August 15, 2016
The future is bright for high school senior and all-American girl Jasmine de los Santos: the daughter of Filipino immigrants, she has spent her high school years focused on being a well-rounded and academically successful student, as well as a model Filipino daughter. When Jasmine receives the National Scholar Award, a highly competitive scholarship that covers college tuition, her dream of attending Stanford is within reach. To her surprise, her parents don’t share her excitement and reveal a long-kept secret: the de los Santos family is in the United States illegally. After her family’s status is discovered and they face deportation, Jasmine’s perception of herself is thrown into question. De la Cruz (the Blue Bloods series) presents a timely and thought-
provoking look at the complex reality of being young and undocumented in the United States; Jasmine is painfully aware of the anti-immigrant forces she’s up against, especially after she starts a relationship with the son of a congressman working against an immigration reform bill. Readers will root for Jasmine as she fights for her future and finds the power of her own voice. Ages 14–up. Agent: Richard Abate, 3 Arts Entertainment.
September 1, 2016
Gr 6-10-Jasmine is valedictorian, a scholarship winner, and captain of a Nationals-winning cheer squad. Her Filipino family are close-knit, and they live in L.A. Her crush is the son of a senator, and he's sweet and devoted. Her college essay is about her storytelling project with terminally ill seniors. Early into the book, readers learn that Jasmine and her family are undocumented. Jasmine is not eligible for the financial aid she would need to attend college, and she and her family face the real threat of being deported. The plot unfolds with Jasmine's boyfriend's father's anti-immigrant Congressional bill being shot down and the family's lawyer telling them that the odds are against them being able to stay in the United States. Through a series of extremely fortuitous developments, Jas receives a full ride to Stanford, a university that reviews international students' applications without regard to their financial need. Her romantic troubles also end happily. De la Cruz received a need-blind scholarship to Columbia. She shares in an author's note more details on how this story is semiautobiographical, which will make the narrative richer for some readers. Though the work centers on a high school senior, the romance is chaste and the plot is not too complex, making this a great choice for younger teens. VERDICT Jasmine's tale feels too good to be true, but this possible shortcoming is offset by the timeliness and importance of the immigration issues raised and explained. This book belongs in every middle school library.-Amy Thurow, New Glarus School District, WI
Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Jasmine de los Santos, an overachieving 16-year-old immigrant from the Philippines, looks forward to a vibrant future, until she discovers a family secret that threatens to take away her American dream. When Jasmine reveals to her family that she has been awarded a prestigious scholarship that will provide full tuition to the college of her choice, she learns that the family is undocumented; Jasmine cannot accept the award. She also realizes that the boy she's falling for is the son of a congressman who is fighting against an immigration-reform bill that could change the lives of her family forever. Despite this setup, Jasmine is not a single-issue character. In addition to navigating her future newly aware of her immigration status, she also struggles with universal teen drama--friendships, first love, family pressures, etc. An immigrant herself, de la Cruz, succeeds in presenting a complicated and multifaceted topic in a manner that is light enough to keep readers engaged throughout the novel's 300-plus pages. However, the neat-and-tidy conclusion, involving political connections and wealthy donors, may leave some readers believing that just by "being good enough" and "working hard," the undocumented can magically overcome their circumstances regardless of the political climate or financial situation in which they find themselves. Typical teen drama elevated by its exploration of a complex social issue but hampered by an unrealistically feel-good conclusion. (author's note) (Fiction. 14-18) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
August 15, 2016
Jasmine de los Santos, an overachieving 16-year-old immigrant from the Philippines, looks forward to a vibrant future, until she discovers a family secret that threatens to take away her American dream. When Jasmine reveals to her family that she has been awarded a prestigious scholarship that will provide full tuition to the college of her choice, she learns that the family is undocumented; Jasmine cannot accept the award. She also realizes that the boy shes falling for is the son of a congressman who is fighting against an immigration-reform bill that could change the lives of her family forever. Despite this setup, Jasmine is not a single-issue character. In addition to navigating her future newly aware of her immigration status, she also struggles with universal teen dramafriendships, first love, family pressures, etc. An immigrant herself, de la Cruz, succeeds in presenting a complicated and multifaceted topic in a manner that is light enough to keep readers engaged throughout the novels 300-plus pages. However, the neat-and-tidy conclusion, involving political connections and wealthy donors, may leave some readers believing that just by being good enough and working hard, the undocumented can magically overcome their circumstances regardless of the political climate or financial situation in which they find themselves. Typical teen drama elevated by its exploration of a complex social issue but hampered by an unrealistically feel-good conclusion. (authors note) (Fiction. 14-18)
COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
August 1, 2016
Grades 9-12 Since arriving in the U.S. from Antipolo, Philippines, at age nine, Jasmine de los Santos has spent every second striving for success, and she's got the credentials to prove it: cheer captain, future valedictorian, and now National Scholar Award winner. In the face of the all-expenses-paid honor, Jas' parents are forced to reveal a momentous secret: the de los Santos are undocumented immigrants, and Jasmine's acceptance of the award could entirely jeopardize her family's freedom. As the family works fruitlessly to obtain visas, Jas falls for charmingly offbeat Royce Blakely, son of conservative California congressman Colin Blakely. Over first kisses, favorite quotes, and Ferris wheels, Jas gives her heart to Royce. But to save her family, she'll have to put her faith in something far more unreliable. Despite a far-fetched solution to the family's palpable plight, de la Cruz's portrayal of a crooked political climate, peppered with useful words of wisdom (Jas prefers undocumented immigrant to illegal alien), is sure to inform. At its gooey heart, this is a love story suited for romance-thirsty teens.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Perennial best-seller de la Cruz is getting an even bigger push than usual: a major Seventeen magazine partnership, an eight-city tour, and numerous web exclusives.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)