I had the privilege of reading an advanced review copy of The Grief Keeper, and am so grateful I got the chance to dive into this beauty. Villasante weaves first love seamlessly in with difficult topics such as immigration law and homophobia and handles each with the care they deserve. I was swept away from page one by the characters, pacing, and beauty of the narrative.

This story is so important, and I'm so glad to see more voices given to the immigration stories we're seeing in the news. This also has an interesting speculative twist. The writing style is interesting.

Summary: After their brother, Pablo, is murdered by a gang in El Salvador, Marisol and her sister, Gabi, are sent to the U.S. by their mother in the hopes of escaping gang persecution. Unfortunately Marisol and Gaby are caught before crossing the border and are kept in a detention center where Marisol applies for asylum. Their application for asylum doesn't go through so Marisol thinks that their time in the U.S. has come to an end. Luckily for her and Gaby the government offers them a proposition that would not only grant them both asylum but also allow her mother to come to the U.S. too. The government has begun testing a new device that would help veterans with PTSD and are ready to begin testing on human subjects. Is Marisol going to agree to this proposition? Is it going to work? Will the government keep their promise to Marisol about granting her and her family asylum?

Thoughts:I haven't read many stories about immigration because I thought that I wouldn't be able to relate to them because that is not my story. I was glad that I gave this story a try because I love it. Even if it isn't my story I am still able to empathize with Marisol as she tries to protect her younger sister.
The relationships that Marisol builds with everyone that she comes across really allow you to understand where she is coming from and how her background informs her actions. Something that I really enjoyed in this book was the exploration of sexual orientation and how different countries respond to LGBTQ+ individuals. Each scene in which Marisol talks about her sexuality really struck my heart and I had to pause to really take it in. It was a shock to see the harsh reality of being a lesbian in another country and watching as the people she was closest to push her away because of her sexuality.

Something else that I really enjoyed about this book was the importance of language. I enjoyed that the characters spoke in Spanglish throughout the book because it helped you see how important their culture was to them. I also liked the Spanglish that was used because it felt familiar and it was a story about people like me. It made it feel like this was a story that very much could have been mine if my parents hadn't come to the U.S. at such a young age.

Alexandra Villasante has created an important and thought-provoking novel perfect for today's YA reader. She handles immigration, family, and love in a way that weaves her words around your heart and squeezes and doesn't let go. Highly recommended.

The Grief Keeper is… a marvel. Every once in a while, I’ll read a book that I recognize as truly special almost immediately—it has that magic that pulls you in and makes you care and think, really think, from the get go—and GK is one of these.

It reminded me of one of my all-time favorites (Never Let Me Go) in the brilliant way Villasante married a thought-provoking speculative premise to character-driven literary realism. The meshing of Marisol and Rey’s grief—over the loss of beloved family and long-held views of themselves—took my breath away (which isn’t a phrase I use often for obviously cheesy reasons).

I am in awe of how she layered their experiences in and over each other, in expected ways and much more surprising ones. I loved the exploration of the flawed immigration system and the parallels drawn between very different immigrant experiences. And I adored the sibling relationships inside GK, especially between Marisol and Gabi. Villasante captured that die-for-you family dedication, and its flip-side, the cruel, loudly voiced disapproval when someone doesn’t fit norms. Marisol and Gabi are fierce and tender warriors that will inspire people of all ages for years to come.

There is so much to say about GK (I mean, also how Villasante integrated the Spanish humor?!), but...wow. I have so much to think about. Here's a book you will never forget.

This book. Wow. I will be thinking about The Grief Keeper for a long, long time. Alexandra Villasante weaves a thought-provoking narrative, with a main character who has to make impossible choices to save those she loves. This story takes on timely issues in a sensitive, empathetic way. It is truly a standout.