I had been looking forward to listening to this book, not only because of the setting and the premise, but also because how it was written: diary entries. Reading the synopsis immediately brought to mind The Poet X, so I may have gone into this with higher expectations than was fair for this book.

Overall, the book was fine. I found the first half of the book to be repetitive with Julia's complaining and whining. Again and again I would have to remind myself that this was a pre-teen writing in her diary and was written for middle grade-age kids (or maybe even young adults). Either way, I think even kids who this book was intended for would get tired of the whining without much else happening.

Where it really gets good, however, is the last third or so of the book when the storyline picks up. Julia starts struggling with the reality of her life and her parents' decisions. The dichotomy of her life in Juarez and her new life in El Paso was especially interesting.

I listened to the audiobook and Lori Felipe-Barkin was a fine narrator. She hit the right pitch for a pre-teen and had a smooth delivery, though I can't say there was anything really notable about her narration, either.

Thank you to NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.