Sylvia Zeleny

I read the Kirkus for this book, and they panned it for “lack of authentic voice.” I disagree. Julia’ entries in her diary reflect the self-absorption of a teenager as well as her concerns about family. The entries told from Julia’s point of view reflect the changes in her life, particularly after her father, who was a hitman for the Mafia, is in a Juarez, Mexico hospital in a coma and Julia and her brother are sent to live with her aunt in El Paso, Texas. Julia does a great job pointing the differences in American and Mexican schools including the fixation on clothing in America. I am a little concerned about the expletives used so freely, but then kids often speak to one another differently when with peers than they do when surrounded by adults. And in a world surrounded by violence as Julia’s is, language was the mildest of her problems. Lori Felipe-Barkin’s narration provided the perfect voice for Julia.… (more)