Thursday, January 30, 2014

New Year, New Books Day 30: Maria E. Andreu + The Secret Side of Empty


Welcome to Day 30 of New Year, New Books! Today I'm featuring...

Maria E. Andreu
-author of The Secret Side of Empty (March 11th, 2014)

Title: The Secret Side of Empty
Author: Maria E. Andreu
Shelves: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publication Date: March 11th, 2014
Publisher: Running Press Kids

Goodreads|Amazon|

Summary from Goodreads: As a straight-A student with a budding romance and loyal best friend, M.T.’s life seems as apple-pie American as her blondish hair and pale skin. But M.T. hides two facts to the contrary: her full name of Monserrat Thalia and her status as an undocumented immigrant. 

But it’s harder to hide now that M.T.’s a senior. Her school’s National Honor Society wants her to plan their trip abroad, her best friend won’t stop bugging her to get her driver’s license, and all everyone talks about is where they want to go to college. M.T. is pretty sure she can’t go to college, and with high school ending and her family life unraveling, she’s staring down a future that just seems empty. In the end, M.T. will need to trust herself and others to stake a claim in the life that she wants.

Meet Miss Maria!
Maria's website|Goodreads author page

Author Maria E. Andreu draws from her personal experience as a (formerly) undocumented immigrant to explore an issue that affects over one million children in the U.S. But while the subject matter is timely, it is M.T.’s sharp, darkly funny voice and longing for a future that makes this story universally poignant.

Maria E. Andreu is the author of The Secret Side of Empty, a young adult novel due out Spring, 2014 (Running Press). It is the story of M.T., a regular American high school senior who is just like everybody else with one important exception: she is undocumented. She was brought over as a baby and her parents overstayed their visitors' visa. Now, with graduation looming, and no social security number for a college education, a job, a driver's license and everything else her friends are planning on, she's got to make some tough choices that will impact the lives of everyone she loves. 


***GIVEAWAY***

Maria has provided me with THREE LOVELY ARCS OF The Secret Side of Empty to give away!!

If you want one, I suggest you enter to win! ;)

Rules of entry:
1) US ONLY
2) No cheating with the entries, I always check!
3) The ARCs will be sent out at the MY discretion.
4) Take the time to learn about Maria, not just enter the giveaway. All the authors featured in New Year, New Books are crazy busy, and deserve as much love and attention as any giveaway you enter.
5) GOOD LUCK!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Grand Prize Giveaway***
2 Surprise 2014 ARCs + swag
Yep, these will be from my own shelf. Yep, this giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. Yep, it is a surprise and I am not telling you what the ARCs will be but here's an idea of what MIGHT be in it:



Any of these books are fair game! But in the end, the winner will only get 2. And I promise that the surprise ARCs will be good:)

Here are the rules of entry:
1) OPEN INTERNATIONALLY
2) The winner has 48 hours to respond to my email. If not, I will have to pick a new winner. 
3) The prize will be sent out at my discretion, so I might take me a little longer than a week to get it to you.
4) In order to earn the maximum amount of entries, you can comment on EVERY SINGLE DAY of New Year, New Books!
5) GOOD LUCK!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

12 comments:

  1. Today's featured story delivers a social message. I like that kind for the readers have the chance to see the lives of others.

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  2. The premise of this novel looks new and original to me:-)

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  3. This sounds like a really eye opening novel! Would be glad to read it.

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  4. This book sounds really great!!
    I've gotten to know so many fantastic books through this meme.
    Thank you so much.

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  5. The cover is beautiful, and the subject matter is incredibly relevant in the world of today. I can't imagine the struggles and the fear that undocumented immigrants face. I can only imagine the worries and the heartache. This sounds like a very poignant, and very unique YA story. Definitely something that I haven't read or honestly heard of before. Thanks for showcasing ANOTHER wonderful debut, and for the giveaway!

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  6. I cannot imagine approaching graduation with such a heavy burden. It is enough to have to face adulthood, college, jobs, etc. To have to worry about deportation is horrifying. This is something my mind cannot even grasp. I admire the bravery of this author. She has the fortitude to not only survive, but to succeed and write about her experience. That is highly commendable.

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  7. This is a book that I would love to own simply because I feel like there's so much I could learn from this. I can't even fathom what M.T. (or even Maria, the author) would/ have gone through.

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  8. Eager to get my hands on this one.
    (Side note: This author is a pretty fantastic lady in person)

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  9. I love the cover of this one. :) It sounds like a good contemporary!

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  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  11. This book sounds so interesting and original! And look at that cover! :)

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  12. The Secret Side of Empty is an honest, timely novel that explores MT's struggles with her undocumented status. With beautiful prose, Andreu brings to life the realistic issues that a high school student in this situation can face. Teens will love this book for the characters and the dramatic story; parents and teachers will appreciate how this novel ties to current events.

    Zia
    Asbestos Lawyer San Antonio

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