Publishers Weekly
08/15/2016
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. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
"Jasmine's fairytale-turned-nightmare story will have you laughing, seething, relating, crying, and cheering. A great love story, a great heroine, a great family...simply a great read!" —Rachel Cohn, New York Times bestselling co-author of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
"This book has everything—a strong heroine, important issues and a really cute crush. We're obsessed—and you will be too." –The Editors of SEVENTEEN Magazine
"Wow. Something in Between hit me right in the heart, challenging what we understand of love, law, identity, ambition, and the American Dream. Both heartbreaking and bursting with hope, this is the book we all need." —Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Young Elites and Legend series
"Something In Between takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster that's full of laughter, heartbreak, and real world realities for many. De la Cruz is a wordsmith; her prose full of heart. Her character Jasmine's dilemma will linger in the minds of all. This book will change you. A must read." —Dhonielle Clayton, co-author of Tiny Pretty Things and Shiny Broken Pieces, and the forthcoming The Belles
"Something in Between is an eye-opening, engaging, and empathetic read. I loved Jas and her family and cared deeply about her future and her dreams. A must-read!" —Ally Condie, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Matched Trilogy
"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." —Kirkus Reviews
"[A] great choice for younger teens...This book belongs in every middle school library."-School Library Journal
"De la Cruz presents a timely and thought-provoking look at the complex reality of being young and undocumented in the United States...Readers will root for Jasmine as she fights for her future and finds the power of her own voice." -Publishers Weekly
"Through engaging dialogue and a flurry of unanticipated scenes, de la Cruz shines a light on the pressure immigrants face within an unjust and politically driven system. Provocative, eye-opening and poignant, Something in Between is a timely read in a troubled era."
-BookPage
School Library Journal
09/01/2016
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
APRIL 2017 - AudioFile
In clear tones brimming with heart, narrator Cassie Simone brings 17-year-old Jasmine de los Santos to life. After hearing she’s won a National Honor Scholarship, this studious and hardworking teenager is devastated when she learns of her family's status as illegal immigrants, which means that college may be impossible and deportation is a serious threat. Her life becomes increasingly more complicated when she falls for Royce Blakely, the charming and kindhearted son of a high-ranking congressman who opposes an immigration-reform bill that would allow her to go to college. Although the plot focuses more on the romance itself—kept tame for younger teens—than on the more interesting struggle of the family to gain the American Dream, Simone skillfully portrays a diverse cast of characters. D.S. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Review
2016-07-26
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)
