The Secret Side of Empty

"Andreu has crafted an empathetic yet gritty narrative; readers will ache for M.T. as they are let into her secret life. A timely and powerful portrait of the American dream deferred.
—Kirkus Reviews
"Eye-opening and wrenching."
—Publishers Weekly
“Andreu's debut novel paints a realistic, yet hopeful, portrayal of the challenges of undocumented immigrants. M.T.'s first person narration gives readers an intimate view of the precarious nature of her life.”
—VOYA
“With immigration reform a hot button issue across the country, this book couldn't be timelier. Written with compassion and raw emotions of one who has lived in the shadows herself, Andreu's debut offering is a winner.”
—Booklist
“[T]he book effectively generates empathy for the plight of the undocumented as well as the abused by giving voice and dimension to M. T. She is a complex character… [T]he feelings that accompany it deserve an airing and can open discussions about and beyond immigration, stretching to any teen who feels as if his or her circumstances offer little hope for the future.”
–Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BCCB)