Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.Īn ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.

Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year-that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. 12+)*justify no*Ī Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart. Playing their drama against the death of a young woman in the past-whose love of knowledge resembles Juniper's, but whose quest leads to tragedy rather than love-gives the story poignancy and depth. Though Dylan is drawn like a moth to Juniper's flame, she soon realizes that he has a strength and grace that her sexier, older boyfriend lacks. With vividly depicted, believable characters, this is superior fantasy. Fortunately, Juniper and Dylan together find the strength to shield Joanna from the agony of her burning. Events rush to a conclusion as Joanna is tried by the ordeal of water and then burned, with Juniper in danger of being pulled into a 20th-century parallel. Juniper's mother warns Dylan that Juniper can be heedless, but Dylan is too fascinated by Juniper and by his own vision of Joanna's plight to withdraw.

Some of these are from the past- experiences of a young mother and herb-wife, Joanna. Juniper, whose wide interests include reincarnation and time travel, drags feckless Dylan Pidgley into her experiments with telepathy because he is a marvelous artist and can draw the scenes she transmits. A 14-year-old finds herself psychically linked with a young woman who was burned as a witch in medieval England.

The Juniper Game by Sherryl Jordan