I liked the premise of Halfway to Somewhere and adored the artwork which really succeeded in showing the two different worlds of Mexixo and USA.

What I wanted to see more of was it was alluded that Ave was non-binary which was only just touched on and I was interested to see going forward in the story but it was never touched upon again which was a real shame.

It was interesting to see how differently Ave and Ramon who is now Ray coped with their new surroundings and I really felt sorry for Ave who was having so much trouble connecting with people.

With all of the above into consideration Halfway to Somewhere receives 4 stars.

Thank you TBR And Beyond Tours & Jose Pimienta for sending me an eARC and an early finished copy for tour! 🥰🫶
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Halfway to Somewhere is a graphic novel that follows 12-year-old nonbinary kid, Ave, as half of their family move from Mexico to Kansas, US. Ave’s mother gets a job at a university and since Ave and their brother was born in the US (although they spent their life in Mexico) they were able to move with their mother. Ave’s older sister and dad were born in Mexico and can’t immigrate to the US with the rest of the family. At least that's what Ave was told. Yes, this is true, but their parent’s are also divorcing and won’t be reuniting like they claimed they would. Ave’s younger brother adjusts to the move easily and embraces American culture. Ave however misses Mexico and misses their friends home. They also think they can’t make friends due to their “broken” English. Ave thinks that if they enjoy life in Kansas that they are completely turning their back on their home in Mexico. Throughout the book, Ave comes into their own and learns to find themselves in this new place as well as in Mexico. I loved this book and think it shows a unique perspective on the moving process.
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🌈Rep: Noninary MC, Mexican-American & Mexican main cast

Moving to a new country is always challenging, and relocating with only part of your family makes it even more difficult. Ave struggles with the language barrier, feelings of missing Mexicali, and the idea that fitting in might mean losing their roots. Fortunately, she meets friends at school, some of whom share her Latino heritage.

I appreciate how these friends discuss what it means to be “Mexican enough,” as Ave sometimes judges some of their friends for not speaking Spanish despite their Latino background. I believe many young readers, especially those from immigrant backgrounds, will find this theme insightful and relatable as they may grapple with similar dilemmas.

The graphic art is one of the book's standout elements. Pimienta uses bright, bold colors and detailed illustrations that bring the setting and characters to life. The artwork is rich with emotion and atmosphere, conveying the nuances of Ave’s journey without needing extensive dialogue. A clever design choice is using blue text bubbles for English and black for Spanish, which subtly emphasizes the cultural divide Ave experiences while adapting to their new life.

Other Highlights: Nonbinary, walking/running as a means to cope with mental health, struggles with parent separation

Halfway to Somewhere is a middle grade graphic novel that follows a nonbinary main character, Ave, as they adjust to moving from Mexicali to the United States. This book was great on so many levels! Ave experienced some of the common issues that all youth that age face, such as changing family dynamics and figuring out where they fit in. At the same time, they're also figuring out how to cope with their parents' separation and learning how to maintain their cultural roots while also adjusting to a new culture and language. I really appreciate the conversations Ave had with their siblings about assimilation and how they each felt about it. I loved the diverse representation among the characters and the way the author gave us insight into different parts of Ave's life. Overall, I felt that the characters and the story were both fantastic and I absolutely recommend this book for all libraries that serve 8-12 year old students.

I received this book from TBR and Beyond Tours / the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

😍 The illustrations! I love the style. More realistic, especially in the backgrounds.
😍 Seeing Ave go from grumpy and moody and uncertain to opening up. It was slow. It didn’t go BOOM. At times I was a bit frustrated with her, but I could also understand her frustrations. But we the reader saw the progress. We see her discovering this new place. We see her frustrations and see her struggle and try to get better. I loved when she started to use more and more English, get a bit more confident, and with the help of friends (and a dictionary later on) get even better. It made me smile to see her make friends and get closer to them. Find something that they all can do and enjoy. I was rooting for Ave to feel more happy and comfortable.
😍 While I wasn’t plucked away from a country I grew up in, I could definitely understand that Ave wasn’t happy. And that she was worried she would lose herself if she was going to be enjoying moments here. Or learning English as she wants to keep speaking Spanish/understanding Spanish, she could already see her brother was mostly going for English these days and she was worried. I was happy that eventually she could talk to her mom about it and that they really had a heart to heart about things.
😍 I loved that Ave was non-binary!
😍 It was so fun to see Cruz and Ave bond throughout the story. Especially since Ave feels a bit underappreciated by her mom and feels confused by everything that is going on at the moment. OK, at one point she had an argument (and I could relate what Ave did there) but they talked it out and I was so happy for them both.
😍 I loved that we got to see some past stuff along with how it is going with Cruz (the big sister) and the dad in Mexico.
😍 It also touches on other real issues. The wall. The border patrol. The problem moving. How Cruz and dad cannot move as they only have a Mexican passport, whereas Ray and Ave were born in the US and so can go there freely.
😍 Ray, the little brother, was a fun character. I loved how quickly he got used to everything. From finding a friend on the first day to learning more and more English rapidly, not even minding it was a bit jumbled, as he stated it was growing which I loved. To eating all the snacks he could find. And plus, also speaking up against how Cruz was talking. As if it was a bad thing that he was getting used to his new surroundings so easily.
😍 I loved that the text bubbles were different. Or I should say, the colours in them. Blue is when things are spoken in English. Black is Spanish. Especially with the brother it made the text even more interesting. The brother was weaving English in Spanish and vice versa.
😍 Loved the extra bit by the author at the end. With the inspiration for the story’s setting, some photographs and there illustrated counterparts.

🤔 Ave judging people because they don’t speak Spanish or don’t want to speak Spanish and wondering if they are really Mexican then. Um, girl. What? I am glad that she stopped doing that eventually.
🤔 I wasn’t sure how I felt about the mom. I get that she was angry for her kid to be just away for hours and not letting her know where to go. But to state that it is dangerous to go out alone? Um, your kid is 12? Almost 13 I would guess. Maybe this is a Mexican/American thing, but I was just allowed to be out and about. And I didn’t even have a phone. As long as I said where I was going on whereabouts I was it was fine. I spend entire afternoons with friends or alone roaming. There was a big playground thing around 20+ minute walk from home and I often visited in the summer.
🤔 I get we see things through Ave’s eyes so we are a bit biased, but I didn’t like how the mom wasn’t entirely honest about dad/sister and if they were coming along PLUS how she kept giving preferential treatment to the brother.

But despite those things, I did have a lot of fun reading this one, it was a great story with good characters. I liked seeing Ave grow. I would recommend this one!

Ave; their brother, Ramón; and their mom have just moved from Mexicali to Lawrence, Kansas, for their mom’s new job as a professor at KU. They left their dad and older sister, Cruz, behind. Ramón, whose English is better than Ave’s, seems to adjust easily to life in Kansa, but Ave claims to be uninterested in making friends, and Cruz warns them not to assimilate. When Ave finds out that their parents are separated, and that Cruz and their dad are not going to join them in KS, they feel angry and betrayed. Ave and Ramón accompany their mom to work during the summer, and Ave starts wandering around town, going further each time, finding comfort in running.
One of their mom’s colleagues has a son, Rene, who is Mexican American but doesn’t speak Spanish; he’s very friendly, but Ave doesn’t warm up to him until he invites them to sit with him and his friends during lunch at school. Ave befriends Rene, Dani, and Mara, who are warmly welcoming. When they learn that Ave likes to run, they invite them to be the fourth member of their relay on the track team.
Ave, Rene, and Mara sometimes talk about what it means to be Mexican or Mexican American. Ave worries that they’ll lose their Spanish; they’re also sometimes confused by Cruz’s assertion that one is not a real Mexican unless one is born and lives in Mexico. Gender roles and expectations also come up throughout the story: Ave’s father didn’t want their mom to work; Ave is expected to do more housework than Ramón; and Cruz insists that Ave needs to be the one who learns how to cook (even though their parents are supportive of them being nonbinary).
The author’s note states that this story is not autobiographical but is the most personal of the graphic novels they have made. I appreciated the exploration of Ave’s struggles with not only moving but figuring out what it means to be Mexican in Kansas; I like that there were so many different opinions (Cruz’s, Mara’s, Rene’s, Ramón’s). I also really loved that Ave's nonbinary gender was so matter-of-fact. It comes into play realistically but is not the main point of the story or their character. All in all I didn't want to put this book down. I loved the characters and the story.

Ave (they/their pronoun) Rendón moves from Mexicali with their mother and younger brother Ramón to Lawrence, Kansas, home of the University of Kansas Jay Hawks, where mom Joss has a new job as a linguist. It’s hard enough that Ave’s parents are separated with an imminent divorce, but their older sister Cruz, whom they are very close with, is living with the father back in Mexicali. Ave is having a difficult time adjusting, not just with the drastic relocation and being biracial but also with their gender identity. Attending middle school is hard enough without adding the broken English as an obstacle and they don’t make friends as easily as Ramón. Ave recalls with great fondness the times the family would go hiking at La Rumorosa and constantly dreams of the times when the family will hopefully be reunited.

Pimienta is well known for his stories of Mexican immigrants coming to America for the opportunity for a good life. In today’s toxic American environment, he presents a picture from a side that we unlikely have considered. Having read another book by Pimienta, he continues to write a stunning story with beautiful illustrations and color.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy.

Ave's struggles are understandable and related. I recognized in these pages many of my students who struggled with the language barrier, making learning and making friends a terrifying experience. Ave also deals with the separation of her family, which aggravates the cultural shock. I am glad the novel slowly builds to fight her depression with not only outdoor activities and exercise but also Ave's willingness to help herself, leaving rage aside and trying to return to the friendliness of those who also relate to her struggles.
The artwork is well done, and the silent pages and labels express very well the emotions better than words. A great volume in what the author calls the Mexicali trilogy.

A great middle grade graphic novel with beautiful illustrations. The setting really comes across with juxtaposition of the Mexican desert to the hills of Kentucky. The amount of background in many of the panels brings this story to life along with the art for each of the characters. I could easily see this becoming one of those animated graphic novels. Ave's story is also an interesting one to read about. Transitioning to a new home, new language, and even new family structure is hard. Pimienta does a great job discussing hard topics about what it means to assimilate and how that is different for many people. I also liked that although Ave is nonbinary it is mostly accepted as an everyday thing and doesn't focus on any outside negative impacts, only an interlude of some family friction. Overall a great addition to any middle grade collection!

**reviewed from uncorrected eARC via netgalley** (pub date feb 18 2025)

children's graphic fiction (3rd in Mexicali series but works as a standalone) - 12 y.o. nonbinary Ave leaves their sister and father in La Rumorosa, Mexico and moves with 9 y.o. brother Ramon to Lawrence, Kansas; author is Mexican-American and nonbinary, and the story reflects some of their experiences growing up.

I love the artwork in here! The (relatable!) expressions on the kids' faces also make this an easy, fun read that tackles some trickier topics: being a nonbinary kid in a family adjusting its traditional gender expectations, a brief history of Chinese people in Mexicali/Baja California, meeting new people in a new place (who mostly don't speak Spanish), nuances of being "Mexican-American," border politics tension. I will look for more from this author 😊

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through NetGalley.)

-- 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 where necessary --

When their mom gets a job teaching linguistics at KU, twelve-year-old Ave and their younger brother, Ramón, relocate to Lawrence, Kansas with her. But, since they were the only ones born in the United States, they're forced to leave their father and older sister Cruz behind in Mexicali. (Or at least that's the story: at a low point, Ave discovers that this was a bit of a pretext, and that their parents' "trial" separation is, in point of fact, a permanent one.)

Whereas Ramón/Ray adapts rather quickly, making a new friend before the moving truck is even unloaded and embracing his American identity with gusto, Ave struggles. Ave's "broken" English is isolating, and they are afraid that any assimilation will close the door on their Mexican-ness - and father and sister - perhaps forever. The only thing that seems to help are long walks around the KU campus - and the streets beyond - putting them in constant conflict with their mother (parents gonna worry).

Once school begins, things begin to turn around for Ave, as they're welcome into a friend group that includes Mexican-American Rene; Latinx Mara; and fellow nonbinary teen (and comic book lover) Dani. Better yet, they're all on a relay team together. With their help, Ave carves out a place for themself in the Midwestern US.

HALFWAY TO SOMEWHERE is a bittersweet exploration of language, identity, and family. Ave frequently falls back on memories of a hike the family took the spring before the move - when everyone was last together, and happy, or at least as far as Ave knew - and these scenes are juxtaposed with Ave's current discontent, to great effect. You really feel for Ave, being transplanted to a completely new environment, with no say in the matter (until later, that is, and to Dr. Colunga's credit). I like how they found their footing, literally through their feet - by walking the town, seemingly for hours on end.

Ave's posse is a delight as well, and their conversations about identity and language - what makes a person "Mexican enough" - are thoughtful and engaging. The artwork is great and, having lived in the Kansas/Missouri area for a while, I was a bit chuffed by the setting.

But. There's something that's niggling at me, and I think it's this: there are a few pretty big questionable parenting decisions, which aren't always explored or resolved satisfactorily. For example, Cruz laments the sexist distribution of chores, as well as gender roles in general. In her mom's absence, Cruz has basically become "the wife" of the house; and, whereas Ave is expected to do housework, Ramón frequently worms his way out of it. But this thread never really goes anywhere. I guess Rodolfo does eventually let Cruz drive (yet only with the entire family in tow), but Ave seems to embrace domesticity by story's end. Or maybe I'm just reading too much into them making dinner for the family? idk, that scene just kind of gave me the ick.

Plus I'm not very big on the whole "keeping secrets from your kids in order to trick them to moving to a whole new country with you" thing.

This story of identity and finding your way in the world will be a perfect fit for middle schoolers. It is especially suitable for those coming from Hispanic backgrounds. Ave is a great protagonist, Pimienta allows them to be flawed in a way that makes sense for them.

Ave deals with their anger and hurt at their mother by running. At first, their hobby is a little dangerous. They run around the city while trying to explore. They have trouble at first staying within the confines of the university. Their mother finds out about them running around. She ensures they have an appropriate outlet by joining a school running team.

While exploring the city, they meet kids who become their friends. These friends teach them about what it means to be Latinx or Spanish speaking. They show the diverse ways one can connect with language and culture. Ave worries about losing her mother tongue. Her friends teach her that there are many ways to maintain a connection to both their culture and family.

This is a four star read, it kept me interested the whole time. Though the second act runs a little long. It was beautifully illustrated. I simply didn't connect with some of Ave's problems. However, I think it will resonate soundly with the people that it is meant for.

Hello Again!

This week I have been really flying through reads. Some have been amazing (definite five stars) and others have been just okay but so far no DNFs (which is a win). I decided to try to read a handful of graphic novels and manga and I started with some E-ARCs I had waiting for me on Netgalley (thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions). The first E-ARC I picked up was Halfway to Somewhere, so let’s dive in!

SPOILERS AHEAD

Ave does not want to move but does not really get a say in it. Ave’s mother is moving Ave and a sibling to Kansas for a new job while Ave’s dad and older sister will be staying behind. Ave believes this is temporary and that Ave’s sister and dad will join them all soon, but as time goes on it becomes clear that this is definitely not happening. Now Ave has to start school and everyone else speaks English very well but Ave is really struggling with the language barrier and being in Kansas in general. But maybe Ave can find a path to enjoying life in Kansas and still getting to see the rest of the family?

This was a great graphic novel. The visuals in all the panels look great and you can tell how Ave is feeling through each of the illustrations. Ave is experiencing a lot of new things in Kansas and in life in general. The story dealt with all of these big changes in what felt like a very real way. I enjoyed this story and meeting Ave as well as the entire family. This graphic novel comes out on February 18th, 2025, I definitely recommend giving it a try.

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

***Thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

I think it was very clear this story was incredibly personal to the author and it did a great job of representing a bunch of different people interacting with varying perspectives, reactions, histories, etc, and how those aspects influence their decisions without making firm judgment calls about any. I loved the highlighting of nonbinary identities and how other identities intersect. There was a great focus on family and friendship dynamics.

Fantastic graphic novel with an honest portrayal of immigrant life. Young readers will have a deeper understanding of an important topic after reading this book.

A strong addition to school and public library collections alike. The cover is deceptively simple, and the art within Halway to Somewhere tends to be more vivid and well designed. Pimienta's story features a young girl who has just moved out of her home in Baja California and to Kansas, where she struggles to find others who speak Spanish. Ave also takes time warming up to the community and coming to terms with her parents' separation, so there are multiple points of relatability for young audiences.

Really excellent graphic novel about a non-binary middle school student who moves from Mexicali, Mexico to Lawrence, Kansas and struggles with what it means to Mexican in America. Rather than dealing with the racism, the story focuses on the MC's sense of self, language, and assimilation as they adapt to their new home and make friends with other Mexican Americans who have direct experience of living in Mexico.

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Ave, whose is twelve and nonbinary, and nine-year-old brother Ramón have moved from Mexicali, Mexico to Lawrence, Kansas so that their mother can take a job at Kansas University in the language department. Because of immigration issues, their father and older sister, Cruz, stay behind in Mexico. Ave's English isn't as smooth as they would like, but they are leery of talking to too many people. While Ramón immediately makes friends with Tom across the street, Ave doesn't even want to talk to the son of one of the mother's colleagues because he is Latine but doesn't speak Spanish, which is hard to udnerstand. Instead, Ave likes to walk around the town, go to comics stores, and gets to know the neighborhood, although the mother doesn't much care for this wandering. When school starts, Ave makes some friends who are from various Latine backgrounds, which gives Ave an intersesting perspective on the array of experiences Latin people in the US have. While Ave talks to Cruz frequently, Ave doesn't quite understand that the father will not be coming to the US, nor will Cruz, in part because the parents are separating. Ave spends a lot of time reminiscing about a family hike to Casa de Piedra, and would like to return home and have the family be intact, but by the end of the book realizes that this will not happen.
Strengths: Ave finds connection with friends at school when the other kids realize that they all love running, and it was interesting to see Ave take comfort in this when life was difficult. The discussions about the different backgrounds was interesting, and I'd never really though about how second generation Mexican-American students might feel about kids who are new arrivals. Many children have to deal with parents who are divorcing, but when these parents are left behind in other countries, it becomes an even greater loss. I was glad that Ave was able to video chat with Cruz. This was a thought provoking graphic novel about identity.
Weaknesses: This moved somewhat slowly because of the introspective nature of the plotline.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want to explore a range of Latine experiences and enjoyed books like Fajardo's Miss Quinces, Martin's Mexikid, or Mercado's Chunky, and also had a similar vibe to Cohen's Two Tribes.

Halfway to Somewhere touches on many middle school topics in a format that they love to read. Jose Pimienta's illustrations are beautiful, especially the ones that capture the wondrous desert landscapes. Readers will flock to this new graphic novel and share it with all of their friends.

I thought this was an interesting book! I have read the author's Twin Cities book before, so this was a familiar art style for me. I loved the desert illustrations! It made me see the desert in a different light, especially since it is really hard to capture that beauty. The characters were quite real and complex, just what readers are looking for.