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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
I loved the way the creator of this comic conveyed each twin's experience, by drawing full page spreads where each side paralleled the layout of the other, showing how their days were similar yet different. I was sad to read how the twins grew apart from each other but it came together nicely at the end. The illustrations are quite detailed.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this graphic novel about growing up and growing into your own person. Twins Fernando and Teresa start seventh grade not only at different schools, but at schools in different countries. Teresa is crossing the border to attend a private school in the U.S., while her brother is attending the local school. As they go their separate ways, their bond is strained, until it almost breaks.
I had no idea about border towns like Mexicali and Calexico! I learned A TON from both the story and the author’s notes at the end. Highly recommend as they truly capture the joys and pains of sibling relationships and how they change as we come of age.
Great middle grade graphic novel. I thought the premise was well-executed, and I appreciated the very real depiction of the ups and downs of sibling relationships. I also appreciated the nuance that Pimienta brought to the twins' different experiences and their frustrations with each other. For instance, Fernando makes a friend who has a bad influence on him, but also has some really interesting ideas to share.
This slice-of-life story depicts a 6-month period in the realistic lives of twin middle-school students - Teresa and Fernando - who live in Mexicali, Mexico, right on the border with the United States. During this period, the sister twin is beginning school on the U.S. side of the border - Calexico, while the brother has chosen to remain enrolled in school on the Mexicali side.
As the two begin to have separate lives, the tension between them results in the brother reaching toward a friendship with the "only available" person - a slightly-more mature boy with a lot of issues. Unfortunately, that kid's issues can't be untangled even though some of them offer a reasonable and valuable critique of the border cities' problems resulting from North-American domination, while other of his issues are just clearly dangerous and problematic - especially for the intended audience. Will young readers be likely to think of Alex's ideas as linked by causation, or see them for the smorgasbord they seem to be from my adult perspective?
That is; Do all teenage drug dealers live in bigger houses with their own bedrooms & televisions, see the U.S. policies and tourists as exploitative, criticize American cultural expressions - like music & movies - as inferior, smoke weed, lie, pressure friends to work for them, turn to violence when they are crossed? Or will this one kid seem unique & unusual?
Meanwhile, the siblings' differences and the differentiated ways they cope, and the different scenarios they encounter in their days - all of it *also* seems rushed-over and tossed together like salad rather than laid out in a way that would deepen understanding, empathy, or political analysis.
Although the climactic conflict is resolved in a way that may appear believable to Northerners (Teresa intervening, the kids working out their dispute in secret so neither gets in trouble) ...but I'm going to guess that Mexican parents living in a border city, crossing over multiple times every week, would've noticed the problems before they got to the crisis point. (Middle school students sneaking around and occasionally smelling like pot in any city is going to get their parents' attention, but in a border town...I didn't believe the parents would fail to notice this.)
There are interesting cultural details woven into the story, and the images show diverse populations and unique cultures in both places - the author/illustrator is clearly familiar with both, and also used photographic sources to make the art very realistically detailed and specific.
I think kids who like realistic graphic novels about middle school students will find the general story of interest, and the crisis about pot-dealing a little overwhelming. Since it is never revealed to the parents or teachers, there is no moment when the author gives young readers a "this is what you *really* should do, if this comes up" lesson, which in my mind would've been the developmentally appropriate tactic. As it is, kids will end this book believing that getting involved in a drug deal is a secret 12-year-old siblings should keep and handle amongst themselves.
As the two begin to have separate lives, the tension between them results in the brother reaching toward a friendship with the "only available" person - a slightly-more mature boy with a lot of issues. Unfortunately, that kid's issues can't be untangled even though some of them offer a reasonable and valuable critique of the border cities' problems resulting from North-American domination, while other of his issues are just clearly dangerous and problematic - especially for the intended audience. Will young readers be likely to think of Alex's ideas as linked by causation, or see them for the smorgasbord they seem to be from my adult perspective?
That is; Do all teenage drug dealers live in bigger houses with their own bedrooms & televisions, see the U.S. policies and tourists as exploitative, criticize American cultural expressions - like music & movies - as inferior, smoke weed, lie, pressure friends to work for them, turn to violence when they are crossed? Or will this one kid seem unique & unusual?
Meanwhile, the siblings' differences and the differentiated ways they cope, and the different scenarios they encounter in their days - all of it *also* seems rushed-over and tossed together like salad rather than laid out in a way that would deepen understanding, empathy, or political analysis.
Although the climactic conflict is resolved in a way that may appear believable to Northerners (Teresa intervening, the kids working out their dispute in secret so neither gets in trouble) ...but I'm going to guess that Mexican parents living in a border city, crossing over multiple times every week, would've noticed the problems before they got to the crisis point. (Middle school students sneaking around and occasionally smelling like pot in any city is going to get their parents' attention, but in a border town...I didn't believe the parents would fail to notice this.)
There are interesting cultural details woven into the story, and the images show diverse populations and unique cultures in both places - the author/illustrator is clearly familiar with both, and also used photographic sources to make the art very realistically detailed and specific.
I think kids who like realistic graphic novels about middle school students will find the general story of interest, and the crisis about pot-dealing a little overwhelming. Since it is never revealed to the parents or teachers, there is no moment when the author gives young readers a "this is what you *really* should do, if this comes up" lesson, which in my mind would've been the developmentally appropriate tactic. As it is, kids will end this book believing that getting involved in a drug deal is a secret 12-year-old siblings should keep and handle amongst themselves.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A really wonderful story about twins growing up and apart in a border town, each feeling pulled toward one side.
Beautiful compositions, and great use of different panelling on the pages to give the narrative pacing, and better reflect each twin’s experiences onto the other.
Beautiful compositions, and great use of different panelling on the pages to give the narrative pacing, and better reflect each twin’s experiences onto the other.
4.5 stars
A really engaging and interesting graphic novel. The illustrations are clear and strong, recreating emotions from the story.
Definitely a book for the older elementary crowd, this book addresses the beginnings of teenage issues such as drug use (weed), and thinking about college. Border patrols and the argument of whether Mexico or the US is better are also discussed.
A really engaging and interesting graphic novel. The illustrations are clear and strong, recreating emotions from the story.
Definitely a book for the older elementary crowd, this book addresses the beginnings of teenage issues such as drug use (weed), and thinking about college. Border patrols and the argument of whether Mexico or the US is better are also discussed.
74%
Insightful on what life on the Mexican-USA border is like.
I can't get over how fucking annoying the parents were; on the surface they care about grades and academic achievement, but give 0 support on achieving that. Absolutely infuriating. If there are parents like that in real life, they need a serious reality check.
Also, Fernando could've used a lot more redemption than he got - in the end, I still saw him as a little shithead with fluff for brains; Teresa is the only likeable character in this book.
Insightful on what life on the Mexican-USA border is like.
I can't get over how fucking annoying the parents were; on the surface they care about grades and academic achievement, but give 0 support on achieving that. Absolutely infuriating. If there are parents like that in real life, they need a serious reality check.
Also, Fernando could've used a lot more redemption than he got - in the end, I still saw him as a little shithead with fluff for brains; Teresa is the only likeable character in this book.