The Book of Unknown Americans
After their daughter Maribel suffers a near-fatal accident, the Riveras leave México and come to 
America. But upon settling at Redwood Apartments, a two-story cinderblock complex just off a highway in Delaware, they discover that Maribel's recovery-the piece of the American Dream on which they've pinned all their hopes-will not be easy. Every task seems to confront them with language, racial, and cultural obstacles. At Redwood also lives Mayor Toro, a high school sophomore whose family arrived from Panamà fifteen years ago. Mayor sees in Maribel something others do not: that beyond her lovely face, and beneath the damage she's sustained, is a gentle, funny, and wise spirit. But as the two grow closer, violence casts a shadow over all their futures in America. Peopled with deeply sympathetic characters, this poignant yet unsentimental tale of young love tells a riveting story of unflinching honesty and humanity that offers a resonant new definition of what it means to be an American. An instant classic is born.
America. But upon settling at Redwood Apartments, a two-story cinderblock complex just off a highway in Delaware, they discover that Maribel's recovery-the piece of the American Dream on which they've pinned all their hopes-will not be easy. Every task seems to confront them with language, racial, and cultural obstacles. At Redwood also lives Mayor Toro, a high school sophomore whose family arrived from Panamà fifteen years ago. Mayor sees in Maribel something others do not: that beyond her lovely face, and beneath the damage she's sustained, is a gentle, funny, and wise spirit. But as the two grow closer, violence casts a shadow over all their futures in America. Peopled with deeply sympathetic characters, this poignant yet unsentimental tale of young love tells a riveting story of unflinching honesty and humanity that offers a resonant new definition of what it means to be an American. An instant classic is born.
My review...............4 stars
This book really opens your eyes to the plight of many of the immigrants who come to this country looking for a better life. I'm not going to get into a social commentary on immigration, but it does challenge you to not lump all "types of people" into the same category. For the most part this is a sweet love story between two teens, but there are lots of supporting characters that we are introduced to throughout the book. They all live in the same housing complex, and pop in and out of the story at various points. If I had one complaint with the book it would be that I felt that it was hard to keep these characters straight. Their stories were only a couple pages long, and they were not mentioned enough that I could remember who was who. It didn't really detract from the story, and about half way through the book, I read their stories and didn't worry about where/when they showed up again. It certainly did not end the way I would have thought or hoped, but in retrospect, I think the author ended it the way it probably would have gone down in real (not fiction) life.
This was a pretty quick read, and I'd love a follow up on what became of these characters, especially Mayor (who was my favorite!). I would recommend this, especially if you like books that are character driven.
I have this on my TBR list and have hear mixed things about it. Some reviews have been over the top glowing and some have been more tepid. I do like character driven novels, so I may end up giving it a try (or at least getting the Amazon sample), especially since it's short.
I think it's worth the read. It does read fairly quickly, and with all the talk over on Book Riot now about diversity in reading, this one fits the bill.