Dream Things True: A Novel

After a few years of living in Atlanta with relatives, Alma has returned home to her small town in Georgia to help care for her cousins, while she finishes high school. Shortly after returning home, she meets Evan, a rich boy who wants out of Georgia and away from his rich, overbearing family. Alma wants out too, but that might not be an option for her, as she’s an undocumented immigrant who moved to America when she was two. As the friendship between Alma and Evan quickly develops into love, the two open each other’s eyes to a lot of truths about life. And as the government cracks down on immigrants like Alma, their future together looks pretty grim.

Marie Marquardt’s new novel, Dream Things True, is so much more than a love story. The romance between Alma and Even is, for the most part, wonderfully straightforward, lacking the drama that so many teen novels are filled with. Instead, the problems come with Alma’s legal status and the way Evan’s family reacts to it. In the vein of many great YA novels, this one is sure to get readers thinking, bringing into the light an issue that is becoming more prevalent for our generation. Beautifully written with well-defined characters, this book will get teens reading and thinking about one of the current big debates in a different way.