I never finish audiobooks in one sitting, even short ones, but I was so engrossed with this one I kept finding random things to do while I kept listening. This book made me want to do chores! So weird.

It seems some people were bothered by the diary format but for me, hearing about the complex experience of life on the border through a young girl’s most private thoughts was incredibly powerful. The story starts when she’s 11 and naive, kind of aware of the problems in her neighborhood, country and family, but only in a vague sense. She’s still concerned about all of the things young girls everywhere think about, but through friend, boy, and school drama we get glimpses of the trauma that Julia is becoming increasingly aware of as she gets older. I loved this book and would definitely recommend.

Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.