Booktalking "The Secret Side of Empty" by Maria Andreu

empty

Monserrat Thalia's gaze on life is losing focus. An undocumented immigrant from Argentina, she is a senior in high school. She cannot see a way into college, considering her status. MT starts skipping school and stops trying. MT's father rules their household with fear and intimidation. Her parents pump her full of anxiety about deportation. She is afraid that cops or goverment officials will get wind of her status, and she will be forced to go live in a country that she does not think can offer her anything.

MT's mother does her best to protect her from her abusive father, but her success is severly limited. Brother Jose is adorable with his SpongeBob fascination. Best friend Chelsea offers her home as a refuge for the lost young woman. MT looks at the road of her life, and she struggles to traverse it. The chains of her abusive father and the lack of documentation shackle her. 

The Secret Side of Empty by Maria Andreu, 2014

I loved reading a fictionalized version of the challenges that undocumented teens face. Unfortunately, though, the teen's father was quite brutal towards her.