I loved this book. There is a diverse cast of characters, each with their own story line that feels relevant and important. The protagonist is dynamic and relatable, and she tells an important story about belonging and the modern family. I highly recommend. A great addition to any classroom library.

I loved this graphic novel about a girl who spends the summer helping the father she’s never met before fix up a brownstone. Almundena’s identity crisis--stemming from having a white mom and learning that her father is Guatemalan rather than Mexican--is really beautifully and poignantly portrayed, and I love how the author demonstrates their language barrier since Almundena speaks English and Xavier speaks Spanish.

The arc of her blossoming relationship with her father as we get to know them both better and they both grow is really well done. We’re also introduced to a pretty large cast of neighborhood characters, who give the story depth and flavor. They’re all well-fleshed out, especially for a graphic novel; and I love that they have storylines with each other as well as with our main character Almundena.

The illustrations are beautiful, colorful, and dynamic!

A beautifully rendered coming-of-age story!
14-year-old Almudena is spending her summer in NY with her Guatemalan dad. However, there are a few obstacles. She has never met him, doesn't speak Spanish and he doesn't' speak English. Upon her arrival, she pitches in to help him in renovating his brownstone home and the story takes off.
It's a story of identity, finding and embracing your roots, and love. It's evident that family truly counts.
It's a heartwarming story, appealingly illustrated. So endearing!

Almudena is sent to live with her estranged father for the summer and is certain it is not going to go well. When she arrives she finds that communicating isn't easy, that the brownstone he lives in is in desperate need of renovation, and her lack of familiarity with her Latin American roots may be a barrier between her and the entire neighborhood she has been immersed in.

This story was absolutely lovely, as was the art. I cannot recommend this highly enough!

This story is set in the 1990s and the main character, Almudena is meeting her father for the first time and spending the summer with him. This book was heartfelt and a wonderful coming of age graphic novel. It has multiple cultural points of view and the main character found herself and her identity. I would highly recommend this book.

I loved this book! The story of the main character going to New York to meet and stay with a father she'd never met was a little strange. At the beginning I wondered, if the parents have as good of a relationship as it seemed, I don't understand why he wasn't in her life at least a little. (But that is eventually explained very well.)

I loved the drawing style! Especially in the first few pages where you can almost see the wind whipping through their hair in the back of the taxi. I liked the relationship between Almudena and her mother. It reinforced the fact that her mother is more of a free spirit and sort of flighty.

The relationship between Almudena and her father had the perfect amount of misunderstanding and tension mixed with obvious affection from him. She, of course, struggled with feeling comfortable and included - being that she couldn't speak any Spanish.

I enjoyed that the story all came together in the end, maybe not how Almudena originally envisioned it, but it all worked out.

A coming of age graphic novel, centering on a bi-racial girl navigating identity, language, and culture. Brownstone packs a lot of heart and soul.

I LOVED this book. The illustrations and coloring are beautiful and depict a vibrant, culturally rich Spanish NYC neighborhood in the mid 90s. I related to Almudena so much that I cried my little heart out. Definitely keep this one in your 2024 release radar!

This made me cry. A really beautifully illustrated and well thought out story about a half-Guatemalan, half-white teenager visiting her father for the first time. There are language barriers, cultural differences, and being set in the mid 90’s, difficult societal differences that affect Almudena’s summer. She is confronted with her socially white upbringing, the fact that she never learned to speak her father’s native Spanish, and the realization that she is hurt by never having known her father before. Along with a wonderful cast of characters, Almudena’s story is one of found family, investing in one’s native culture, and finding balance in the space that we occupy with others. I loved this story so much, and will definitely be looking to get a copy for our library catalog!

An amazing book! I went into this one not expecting to love it and I'm delighted to be wrong.

This book cover so many tough topics, and does so in a way that feels authentic and natural for the MCs age: complexities of Latin identities, gentrification, absent family, found family, blended family, language barriers, queer identities in the 90s and in Latin communities... I'm very impressed.

The artwork was good. I love the floorplan at the start of each chapter showing the stories building like the building itself. Very clever.

A coming-of-age graphic novel about biracial identity, language, culture, and family. Almudena meets her Guatmalan father for the first time when her white mother drops her off for the summer at a brownstone he is renovating. After a bumpy start and an unexpected language barrier, Almudena begins to connect with Xavier, the people in his neighborhood, and her Guatamalan heritage. The art style is soft, messy, vibrant, and beautiful, and the illustrations wonderfully depict the vast range of emotions felt through Almudena's journey. The narrative is heartwarming and compelling. The graphic format is perfectly suited for exploring biracial identity and language barriers; the result is beautiful and complex YA realistic fiction.

The graphic novel, "Brownstone" is such an in-depth YA exploration of biracial identity. We connect with Almudena as she is forced to spend the summer with her estranged father. In the process of helping him remodel an old brownstone building she connects with him. She learns more about his neighborhood, their past, and herself.

This was an enjoyable read and I liked the art style too. The emotions expressed are strong and relatable. We take a look at birth vs. found family throughout the book and what it means to these characters.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

I review this book as part of my work on the Printz committee, but I due to committee policy I cannot share my specific thoughts or opinions here. I have rated it 5 stars because I am required to rate the book for this program, but please note this does not reflect my actual rating. I just want to thank you for providing this book for review!

#NetGalleyARC I really enjoyed this book. It’s a great story about how family is important and not all families are “traditional” in a sense. I loved the aspect of the MC learning about who she is and how her dad factors into her world. A great YA read for those who are trying to figure out who they are and how they fit into the world.

"Brownstone" is an incredible exploration of biracial identity told through the lens of a young girl reconnecting with her estranged father. Over the summer, Almudena is forced to stay with her father, Xavier, and help him remodel an old brownstone building despite neither of them speaking each-other's language. While she works alongside him, she learns more about his neighborhood, their past, and herself. I really enjoyed this book and while I was immediately attracted to the art style, I found myself completely absorbed in the story. Almudena has very strong, very real emotions about staying with a father she barely knows; however, through getting to know the building and neighborhood, she's able to understand her father in a way she's never been able to before. Almudena felt like a real teenager, and also felt very timeless despite living in the 90's. There is a really strong narrative of birth vs. found family throughout the entire book, and a delightfully unexpected queer subplot! I'm certainly adding this book to my library's collection and I have no doubt it will circulate well.

This is a sweet and beautifully illustrated graphic novel about a young girl left by her slightly flaky white mom with the Guatemalan father she’s never known for the summer. Almudena doesn’t know or understand this side of her heritage; she doesn’t speak Spanish and knows little about her father’s neighborhood and culture. But while they do the physical work of renovating her father’s brownstone, father and daughter begin to forge a bond. Soon, Almudena feels a real connection to the neighborhood, her father, and the people in his life.

THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING! I loved the found family, the learning of Guatemalan roots, and the processing of trauma. This book made me laugh, cry, and ultimately feel good. I also appreciated that not every story element had to have a bow on it. Somethings don't get resolved and this was a beautiful way to show that. I loved the art. This book was gorgeous. I can't wait to promote the hell out of this book with my high school students.