I received this book at no cost from the publisher
Something in Between by Melissa de la Cruz ISBN: 0373212380
Published by Harlequin Teen on October 4th 2016
Genres: Coming of Age, Contemporary, Emotions & Feelings, Politics & Government, Social Issues, Young Adult
Pages: 432
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
It feels like there’s no ground beneath me, like everything I’ve ever done has been a lie. Like I’m breaking apart, shattering. Who am I? Where do I belong?
Jasmine de los Santos has always done what’s expected of her. Pretty and popular, she’s studied hard, made her Filipino immigrant parents proud and is ready to reap the rewards in the form of a full college scholarship.
And then everything shatters. A national scholar award invitation compels her parents to reveal the truth: their visas expired years ago. Her entire family is illegal. That means no scholarships, maybe no college at all and the very real threat of deportation.
For the first time, Jasmine rebels, trying all those teen things she never had time for in the past. Even as she’s trying to make sense of her new world, it’s turned upside down by Royce Blakely, the charming son of a high-ranking congressman. Jasmine no longer has any idea where—or if—she fits into the American Dream. All she knows is that she’s not giving up. Because when the rules you lived by no longer apply, the only thing to do is make up your own.
This was probably the book that broke me this year.
Jasmine is an overachiever that seems to have it all. She is captain of the cheerleading squad, an A++ student, and now a National Scholarship winner but it all comes crashing down when her parents tell her she can’t accept the award because she is in the United States illegally. Her parents overstayed their visa and thought they had time to work out the legal details. It isn’t until she starts dating a congressman’s son that everything really started to unravel for her.
This story brings out the ugly truth about immigration in the United States and how most people that are here illegally are good people just trying to get a bit ahead. They are mostly hard workers and overachievers. A lot of their children have no idea that they are here illegally but have known no other life. At least Jasmine’s family finds a path to a green card but I have a feeling that they are in the minority. The story is well written and extremely emotional. I really liked reading about how close Jasmine and her family are as well as what it takes to be someone that fights for everything.
I saw this in the bookstore last week and noticed the author’s name, but didn’t get the book. Now I wish I’d bought it!