Sure, the writing is a bit sloppy (which is why I couldn't make it through the same author's vampire series), but the message is incredibly solid throughout. Since the story is inspired by the author's own experiences, you know that the multiple hoops that Jasmine has to jump through are realistic. This is not a neat and tidy immigration story, nor is it dark or gritty. Rather, it shows the very normal life of a family living illegally in our country. It is hard to dislike Jasmine, and she is truly the selling factor in this book-- high achieving with serious cultural stressors while aware of how where her pressure to succeed stems from. None of the characters are perfect, and they all have moments where they jump to snap conclusions and fail to see the person behind the belief/politics. 
 I think this will make a good addition to our summer reading list, and I hope that a few kids are not dissuaded by the length and choose to pick it up. 
 Plus the cover is just so pretty.