Natalia Sylvester

#ReadAroundTheWorld. #Mexico

This is a magical realism, dual timeline story by Peruvian author Natalia Sylvester, about immigration, adoption and family secrets. The story shifts between 2012 with newly-weds Isabel and Martin in Texas; and 1981 with his parents Omar and Elda making the arduous journey across the Mexican border. The story begins on Martin and Isabel’s wedding day, which falls on dia de los muertos (the Day of the Dead), when Martin’s father Omar appears and speaks to them. Every anniversary he reappears and contacts Isabel, wanting her assistance to mend the fractures in his family, and gain their forgiveness. The past story of what broke the family apart gradually unfolds. Martin’s teenage cousin Eduardo also unexpectedly arrives, and the couple welcome him into their home and try to help him adjust to the massive cultural shift. Eduardo is deeply scarred by what he has been through and continues to suffer the marginalisation and racism put upon immigrants.

This book has an important message about the way immigrants are often treated and the hardships inherent in their journey. On the other hand I did not find Martin and Isabel’s relationship very relatable, and found the yearly ghost meeting not particularly engaging or well fleshed out. Isabel seemed somewhat fixated on the fact that Martin had not shared parts of his childhood with her rather than being conscious of what was happening immediately around them, like major family illness and loss. I used whispersync to move between the kindle version and the excellent audio-narration by Frankie Corzo. For me this was a 3.5 star read.… (mer)

This novel follows a Peruvian girl, Veronica. She was born with hip dysplasia and is unable to do a lot of things physically. Her only escape and comfort is swimming. She tries out to be a professional mermaid, something her parents highly disapprove of.
This book discussed great themes of worth and following your dreams, was a great representation of self-esteem and representation of people with disabilities and looking at the struggles they face in day-to-day life.
While this novel has some truly fantastic components, I would not be comfortable sharing this book with my students. It discusses some very adult themes that I do not personally believe should be featured in a book for YOUNG adults. Additionally, I really didn't enjoy the way the main character victimizes herself while villanizing her parents for doing the best they know how to do. I didn't think it encourages healthy behaviors or thought processes. This book is likely for 8th graders - high schoolers, but I would probably not teach with this book personally.… (mer)

Veronica has hip dysplasia, which means she’s had a bunch of surgeries, can’t walk as long or as far as other teens, and has scars that she tries to hide. She also has parents who are very strict, a situation made worse when she’s caught in the apartment complex hot tub making out with a boy. And she both hates that they immediately assumed she would have ‘gone all the way’ if they hadn’t walked in at that moment and suspects that they, in fact, prevented the boy from raping her by doing so. She also feels that she has no say in her medical care, as her doctor tends to talk past her and directly to her parents about the progression of her condition and what the next steps should be. Swimming is the only thing that allows her to feel free and completely in control. So when auditions are announced for the mermaid show she has long dreamed of being a part of (but of which her parents strongly disapprove, of course) – and when a new boy moves into the complex and sparks fly between the two of them – Veronica must decide between obeying her parents and demanding the body autonomy she (and all women everywhere) deserve.

I *loved* this YA novel, both for the interesting storyline and its unique and important portrayal of consent, why it’s vital, and how it’s not just about sex. Veronica and her boyfriend are interesting and nicely developed characters, who both struggle both with the usual Teen Stuff and also mental and physical issues in a realistic, relatable way without too much angst. Highly recommended.… (mer)

Chose this one when I noticed it in Libby and I liked the cover. It's a YA novel about a high school girl in Miami whose father, a Senator, is running for President. (It seems clear that he's a Republican and is likely modeled on Marco Rubio.) 0

Mari doesn't love being in the spotlight, or being told how to behave and what to say by the people managing her father's campaign. As the Florida primary gets closer and things start heating up in Miami with an environmental crisis and some bad news for her best friend's family Mari begins to realize that her father "the politician" might be very different from the father she knows in her personal life. She begins to pay more attention to what he's really saying and what his political policy might be and how that differs in a many ways from her own feelings and what she THINKS her father stands for. She's at a crossroads and she needs to figure out how to be true to herself even when that might conflict with his political ambitions.… (mer)