3.6 stars 
 A short, simple book with a good mood, but it followed the standard younger YA historical fiction format. I kind of expected something really good and intense, so I guess that kind of brought my rating down a bit. 
 The book started with not extremely good but good writing and grasped quite well a mood. However, I felt a bit impatient waiting for what I expected to happen: there's a slow beginning with an angsty main character living her otherwise happy life when something happens and it gets all intense in the manner of Between Shades of Gray or White Gardenia. Sadly, though I felt the potential, the intensity I expected didn't happen and it was a lot lighter than the kind of book I was hoping for, the writing a bit more middle-grade level, and the main character angsty the whole way through. As expected, the lesson/moral thing. Angie's Review says it very well: The one thing I think is glossed over is the transition to America. Lucia and Frankie do have a very difficult time when they are in the camps in Miami, but there time in Nebraska seems almost too easy. They don't have language problems or problems fitting in at school or making friends. I would think that there would be more issues being the only Cuban/Latino people in the middle of Nebraska at a time when there are probably only white people in the town. I find it hard to believe that the kids were that accepting of them. I think it reads great for a kids book, but I don't find it that realistic. Still I think this was a wonderful book and I recommend it. I agree mostly with that, but I don't think I liked this as much because adult reviewers tend to underestimate what teens and children are capable of reading and I found this book was a bit simple and overly cheery for the teenage audience and the plot, as I mentioned earlier, followed the boilerplate format for younger-adult historical fiction and I didn't really see Lucia as fourteen. "!Que Frio!" Frankie said, rubbing his arms through his sweater. 
 I took off my coat. It was cold outside... really cold. And to think the day before it'd been warm, almost like in Cuba. And of course, cheesy angst gets on my nerves. 
 Then again, I couldn't believe Mama had spent her time with me telling me how to behave. It was like she didn't trust me. She'd sent us to a different country by ourselves, but she was worried about my wearing makeup? Here I was, taking care of Frankie and myself... and I was doing a pretty good job. I was certainly old enough to make my own decisions 
 But there were also those passages of wisdom 
 My chest tightened. I couldn't breathe. Feelings of sadness and joy overwhelmed me. I missed Mama and Papa so much, yet the Baxters were such kind people I couldn't be completely unhappy. On a day when I should've been miserable, I actually wanted to laugh. 
 I liked this book well enough and am glad I read it, though it seems more designed for 10-13 year olds and no one older or younger than that.