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megmro's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
An emotional look at the ups and downs of fifth grade as an impoverished, undocumented Chinese immigrant. The family deals with a LOT of hardships, and so do the other characters they come in contact with--other Chinese immigrants, and a wonderful black man named Hank who lives long-term at the motel.
Many of the incidents are sad, stressful, and scary:
~Mia's mom is attacked and beaten up by robbers, and the family is too poor to pay the doctor's bill when they take her to a hospital. The mom is alright, and the doctor fights for them and gets the hospital to forgive the bill, but the whole episode is upsetting and stressful.
~Mia is grabbed and shouted at by a drunk man trying to rent a room at the hotel.
~Hank is falsely accused of stealing a car, and loses his job because of it. Later, he is incorrectly arrested when he chases down the robbers who attacked Mia's mom. He ends up losing his housing because of it. Mr. Yao is super discriminatory to black people, and Mia knows it's wrong and takes action.
~The other Chinese immigrants who come to the motel have sad stories of being treated horribly. One man has been beat up by loan sharks who have threatened to kill him. Another weeps because he's ashamed to tell his mother back in China how poor he is. Another has been held basically as a slave, and has broken out, but the old boss still has his passport. Lots of stressful things like that.
~The only other Asian in school is Jason Yao, the son of Mr. Yao, the dishonest and cruel motel owner, and Mia's parents' boss. Mia sees Jason being physically bullied, and then she becomes the target of HIS bullying all year long. He's just awful to her. She is teased by everyone for being poor. Content warning: the first time she meets Jason, he's wearing "a shirt that said 'I don't give a' and then a picture of a rat and a donkey."
The GOOD stuff:
~She makes wonderful friends with a hispanic girl named Lupe. Loved the development of that friendship.
~Mia is a tenacious problem-solver. She comes up with ideas that help everyone around her. She suggests a secret signal system to let immigrants know that they can hide for a few nights at the motel. Her parents provide a safe haven for many people because of Mia. She also starts writing letters to people asking for solutions. It starts small, with thank you notes and apologies, but then she gets bolder, and writes a letter of recommendation to Hank's prospective employer. She pretends to be a lawyer and writes a letter demanding their friend's passport back. She enters contests and reaches out for help. She calls out racism and dishonesty. It's really inspiring. She is a fantastic example of strength, courage, resourcefulness, grit, integrity and persistence. She's an incredibly likable character, despite a couple frustrating screw-ups at the beginning that get her family in trouble.
~Lots of wonderful character development in the book. The relationship between Mia and her mom goes through a deep, meaningful change, too. Lots of growth.
~The ending is warm-fuzzy awesomeness.
So, lots of hardships and sadness, but otherwise clean where language/sexual content is concerned. This would be an excellent choice for a school project on immigrant experience, social justice, racism, etc. Kids will definitely learn empathy and perspective.
I would say grade 6+, just because of the hard emotions and situations dealt with in the book.
Many of the incidents are sad, stressful, and scary:
~Mia's mom is attacked and beaten up by robbers, and the family is too poor to pay the doctor's bill when they take her to a hospital. The mom is alright, and the doctor fights for them and gets the hospital to forgive the bill, but the whole episode is upsetting and stressful.
~Mia is grabbed and shouted at by a drunk man trying to rent a room at the hotel.
~Hank is falsely accused of stealing a car, and loses his job because of it. Later, he is incorrectly arrested when he chases down the robbers who attacked Mia's mom. He ends up losing his housing because of it. Mr. Yao is super discriminatory to black people, and Mia knows it's wrong and takes action.
~The other Chinese immigrants who come to the motel have sad stories of being treated horribly. One man has been beat up by loan sharks who have threatened to kill him. Another weeps because he's ashamed to tell his mother back in China how poor he is. Another has been held basically as a slave, and has broken out, but the old boss still has his passport. Lots of stressful things like that.
~The only other Asian in school is Jason Yao, the son of Mr. Yao, the dishonest and cruel motel owner, and Mia's parents' boss. Mia sees Jason being physically bullied, and then she becomes the target of HIS bullying all year long. He's just awful to her. She is teased by everyone for being poor. Content warning: the first time she meets Jason, he's wearing "a shirt that said 'I don't give a' and then a picture of a rat and a donkey."
The GOOD stuff:
~She makes wonderful friends with a hispanic girl named Lupe. Loved the development of that friendship.
~Mia is a tenacious problem-solver. She comes up with ideas that help everyone around her. She suggests a secret signal system to let immigrants know that they can hide for a few nights at the motel. Her parents provide a safe haven for many people because of Mia. She also starts writing letters to people asking for solutions. It starts small, with thank you notes and apologies, but then she gets bolder, and writes a letter of recommendation to Hank's prospective employer. She pretends to be a lawyer and writes a letter demanding their friend's passport back. She enters contests and reaches out for help. She calls out racism and dishonesty. It's really inspiring. She is a fantastic example of strength, courage, resourcefulness, grit, integrity and persistence. She's an incredibly likable character, despite a couple frustrating screw-ups at the beginning that get her family in trouble.
~Lots of wonderful character development in the book. The relationship between Mia and her mom goes through a deep, meaningful change, too. Lots of growth.
~The ending is warm-fuzzy awesomeness.
So, lots of hardships and sadness, but otherwise clean where language/sexual content is concerned. This would be an excellent choice for a school project on immigrant experience, social justice, racism, etc. Kids will definitely learn empathy and perspective.
I would say grade 6+, just because of the hard emotions and situations dealt with in the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Bullying, Slavery, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
shaunashares's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Injury/Injury detail, and Bullying
purplepenning's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Fast-paced, riveting realistic middle grade fiction informed by the author's own life as a young Chinese immigrant helping her parents manage motels. Mia is a dynamic young protagonist who discovers the power of her own voice and the power of community.
If you like Front Desk, definitely check out Finally Seen — both are wonderful middle grade stories of immigrant lives, but I think Finally Seen is the better book, showcasing the author's growth as a writer.
If you like Front Desk, definitely check out Finally Seen — both are wonderful middle grade stories of immigrant lives, but I think Finally Seen is the better book, showcasing the author's growth as a writer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Medical content, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Classism, Blood, and Sexism
Minor: Confinement, Death of parent, and Cancer
Police profiling, racial bias, and harassmentmysterymom40's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Violence, Xenophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Gaslighting, Violence, and Medical trauma
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Alcohol
rachelizx's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Cultural appropriation, Blood, Classism, and Racism
peachani's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Chile, this book is good. A middle grade book that tackles the harrowing tribulations of undocumented people, racism, discrimination, poverty and much more with way more aplomb than books for "grown-ups" often do. I can't wait to read the rest of the series. If more people acted like the heroine of this book, the world would be in much better shape.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Confinement and Police brutality
Minor: Alcohol, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Slavery
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