ALA Booklist (Wed Sep 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Mateo is embarking on the treacherous journey across the Sonoran Desert to cross the border and get to his grandmother in Phoenix. When the coyote tells him it will be at least a week until they can attempt to make their way across, the headstrong Mateo decides to continue the journey on his own. After getting detained shortly after crossing and narrowly escaping with the help of Guillermo, a ghost, Mateo realizes that trekking through the desert will be more dangerous than he could have ever imagined. The inclusion of Guillermo as a guide adds a supernatural element to the story, and as the story progresses, he also offers readers some historical background that supplements the narrative. The artwork is captivating, with the illustrations and choice of color palettes helping to convey emotions such as fear, anger, and sadness during the action-packed moments and flashbacks. A touching story of resilience, this is a must-read for those who are looking for insight on the migrant experience with a supernatural twist.

Horn Book (Wed Dec 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

In this graphic novel with supernatural elements, high-achieving teenager Mateo has grown up in Phoenix, Arizona, and only learned recently that his family was undocumented. After the family's deportation to Mexico, Mateo's parents arrange for him to attempt a border crossing through the Sonoran Desert so he can finish high school in the U.S. and achieve his goal of going to college. Mateo's stubbornness leads him to trek out alone, disregarding the warnings of the guide hired to help him cross. A ghost who died on his own crossing, a jaguar, and a Tohono O'odham nurse help Mateo to have a chance of survival. His experience provides a powerful glimpse into the physical and emotional burdens some young people carry with regard to legal status and their sense of home. Anta crafts sympathetic characters whose stories (which include candid depictions of the violence of border crossings) thoughtfully introduce readers to the complexities and inequities surrounding immigration. Salcedo's propulsive sequential art sets the scene for Mateo's dangerous voyage, combining with the text to convey the range of perils that migrants face from the elements, border patrol, and vigilantes. Mateo finds strength by helping others and honoring the sacrifices of the millions of migrants before him. Nicholas A. Brown

Kirkus Reviews

Undocumented and recently deported Mexican national Mateo Renteria sets out on a harrowing journey across the Sonoran Desert to return to the United States for his senior year of high school.Mateo is shocked to learn that his parents, in order to provide a better life for him, brought him to the U.S. at a young age. But the family can no longer stay. After a judge sends the Renterias back to Guadalajara, Mateo's parents prepare to reunite him with his grandmother in Phoenix. Too impatient to follow the advice of the coyote his parents hired, Mateo runs headfirst toward the border-and into trouble. He finds help in the unlikeliest of places: Guillermo, the ghost of a queer young man who died nearly 70 years ago. Mateo is equal parts determined and naïve, while Guillermo's presence and moving backstory provide relevant historical context for the plight of those crossing the border. Warm, vibrant colors deftly wash over the interestingly varied panels, depicting the brutal, inescapable heat and the intensity of being on the move in a geographically and politically hostile environment. There are also scenes of startling natural beauty and emotional vulnerability. A caption notes that the dialogue, presented in English, is assumed to be Spanish unless otherwise noted.A stirring supernatural framing of an all too common and heartbreaking reality. (Graphic fiction. 14-18)

Publishers Weekly (Wed Dec 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

A Mexican teenager must rely on a new ghost friend to cross the Sonoran Desert in this poignant graphic novel by Anta (Home) and debut creator Salcedo. Mateo has just left Guadalajara to cross the Mexico-U.S. border to Phoenix. Though his parents hired a coyote to smuggle him across, impatient Mateo goes alone, and is pursued by border patrol-then saved by Guillermo, a ghost in a cowboy hat. Via flashbacks in which the ghost guides Mateo-s spirit through his own memories, Guillermo reveals that he died while crossing the desert 70 years prior. Unable to move on, his soul now wanders the landscape, protecting migrants from the police. With help from Guillermo and a Tohono O-odham woman, Mateo combats heat exhaustion, dodges militia men, and resolves to help Guillermo cross over to the afterlife. By juxtaposing Mateo-s present treacherous situation with harrowing scenes from Guillermo-s and other migrants- pasts, Anta pulls no punches, organically weaving together myriad contemporary border issues. Salcedo-s richly colored backdrops and expressive characters make the desert and its inhabitants come alive in an adventure steeped in magical realism that artfully conveys a small sampling of migrant stories. Ages 13-up. (July) -

School Library Journal (Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Gr 8 Up— When Mateo was three years old, his parents brought him to Arizona to live, never revealing that they were there illegally. Mateo only found out just before he and his parents were deported back to Guadalajara despite their best efforts to remain in the country. Now that Mateo is a teenager, his parents have arranged for someone to help him cross the Sonoran Desert so he can join his grandmother in Phoenix. Mateo follows his parents' instructions until he meets with the coyote, whose caution surrounding the Border Patrol causes Mateo to grow impatient and attempt to cross on his own. Just when he is about to be caught, he receives help from an unlikely source: a ghost named Guillermo, who has been helping migrants cross for decades. Mateo at first struggles to accept that Guillermo is not a hallucination. But after their initial arguments and difficulties, the two become friends and learn more about each other, with Mateo attempting to help Guillermo as much as Guillermo is helping him. As they bond and share more about themselves, they come closer to one final danger that they will face together. Bold, vibrant colors fill the panels, pulling readers into the hot daytime desert and just as easily as into the dark night. Speech bubbles are either yellow to indicate speech in English or white to indicate Spanish. Readers stay mostly in the present with Mateo, but occasionally travel back to Mateo's youth or to Guillermo's past. Characters are expressive, and Mateo's attitude, influenced by impatience and rash decisions, changes as the story progresses. VERDICT Exploring topics of immigration, racism, freedom, and helping others, this action-packed graphic novel presents the journey across the border in a whole new way.— Selenia Paz