The Radius of Us

3.5 Stars. High school senior Gretchen Asher's life changed forever the night she was attacked. She has lived in fear for the past six months. One day, she has a panic attack after seeing a young man who resembles her attacker. She realizes it couldn't possibly be the same person, so she finds him to apologize. The young man's name is Phoenix (18) and he just recently arrived in the United States. He and his brother Ari (12) fled their home in El Salvador to seek asylum in the United States. Gre [...]

When Gretchen first sees Phoenix, she thinks she's come face to face with him, the boy who assulted and robbed her six months ago and turned her life upside down. Since the attack, Gretchen notices him everywhere, in every teen boy with dark eyes and caramel skin. Not that she could confide this in anyone. Her friends, family and boyfriend have all been waiting for her to "return to normal." But it's becoming clear to Gretchen she might never her old self ever again. She can no longer handle goi [...]

You can also follow it on : bewareofthereader/?p=1474,5 touching starsAn ARC has been kindly provided by St Martin's Press, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. This story is like an onion, it has many layers. You can choose to see it as just a very cute romance between two touching main characters coming from different worlds: the poor migrant and the cute middle class white girl. Gretchen and Phoenix were perfectly assorted. Phoenix helped Gretchen to live fully and fearlessly agai [...]

Copy received through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.The Radius of Us is a beautiful book. The story is great, it's original and it'll capture your attention right away. The characters are amazingly developed, their interactions seem natural. But what most stood out about this book to me was the writing style. In my experience YA isn't the genre where you can encounter amazing and eloquent writing styles, so Mrs. Marquardt's way of writing surprised me, and amazed me. She has a wonderfu [...]

Review forthcoming.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, for sending me an ARC of this book (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward. —Steve MaraboliThe Radius of Us is one of the most meaningful and insightful books I've read this year. Unlike many YA contemporary novels, this book educates its readers about PTSD, the politics of immigration, as [...]

304 pages of pure bliss. There are so many things to love from this book! It tells the story of two different people with scary pasts: Gretchen, a girl who os attacked and has panic attacks since then; and Phoenix, a guy running away from gang life in San Salvador, protecting his brother all the while.The story is sound and well-written, alternating chapters between the two main characters. Gretchen and Phoenix are really fleshed out, and I loved their story.Also, I did dig the way in which "not [...]

extremely skeptical about this one because this talks about gang violence and illegal immigration (both important issues to me)n't let me down pls *crosses fingers*

I received this ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. “I have this strange feeling that we’re both on our way to someplace better.” A lot can happen in 90 seconds, and even more can happen in 304 pages. The synopsis said it best: This book is about victims becoming survivors. It’s about violence, trauma, life, love, and safety. It’s about family and home. And it was all written sincerely and beautifully.This book manages t [...]

I received a copy of this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review3.5 out of 5 starsThis is a really cute contemporary read due to be released January 2017. The characters in this are really well developed and there is a lot of raw emotion scattered throughout. They deal with issues such as gangs which I personally haven't read too much about in YA novels so I thought that was incredibly refreshing. With some realistic life struggles, witty banter and heart, this is basic [...]

Has a really good plot and the way it was executed was good but it falls a bit flat because even though it is a YA book it feels a little bit too watered down. It could've been a really really good book if the hidden message (although it's not exactly a hidden message, you know what I mean) was a bit louder but the characters are all likable and they have a good amount of depth. I would still recommend this book. (:

Rating: 4.5 SarsIf I was pressed to summarize this book, I would pick the following part of the book blurb:Told in alternating first person points of view, The Radius of Us is a story of love, sacrifice, and the journey from victim to survivor. There was just so much I loved about this book, I don't even know where to start. This is a love story, a story of redemption, and a story of survival. This is story of gang violence, refugees, and the Central American Crisis. This book hit me on so many [...]

*ARC provided by St. Martins in exchange for an honest review*This was my first read by Marie and I am honestly itching to read more of what she has to offer. I always mention on my reviews whether I have grown to respect a character but I will take a moment to point out that my respect was fully stolen by Marie herself. As a Latina and part Salvadoran, I appreciated the way she represented us immensely. This is probably the first time I've seen Spanish used so perfectly in a book. I have HUGE e [...]

In this book we find two main characters struggling with trauma and helping each other to overcome it. On the one hand, there is Gretchen, a girl who suffers PTSD after being assaulted one night by a stranger. On the other hand, there is Phoenix, a latino boy seeking asylum in the US, who has gone through really terrible things. When they meet, they rely on each other and take care of one another, and it's beautiful to see how they connect."The radius of us" deals with important issues such as m [...]

4.5/5 Stars!Marie Marquardt is a college professor at Emory University residing in Decatur, Georgia. Her debut novel, DREAM THINGS TRUE, released in 2015. THE RADIUS OF US is her second novel encountering immigration in the southern United States, and she is an immigration advocate and co-chair of the Georgia nonprofit El RefugioE RADIUS OF US is the story of two teenagers, Phoenix and Gretchen, whose lives connect in the most surprising ways. Phoenix, an asylum-seeker and survivor from El Salva [...]

A shining example of why we (as a culture) need diverse books. There are situations so terrible that we can scarcely imagine them, much less be empathetic towards those enduring that sort of pain. Stories like these help with that--and they encourage readers to reach out and be helped by people they love in times of trouble. Plus, it's a good read.

*** I received an ARC of this book from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. However, this does not influence my opinions in any way.***I read this book on a whim. I jumped in knowing nothing. I was presently surprised. I read this book in small chunks, 10-15 minutes at a time between classes and regretted having to put the book down every time. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I felt drawn to this book. I obviously couldn't relate to the characters very much (asi [...]

Actual Rating: 3.5This book was Fluffy and very very educating.I'll be honest here I didn't know much about the situation of illegal immigrants from Latin America but the author made an amazing story of Pheonix who is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador and the problem he faces (Which opened up my eye ) then he meets a girl named Gretchen and the story goes and although this is sweet contemporary which this book made me surprised sometimes.To be honest, I cared about Pheonix more, I cared abou [...]

DNF @ 25%I've tried to read this book for the third time now, and I'm officially giving up.When I read the synopsis of this book, I was really intrigued and wanted to read it. I really wanted to read more about both characters, especially Pheonix, being an immigrant myself I wanted to read his side of the story.Instead what I got was an insta-love romance that just made me cringe and eye roll at almost anything that happened. As the romance become more important in the story, I realized that I c [...]

For a quick read, author, Marie Marquardt, packs a lot plot, emotion, and character development. Gretchen was attacked late one night after work as she walked alone to her car. She is left with guilt, blame, and the knowledge that her life will never be the same. She now lives in fear, can no longer go to school, doesn’t feel the same way about her longtime boyfriend, and can’t imagine her future. This is why, one day at the park while she’s playing with her little cousins, she has a major [...]

ARC Received courtesy of First Reads GiveawayThis book was timely and heart-wrenching. Phoenix is an 18 year-old immigrant on the run from the awfulness that is El Salvador. It took him 4 months to get his 13 year-old brother from El Salvador to the United States; that journey changed them both forever. Most of our American kids have no idea what a horrifying reality Central America has become, the journey to get here even more terrifying. Phoenix is living in Atlanta with a couple who want to [...]

A heart wrenching, beautifully told love story that centers on two young adults with serious troubles. She is a recent assault victim suffering from PTSD, he's an El Salvadoran refugee seeking asylum in the US. It's an illuminating tale that does an excellent job giving the reader a sense of the huge difficulty persecuted refugees face trying to flee horrific conditions and be productive immigrants in America. An important read.

This book was super cute! It was also a crazy fast read, and I adored the ending. I can't wait to read more from this author in the future. First completed read of BorrowAThon.

Literally finished this book in less than 12 hours. Incredibly beautiful and meaningful.

I received an e-arc of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.I was very surprised by this book. I requested it on NetGalley because the premise intrigued me, but at the same time I was scared that the Great Themes Mentioned in the Blurb would just fall flat in yet another YA romance with very little substance. Boy, was I wrong! Love is definitely a big theme in the book, but it goes so much further than me [...]

Heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.A powerful book with a glimpse of an asylum seeker's life in the US.I thought it was a nice balance between the romance and real life issues.A must read!

I really enjoyed Marquardt's Dream Things True, and was eager to read her next book. The Radius of Us blew me away- it is even better than her first, and this story is so important to tell. Phoenix and Gretchen are compelling narrators, and while sometimes jumping between narrators can feel distracting or jarring, I never felt that with this book. I cried at the end, not gonna lie. Digital ARC courtesy of Netgalley.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc to read and review.The Radius of Us is a young adult contemporary set for release in January 2017. It follows the story of two teenagers - Gretchen and Phoenix of whom have both undergone significant trauma.I found this book refreshing and I really enjoyed it. Considering I am Australian, it was very informative about US immigration issues. I have not seen much of this in young adult literature before. I adored the characters and the way thei [...]

I struggled to connect with the chapters from Phoenix's point-of-view at first, but once I was a few chapters in, I was pretty hooked.The story, though, is definitely what drew me in. I loved that both characters had some kind of trauma to overcome, and that both had to put their own issues aside when it came to helping Phoenix's little brother, Ari. The drawings in the story (Ari's artwork) also added a cool layer to the story. I loved the way those were worked in.Marquardt has this amazing way [...]

This book was fabulous! I loved it from page one! It was so beautifully written. I kept highlighting my favorite passages and had to stop because I was highlighting the whole book! The story is told from two points of view. Gretchen, is recovering from a violent attack in an alley a few months ago. Phoenix escaped with his little brother from a gang in El Salvador who was trying to kill them. He is trying to become a US citizen but his past could keep him from this dream. Gretchen unexpectedly r [...]