I enjoyed this one, but only after a time. I didn't get a feeling of direction, of purpose, in the beginning. Salvador was an excellent lead character, and his interactions with nearly every other character were important. The connection Sal shared with his father, and further, his entire family, was really something special. The bond they shared seemed to be rare. The love that floated about, palpable in the air, easily viewed from the outside. Salvadors father Vicente was such an excellent support figure for him, saying "I gave you everything you need, but not everything you want." Such an excellent thought, and a powerful statement to provide your child. The story of how they came together as an adoptive family was a long time coming for me. I felt like, although the author shared early on that the adoption had taken place, and that Salvadors birth mother and Vicente has been the best of friends, I would have liked the connective information a little sooner than when it came about. Mima, that was a woman I found myself wanting a hug from. There were ugly tears cried, often, when Sal was remembering his childhood with Mima, and the way that she spoke to him, never failing to let him know how important he was to her. The envelope with the leaves did me in emotionally. That was an excellent patch of writing to be sure. Such a moving scene! Samantha and Fito, what better friends could a kid ask for? If we're honest, I think they were lucky to have Salvador for a friend. When things got crazy in their lives, Sal opened his heart, and his arms, to hold them, to listen, to be there for them. It was quite devastating to experience so much loss throughout the book with these poor kids. My heart broke for them. The connection that Samantha and Salvador shared was something beyond words. I was expecting there to be a romantic relationship between them by the end, but I am so glad there wasn't. It's really nice to see a platonic relationship stay that way. These two are kindred spirits, siblings born to different parents, but siblings none the less. Their connection is deeper than any romantic feelings could ever be. I can only hope that my own children end up with a friendship and bond as strong as theirs. The inner turmoil that Salvador was battling with throughout the book was quite difficult to experience. The feelings of disappointment in himself, the uncertainty of the way he was growing as a person and changing, the fear of being less than what other people needed him to be, I could relate as a person, and also as a parent. There is so much that can not be done to help the way that our children experience the world. I just wanted to hold Salvador and tell him everything would work out in the end, so long as he kept his chin up and worked hard. I can't say for sure that saying those things will ever make a difference for anyone, but that is neither here nor there. All in all, I did enjoy the book, but I did find myself very bored at times. Could be a pacing thing? I'm not one for delayed gratification, so I really wanted things to be tied up neat a lot sooner. 3.5/5* for this book. It's quite the emotional roller coaster.
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