Yining Ooi

I expect this book to be something the publisher and raving reviews promised-- a thoughtful piece of literary work about the border crisis. Instead what I get is a story pieced together with cheap thrills. It is poorly structured. The POV and the language are a mess. I hardly care about the characters, which is remarkable because under normal circumstances I give out sympathy like churches give out forgiveness. Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on the writer. After all, this subject is complex and the migrant experience is unfathomable to many. Still, this doesn't excuse laziness. Besides, the content of this book doesn't justify the price. By reading this book, I won't gain an insight into the crisis at the US-Mexico border, migrant experience, or Mexican culture. The reviews and promotional blurbs are misleading.