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Indivisible
There is a word Mateo Garcia and his younger sister Sophie have been taught to fear for as long as they can remember: deportation. Over the past few years, however, the fear that their undocumented immigrant parents could be sent back to Mexico has started to fade to the back of their minds. And why wouldn't it, when their Ma and Pa have been in the United States for so long, they have American-born children, and they're hard workers and good neighbors?
When two ICE agents come asking for Pa, the Garcia family realizes that the lives they've built are about to come crumbling down. And when Mateo returns from school one day to find that his parents have been taken, he'll have to come to terms with the fact that his family's worst nightmare has become a reality.
With his Ma and Pa being held in separate detention centers, Mateo must learn how to look after his sister and himself. The choices Mateo makes, and the people he turns to for help, might reunite his family… or tear them apart for good. With his parents’ fate and his own future hanging in the balance, Mateo must figure out who he is and what he is capable of, even as he’s forced to question what it means to be an American teenager in a country that rejects his own mom and dad.
INDIVISIBLE is a remarkable and timely story-both powerful in its explorations of immigration in American and deeply intimate in its portrait of a teen boy driven by his fierce, protective love for his parents and his sister.
When two ICE agents come asking for Pa, the Garcia family realizes that the lives they've built are about to come crumbling down. And when Mateo returns from school one day to find that his parents have been taken, he'll have to come to terms with the fact that his family's worst nightmare has become a reality.
With his Ma and Pa being held in separate detention centers, Mateo must learn how to look after his sister and himself. The choices Mateo makes, and the people he turns to for help, might reunite his family… or tear them apart for good. With his parents’ fate and his own future hanging in the balance, Mateo must figure out who he is and what he is capable of, even as he’s forced to question what it means to be an American teenager in a country that rejects his own mom and dad.
INDIVISIBLE is a remarkable and timely story-both powerful in its explorations of immigration in American and deeply intimate in its portrait of a teen boy driven by his fierce, protective love for his parents and his sister.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published May 4, 2021
About the author
Daniel Aleman
3 books280 followersDaniel Aleman is the award-winning author of INDIVISIBLE. Born and raised in Mexico City, he currently lives in Toronto. His second novel, BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN, is out now, and his adult debut, I MIGHT BE IN TROUBLE, is coming in late 2024.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 375 reviews
May 29, 2021
One of the top young-adult debuts of 2021 so far. Invisible by Daniel Aleman tells the heartbreaking story of Mateo Garcia, a sixteen-year-old who’s world gets shaken when ICE agents arrest his parents one day after he comes home from school. Mateo adopts the responsibility of caring for his younger sister, Sophie, and tries his best to stay afloat with schoolwork and friendships, all while anticipating whether his parents will get deported from the United States. Though Mateo has some support from his uncle Jorge and his wife Amy, as well as his friends Kimmie and Adam, he still must confront the challenge of his parents’ nebulous futures as well as what his own life may look like without them.
Aleman does an excellent job of portraying the effects of deportation and the resulting parental separation on Latinx youth. My heart ached and my eyes teared up reading about Mateo and Sophie’s struggles during the whole process. Aleman doesn’t sugarcoat the siblings’ pain which helped Indivisible feel emotionally significant and authentic. He also writes so well about the deep love between Mateo, Sophie, and their parents, giving their relationships real weight in contrast with media representations that often dehumanize undocumented immigrants. I also enjoyed the diversity within Indivisible, in particular how Mateo and Adam are both gay without their sexualities being the main point of the novel, the romance between Kimmie and Darryl, an Asian and a Black side character, and the depth of Mateo and Kimmie’s friendship.
My only constructive critique of the novel was relationship between Mateo and Adam. I felt that Aleman introduced such a riveting, painful conflict in terms of Mateo recognizing how Kimmie and Adam are much more privileged than he is due to their and their families’ documented status. However, I felt that the resolution of that conflict, especially in the relationship between Mateo and Adam, came across as a bit simplistic and tied up in the mores of romance. Now more than ever I wonder how many YA authors feel compelled to include a romance in their books just to play the amatonormative market. Still, I enjoyed this strong debut novel and feel hopeful in its ability to evoke empathy in readers in regard to issues of xenophobia and immigration.
Aleman does an excellent job of portraying the effects of deportation and the resulting parental separation on Latinx youth. My heart ached and my eyes teared up reading about Mateo and Sophie’s struggles during the whole process. Aleman doesn’t sugarcoat the siblings’ pain which helped Indivisible feel emotionally significant and authentic. He also writes so well about the deep love between Mateo, Sophie, and their parents, giving their relationships real weight in contrast with media representations that often dehumanize undocumented immigrants. I also enjoyed the diversity within Indivisible, in particular how Mateo and Adam are both gay without their sexualities being the main point of the novel, the romance between Kimmie and Darryl, an Asian and a Black side character, and the depth of Mateo and Kimmie’s friendship.
My only constructive critique of the novel was relationship between Mateo and Adam. I felt that Aleman introduced such a riveting, painful conflict in terms of Mateo recognizing how Kimmie and Adam are much more privileged than he is due to their and their families’ documented status. However, I felt that the resolution of that conflict, especially in the relationship between Mateo and Adam, came across as a bit simplistic and tied up in the mores of romance. Now more than ever I wonder how many YA authors feel compelled to include a romance in their books just to play the amatonormative market. Still, I enjoyed this strong debut novel and feel hopeful in its ability to evoke empathy in readers in regard to issues of xenophobia and immigration.
October 3, 2020
The cover is now live! I am so thrilled to finally be able to share it, and I could not be more excited for this story to be on shelves next spring.
January 19, 2022
Loving, raw, political, harsh, hopeful.
Sometimes I wonder why I read YA stories that hurt so much. And then I realize I read them because they’re so, so important. And I hope a lot of other people read those stories too, especially teens, and reflect on them. Books like Indivisible belong in school libraries and need to be discussed in class. Although this is a story about Mexican immigrants in the US, I believe it’s comparable to similar situations with refugees in other countries (at least in mine), and therefore a powerful and necessary book for youth all over the world.
Even though we’d always had this fear in the back of our minds, I didn’t think it was actually going to come true. Deportation always seemed like something that happened to other people ... not us.
While reading this story, I got goosebumps, shivers ran through my body, and I couldn’t believe what I read, even though I know this happens all the time. What do you do when your parents are arrested because they’re illegal? Maybe even getting deported to Mexico? How do you cope? What do you tell your friends? Who do you go to?
I feel empty. It’s as if I’m barely even here, as though this is nothing but a strange dream and I’m going to wake up any second.
I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading the book to find out that Matt is gay. It’s not a major storyline, Matt just is. Most of the story is about his relationship with his seven-year-old sister Sophie. I had a soft spot for her, such a little girl who suddenly missed her parents and who had to cope with friends who told her Mexicans are ‘dirty’.
There will always be people who think someone is worth less than they are because of what they look like or where they’re from. Just because there are people who believe these things, it doesn’t make any of it true.
I loved Indivisible immensely, and already added Daniel Aleman’s next book to my TBR. Thanks, Daniel, for writing such a powerful and relevant debut!
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Sometimes I wonder why I read YA stories that hurt so much. And then I realize I read them because they’re so, so important. And I hope a lot of other people read those stories too, especially teens, and reflect on them. Books like Indivisible belong in school libraries and need to be discussed in class. Although this is a story about Mexican immigrants in the US, I believe it’s comparable to similar situations with refugees in other countries (at least in mine), and therefore a powerful and necessary book for youth all over the world.
Even though we’d always had this fear in the back of our minds, I didn’t think it was actually going to come true. Deportation always seemed like something that happened to other people ... not us.
While reading this story, I got goosebumps, shivers ran through my body, and I couldn’t believe what I read, even though I know this happens all the time. What do you do when your parents are arrested because they’re illegal? Maybe even getting deported to Mexico? How do you cope? What do you tell your friends? Who do you go to?
I feel empty. It’s as if I’m barely even here, as though this is nothing but a strange dream and I’m going to wake up any second.
I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading the book to find out that Matt is gay. It’s not a major storyline, Matt just is. Most of the story is about his relationship with his seven-year-old sister Sophie. I had a soft spot for her, such a little girl who suddenly missed her parents and who had to cope with friends who told her Mexicans are ‘dirty’.
There will always be people who think someone is worth less than they are because of what they look like or where they’re from. Just because there are people who believe these things, it doesn’t make any of it true.
I loved Indivisible immensely, and already added Daniel Aleman’s next book to my TBR. Thanks, Daniel, for writing such a powerful and relevant debut!
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December 1, 2024
✰ 3.75 stars ✰
“Even though we’d always had this fear in the back of our minds, I didn’t think it was actually going to come true. Deportation always seemed like something that happened to other people… not us.”
How painfully tragic that the proposed Mexican wall is not in existence, and yet the divide that it creates is still such a visceral indomitable and unavoidable one that is more than just a corporeal one. The chasm that incurs upon separating an illegal immigrant with their legal by birth children in the United States is such a heartbreaking notion, that is sadly so very true. I was also reminded of how a couple of years ago, the Pakistani government issued the order to deport all Afghani refugees back to their country. The hue and cry that ensued was rampant at how we could be so heartless to expect them to survive when they had sought asylum here in the hopes for a better life - only for it to be snatched from them without preamble.. It just feels so devoid of emotion and apathy, let alone empathy ... 😔
But what stood out for me was that there was no prejudice, no ill will, no form of emotional manipulation that was convincing me of the injustice of what had happened to Matteo's family - 'all the exhaustion, all the shock, all the anxiety from the past hour.' 😢 It was not a cry against the system, although, gosh, I wish someone could see how traumatic their actions are, but simply a glimpse into the despair that befalls a family that is a victim of this act. There was no sugar coating, simply a fair and honest, if not neutral perspective of a sixteen-year-old has he struggled to balance the shock and the pain of having to both accept that his parents have been deported, along with trying to appease his seven-year-old sister, Sophie's longing to reunite with them at whatever cost.
“... I’ve thought a lot about the things I wish were different—and the things I wish I’d done differently. I wish I’d never taken my parents for granted, not even for a second.”
There was a heaviness in my chest when Matt appeared in front of the court judge in defense of his father - appealing that in some way they could understand that his being in New York and caring for his bodega was not hurting anyone. I agreed with him and I hurt for him so much; this responsibility that is in no way fair to impose on him... And that is why this resonated so deeply with me. 🥺 The way it captured and showed how his conflicting emotions were struggling to see the seriousness of what was happening, while also trying to maintain some form of normalcy at school and his friends. Even as he had to sacrifice one to gain another, it was such an impossible and unfair position that as much as his parents convinced him that they were in it together, they did not see the stressful burden they had left him with.
And I really felt that.
The writing vividly captured the mental, physical and emotional strain on those who want to help but can't, those who have to help, but wish they didn't, and those who need help, but don't know how much they can ask before it is just too much to ask for. These honest real portrayals connected Matt with each part of his life. A portrayal that showed the human side of a helping hand and a willful, steadfast support of loyalty and courage and bravery in the face of these difficult trials. As much as one might be angered or hurt by their worries, it is also heartwarming to see how people can be so willing to be there for you, no matter what. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
I think it was not only the hardships that happened in the aftermath that hit me. It was the loneliness of being weighed down by a secret that Matt was too afraid to share with his friends that was also relatable. '—It’s one where my family and I have always had to “be careful' - not entirely American because he did not feel like he belonged. That anxious feeling was tangible and so very relatable to me; how he felt disconnected from them - not feeling like he belonged. 'If you’re constantly comparing yourself to others, you’ll never win.' 💔💔 But, it was also a blinding moment for him to accept that you don't need papers to prove your worth. How when he exploded on them with the announcement of his parents' deportation, I knew then that maybe just maybe, things would be slightly better now for him. For him to realize that his value as a friend exists beyond being an American or of their equal. It is those little moments that lighten the heart that dim the dark and dismal thoughts that I appreciated. 👏🏻👏🏻
“And no matter how hard they tried to separate us, how much the distance hurt, or how it nearly broke us, we are really, truly indivisible.”
Matt and Sophie's relationship is definitely at the forefront. As much as it was sweet to see Matt get closer to Adam, the sibling bond is what really is put to the test; and I liked how real it was shown. 👍🏻 How he had to weigh in just how much he can share with her, but also be wary of her reaction and expectations, knowing that their lives would never be the same again. It did not show that adjustments can be easy for everyone. The fact that it was never trying to win favors or earn my sympathy made me feel for it even more. The way Sophie longed for her parents and just could not bear to be apart from them, even when they were firmly convinced that she had a better life of opportunities in America than staying in Mexico with them... 😟
Let's also talk about the cover.. The American flag' stripes in Matt's silhouette - for so long they've been invisible to the system, and then so suddenly and unexpectedly everything can change... And isn't that just so sad? To hope for your children to have the chance for the American dream, when it was their very own decision to come to America that led them to be apart from them? What kind of cruel injustice is this? His parents' helplessness to do much to appease their children, let alone even express how much it hurts them, too, for this to be imposed upon them... But, what the author showed is that one can always hope to believe in the American dream. That for the doors may seem closed off now, not all is lost; that they are stronger and Indivisible as a family, because they will fight to still be together - no matter what kind of wall separates them. 🫂
“Even though we’d always had this fear in the back of our minds, I didn’t think it was actually going to come true. Deportation always seemed like something that happened to other people… not us.”
How painfully tragic that the proposed Mexican wall is not in existence, and yet the divide that it creates is still such a visceral indomitable and unavoidable one that is more than just a corporeal one. The chasm that incurs upon separating an illegal immigrant with their legal by birth children in the United States is such a heartbreaking notion, that is sadly so very true. I was also reminded of how a couple of years ago, the Pakistani government issued the order to deport all Afghani refugees back to their country. The hue and cry that ensued was rampant at how we could be so heartless to expect them to survive when they had sought asylum here in the hopes for a better life - only for it to be snatched from them without preamble.. It just feels so devoid of emotion and apathy, let alone empathy ... 😔
But what stood out for me was that there was no prejudice, no ill will, no form of emotional manipulation that was convincing me of the injustice of what had happened to Matteo's family - 'all the exhaustion, all the shock, all the anxiety from the past hour.' 😢 It was not a cry against the system, although, gosh, I wish someone could see how traumatic their actions are, but simply a glimpse into the despair that befalls a family that is a victim of this act. There was no sugar coating, simply a fair and honest, if not neutral perspective of a sixteen-year-old has he struggled to balance the shock and the pain of having to both accept that his parents have been deported, along with trying to appease his seven-year-old sister, Sophie's longing to reunite with them at whatever cost.
“... I’ve thought a lot about the things I wish were different—and the things I wish I’d done differently. I wish I’d never taken my parents for granted, not even for a second.”
There was a heaviness in my chest when Matt appeared in front of the court judge in defense of his father - appealing that in some way they could understand that his being in New York and caring for his bodega was not hurting anyone. I agreed with him and I hurt for him so much; this responsibility that is in no way fair to impose on him... And that is why this resonated so deeply with me. 🥺 The way it captured and showed how his conflicting emotions were struggling to see the seriousness of what was happening, while also trying to maintain some form of normalcy at school and his friends. Even as he had to sacrifice one to gain another, it was such an impossible and unfair position that as much as his parents convinced him that they were in it together, they did not see the stressful burden they had left him with.
And I really felt that.
The writing vividly captured the mental, physical and emotional strain on those who want to help but can't, those who have to help, but wish they didn't, and those who need help, but don't know how much they can ask before it is just too much to ask for. These honest real portrayals connected Matt with each part of his life. A portrayal that showed the human side of a helping hand and a willful, steadfast support of loyalty and courage and bravery in the face of these difficult trials. As much as one might be angered or hurt by their worries, it is also heartwarming to see how people can be so willing to be there for you, no matter what. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
I think it was not only the hardships that happened in the aftermath that hit me. It was the loneliness of being weighed down by a secret that Matt was too afraid to share with his friends that was also relatable. '—It’s one where my family and I have always had to “be careful' - not entirely American because he did not feel like he belonged. That anxious feeling was tangible and so very relatable to me; how he felt disconnected from them - not feeling like he belonged. 'If you’re constantly comparing yourself to others, you’ll never win.' 💔💔 But, it was also a blinding moment for him to accept that you don't need papers to prove your worth. How when he exploded on them with the announcement of his parents' deportation, I knew then that maybe just maybe, things would be slightly better now for him. For him to realize that his value as a friend exists beyond being an American or of their equal. It is those little moments that lighten the heart that dim the dark and dismal thoughts that I appreciated. 👏🏻👏🏻
“And no matter how hard they tried to separate us, how much the distance hurt, or how it nearly broke us, we are really, truly indivisible.”
Matt and Sophie's relationship is definitely at the forefront. As much as it was sweet to see Matt get closer to Adam, the sibling bond is what really is put to the test; and I liked how real it was shown. 👍🏻 How he had to weigh in just how much he can share with her, but also be wary of her reaction and expectations, knowing that their lives would never be the same again. It did not show that adjustments can be easy for everyone. The fact that it was never trying to win favors or earn my sympathy made me feel for it even more. The way Sophie longed for her parents and just could not bear to be apart from them, even when they were firmly convinced that she had a better life of opportunities in America than staying in Mexico with them... 😟
Let's also talk about the cover.. The American flag' stripes in Matt's silhouette - for so long they've been invisible to the system, and then so suddenly and unexpectedly everything can change... And isn't that just so sad? To hope for your children to have the chance for the American dream, when it was their very own decision to come to America that led them to be apart from them? What kind of cruel injustice is this? His parents' helplessness to do much to appease their children, let alone even express how much it hurts them, too, for this to be imposed upon them... But, what the author showed is that one can always hope to believe in the American dream. That for the doors may seem closed off now, not all is lost; that they are stronger and Indivisible as a family, because they will fight to still be together - no matter what kind of wall separates them. 🫂
February 19, 2021
Thank you the NOVL for the arc.
It was back in 2019 when ICE arrested almost 700 people and left their children without anyone to take care of them. They came out of school, wondering where their parents were. I always wondered if they got somewhere safe; if someone they knew was taking care of them or if their parents were allowed out of detention to make sure their children were safe. I'm old enough to know the evil hides behind a human face. Those photographs of those poor children broke my heart, and I tried and tried to understand why...
INDIVISIBLE answers a lot of those nagging questions. Mateo, a Broadway enthusiast, and brother to Sophie, suddenly finds his life turned upside down when both of his parents are detained by ICE. At sixteen, he does not have the skills to take care of his little sister, cook, and clean, and work at his parent's bodega. While his friends fill his life with their positivity, he finds that he can't confide in them what's going, thus keeping all of his emotions bottled up inside. He turns to his uncle, but their living situation only fuels the fire burning inside of him. This is a story of heartbreak, fear, and hope that will have you questioning by things are the way they are.
Daniel Aleman brings the topic of family separation into the YA world. I am pretty sure this book is going to make waves. It's such an important book for this day and age. Not only is it about the love of family, but also about friendship, and learning to find the strength to lean on others when things get too difficult.
The writing is accessible; I devoured this book within a day and a half. There's a word readers often use. Unputdownable. This word fits here. I couldn't stop reading, however hard my stomach was clenching.
Oh, and there are queer reps! Both Mateo and his best friend Adam are gay.
Diversity! There are Asian and Italian reps, as well as Mexican, of course.
This has to be my favorite read of February, if not of all of 2021. I know the year is young, but I have a feeling this book will not move an inch from its spot on my best reads of this year.
Triggers for emotional distress, and some talk of sex and swears.
It was back in 2019 when ICE arrested almost 700 people and left their children without anyone to take care of them. They came out of school, wondering where their parents were. I always wondered if they got somewhere safe; if someone they knew was taking care of them or if their parents were allowed out of detention to make sure their children were safe. I'm old enough to know the evil hides behind a human face. Those photographs of those poor children broke my heart, and I tried and tried to understand why...
INDIVISIBLE answers a lot of those nagging questions. Mateo, a Broadway enthusiast, and brother to Sophie, suddenly finds his life turned upside down when both of his parents are detained by ICE. At sixteen, he does not have the skills to take care of his little sister, cook, and clean, and work at his parent's bodega. While his friends fill his life with their positivity, he finds that he can't confide in them what's going, thus keeping all of his emotions bottled up inside. He turns to his uncle, but their living situation only fuels the fire burning inside of him. This is a story of heartbreak, fear, and hope that will have you questioning by things are the way they are.
Daniel Aleman brings the topic of family separation into the YA world. I am pretty sure this book is going to make waves. It's such an important book for this day and age. Not only is it about the love of family, but also about friendship, and learning to find the strength to lean on others when things get too difficult.
The writing is accessible; I devoured this book within a day and a half. There's a word readers often use. Unputdownable. This word fits here. I couldn't stop reading, however hard my stomach was clenching.
Oh, and there are queer reps! Both Mateo and his best friend Adam are gay.
Diversity! There are Asian and Italian reps, as well as Mexican, of course.
This has to be my favorite read of February, if not of all of 2021. I know the year is young, but I have a feeling this book will not move an inch from its spot on my best reads of this year.
Triggers for emotional distress, and some talk of sex and swears.
May 11, 2021
wow! this book broke my heart, the story is so heartbreaking, but i think it's a must read to everybody out there! i absolutely loved this book, and how it had real life problems and dealt with them in a realistic way (not always life is easy or going to be as we want it to be).
January 15, 2021
Updating my review because I had a chance to read the newest version of the book and all I can say is: wow. This book will make waves. It is not only a timely, much needed novel about immigration. It is also a beautifully told story about reaching for our dreams, finding solace in the most unexpected of places, and allowing other people to lift us up when we're at our lowest points. Readers of all ages will be blown away by Indivisible, and I can't wait to watch where this book ends up.
Original Review:
I had the opportunity to read an early draft of this book and it’s everything I hoped it would be and more.
I’m so happy that this important, heartfelt story will be on shelves.
Original Review:
I had the opportunity to read an early draft of this book and it’s everything I hoped it would be and more.
I’m so happy that this important, heartfelt story will be on shelves.
March 13, 2022
I finished Indivisible in one sitting… I live near the Mexico border, and this story is very true for a lot of families in my area. This book was SO well done. I might be crying over this quote: “And no matter how hard they tried to separate us, how much the distance hurt, or how it nearly broke us, we are really, truly indivisible.”
September 14, 2020
Indivisible by Daniel Aleman is as timely as it is emotional. A beautiful story about family, friendship and what it means to be American.
December 31, 2021
CW:
Indivisible reminds me of The Hate U Give because I started crying near the beginning and didn’t stop the whole way. Daniel Aleman and Angie Thomas’ novels are obviously similar in more important ways. They both have teenaged main characters who directly experience racial injustice and suffer at the hands of the American carceral system.
Mateo, the main character of Indivisible, is such a sweet and caring brother, friend and son who loves theatre. I loved reading about Mateo’s friends, Kimmie and Adam, and how genuine their friendship dynamic is, including break ups and make ups.
"The rest of the walk back to the bodega is mostly quiet. There doesn’t seem to be anything left to say, so neither of us tries to speak up. We just walk comfortably in silence, the way that only real friends can."
The characters are actually diverse and the representation is great: Mateo is gay and Mexican, Adam is gay and Italian and Kimmie is Korean and white.
Mateo’s relationship with Sophie, his seven year old sister, is super sweet and realistic in how he cares for her, gets annoyed at her and sacrifices his time and little money to make her happy. It’s incredibly unfair that Mateo has to step in as Sophie’s parent and friend when he’s only 15/16/17 (I’m permanently confused about American schooling ages).
I really loved Mateo’s relationship with his parents. Aleman makes it obvious how much they both love him and always want the best for him and, I wish I didn’t have to mention this, accept that he’s gay. Mateo and Sophie being separated from their parents is so sad and infuriating and unjust. Having to live with the threat of deportation for over twenty years sounds unbearable, but when their fear comes true, Mateo’s family is heartbroken.
"I hate this, I think to myself as I try to hold in the tears that are threatening to fall from my eyes. I just wish I could speak up. Maybe telling my family about this deep, dark feeling of sadness would help make it go away, but what’s the point of talking about these things, anyway? There’s nothing we can do."
I have to say that I didn’t enjoy or understand the romance between Mateo and Adam. It felt a bit forced in my opinion, just because of the proximity of two gay people. Adam’s attraction to Mateo felt much more genuine than the other way around.
I recommend Indivisible if you want to read about racial issues in an imperialist society from a teenager’s perspective.
Indivisible reminds me of The Hate U Give because I started crying near the beginning and didn’t stop the whole way. Daniel Aleman and Angie Thomas’ novels are obviously similar in more important ways. They both have teenaged main characters who directly experience racial injustice and suffer at the hands of the American carceral system.
Mateo, the main character of Indivisible, is such a sweet and caring brother, friend and son who loves theatre. I loved reading about Mateo’s friends, Kimmie and Adam, and how genuine their friendship dynamic is, including break ups and make ups.
"The rest of the walk back to the bodega is mostly quiet. There doesn’t seem to be anything left to say, so neither of us tries to speak up. We just walk comfortably in silence, the way that only real friends can."
The characters are actually diverse and the representation is great: Mateo is gay and Mexican, Adam is gay and Italian and Kimmie is Korean and white.
Mateo’s relationship with Sophie, his seven year old sister, is super sweet and realistic in how he cares for her, gets annoyed at her and sacrifices his time and little money to make her happy. It’s incredibly unfair that Mateo has to step in as Sophie’s parent and friend when he’s only 15/16/17 (I’m permanently confused about American schooling ages).
I really loved Mateo’s relationship with his parents. Aleman makes it obvious how much they both love him and always want the best for him and, I wish I didn’t have to mention this, accept that he’s gay. Mateo and Sophie being separated from their parents is so sad and infuriating and unjust. Having to live with the threat of deportation for over twenty years sounds unbearable, but when their fear comes true, Mateo’s family is heartbroken.
"I hate this, I think to myself as I try to hold in the tears that are threatening to fall from my eyes. I just wish I could speak up. Maybe telling my family about this deep, dark feeling of sadness would help make it go away, but what’s the point of talking about these things, anyway? There’s nothing we can do."
I have to say that I didn’t enjoy or understand the romance between Mateo and Adam. It felt a bit forced in my opinion, just because of the proximity of two gay people. Adam’s attraction to Mateo felt much more genuine than the other way around.
I recommend Indivisible if you want to read about racial issues in an imperialist society from a teenager’s perspective.
December 26, 2021
This book ranks ninth in my favorite books of 2021!✨
It had been a long time since I hadn't cried at every chapter of a book.
I think the right words to describe this book are: heartbreaking, painful, hopeful, loving, friendship, family.
This is a book that everyone should read because it is very real and happens every day in the lives of many Latino immigrants who only come to the United States to have a much better life that their countries cannot give them because of many other factors.
In each of the chapters my heart ached as I read the situation Mateo and Sophie went through once their parents were deported. In each chapter I felt an anguish of what was going to happen to them, who was going to take care of them, what awaited them each day. Reading Sophie's desperation to want to see and be with her parents broke my soul, and reading how Mateo suffered because he couldn't see and make his little sister happy. I just wanted to hold them and protect them forever.
There were chapters where I suffered a lot, but there were also three chapters that really made me happy. Two of those chapters are related to the friendship Mateo has with his best friends: Adam and Kimmie. They protected him and gave him the support to keep him going despite how bad Mateo was having it. And that final chapter was like that light at the end of a very dark tunnel, it was hopeful and warmed my heart after all the suffering.
Family is very important in this book and it's something that really influenced me to really love this book.
Without a doubt, my favorite character is Mateo. He did really well and changed a lot, but he was always there for his sister, always protected her, always cared for her and always loved her. Plus I was really surprised that Mateo was gay, that gave another extra point for me to love this book even more.
This book will always be one of my favorites and I really loved it!
I will read everything Daniel Aleman writes.
It had been a long time since I hadn't cried at every chapter of a book.
I think the right words to describe this book are: heartbreaking, painful, hopeful, loving, friendship, family.
This is a book that everyone should read because it is very real and happens every day in the lives of many Latino immigrants who only come to the United States to have a much better life that their countries cannot give them because of many other factors.
In each of the chapters my heart ached as I read the situation Mateo and Sophie went through once their parents were deported. In each chapter I felt an anguish of what was going to happen to them, who was going to take care of them, what awaited them each day. Reading Sophie's desperation to want to see and be with her parents broke my soul, and reading how Mateo suffered because he couldn't see and make his little sister happy. I just wanted to hold them and protect them forever.
There were chapters where I suffered a lot, but there were also three chapters that really made me happy. Two of those chapters are related to the friendship Mateo has with his best friends: Adam and Kimmie. They protected him and gave him the support to keep him going despite how bad Mateo was having it. And that final chapter was like that light at the end of a very dark tunnel, it was hopeful and warmed my heart after all the suffering.
Family is very important in this book and it's something that really influenced me to really love this book.
Without a doubt, my favorite character is Mateo. He did really well and changed a lot, but he was always there for his sister, always protected her, always cared for her and always loved her. Plus I was really surprised that Mateo was gay, that gave another extra point for me to love this book even more.
This book will always be one of my favorites and I really loved it!
I will read everything Daniel Aleman writes.
September 10, 2022
Reading all of these glowing reviews I can't help but wonder: am I dead on the inside?
Because honestly, I can't relate to any of them. And it sucks, because I know how important this book is.
The only positive thing I have to say is how well executed are deportation and its consequences. Apart from that, sorry, but this is a mess. Cardboard characters with green card to act irrationally just because of their situation, or just being there to add unnecessary and inconsequential subplots, including a romantic interest out of nowhere... All of this with a boring narrative almost cringy and all tell and never show.
I insist, I'm so happy that these books are being written and out there, but this one wasn't for me.
Because honestly, I can't relate to any of them. And it sucks, because I know how important this book is.
The only positive thing I have to say is how well executed are deportation and its consequences. Apart from that, sorry, but this is a mess. Cardboard characters with green card to act irrationally just because of their situation, or just being there to add unnecessary and inconsequential subplots, including a romantic interest out of nowhere... All of this with a boring narrative almost cringy and all tell and never show.
I insist, I'm so happy that these books are being written and out there, but this one wasn't for me.
May 8, 2021
I decided to read Indivisible By Daniel Aleman for an honest review.
This pulled at my heart string. Even though this is a fiction story. This is very much true. Families destroyed and separated by being broken up and separated. People who have been here almost all there lives being sent back to the one place they are running from. I felt for these characters. I felt their pain and hurt.
This story deals with a mother and father who get arrested by ICE for over staying their visas. The decisions that not only adults have to make but children who are often left alone without their adults.
Definitely a story to read and have on your shelf. A+
This pulled at my heart string. Even though this is a fiction story. This is very much true. Families destroyed and separated by being broken up and separated. People who have been here almost all there lives being sent back to the one place they are running from. I felt for these characters. I felt their pain and hurt.
This story deals with a mother and father who get arrested by ICE for over staying their visas. The decisions that not only adults have to make but children who are often left alone without their adults.
Definitely a story to read and have on your shelf. A+
May 14, 2021
This made me tear up a few times. I was really hoping to see a bit of Matt’s life during senior year but I absolutely loved this book
May 5, 2021
This is one of those books that I experienced such a myriad of emotions in a short time frame that once I finished, I just needed to sit with my thoughts and process everything.
Indivisible is a story that follows the life of Mateo Garcia (a high schooler) and his younger sister Sophie (an elementary schooler). After carefully concealing the truth of their citizenship status for decades, Mateo’s parents are taken away by ICE leaving Mateo and Sophie to their own devices. Mateo and Sophie quickly learn the cruelties of the immigration system and the sacrifices that must be made in order to have a better life.
I will not be able to sufficiently unpack everything that this book contains in this review. This book covers examines illegal immigration, what it means to be American, the “American Dream”, racial injustice, xenophobia, queerness, etc.
It was heart wrenching to see Mateo going from a regular teenage boy to chasing his dreams of attending Tisch and becoming a Broadway sensation to figuring out how to parent his sister who has completely withdrawn from a place where their parents can no longer live. The fear, anxiety, and PTSD were palpable.
One of the aspects of this story that I absolutely loved was showing the importance of support groups. In this case, it was Mateo’s community (originally set up by their parents) and friends who came together to ensure that him and Sophie wouldn’t end up another statistic, and I absolutely loved it.
I don’t want to give anything else away. This is definitely one of those books that I think should be a must read for people because it really is an eye-opening coming of age story that really sheds light onto some of the very real situations that kids are living through right now.
Thank you Hachette Audio for providing an advanced listening copy through NetGalley. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
Indivisible is a story that follows the life of Mateo Garcia (a high schooler) and his younger sister Sophie (an elementary schooler). After carefully concealing the truth of their citizenship status for decades, Mateo’s parents are taken away by ICE leaving Mateo and Sophie to their own devices. Mateo and Sophie quickly learn the cruelties of the immigration system and the sacrifices that must be made in order to have a better life.
I will not be able to sufficiently unpack everything that this book contains in this review. This book covers examines illegal immigration, what it means to be American, the “American Dream”, racial injustice, xenophobia, queerness, etc.
It was heart wrenching to see Mateo going from a regular teenage boy to chasing his dreams of attending Tisch and becoming a Broadway sensation to figuring out how to parent his sister who has completely withdrawn from a place where their parents can no longer live. The fear, anxiety, and PTSD were palpable.
One of the aspects of this story that I absolutely loved was showing the importance of support groups. In this case, it was Mateo’s community (originally set up by their parents) and friends who came together to ensure that him and Sophie wouldn’t end up another statistic, and I absolutely loved it.
I don’t want to give anything else away. This is definitely one of those books that I think should be a must read for people because it really is an eye-opening coming of age story that really sheds light onto some of the very real situations that kids are living through right now.
Thank you Hachette Audio for providing an advanced listening copy through NetGalley. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
June 2, 2021
Mateo, the 16 year old protagonist, has his whole life upended when both of his parents are discovered and taken in by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). Now, Mateo has to balance school, work, and caring for his younger sister, Sophie. When this early thrust into adulthood proves to be too much too soon, Mateo finally accepts help from an adult family friend named Jorge. Mateo's little sister, Sophie, is having a hard time adjusting to the new normal; and, desperately wants to join her parents in Mexico. Will Mateo leave all his friends and acting aspirations to join Sophie and his parents in Mexico?
This story was an emotionally intense look at migrant families in modern America; it offers an authentic look at the children of migrants who have been separated from their parents due to deportation. Aleman's narrative is a well-written and heart-wrenching piece that is sure to resonate with many readers.
This story was an emotionally intense look at migrant families in modern America; it offers an authentic look at the children of migrants who have been separated from their parents due to deportation. Aleman's narrative is a well-written and heart-wrenching piece that is sure to resonate with many readers.
January 12, 2021
I found my heart fully with Mateo Garcia and his family as I read Indivisible by Daniel Aleman. Pulling the reader in from the beginning with the fear of immigration agents, Aleman also shows how complicated Mateo's life is while he tries to balance school, supporting his younger sister, and nurturing his dreams for his future. Aleman presents a strong, protective protagonist that you will root for until the very last word of the story.
Want to read
January 15, 2021I‘m gonna be honest. As soon as I found out that this book was written by a fellow Mexican, I couldn't contain my excitement. I might have screamed as I was walking down the street.
December 17, 2023
Gonna need this to be required reading in every high school English class in America
November 13, 2020
THIS BOOK! I was able to get my hands on an ARC and I inhaled it. The main character is Mateo, who lives in New York City and dreams of becoming a Broadway star, but his life starts to unravel when he learns that ICE is looking for his dad.
Needles to say, I was in tears by Chapter 3. Mateo's voice feels so real and authentic and his emotions jump off the page. This is one of those books where every character feels fully realized and the supporting cast is equally as exciting to read about as the main character. Mateo's parents are very loving and supportive, and his friends manage to be complex and likeable at the same time. My favorite is by far Sophie, his younger sister, and the relationship that she and Mateo have.
This story felt grounded and important, but never didactic, which I feel is a hallmark of the best YA. This one is going to the top of my list of 2021 books to watch!
Needles to say, I was in tears by Chapter 3. Mateo's voice feels so real and authentic and his emotions jump off the page. This is one of those books where every character feels fully realized and the supporting cast is equally as exciting to read about as the main character. Mateo's parents are very loving and supportive, and his friends manage to be complex and likeable at the same time. My favorite is by far Sophie, his younger sister, and the relationship that she and Mateo have.
This story felt grounded and important, but never didactic, which I feel is a hallmark of the best YA. This one is going to the top of my list of 2021 books to watch!
May 26, 2021
This is the read I needed after not enjoying my last read. The pacing was nerve-wracking in an excellent way, and I think the friendship, family, and other relationship bonds were explored so well. Aleman had such a clear viewpoint, and I think this book does a great job of showing how complicated the immigration and deportation processes are. It's heartbreaking to see a family ripped apart like this and having to see the impossible decisions they all have to make. Humans are not illegal. Read this book; it's sort of flying under the radar right now, and that's unacceptable.
May 8, 2021
Wow. Speechless. I’ll write a review when I get my thoughts together.
May 29, 2021
Deportation. It’s a scary word. And an even scarier reality.
I just finished Indivisible by Daniel Aleman and I cried. Not once, not twice, but three times. The whole time I kept thinking about my family and how difficult it is to deal with something like that. I’m Indian, my family immigrated from Punjab to California, and they did it legally, but I know countless people, good people, who are undocumented. My friends parents, uncles, cousins, and so many more. I know how it feels when someone goes through this, I’ve been through it. That’s why my heart absolutely broke for Mateo and his family.
Anyway, onto the book: Mateo is a 16-year-old-broadway-loving teenager. His dream is to go to Tisch and eventually end up on Broadway. His parents own a little corner shop, they live in an apartment and they’re happy. The only thing: his parents are undocumented immigrants. But things have been perfectly normal for 20+ years, so why would they change now?
Like I said, I sobbed while reading this book. My heart broke over and over again, thinking about losing family and thinking that your whole life is over. I genuinely do not know what to say. This book is heart touching, heart breaking and honest. It’s not sugar coated, there’s no sunshine and rainbows everywhere: it shows you the truth. What actually happens and what families go through.
My point is, if you haven’t read it, read it, and don’t forget to take a box of tissues with you.
I just finished Indivisible by Daniel Aleman and I cried. Not once, not twice, but three times. The whole time I kept thinking about my family and how difficult it is to deal with something like that. I’m Indian, my family immigrated from Punjab to California, and they did it legally, but I know countless people, good people, who are undocumented. My friends parents, uncles, cousins, and so many more. I know how it feels when someone goes through this, I’ve been through it. That’s why my heart absolutely broke for Mateo and his family.
Anyway, onto the book: Mateo is a 16-year-old-broadway-loving teenager. His dream is to go to Tisch and eventually end up on Broadway. His parents own a little corner shop, they live in an apartment and they’re happy. The only thing: his parents are undocumented immigrants. But things have been perfectly normal for 20+ years, so why would they change now?
Like I said, I sobbed while reading this book. My heart broke over and over again, thinking about losing family and thinking that your whole life is over. I genuinely do not know what to say. This book is heart touching, heart breaking and honest. It’s not sugar coated, there’s no sunshine and rainbows everywhere: it shows you the truth. What actually happens and what families go through.
My point is, if you haven’t read it, read it, and don’t forget to take a box of tissues with you.
May 8, 2021
Thank you Amazon Vine for my review copy. I also listened the audio as I read via Libro.fm.
This was a very emotional and heartbreaking story. My heart broke for Mateo as he had to grow up rather quickly and become the care giver to his sister Sophie. Even though this is a fictional family, stories like this are happening every day in real life and it’s not easy to read about without becoming sad. People come to this country for a better life and I couldn’t imagine having to leave everyone and everything I know and have to seek asylum in a foreign country and take any job I can get so my kids can have a better future. This question also ask the reader what does it mean to be American? What makes you American? Overall, I did enjoy the story, but at times I felt Mateo’s inner dialogue was a little repetitive. I loved the supporting characters who stood by Mateo no matter what and that brought a smile to my face. This was a very solid debut by Aleman and I look forward to reading more books by this author.
This was a very emotional and heartbreaking story. My heart broke for Mateo as he had to grow up rather quickly and become the care giver to his sister Sophie. Even though this is a fictional family, stories like this are happening every day in real life and it’s not easy to read about without becoming sad. People come to this country for a better life and I couldn’t imagine having to leave everyone and everything I know and have to seek asylum in a foreign country and take any job I can get so my kids can have a better future. This question also ask the reader what does it mean to be American? What makes you American? Overall, I did enjoy the story, but at times I felt Mateo’s inner dialogue was a little repetitive. I loved the supporting characters who stood by Mateo no matter what and that brought a smile to my face. This was a very solid debut by Aleman and I look forward to reading more books by this author.
September 15, 2020
This is a very timely novel that I anticipate will make it big. It is an emotional journey that keeps you rooting for these characters until the last page.
Mateo is one of the most complex and easily relatable characters I have ever read and the book brings to light challenging topics in a way that both young and mature readers can appreciate. I would highly recommend it!!
Mateo is one of the most complex and easily relatable characters I have ever read and the book brings to light challenging topics in a way that both young and mature readers can appreciate. I would highly recommend it!!
May 19, 2021
(4.5)
June 13, 2021
This was written with such love and I felt it on every single page. I need time to cry and process.
This was haunting.
This was haunting.
June 23, 2023
such an important read!!
this made me cry on the train so i don't recommend reading it in public but i definitely do recommend reading it
this made me cry on the train so i don't recommend reading it in public but i definitely do recommend reading it
April 25, 2021
This book broke my heart. Partly because it’s my most frequent nightmare, but mostly because it’s so true to life and so many people can sadly relate to it. Indivisible is such a good book that I preordered a hard copy from my local book store before I was even 20% through the ARC.
Mateo Garcia is a junior in high school, living in NYC with his parents and sister Sophia. This tight knit, hardworking, and happy family is ripped apart when ICE suddenly detains Mateo’s parents. Mateo is forced to make huge changes in his life that he doesn’t feel prepared for, and the future that he thought was laid out in front of him doesn’t seem so clear anymore.
Daniel Aleman has written a beautiful, heartbreaking, and realistic novel on the realities of the US immigration system, how it targets families and rips them apart, and forces children and adults to make choices that they would not have to do if the policies were not based on exclusion but rather on inclusion. As someone who knows the system too well I feel like the author did a brilliant job of depicting it, and the long-ranging consequences of each ICE raid and interaction. I expect many people who don’t have to deal with the immigration don’t understand exactly how it works, and I really, really wish they would. Books like Indivisible portray a very realistic overview of life as an undocumented person or in a family where certain members are undocumented. Highly, highly recommended read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Mateo Garcia is a junior in high school, living in NYC with his parents and sister Sophia. This tight knit, hardworking, and happy family is ripped apart when ICE suddenly detains Mateo’s parents. Mateo is forced to make huge changes in his life that he doesn’t feel prepared for, and the future that he thought was laid out in front of him doesn’t seem so clear anymore.
Daniel Aleman has written a beautiful, heartbreaking, and realistic novel on the realities of the US immigration system, how it targets families and rips them apart, and forces children and adults to make choices that they would not have to do if the policies were not based on exclusion but rather on inclusion. As someone who knows the system too well I feel like the author did a brilliant job of depicting it, and the long-ranging consequences of each ICE raid and interaction. I expect many people who don’t have to deal with the immigration don’t understand exactly how it works, and I really, really wish they would. Books like Indivisible portray a very realistic overview of life as an undocumented person or in a family where certain members are undocumented. Highly, highly recommended read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
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