Efren Divided

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 13:19:52 -0800

Efrén must learn to make do in this story about immigration, friendships, and more. Being born in the US, Efrén has US citizenship and thus can continue living in the country. But for his Amá, it isn't that simple. With no visa, Efrén's mom is in constant danger of being deported, but when this happens, Efrén's life falls apart. Now his Apá must work two shifts, one late into the night, to raise money for Ama's return, and it is up to Efrén to manage his extremely excitable siblings, Max and Mía. This includes taking them to school, bringing them home from school, making them breakfast, playing hide-and-seek, etc. Efrén's life becomes even more complicated as he hides his secret from his best friend and the only White person at school, David, and a girl at school, Jennifer Huertas, is deported too. Efrén knows he has to do something, but his attempt to raise awareness rips apart his friendship with David. Efrén, the only person with citizenship, aside from Max and Mía, is faced with making a solo trip to the Tijuanan restaurant where Amá now works. I really enjoyed this powerful tale of coping with life's challenges. Additionally, the dialogue is well-structured and natural-sounding. There were some funny moments in this book, but I feel like there could have been more humor. The writing style was okay, but not too good. Overall, this is a good realistic fiction book about Mexican families.