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Halfway to Somewhere
New school, new country, but only half a family?! Embark on a coming of age journey with a middle school teen navigating their parent’s divorce while moving to a new country in this stunning graphic novel.
Ave thought moving to Kansas would be boring and flat after enjoying the mountains and trails in Mexico, but at least they would have their family with them. Unfortunately, while Ave, their mom, and their younger brother are relocating to the US, Ave's father and older sister will be staying in Mexico...permanently. Their parents are getting a divorce.
As if learning a whole new language wasn't hard enough, and now a Middle-Schooler has to figure out a new family dynamic...and what this means for them as they start middle school with no friends.
Jose Pimienta's stunningly illustrated and thought provoking middle graphic novel is about exploring identity, understanding family, making friends with a language barrier, and above all else, learning what truly makes a place a home.
Ave thought moving to Kansas would be boring and flat after enjoying the mountains and trails in Mexico, but at least they would have their family with them. Unfortunately, while Ave, their mom, and their younger brother are relocating to the US, Ave's father and older sister will be staying in Mexico...permanently. Their parents are getting a divorce.
As if learning a whole new language wasn't hard enough, and now a Middle-Schooler has to figure out a new family dynamic...and what this means for them as they start middle school with no friends.
Jose Pimienta's stunningly illustrated and thought provoking middle graphic novel is about exploring identity, understanding family, making friends with a language barrier, and above all else, learning what truly makes a place a home.
256 pages, Paperback
First published February 18, 2025
7 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
José Pimienta
17books21followersJo Pi's almost full name is Jose Pimienta. They reside in Burbank, California where they draw comics, storyboards and sketches for visual development. They have worked with Random House Graphic, Iron Circus Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Disney Digital Network, and more.
During their upbringing in the city of Mexicali, Mexico Jo was heavily influenced by animation, music and short stories. After high school, they ventured towards the state of Georgia where they studied at Savannah College of Art and Design.
During their upbringing in the city of Mexicali, Mexico Jo was heavily influenced by animation, music and short stories. After high school, they ventured towards the state of Georgia where they studied at Savannah College of Art and Design.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
February 22, 2025
Overall, a solid graphic novel. It sorta seemed to rush in the last 20 pages and felt incomplete because of that. Rest was great.
March 5, 2025
Borrowed an electronic copy of the February 18, 2025 edition on Libby through my local library.
This story is marked as juvenile fiction, which makes perfect sense seeing as its main character/plotline is a 12-year-old struggling to adapt to the challenges of their life. It does a great job of depicting this in a way readers of that age group will recognise and relate to, and in a way that will encourage compassion whether the reader has prior experience with these specific struggles or is having them illustrated for them in stark detail for the first time. That said, being an adult, I am definitely not the target audience; I picked this up because I was intrigued by the casual fashion in which the story features a nonbinary character in its starring role and I wanted to see what sort of stories today's kids might be seeing that representation in, and because while I'm genderqueer/nonbinary myself, I'm not latine and I've never moved out of my home state, much less country, so I was interested to see what the world looks like to someone different to me.
The visual cues are excellent� much love especially for the detail of the wobbly speech bubbles for "clumsy" use of a foreign language and the diegetic use of black font for dialogue spoken in Spanish and written in English for the viewer vs. blue font for plain English dialogue, really elegant use of the medium!� and the handling of the emotional conflicts feels very true-to-life. Ave, the protagonist, is definitely not the friendliest, warm-and-fuzziest main character you've ever had the privilege of reading, but I think that's a good narrative decision considering the circumstances they're in and the lack of control they have over it all. Not only is it understandable and psychologically accurate, but it potentially offers recognition to struggling kids who so often hear nothing but criticism for their dour attitudes as they wrestle with a lack of agency, positive reinforcement, and/or deeper connection in their lives.
Ave's struggles are complex enough to not come off as condescending to young audiences while also being addressed in ways that don't feel oversimplified or reductive to the point of "you're wrong, I'm right" thinking that often finds its way into conflict. When Ave breaks their mother's tablet, it's treated as the wrong thing to do, but their mom also takes the time to express concern and compassion for the root cause of the behavior. When they're at odds with their brother over the different ways the two are adjusting to their new lives, neither Ave nor Ramón (or later, Ray) are framed by the narrative as having a more- or less-desirable reaction� just that the two are at odds with one another on a personal level. When Ave continues to struggle in their new life, their mom offers to let them move back to Mexicali to stay with their father and older sister, and they're surprised enough by this that the two find a sense of peace even as Ave opts to put off the decision. Ave's development in terms of their thoughts on heritage, their changing attitude toward the people around them, and the way that affects all parties (themself, their friend group, their family, etc.) are well-written. It's all just very respectful to each character in a way that feels refreshing.
In addition to the implicit subtextual theme of gender included by virtue of quietly spotlighting a nonbinary character, the story also touches on the topic of gender more explicitly in the text, as well as the associated cultural roles, expectations, and imbalances. However, it does so only briefly, and the introduction of it to the major plot and the subsequent, questionable silence on it thereafter does leave it feeling like a bit of a loose end in a way that wouldn't have been as noticeable if it had remained subtextual. I do believe it's important to call attention to these issues, but I also believe the point of doing so is to make it possible to address them in a more meaningful way, which I feel this work somewhat fails to accomplish. It's possible this could be a set-up for a long-term theme if the author wanted to introduce a sequel, in which case that would be understandable and I would rescind my statement, but as a standalone, this story mostly drops that line of conflict.
I would also agree with other reviewers who have expressed confusion over the pacing at the end of the book. The overall story from start to near-finish is very much a gradually paced slice-of-life type of thing, so the rapid transition into the novel's conclusion seems very sudden and perplexing. It seems to drop off into a period of fast-forward with little to no warning, and then the story is over and I was sort of left wondering what happened. It feels to me as if the main body of the work was done in a way that allowed the author to really take their time with it, and then their labor of love was put into crunch time by a publisher moving up a deadline with little warning� not that I'm suggesting or speculating anything, but that's the scenario that comes to mind. Regardless, this was a good read overall, so it gets four stars.
This story is marked as juvenile fiction, which makes perfect sense seeing as its main character/plotline is a 12-year-old struggling to adapt to the challenges of their life. It does a great job of depicting this in a way readers of that age group will recognise and relate to, and in a way that will encourage compassion whether the reader has prior experience with these specific struggles or is having them illustrated for them in stark detail for the first time. That said, being an adult, I am definitely not the target audience; I picked this up because I was intrigued by the casual fashion in which the story features a nonbinary character in its starring role and I wanted to see what sort of stories today's kids might be seeing that representation in, and because while I'm genderqueer/nonbinary myself, I'm not latine and I've never moved out of my home state, much less country, so I was interested to see what the world looks like to someone different to me.
The visual cues are excellent� much love especially for the detail of the wobbly speech bubbles for "clumsy" use of a foreign language and the diegetic use of black font for dialogue spoken in Spanish and written in English for the viewer vs. blue font for plain English dialogue, really elegant use of the medium!� and the handling of the emotional conflicts feels very true-to-life. Ave, the protagonist, is definitely not the friendliest, warm-and-fuzziest main character you've ever had the privilege of reading, but I think that's a good narrative decision considering the circumstances they're in and the lack of control they have over it all. Not only is it understandable and psychologically accurate, but it potentially offers recognition to struggling kids who so often hear nothing but criticism for their dour attitudes as they wrestle with a lack of agency, positive reinforcement, and/or deeper connection in their lives.
Ave's struggles are complex enough to not come off as condescending to young audiences while also being addressed in ways that don't feel oversimplified or reductive to the point of "you're wrong, I'm right" thinking that often finds its way into conflict. When Ave breaks their mother's tablet, it's treated as the wrong thing to do, but their mom also takes the time to express concern and compassion for the root cause of the behavior. When they're at odds with their brother over the different ways the two are adjusting to their new lives, neither Ave nor Ramón (or later, Ray) are framed by the narrative as having a more- or less-desirable reaction� just that the two are at odds with one another on a personal level. When Ave continues to struggle in their new life, their mom offers to let them move back to Mexicali to stay with their father and older sister, and they're surprised enough by this that the two find a sense of peace even as Ave opts to put off the decision. Ave's development in terms of their thoughts on heritage, their changing attitude toward the people around them, and the way that affects all parties (themself, their friend group, their family, etc.) are well-written. It's all just very respectful to each character in a way that feels refreshing.
In addition to the implicit subtextual theme of gender included by virtue of quietly spotlighting a nonbinary character, the story also touches on the topic of gender more explicitly in the text, as well as the associated cultural roles, expectations, and imbalances. However, it does so only briefly, and the introduction of it to the major plot and the subsequent, questionable silence on it thereafter does leave it feeling like a bit of a loose end in a way that wouldn't have been as noticeable if it had remained subtextual. I do believe it's important to call attention to these issues, but I also believe the point of doing so is to make it possible to address them in a more meaningful way, which I feel this work somewhat fails to accomplish. It's possible this could be a set-up for a long-term theme if the author wanted to introduce a sequel, in which case that would be understandable and I would rescind my statement, but as a standalone, this story mostly drops that line of conflict.
I would also agree with other reviewers who have expressed confusion over the pacing at the end of the book. The overall story from start to near-finish is very much a gradually paced slice-of-life type of thing, so the rapid transition into the novel's conclusion seems very sudden and perplexing. It seems to drop off into a period of fast-forward with little to no warning, and then the story is over and I was sort of left wondering what happened. It feels to me as if the main body of the work was done in a way that allowed the author to really take their time with it, and then their labor of love was put into crunch time by a publisher moving up a deadline with little warning� not that I'm suggesting or speculating anything, but that's the scenario that comes to mind. Regardless, this was a good read overall, so it gets four stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2025
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!
Review first posted at
😍 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!
Review first posted at
January 10, 2025
(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.
-- 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.
September 17, 2024
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.
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.
February 23, 2025
� Review � Halfway to Somewhere by José Pimienta
Thanks to Random House Graphic, TBR and Beyond, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!
This middle-grades graphic novel is narrated from the perspective of Ave, a non-binary preteen who moves with their mom and little brother to Lawrence, Kansas for their mom’s new job. The book focuses on Ave's crisis of belonging -- are they Mexican or American? Can they be both? What are the dangers of assimilating? Ave struggles even more because of their broken English and difficulty making friends.
Eventually Ave finds a sense of belonging through walking, through a series of diverse friends (Latinx, Mexican American, nonbinary) and starts to find the shades of grey in their own identity. This coming-of-age story that spans Mexico and the US, and provides incredible landscape views of La Casa de Piedra and La Rumorosa, sites in Mexicali. This is really smart in how it tackles issues of identity and language across these different places.
In this book, Ave struggles with their family changing during this time as well, and I think this was one of my struggles with the book is that there's a lack of transparency in the ways their family is separating. While some of this mimics Ave's own struggle to understand these family dynamics, I found this sort of hard to grapple with myself, or later in the book, frustrating as I wanted them to find some kind of familial fulfillment.
Minor spoiler:
...
The book starts with landscape views of the Mexican desert and without knowing anything about the book, I thought this would become a tale of immigration through the desert. Soon after you learn that the family is just hiking through La Rumorosa, and the ways that I found this jarring shaped my experience with the book and my assumptions with where I thought it was going.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: middle grades graphic novel
Setting: Mexicali / Lawrence, Kansas
Pub Date:
Top 5 Reasons to Read:
1. stellar landscape views depicted
2. reflections on language / identity / belonging
3. middle grades coming-of-age story
4. non-binary middle school characters
5. sense of hope through finding belonging with friends and family
Thanks to Random House Graphic, TBR and Beyond, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!
This middle-grades graphic novel is narrated from the perspective of Ave, a non-binary preteen who moves with their mom and little brother to Lawrence, Kansas for their mom’s new job. The book focuses on Ave's crisis of belonging -- are they Mexican or American? Can they be both? What are the dangers of assimilating? Ave struggles even more because of their broken English and difficulty making friends.
Eventually Ave finds a sense of belonging through walking, through a series of diverse friends (Latinx, Mexican American, nonbinary) and starts to find the shades of grey in their own identity. This coming-of-age story that spans Mexico and the US, and provides incredible landscape views of La Casa de Piedra and La Rumorosa, sites in Mexicali. This is really smart in how it tackles issues of identity and language across these different places.
In this book, Ave struggles with their family changing during this time as well, and I think this was one of my struggles with the book is that there's a lack of transparency in the ways their family is separating. While some of this mimics Ave's own struggle to understand these family dynamics, I found this sort of hard to grapple with myself, or later in the book, frustrating as I wanted them to find some kind of familial fulfillment.
Minor spoiler:
...
The book starts with landscape views of the Mexican desert and without knowing anything about the book, I thought this would become a tale of immigration through the desert. Soon after you learn that the family is just hiking through La Rumorosa, and the ways that I found this jarring shaped my experience with the book and my assumptions with where I thought it was going.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: middle grades graphic novel
Setting: Mexicali / Lawrence, Kansas
Pub Date:
Top 5 Reasons to Read:
1. stellar landscape views depicted
2. reflections on language / identity / belonging
3. middle grades coming-of-age story
4. non-binary middle school characters
5. sense of hope through finding belonging with friends and family
October 6, 2024
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.
ŷ Rating: 5 Stars
***Thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.
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.
ŷ Rating: 5 Stars
***Thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.
March 5, 2025
Twelve-year-old Ave Rendon Chavez, who is nonbinary, is determined to dislike Lawrence, Kansas, where their mother and nine-year-old brother Ramón have moved so their mother can work at the university. Behind in Mexicali, Mexico are their father and older sister, Cruz. The language and culture is so very different, and Ave feels completely lost and homesick. Things get even worse once Ave learns the truth about their parents' future plans. While exploring the city and running from one place to another, Ave finds some peace of mind, and they eventually are embraced by a new friend group who love running as well. The differences between Ave and Ramon and how they deal with this unfamiliar world are striking, and even though it's clear that Ave could make more of an effort, it's also true that fears about losing one's culture and leaving others behind are quite real. Topics of identity, cultural assimilation, and displacement as well as what makes a place a home are explored powerfully in this graphic novel. There are some places where transition or some sort of marker indicating a flashback would have been helpful since some of the shifts back and forth in time between past and present are jarring and disorienting.
February 18, 2025
Halfway To Somewhere is a middle grade graphic novel about a young nonbinary teen who has moved from their home in Mexicali to Kansas. The story is an important look at assimilation, language, identity, and claiming and understanding one’s heritage, in this case their Mexican identity.
This last point was specifically important to me as someone who has faced scrutiny about claiming my own Mexican heritage/identity. The book does a good job of showing how it doesn’t matter if you don’t speak the language, or live in that country anymore. It is your heritage and your right to own it, but also it’s ok to embrace a new place and to find a balance between the two.
This is an important novel for young kids to learn more about acceptance and finding ways to cope with big feelings. In this instance, main character Ave finds comfort and healing through long walks.
I think this is a brilliant novel and I think the graphic novel style will appeal to young readers and the message is one that will help many in similar situations. Pick this one up today!!
This last point was specifically important to me as someone who has faced scrutiny about claiming my own Mexican heritage/identity. The book does a good job of showing how it doesn’t matter if you don’t speak the language, or live in that country anymore. It is your heritage and your right to own it, but also it’s ok to embrace a new place and to find a balance between the two.
This is an important novel for young kids to learn more about acceptance and finding ways to cope with big feelings. In this instance, main character Ave finds comfort and healing through long walks.
I think this is a brilliant novel and I think the graphic novel style will appeal to young readers and the message is one that will help many in similar situations. Pick this one up today!!
February 23, 2025
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, they meet friends at school, some of whom share their 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
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
March 9, 2025
Ave is a Mexican kid who moved to Kansas following their parent’s separation. In short, they hate it in the states. They don’t have any friends, almost no one speaks Spanish, and they miss their dad and older sister. But over time they discover good things about this new life while holding onto their Mexican heritage.
I loved this graphic novel -- the bright colors, the intelligent themes, the loveable characters. José Pimienta, you have a new fan! I’ll definitely be reading your previous works now.
The author’s note talks about the importance of names and how much thought was put into naming these characters, especially Ave. They were on point with the name because I did struggle pronouncing it in my head; I needed that phonetic spelling from the younger brother.
I was gifted a copy for review, all thoughts are entirely my own. Thank you Random House Graphics and TBR Beyond Tours for the opportunity.
I loved this graphic novel -- the bright colors, the intelligent themes, the loveable characters. José Pimienta, you have a new fan! I’ll definitely be reading your previous works now.
The author’s note talks about the importance of names and how much thought was put into naming these characters, especially Ave. They were on point with the name because I did struggle pronouncing it in my head; I needed that phonetic spelling from the younger brother.
I was gifted a copy for review, all thoughts are entirely my own. Thank you Random House Graphics and TBR Beyond Tours for the opportunity.
April 3, 2025
Ave, a nonbinary middle schooler, moves with their family to the United States after growing up in Mexicali, Mexico. Ave struggles to assimilate, unlike their younger brother who chooses a more English-sounding nickname and prefers speaking in English. Ave is also struggling because their family is separated. Their father and older sister have stayed behind in Mexicali. As Ave struggles, they find a supportive group of friends. It's a moving reflection of culture, identity, and change.
The artwork is gentle and welcoming even when showcasing the vast desert landscape of Mexicali or the imposing architecture on the University of Kansas campus. Ave's gender is explored through clothing, hair, and makeup choices that showcase the character's fluid identity. While US-Mexican border relations are touched on, the story keeps a generally lighthearted tone.
Thank you Random House Children's for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
The artwork is gentle and welcoming even when showcasing the vast desert landscape of Mexicali or the imposing architecture on the University of Kansas campus. Ave's gender is explored through clothing, hair, and makeup choices that showcase the character's fluid identity. While US-Mexican border relations are touched on, the story keeps a generally lighthearted tone.
Thank you Random House Children's for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
February 15, 2025
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.
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.
February 8, 2025
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.
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.
December 27, 2024
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.
March 18, 2025
I really liked the soft, detailed illustrations in this graphic novel. I read this one assuming that it would still work as a stand-alone even though it is sort of part of a series, and I think it did work, but it would be interesting to read the other two and see if that fills in some gaps. I think the ending was a little rushed/sudden, but besides that an interesting read with great illustrations and a nonbinary main character whose identity was seamlessly incorporated into the story.
August 6, 2024
This is a story that covers divorce and the struggle of telling your kids
what is going on, and they're finding out on their own. It shows how hard it can be on both the kids and parents. Though this story also has the struggles of moving to a different area with communction barriers and how our main character deals with everything that is changing around them.
what is going on, and they're finding out on their own. It shows how hard it can be on both the kids and parents. Though this story also has the struggles of moving to a different area with communction barriers and how our main character deals with everything that is changing around them.
March 27, 2025
I really enjoyed the cultural exploration here and something I don't often see in children's novels about drastic moves/big changes:
3.5
3.5
Want to read
June 9, 2024"Jose Pimienta's stunningly illustrated and thought provoking middle graphic novel is about exploring identity, understanding family, making friends with a language barrier, and above all else, learning what truly makes a place a home"
🏠🌵💛
🏠🌵💛
September 19, 2024
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.
February 17, 2025
👦🏻reviews: amazing graphic novel! Ave is everyone who moves from one place to an new place and trying to acclimate to the new environment, finding new friends and surviving the chaos in her own family problems. It is a page-turner and the illustrations are awesome. I read this several times and it gets better! Great graphic novel and I hope you can enjoy it too!
February 28, 2025
Halfway to Somewhere: four stars! Thoughtful story of a nonbinary Mexican-American kid dealing with an inter-country move, family changes, and a language barrier. Impressively detailed art, especially the locations.
September 12, 2024
A great reflection on growing up in America as a Spanish speaker. Cute and easy read for elementary students.
March 25, 2025
Beautiful artwork, decent story.
August 8, 2024
Beautifully illustrated and told, this graphic novel touches on many tough subjects such as moving to a new country, divorce, separation from family members, and finding your school identity. I appreciated the honesty reflected in the parents and classmates. Highly recommend.
February 20, 2025
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
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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.
.
🌈Rep: Noninary MC, Mexican-American & Mexican main cast
February 23, 2025
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.
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.
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