Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

"Frontera" by Julio Anta is a compelling graphic novel that seamlessly blends superhero elements with a thought-provoking exploration of immigration issues. The story follows a Mexican-American family with superpowers, navigating the complexities of identity and justice. Anta's narrative is both poignant and action-packed, accompanied by stunning artwork that enhances the emotional depth of the characters. "Frontera" succeeds in delivering a socially relevant message while engaging readers with a captivating superhero tale.

Mateo is preparing to leave his parents in Mexico and cross the border illegally to live with his grandmother in Phoenix, AZ. He is nervous for his journey, and worried that he might never see his parents again, but he is also in a hurry to get to Arizona as fast as possible. He is in such a hurry, that he acts recklessly and an incident at the border results in him traveling through the Sonoran desert alone. With no guide and no water, Mateo's survival seems unlikely. But then someone appears before him, a ghost named Guillermo who is eager to help, but Mateo is not sure Guillermo even exists. This is a fast-paced and adventure-filled story of survival. Mateo can be pretty unlikable, and even once his reasons are revealed, they seem a little under-baked. BUT, the way he turns around as a character is welcome and shows good development. The art is starkly beautiful with depictions of the desert and all its beautiful danger.

Wow, I really enjoyed this book! It's such an important topic, especially for our current political climate, and I think everyone needs to read it. The illustrations are fantastic, the story is incredible...what's not to like? Definitely grab a copy of this book right away!

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

Gorgeous art, and a beautiful, harrowing story. I loved getting to know Mateo and watching him work through his anger and learn how to trust other people. It was scary, intense, heartwarming, and thought-provoking. This is a very important story to be told, especially right now.

Frontera is another fantastic work by Julio Anta. Frontera will pull at your heartstring and take you on an emotional rollercoaster with Mateo as he ventures across the boarder and through the Sonoran Desert on his own. With some supernatural elements thrown in readers will be riveted by Mateo's story. A must for all YA graphic novel collections!

There were so many pieces that came together by the end of the story! All of those pieces coming together made for a powerful and educational story. I appreciate the way Mateo grew as a character during his journey. There are so many obstacles to overcome for Mateo and others. It opens your eyes to what other people go through for a better life.
A minor complaint is the way the two languages are dealt with. It is difficult to have a story that is bilingual and characters that are bilingual, but readers that are not. I appreciate the way they tried to signal language switches, but it wasn’t always clear to me. I would love to see a bilingual version of this book, but that will have a smaller reader base.
I think this book is a great way to show what immigrants go through. There are so many pieces here that can become topics to research. So it is a good starting place for kids or adults who want to learn more about the real lives of immigrants.

Mateo is desperate to return to his life in Arizona after he and his family are deported back to Mexico, but that desperation makes him reckless. Lost in the desert, he must rely on someone he’s not even sure exists if he’s going to make it to safety.

This is a graphic novel about Mateo, a teenage boy who is trying to cross the border into the States. Despite having lived in Arizona since he was a toddler, he and his family were deported to Mexico recently, and he is desperate to make back in time for the start of his senior year of high school. Though I have read plenty about what’s happening at the US-Mexico border in the news, I picked up this book as I hadn’t really learned about it interpreted through fiction before.

I really loved the art in this book – the artist does an excellent job of showing the beauty and the danger of the desert which Mateo and Guillermo cross. I enjoyed how he drew the characters, as it really helps enhance the humor and emotion of different moments. I also was interested in learning about the many ways characters in America helped or hindered those making the difficult crossing, and what made them make those choices.

However, I did feel the narrative was a little disjointed in places, as different incidents (the border patrol, the leopard) which worked on their own didn’t feel like they lined up thematically within such a quick read. I also found myself often annoyed with Mateo. It’s made clear to us why he’s being so impatient, but the excuse still feels like a flimsy one to hold up against the foolish decisions he makes to disobey both his original guide and Guillermo at different points in the story.

Mateo is on a dangerous journey from Mexico to Phoenix for the opportunity to go to college and help his grandmother out after the death of his grandfather. He's just a teenager, but because of some rash decisions, he finds himself alone in the desert facing border patrol, racist militias, and the brutal environment. Luckily, there's the ghost of migrant who died crossing 70 years before who might be able to help. That is, if Mateo can not only accept that he's talking to a ghost, but that the help of others is the only way he'll make it to Phoenix.

This colorful graphic novel captures the beauty of the desert landscape while also highlighting the dangers migrants face in varied panel styles that work to keep the story flowing. While Mateo's story, as well as Guillermo the ghost's history at the border reveal the struggles of migrants at America's southern border that have been going on for decades, I was distracted by some of the magical realism elements. How the author chose to resolve a final action scene took me out of the story and made it hard for me to stay invested.

This graphic novel provides a look into a world most readers will have no experience with but potentially plenty of opinions about. Julio Anta's story of a young man's border crossing journey through the Sonoran Desert specifically humanizes something that is most often discussed on the news and by politicians in a general, abstract way. The novel connects current issues with those of the past while never losing the thread of the harrowing adventure the main character is on. A solid read to provide needed perspective for young readers.

This book covered a lot—survival in the Sonora desert, the reasons individual and societal why people would try to cross it, the contradictory and conflicting, attractive and repellent, treatment of U.S. toward the people at its southern border over its history. I did feel that, because there was so much to cover outside the interaction between Mateo and his guide, Guillermo, that their individual characterizations suffered—they were each more of a gloss, an example of a character, than anything. I felt that we didn't really get an idea of who they were, and their feelings and motivations, in a really specific sense. The main character, Mateo, was incredibly frustrating—almost an impulsive hothead, but really his actions seemed performed at random than with any real explanation grounded in his character. But it definitely served the plot.

This one will tug on the heartstrings. It was such much more than a border crossing story. It also gave me hope for humanity; while there are many horrible people out there, there are so many willing to lend a helping hand. I was especially surprised and touched by Darcie and El Jefe’s stories.

Rep: Guillermo was gay

This was a moving exploration of the dangers and emotions faced by a young teen crossing the southern border into the United States all alone (...kinda). While middle grade (or young YA) is not usually my genre of choice, I am always down to read a story about immigration. This book emotional and tense at times, but never too dark for a kid to be reading. Nor did it shy away from the dangers, both natural and manmade, of the crossing. It also featured some very sweet LGBTQ+ rep!

If you have any interest in immigration stories with a bit of magical realism, definitely give this one a read!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the ARC!
#Frontera #Netgalley

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars.

What a quick but powerful graphic novel. Mateo is sent by his parents across the border through the desert to return to Phoenix. Everything has been out of control for Mateo after being deported, and he continues to feel out of control. This feelings leads him to abandoning his guide for the desert and setting out on his own, ultimately losing all of his supplies after an encounter -- but not capture -- with Border Patrol. After this, he meets a ghost who guides him through the desert. Mateo has to grapple with not only who he is, but what it means to trust and ask for help when it is needed.

Overall, I enjoyed the art and the story. It did feel a bit rushed, along with a time gap while Mateo recovers. I also think it could have mentioned a bit more about the Tohono tribe. It also has a bit toward the end with self-imposed militia (very MAGA like dudes) that would make me cautious to include this in a classroom library...but I want to anyways.

Excellent graphic novel about a young man who is attempting to return to the US after being deported with his family following his discovery that he is not, as he always assumed, a citizen. His journey is aided by both the spirit of a gay Mexican man who died 70 years before on a similar crossing and a very real jaguar who has also been prevented from reuniting with his family due to increased border fencing and policing. Over the course of the journey many dangers are faced, some natural, but many the product of human cruelty.

We need to keep seeing more stories like these! The more diverse books there are, the more people will see us! Beautiful artwork, too.

This graphic novel was a fun read! I loved the storyline and the characters. I will definitely be buying this book for my library! I can't wait to add it to the collection!

A really beautiful graphic novel that explores the complexity of being an undocumented teen. The art is stunning, the story is tender, and I love the leopard metaphors. A must have for YA collections.

This was a fast, engaging read on a really important topic. News about immigration is often told so sterilely, but Frontera brings humanity to the subject by focusing on one teen’s experience (and the people who help him through it), and it highlights the physical and emotional toll such a trip takes, which pundits often fail to cover. The illustrations were vibrant and evoked the grief, fear, love, etc. that Mateo experienced throughout his journey. I also really liked the supernatural elements; I think Guillermo’s presence was a unique element to include. It didn’t shy away from the harsh sacrifices many who cross the border face or the injustice and cruelty inherent to the current immigration system (both legal and vigilante), but Mateo’s story ends with hope.

A graphic novel about a teen as he crosses the border from Mexico to the US. I think the book handles such a hot and divisive topic very well. It shows how grueling and dangerous that trip is. I agree that there isn’t undocumented teen representation so I think this book is important. I will say that while I enjoyed the supernatural element to it, the jaguar part was a little odd to me.