Customer Reviews

La Linea

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The author has written a book that is both fast paced and heartbreaking as it tells the story of two young people who take the risk of illegally crossing the border. Leaving their grandma's Mexican home to make the dangerous journey north to be reunited with their parents, the two experience the fear and danger that any illegal immigrant must feel. The characters that they meet and the experiences that they have are told in a manner that you do not want to put this book down. You root for them as they experience fear, hunger, thirst and exhaustion. This was a real eye opener for me. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who works with immigrants. A great selection for school libraries.

Two young peole risk their lives to reunite their family, and in the process learn the strength and depth of their own resilience, their love for each other, and their place in the world.
An easy read, a simple story, about 8th grade level, through the eyes of two youngsters, without preaching. Charming and enlightening. I loved it!

La Linea is a real page-turner... This vivid telling of the perilous events faced by Mexican children trying to reach the United States every day will at once fascinate, horrify, and keep you on your toes. The exciting plot is backed up by complex characters to whom readers will instantly relate. Miguel and Elena are classic young teens, loving and seeking approcal from their elders even as they struggle to assert their individuality. Jaramillo has created a book that will be devoured by young adults and older readers alike, particularly those with a blossoming interest in multicultural issues or human rights.

La Linea is a must-have for anyone who enjoys reading about the triumph and endurance of the human spirit. This book is a fast-paced, meaningful, and richly told story of two siblings facing the most dangerous challenge of their lives. This book will grab the attention of readers of all ages for two reasons: the characters are convincing and dynamic, and the narrative never rests. The story of La Linea is paramount, but the well-crafted details and symbols invite you to read it again and again. I highly recommend this book!

The desperate story of Miguel and his younger sister Elena struggling to escape poverty in southern Mexico to join their parents in California is E.S.L. teacher Ann Jaramillo's 'rst novel. Fear of starvation and a longing for family drives these two teenagers into the dark gauntlet of illegal immigration. Violence, corruption and narrow escapes keep the ordeal fast-paced and scary. The siblings survive the journey and face further disappointment through deportation. Compelling and suspenseful, the story exempli'es the plight of countless poor people looking for a better life across the border. While the media argues the big picture of illegal immigrants including jobs, employers, security, fences, mass round-ups and amnesty, Jaramillo looks at the issue from ground level through the eyes of two children with few options. It's a perilous adventure best saved for at least junior high school age students.

As a middle school teacher in West Texas, I, like Ann Jaramillo, have encountered a multitude of stories from young people and their families as they've struggled to come to the US. The struggle obviously doesn't end when they enter; some of the most heart-wrenching stories occur AFTER the child has assimilated into American culture only to run into the beaurocratic red tape of the INS system.

I was like the other reviewers in that I couldn't put the book down. Migual's and Elena's story is gripping and intense. I was, however, a bit let down by the ending. I wanted it to mirror more of what I've seen with my students' experiences. Nevertheless, the fact that the author chose to end the book where she did will make the book more accessible length-wise for my reluctant readers.

Awesome find! I will have my own "la linea" in my classroom to read this book next week:)

I fear I'm the only person who feels this way, but here's why:

I couldn't put the book down, I wanted to find out what would happen to Miguel and Elena next. I felt a connection with the characters, adored the way the brother and sister duo bonded through their ordeals. But when the book ended, I felt cheated. The story seemed to be building up toward the ending, which never happened, and which I believe Jaramillo tried to resolve in the epilogue, but it fell short.

Also, because of the author's notes, I felt like the book suddenly became a plea to make immigration legal, especially when Jarramillo remarked "the U.S. Border Patrol...has pushed immigrants to cross at increasingly remote, uninhabitated, and dangerous parts of the border." Yes, I learned a lot about what illegal immigrants might go through to get to America by reading this book. But by the end, I felt more like I had watched a documentary told through the lens of a boy escaping the horrors of immigration, or a sermon by Jaramillo, rather than an eye-opening, heart-wrenching novel.

Finally, as a middle school teacher myself, I find the Spanish phrases and sometimes mature topics a little too intense for the recommended 5th grade and up. Other stories that use Spanish text with English, such as Esperanza Rising and Heat translate the words or phrases within the sentence or the next one. This one does not. It doesn't affect me, I still felt Jaramillo was able to tell her story maintaining the authenticity of Mexican culture, but I fear several of my students will get bogged down with the Spanish phrases. I would say this should be recommended for 7th or 8th grade and up.

La Linea, by Ann Jaramillo, is Jaramillo's first book; she teaches English as a second language to seventh and eighth graders in Salinas, California. This first novel is effective and adventurous. This book is one of my favorites; it's fiction, but based on real events in life.

Miguel is a 15 year old boy, who lives in Mexico with his grandmother and sister named Elena. Miguel has dreamed of joining his parents since they left him six years ago. Miguel receives a letter from his dad and his day had come for him to cross La Linea, which means to cross the border; it is filled with dangers, thieves, border guards. He doesn't mind going through all that as long as he gets to see his parents again. Little did Miguel expect that his sister Elena would tag along the way; they go through hard times with money gone and their hopes almost done, they have no choice but to get on the Mata Gente train who kills people. Miguel and Elena notice they cannot always count on their dreams even if they become real. With the arguments along the way they meet several people and together as brother and sister Miguel and Elena work as a team.

The whole point of this book is telling the readers that family is important no matter what situation they go through and how many people are willing to sacrifice themselves for better lives. It involves courage, love, betrayal, and culture; you should always be proud of who you are, and never give up on what you want.

Senior English Student 2011

Ann Jaramillo has written a great book for middle school students. It has engaging characters and deals with subject matter and themes that are relevant to today's youth. I strongly recommend this book for classroom use.

Ann Jaramillo asks, through the immigration experience of two undocumented Mexican youth, whether the American dream is a nightmare or a fantasy, or some mix of the two. Like Cormac McCarthy, she incorporates Spanish slang words like cuate (amigo), menso (tonto), baboso (slug / jerk) and buey (dude). Her characters face the very real fears of death, abuse, starvation, abandonment, rape, and betrayal. As an ESL teacher, Jaramillo was inspired to compose the novel after learning of the recent histories of her students, and their experiences crossing the border. Her work is well-researched and she attempts to document the undocumented, giving voice to a generation of immigrants who struggle to survive in a dangerous new world that they make their home. An excellent short novel for youth and adults alike.