I was only aware of the controversy surrounding this book when I was almost finished. I'm not really surprised that some people have a problem. A lot of people have issues when a white person writes a story that they haven't lived, especially when the people who have lived it get overlooked in the process. I get that, and I don't disagree that it can be problematic. But where does it end? We don't have fundamental issues when men or women authors write characters of the opposite gender. We don't have issues when adult authors write child characters (although I suppose in that case they were a child at some point). We don't have problems with people writing about things they haven't experienced in works of fiction for the most part. That's not to say that we cannot find fault with the research, or the character portrayal that's not authentic. I'm not saying that. I'm just saying I liked it and I don't think I should have to feel bad for that (but maybe I'm wrong).

I'm so far removed from any of the characters that I didn't notice any inaccuracies in Mexican culture, or any problems with the research of the migrant journey across the US border. Perhaps that's why I liked it more. I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters (especially Luca and the sisters) and I enjoyed reading about the journey. I was excited to find out what happened next and I was upset when bad things happened to the characters who didn't deserve it. It hasn't made me a better person, or changed the way I think about migrants in general (I don't have bad feelings in any case, FYI) but it did scoop me up in the story, and I did think about it when I wasn't reading it. I would recommend it to people and they can make their own minds up.