Great coming of age story. It isn’t all easy and at times his world is falling apart. It is about family, friendships, relationships and the stress of letting people in when your world is crumbling down. Good characters and story.

The narrator was easy to listen to and I found it enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher/producer for the audio copy.

Great audio. Multiple times I wish I hadn't listened to rg3is while in my car. Brought tears to my eyes.

Solidly written. The characters are compelling and the scenarios believable. And I liked the journey that Matt goes through, how a major trauma causes him to question his dreams and the way he defines himself. Each section of the book as a unique tone and thrust. Some of the threads are not sufficiently tied off but it's still pretty decent.

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.

I listened to this audiobook and the narrator had just the right tone for this story. Although the book has some parts that are sad, there is hope and the pacing pushes through to that.

“When you talk about illegal immigrants, you see faceless people in your mind,” I say, staring right at Mr. Gordon. “You see people with no hearts, with no voices. You see them as an evil force, which is just here to take something from you. But when I hear people talk about immigrants, I see my mom and dad. I see my neighbors and my parents’ friends. I see people with stories, with difficult pasts and fears so big that they keep them up at night. I see people with dreams and hopes for a better life."

Mateo has long worried that one day, his parents might be deported. As time went on, living in New York City with so many other people, those fears began to recede, until suddenly they came true one fateful day. Mateo's parents are gone, and all that's left is him and his younger sister Sophie. He's just gotten home from school, is only sixteen, and doesn't know what it means to be an adult. His life hasn't yet begun, and his dreams had been of a future in Broadway. The only dream he has now is to keep his sister safe, try to fill his parents' shoes, and hopefully, maybe, see them again. It's up to Mateo to do whatever he can for his family, no matter if others try to tear it apart.

Oh, this book! It took me some time to be able to sit down and write out my thoughts because of the emotional impact this book had on me. I received it as an advanced listening copy, and the narrator was fantastic, setting the appropriate emotional tone for the story and bringing it to life. The topics that this book covers have been and will always be relevant as long as the immigrations laws in the United States remain the same. Every single struggle that was portrayed in this book, whether it was emotional or physical, felt so well done and realistic. One thing that really jumped out at me when Mateo was trying to be everything he and his sister needed after his parents were detained, was when he realizes the amount of work his parents went through every day just to build a life for him and his sister. The amount of work and sacrifice our parents do to provide us with a better life is something that should be appreciated, and I liked seeing that here.

The love between Mateo and Sophie was so uplifting and pure. Even though Mateo is dealing with so much on his own, he goes out of his way to make sure his little sister is taken care of. He does everything in his power to help her out and be there for Sophie as their parents' continued absence affects her significantly. Mateo doesn't feel comfortable reaching out to his friends about the struggles he's going through, but I really loved the friendship between Mateo, Kimmie, and Adam. Even while Mateo bottled his feelings inside because of all he was dealing with, Kimmie and Adam were there for Mateo. We all need friends like that.

I loved the support and sense of community that their family friends and neighbors provided for Mateo and Sophie, ensuring they were not lost and forgotten. I loved to read how Mateo's parents had been a source of strength and support when these individuals were going through their own struggles. I liked the message of relying on others when you need to, and how it is okay for you to ask for help when it is needed. Mateo tries to take the weight of his burden on himself, and we don't always have to bear our burdens alone. While immigration law isn't heavily covered, I liked the focus on predatory lawyers who prey on desperate immigrants who have nowhere else to turn. Their modus operandi is to handle immigration cases poorly from the onset, taking an immigrant's money just before deportation after intentionally losing the case. When these despicable acts happen, it is often too late for those affected to report it to anybody who would bother to listen.

While this story may be about a fictional boy named Mateo, parents are ripped away from their children over poorly written and implemented immigration laws every single day. You have the power to make a difference and write to your representatives, asking for immigration reform. When this happens to children, they are left without an anchor in their life, and many fall through the cracks and become victims of the current, heartless system. Daniel Aleman has written a crucial, heart wrenching debut novel about what happens to families when they are torn apart over so many pieces of paper. While Indivisible delves into tough subject matter, it is crucial reading, and I recommend it to all readers who care about their fellow human beings, whose only desire is to build a good life as friends and neighbors.

This story was incredible. First, I must admit that I have never read a book like this. Yes, I´ve heard about deportation, sometimes it appears in some films. But it´s all. The topic is necessary for today´s teenagers. They should respect their parents a family.

Mateo is a normal teenager, he lives with his parents and his little sister Sophie in an apartment. He studies at high school, hangs out with his two best friends, and dreams about his career as an actor. But one day everything changes, his parents are taken away by ICE.

Everything in this book felt real, I could feel a fear that characters felt. Mateo must survive on his own and everything normal, and casual is now a huge problem. You could also feel the hopelessness that Mateo felt when he was left to take care of himself and his younger sister. They did not know what will be next they, will they have enough money…

I recommend this book to everyone. This book is one of my favorites in 2021 so far.

I listened to this like an audiobook. It was narrated by Adam Rocha and his voice fits into this story amazingly, and it was so easy to listen to. He also imitated the voices of other characters and it adds more actuality into the story.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher to give me the copy of this audiobook.

Riveting and thought-provoking. While this is a YA book it’s relevant for adults too. The story follows Mateo through so many ups and downs. He has to deal with his parents being detained, trying to care for his younger sister, trying to maintain the family business, deciding whether to ask for help or not all while making many other tough decisions. Plus, he is still in high school and thinking about normal high school things like college prep, friends, dating, etc.

This one will make you feel all the feels. The title did not really resonate with me until this line in the book. “No matter how hard they try to separate us, how much the distance hurt or how it nearly broke us, we are truly indivisible.”

This would be a great read for 14+ and would be an excellent opportunity for meaningful discussions between parents and children.

This audiobook was so good but entirely heartbreaking to read! The topic is absolutely necessary for today's literature. I think the storyline of having parents separated from their kids is a reality for some undocumented immigrants, especially during the past administration in the United States. It reminds me of the Party of Five series reboot, one of the few shows I really wish they hadn't canceled. The narration flowed well and told the story effectively.

Mateo is a teen living in New York City with hopes of studying theatre in college. When he is not hanging out with his friends he works in his parent's bodega. His life is ripped apart when both of his parents are deported to Mexico. He has to grow up overnight to care for his little sister Sophie.

I can't even imagine having your parents ripped away and life turned upside down like this. Mateo's courage and resilience is inspiring. His love for his sister was so great he was willing to sacrifice his own happiness to care for her. This story really gives the reader insight into the everyday struggles of immigrants. I highly recommend this book and cannot wait to read more from Daniel Aleman!

“No matter how hard they try to separate us, how much the distance hurt or how it nearly broke us, we are really truly Indivisible. “

Indivisible by @danaleman was one of my most anticipated books of 2021,
thank you to @hachetteaudio for the ALC. I loved listening to the book while I read my physical copy.

First of all this is a DEBUT. I cannot tell you guys how shocked I am by this. This Beauty of a book was everything I hoped for and more.

Indivisible is an important novel about immigration and the aftermath of deportation.
The story follows Mateo (16) and his little sister Sophie a second grader.
After decades of living in New York their parents are suddenly deported back to Mexico, leaving them to figure things out themselves.

Every single thing in this book felt absolutely real, I could feel every bit of fear the characters felt. As a second generation American I related so much to the story. I still live in fear of my father being deported.
The characters in this book lived with that fear everyday until that fear became reality.

Mateo our narrator was incredible. He was fuerte and valiente, always there for his little sister.
The author Daniel did a fantastic job at portraying what it’s like to be an immigrant in this country.

I highly recommend this book to everyone. Even to people that don’t usually read YA, I suggest you give this one a try.
This book should also be in every classroom because it’s so important for teens to read this.

Indivisible is by far my favorite book of 2021 so far.
Go pick this up as it’s already in a book store near you.

I listened to the audiobook and loved it! This was my first audiobook narrated by Adam Rocha and I found his voice to be so easy to listen to. I usually speed up the book and I swear his voice still sounded so clear at 2x.
Great audiobook.

Audiobook provided by NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Little, Brown Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.

So full disclosure, I was tearing up by chapter 3 and I spent the rest of this book alternating between feeling utterly heartbroken and absolutely enraged that this is a real life experience for way too many kids (and adults) in America.

Mateo and Sophie are your typical kids of immigrants living in NYC, until they are forced into the impossible situation of trying to exist and survive after ICE takes both of their parents away. As Mateo tries to keep Sophie's life as normal as possible, he struggles with the reality of knowing that his best friends might look at him differently if they knew what was happening and decides to not tell them even though they know something is wrong. Which is a good reminder to everyone that we do not know what is happening in the personal lives of our friends and family... and even strangers. So we should treat all people with kindness.

Before his parents are taken, there was nothing Mateo wanted more than to star in a Broadway play. Now he's struggling to not fail his classes, while trying to keep his parents' bodega open so they'll still have their business when they come back. Because they HAVE to come back, right? Mateo is also a gay teen wondering when he'll have his first kiss and if his community will accept him or shun him for his sexuality.

This is a heavy read, but it covers a lot of important topics (both big picture stuff and typical teen stuff). Honestly, I think INDIVISIBLE should be required reading for.... everyone. It opens up dialog on immigration, undocumented members of society (and how this impacts their children born here), being gay in a more conservative community, what it means to be family (it's more than blood), and the challenges/struggles that teens face when tasked with growing up before they should have to.

Adan Rocha does a great job with the audiobook and Aleman navigates this story so well making INDIVISIBLE a timely read.

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.

This is the saddest book I ever read. The story is so heartbreaking, but I think we should read all this one. It's about Mateo, who faces the deportation of his parents and about how it feels when this kind of tragedy happens.
Mateo is 16 years old, and like a normal teenager, he lives with his parents and his little sister Sophie. His studies at school, hangs out with his friends, helps his father with the store and dreams about his future. But all his life changes when agents from ICE come to take him and his wife. 20 years living in USA, building the life, having children... All this no matters to the government, and it's sad.
I loved something that Mateo said: the government see only numbers, but behind all these numbers there are people, people with life, with dreams, with a story, living the hard way, starting all the things without anything in their pockets.
I never will understand how you can divide the family, how the government can take apart parents from their children. It's so hard to live and experience.
The book was very good written. The author transports a reader directly to the ground of the story. You will cry, a lot. But this kind of books is a must read for everyone, because only this way we can know how hard is for immigrants start the new life in the other country.
A little spoiler: the book ends with a satisfying end.
Thank you Netgalley for the copy of this amazing book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hatchette Audio for the alc of this book.

When ICE comes for Mateo's parents, his life is turned upside down. Instead of focusing on acting and high school and SATs, suddenly his focus has to turn to taking care of his younger sister and keep himself from falling apart.

This book was absolutely heartbreaking. I loved every minute of it but it hurt my heart so much! Honestly I really felt so much empathy for Mateo and his sister and all their family and friends. I also really loved the romance that ended up happening in this book! It was really sweet and natural and I also love the friends to lovers trope!

I definitely recommend this book!

Pub Date: May 4th, 2021

Content Warnings:
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, and Mental illness
deportation, prison