Brighter Than the Sun is a YA contemporary novel set both in Tijuana, Mexico and over the U.S. border in San Diego. Soledad - she prefers Sol - is the only member of her family with a U.S. passport. Every day she wakes at 5:00 am and commutes across the border from Tijuana to attend school in the suburb of Chula Vista.

The daily commute is tiring and the border checks are stressful, but Sol values her evenings and weekends with her family. That all changes when Sol takes on a job in San Diego to feed her family.

Sol and her family struggle to navigate a very dire financial situation, but their story is not all bleak. Aleman balances Sol’s struggles with new opportunities and hope.

I think 13 and 14-year-olds are the target audience for this book. The story is told in such a gentle way, that despite some underage drinking and teen romance, it could even be shared with middle grade students.

Soledad is a well-developed multi-dimensional character. She works hard, but also takes advantage of her new social opportunities. She resents being the sole provider for her family, yet wants to do more for them. She acts as a maternal stand-in for her younger brother, but also aches to be mothered herself. She is often quiet, but uses her voice when it matters most.

Immigration and border laws are hot topics. Books like Brighter Than the Sun, which depict Mexican characters with respect and empathy instead of the threatening caricatures used in political debate, provide a positive resource for educating students about Mexican immigration.

Thanks to Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for making this ARC available.

Sixteen year old Sol has a lot on her shoulders since her mom died and her family's restaurant is struggling. Sol is a dual citizen who crosses the border each day from Tijuana to attend high school in the US. To help out her family with the bills, Sol gets a job at a department store in the US and makes the difficult decision to stay with a friend's family and work long hours. The stress and guilt of trying to keep her family together, make enough money, have time to hang out with her friends, and somehow pass her classes all becomes too much. She wants to do what's best for her family but her best doesn't seem to help. As more difficulties pile on, she relies on her family and friends to make it through and realizes what she's capable of. Overall, a touching coming of age story that's about the importance of family and friends and finding one's voice.

I really liked this one! I loved Sol as a character, all of her struggles were so relatable. Watching her overcome and persevere was so touching. She deserves the world. I also loved both sides of her family. Ari and her mother were the perfect found family. Luis, Diego, Abuela, and her father were also great. I loved everything about this, and I'd definitely recommend it!

Thanks to TBR Beyond Tours for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown for the advance Kindle copy of this 3.21.23 release. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this beautiful story about perseverance. Sixteen-year-old Sol commutes from her home in Tijuana to school in the U.S. every day. As the only American citizen in her family, she takes her education and future seriously. With her mother gone, her family is struggling to keep their restaurant afloat. Sol ends up taking a job in San Diego to help her family. Now she is always in two places: staying with her childhood friend during the week, and home to an increasingly depressed family on the weekend. How much longer can she keep being an adult, when she shouldn’t have to? Hand to readers sin grades 7+.

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

Sol is lucky in her family because her mom went across the border to have her and thus, she is an American citizen even though she lives in Tijuana with her family (minus her mom who died from cancer). Without her mom, Sol and her family struggle to make ends meet in their restaurant on top of Sol trekking across the border each day to attend high school. Eventually, Sol must get a job to help her family out and she ends up spending the week in America with a friend and going home on the weekends.

I wouldn't say this novel has a plot with a lot of external conflict, but much of the plot is Sol's own internal conflict as she grapples with the responsibilities and burdens placed on her, especially as she learns what it's like to live in a home where the burdens are eased. Sol is also dealing with grief from losing her mother and family issues and money issues on top of just being a teenage girl.

Overall, there are MANY beautiful quotes in this book about accepting who you are and letting others help shoulder burdens. I wish there would've been a stronger driving plotline, but this is still a beautiful, introspective novel.

My review in School Library Journal: Gr 7 Up–Sixteen-year-old Soledad lives with her family in Tijuana, Mexico. Though she was named for the feast the day she was born, her name literally means solitude, which suits the loneliness she feels since her mother’s passing. The only one in her family born in the United States and therefore a citizen, Sol crosses the border early each Monday to attend high school and works long hours at a department store. Her family needs the money to keep her mother’s restaurant business afloat in her honor as they grieve, and she can earn more in the U.S. Weekday housing, food, and friendship are provided in California courtesy of old friend Ari and her mom. Sol’s determination to fulfill her obligations propels her through long weeks until she comes home on weekends to her family. Things begin changing when she realizes the comforts of Ari’s home; a full belly and a love interest at work are a respite from the constant stressors at home. Sol’s character is complex, as her identity is torn between worlds. Her burdens are extraordinary, and guilt consumes her when she wants some typical teen social time. Her entire family is adrift in their grief, which is an overarching theme as they do what they think is best, but sometimes is the opposite. Sol’s personal, engaging narrative takes readers on this journey with her as she makes discoveries about herself and grows. Racism, immigration, and finding new opportunities are addressed throughout, with imperfect resolutions, just like real life.VERDICT The stream-of-consciousness narrative grabs the hearts of readers and is perfect for building empathy as a mirror, window, or sliding glass door. A strong purchase for YA collections.Reviewed by Lisa Krok , Mar 01, 2023

Wow what a book!
With immigration being such a big topic this story brought it to simple terms.
The possibilities and advantages in America are very appealing and necessary for some immigrants. Jobs, higher wages, and education are very tempting for families that want better for their children.
I couldn’t believe parents would allow their children to cross the border daily to go to school. It astounds me. For parents to think education is so important to do this is incredible.
And to work in America just to put food on the table at home show how desperate people are.
This was a very well thought out story that was also very thoughtful.
I loved the ending. And I loved the story.
Enjoy!

Beautiful. Powerful. Sad at times. Hopeful in the end.

I immediately fell in love with Daniel Aleman’s debut Indivisible, a raw story about undocumented Mexican immigrants. And believe me, Brighter Than the Sun is just as good and maybe even better!

Sometimes I know from the first page that a book will be a five-star read. Because a smile immediately tugs at my lips or because my chest tightens. The start of Brighter Than the Sun made my stomach fidgety, and goosebumps immediately danced on my arms. Sol is a sixteen-year-old Mexican girl who leaves her house each morning at five to go to school across the border. Born in the US, Sol has an American passport and therefore has privileges her family doesn’t have. But those privileges are also a burden because she feels the responsibility to look after everyone else.

Even though Sol tries to be as bright as the sun, her full name Soledad (solitude), has a way of winning every single time. Her loneliness and struggles are palpable from the very first page and dug a deep hole in my heart. At times, I just wanted to hold her and take all those responsibilities off her shoulders so she could be happier and more carefree. And at other times, I felt so much recognition, even though I’m a grown-up woman living in different (and better) circumstances. Passages about letting go, drowning, and change touched me deeply.

But there’s also brightness in this novel. Warmth slipped into my body whenever Sol interacted with her little brother Diego and my heart opened for Ari and Nancy, who did so much to make Sol feel at home. And Nick, patient, cinnamon roll Nick made my eyes crinkle in smiles.

Brighter Than the Sun is YA, but this story is so much more than that, and I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves to read a gorgeous, engrossing, and powerful book!

This is a heart warming, coming of age story. Sol, the main character, takes on a lot of responsibility at 16, traveling to the US to go to high school, working evenings and early morning to help her family pay the bills. Worries about her family, struggles to keep up her schoolwork. Finding peace in herself, finding family and maybe love while struggling with racism and finding her voice