Tragedy strikes on the eve of Rosa’s 15th birthday: Rosa’s beautiful 18-year-old sister, Julia, is killed by Kike, her jealous boyfriend who’s a member of Mara Salvatrucha, the gang also known as MS-13. After Kike, who’s 28, stabs Julia and Julia’s friend Herman right in front of Rosa and her little brother, Juanito, the siblings are forced to flee; as witnesses, their lives are in danger. The pair set off for the home of their Aunt Hilda in Guatemala, where they plan to wait for Mamá to join them. But when Hilda’s husband announces a plan to force Rosa into prostitution, Hilda tells her to run to her Aunt Teresa in Houston, a journey that involves life-threatening risks. This fast-paced story provides a stark reminder of the senselessness and terrifying impact of gang violence, but the narrative moves at a breakneck speed, jerking readers from one harrowing situation to the next without allowing enough time to pause for real reflection. Some statements feel unsuited to the intended audience, as when Pablo, the father of a family Rosa travels with, observes that she’s at risk because she “has nothing but her youth and beauty. And tragedy is a companion of beautiful women.”
