December 18, 2023
In 2006, 17-year-old Peruvian American Jimena Ramos, a high school senior, can’t wait to attend a great college and make her mark on the world. But after police break up a rooftop party and escort Jimena home, her terrified mother confesses that the family has overstayed their visas after emigrating from Peru. Jimena believes that her future is forfeit—unless she becomes an American citizen. Her only solution, she feels, is to marry, but finding a husband turns out to be harder than she anticipated; online ads and desperate dating get her nowhere. She is eventually drawn to her Russian American neighbor Vitaly, also 17, whose own hang-ups regarding marriage and determination to move to England ruin any chance of romance there. Still, Jimena’s growing feelings for Vitaly persist, forcing her to choose between pursuing real, authentic love or chasing after her carefully planned future at the expense of her heart. Though uneven pacing and occasionally flat dialogue lessen the impact of this promising concept, Moldavsky (Lord of the Fly Fest) deftly elevates the popular marriage of convenience trope by critically highlighting the insurmountable odds of the U.S. immigration system in this timely read. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Agency.