about immigration, detention centers, deportation, and all of the immense struggles and emotional and physical toll that all of those things have on a person. I feel that this is a book that everyone should read. It was so powerful and I am so glad that I picked it up. I loved Maya and I wish that I got to hear more of her story and to see where she goes next. I hope that things worked out for her and her mother. If you were a fan of Esperanza rising as a child or that is a story that has stuck with you, I would definitely recommend picking this book up. I can’t believe how few reviews this book has, even though it is new, but more people definitely need to read this book. Despite it being young adult, the story is si impactful that it doesn’t really read like a young adult story and I think people of all ages would enjoy it. The audiobook was wonderful as well. I would most definitely recommend this book.
May 10, 2024
Maya lives with her mom in Guatemala and dreams of becoming a fashion designer. She has a real shot, too. Her creations are inventive, and she's going to be in this year's show. I liked the descriptions of her dresses and her approaches to solving design problems. These elements really made her character shine.
On the one hand, Maya seems like a well-grounded, mature teen with "a good head on her shoulders" about her future. On the other hand, she says and does the stupidest things. This makes here relatable as a teenager, but many of the cases felt forced and overblown. I also didn't like the tic where Every. Word. Is. A. Separate. Sentence. Gah! And the exclamation marks! Ugh! :-)
Most of the plot points are realistic and true, especially as events escalated. I won't give spoilers about the ending except to say that it was good.
If you're looking for an emotional story about illegal immigration and the impact on young adults, this novel is worth picking up.
On the one hand, Maya seems like a well-grounded, mature teen with "a good head on her shoulders" about her future. On the other hand, she says and does the stupidest things. This makes here relatable as a teenager, but many of the cases felt forced and overblown. I also didn't like the tic where Every. Word. Is. A. Separate. Sentence. Gah! And the exclamation marks! Ugh! :-)
Most of the plot points are realistic and true, especially as events escalated. I won't give spoilers about the ending except to say that it was good.
If you're looking for an emotional story about illegal immigration and the impact on young adults, this novel is worth picking up.
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