Review Detail

Friends Pulga, Chico, and Pequena flee the violence of their Guatemalan homes for the United States. Pulga and Chico have to leave as Rey, a gang leader, has targeted them to help him carry out criminal activities. Pequena has her own reasons for leaving too. The friends stumble through the country, travel on la Bestia-the deadly train that is known for breaking souls-and encounter both good and bad on their way to freedom.

What worked: Breathtaking, haunting, and tragic, this story shows three Guatemalan teen's flight from their country to the United States. The horrors start when Pulga and Chico overhear the brutal murder of an elderly man in his store. His wife shares her visions of danger for the teens if they stay. She tells them to 'run'.

The story is told through the eyes of Pulga and Pequena. The scenes on the La Bestia are tragic and haunting. I ended up watching YouTube videos on la Bestia. Seeing all those people on top of the train shows the overwhelming drive these immigrants have to do anything in order to have a better life. My own great-grandmother’s Mexican family came over for the same reasons. They were searching for a better life.

Pequena’s story is raw and tragic. All it took was her looking up at the wrong time and getting the unwanted attention of a gang member. The physical and sexual abuse of these young women is real. Her story is one that really haunted me. The fear and the struggle of being around daily violence and harassment is a story shared by others. The strong writing gives these people a voice and also shows that these individuals are not just statistics but human beings.

Powerful, gut-wrenching YA that is a story that needs to be read and discussed especially under current administration. Highly recommend.