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The Grief Keeper

Alexandra Villasante (Goodreads Author)

4.05 · Rating details · 2,190 ratings · 432 reviews

This stunning YA debut is a timely and heartfelt speculative narrative about healing, faith, and freedom.

Seventeen-year-old Marisol has always dreamed of being American, learning what Americans and the US are like from television and Mrs. Rosen, an elderly expat who had employed Marisol's mother as a maid. When she pictured an American life for herself, she dreamed of a

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ebook, 256 pages

Published June 11th 2019 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

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· 2,190 ratings · 432 reviews

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May 05, 2017 Elle (ellexamines) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: z-2020faves, y-2020releases, elle-recs-list, identity, genre-experiments, sapphic-books-shelf, authors-of-color, z-2020reads, 5-star

The Grief Keeper follows Marisol, an immigrant from El Salvador applying for asylum in the United States with her sister Gabby, who she's attempting to protect. When her asylum request gets turned down, she's given an opportunity to stay in the U.S.: to literally take on the grief of another girl about her age. The girl, Ray, isn't aware of what's happening; she's only aware that they're both going through a treatment together.

It's a really complicated narrative about how immigrants are devalue The Grief Keeper follows Marisol, an immigrant from El Salvador applying for asylum in the United States with her sister Gabby, who she's attempting to protect. When her asylum request gets turned down, she's given an opportunity to stay in the U.S.: to literally take on the grief of another girl about her age. The girl, Ray, isn't aware of what's happening; she's only aware that they're both going through a treatment together.

It's a really complicated narrative about how immigrants are devalued and pushed into negative jobs. The only reason Marisol can be offered this job is because no one else would be willing to take it: she's in a desperate position, and because she's in a desperate position, she's essentially preyed upon for this job.

Marisol, as a lead, is a character who could so easily be meek or boring: for a lot of the book, she’s unwilling to speak up. But her strength comes out in other ways. She's willing to do anything to protect her sister and her loved ones, even if she's not always willing to do everything to stick up for herself.

She also, throughout the book, falls in love with Ray, the girl who she's taking the grief away from. The romance between them is written in such an interesting and respectful way.
I ended up really getting invested despite, when I first was coming across the premise of this relationship, feeling a little skeeved out. This would be such an easy narrative to get wrong, to make feel disrespectful to Marisol or one-sided. But it's just tender, and it's just sweet. The narrative doesn’t prioritize romance only, either: it allows Marisol to find some kind of family with Olga, for example, who's a really interesting side character.

In general, the narrative is respectful and handles complex topics with a deft hand. There are a few characters in here that could very easily be villainized, both of whom are treated with more nuance.

This book was wonderfully well-done, and well-written, and I know it’ll stick with me for a long time.

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Spotify | Youtube | About | ...more

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Sep 15, 2019 may ➹ rated it really liked it

Shelves: pov-female, school, rep-mental-illness, rep-bipoc, young-adult, 4-star, rep-lgbtqiap-wlw, rep-lgbtqiap-author, read-2019, contemporary

for once I could choose a book I actually wanted to read for school, and I didn’t hate it!!! it’s like not forcing students to read a book they don’t care about means they actually enjoy it!!!!!

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Jun 16, 2019 Artemis rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, action, mysticism-of-life, contemporary, lbgtq, geek-culture, mystery, young-adult, feminism, gritty

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It grieves me to do this (I know, low blow, sorry), but I feel I have to get my thoughts on this book out there, since there are so many positive reviews of it, a differing opinion might help to balance things out and gain another perspective. Especially for a book that handles such delicate, multilayered, and important subject matters, and is constantly praised for its diversity.

Because of this, my contrary review of 'The Grief Keeper' might be controversial, polarizing, and lots are going to ...more

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Nov 17, 2019 Acqua rated it it was amazing

Shelves: aoc, ya, best-mcs, best-romance, grief, mi-ndv, unpredictable, love-cover, qf, q

The Grief Keeper is a contemporary story with sci-fi aspects following Marisol, a Salvadorian lesbian who fled her country for her life, together with her younger sister Gabi. To legally stay in the US, she is forced to take part in a program in which she'll have to bear the weight of someone else's grief, all of this while dealing with her own trauma.

I feel weird about calling this a sci-fi book. It is one, because it features technology that doesn't exist in our reality, and it's not like sci- The Grief Keeper is a contemporary story with sci-fi aspects following Marisol, a Salvadorian lesbian who fled her country for her life, together with her younger sister Gabi. To legally stay in the US, she is forced to take part in a program in which she'll have to bear the weight of someone else's grief, all of this while dealing with her own trauma.

I feel weird about calling this a sci-fi book. It is one, because it features technology that doesn't exist in our reality, and it's not like sci-fi isn't made for commenting on current, relevant issues. It's just that I'm used to having more layers of unreality between a sci-fi book's reality and our own. What makes The Grief Keeper so heart-wrenching is knowing that if this technology did exist, this is exactly what would happen: less privileged people would have to bear the weight of more privileged people's trauma.
There is a part of this book in which a character says that if this program is successful, it will “ease a lot of suffering.” Marisol's well-being is barely considered, and if it is, it's just to ensure that she still exists to protect the other subject, the privileged white American Rey, from her depression.

It's a painful read, a necessary one, and yet it's so hopeful. This is not a tragedy, even though some of the characters are forced to endure things no one should have to. The circumstances are horrible, but the relationships between the characters are the light in the darkness for them. Marisol and Gabi's sibling bond was so well-written and layered: Marisol wants to protect her sister and her sister is what she is surviving for; Gabi loves Marisol but also wants to break free, to rebel like someone on the cusp of teenagehood would.
I also loved the romance. I didn't know if I would, because Marisol is falling in love with the other subject, Rey, the girl whose trauma she has to re-experience over and over. This could have turned ugly really easily, and it didn't. We see this connection build slowly, help Marisol with her internalized self-loathing about being a lesbian, help Rey in many ways the technology she didn't consent to either could have never, and it's beautiful. Their scenes in the last 30% of the book were everything.

There were so many ways this could have gone wrong. It could have been a "romance cures mental illness" story, and it wasn't; it could have had an ugly power dynamic and it didn't. There was only one thing I didn't like, only one thing in the whole book - this book didn't shy away from psychiatric medications' side effects like many YA books dealing with mental illness do, but it does somewhat fall in the opposite cliché with one quote: medication turns you into a zombie. Marisol says that the medication she's taking is working as intended, which means that she is still anxious and depressed, but has no will. While it could be that this is a sci-fi medication meant to do exactly that, the book says that Rey is taking SSRIs, and implies that her and Marisol are taking the same pills. That's not how antidepressants work. Maybe some people experience this as a side effect and the book meant to show that, while also implying Marisol doesn't know she's experiencing side effects? I don't know. I really would have liked more clarification about this.

One of the things that meant a lot to me was how The Grief Keeper talked about bilingualism. The main character is a Spanish native speaker, and English is her second language. Across different first languages, it was interesting to see how our feelings about English were similar, and for once, it's so great to see a main character who has gone through the same things I do with language: struggling with idioms, with figures of speech; feeling like she has to be perfect because anything less than perfection in an ESL speaker is a sign of ignorance to monolingual speakers who don't know a word of your language; the way we both have a relationship with language that people who don't have to be fluent into two languages can't understand. The amount of Spanish in this book, and the way it isn't necessarily translated every single time, made me happy.

Another thing I loved was how Marisol and Rey connected over a (fictional) TV show, and how their understanding of their own queerness was also shaped by that show. I think that fandom has an important place in many queer people's journey of self-discovery in a way that goes deeper than pop culture references built into a story to be relatable, and I love when books reflect that.

I was also surprised by several things: a slight twist in the ending I won't talk about for obvious reasons, and the character of Indranie. She is an Indian-American woman, and I thought that what this book did with her and the way she is complicit in Marisol's suffering and yet not portrayed as a fully bad person was such an interesting direction to take.

As this book deals with a lot of heavy themes both in the present timeline and (especially) in the flashbacks, I'm going to post my list of content warnings here, under a spoiler tag because they're potentially spoiler-y. I don't think they are and I still recommend reading them, but to be sure: (view spoiler) ...more

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Feb 19, 2022 ale ♡ (nikolai's version) marked it as to-read

SHUT THE FUCK UP, THIS BOOK IS ABOUT MY COUNTRY, HOW HAVEN'T I HEARD ABOUT IT BEFORE? IT GOES TO MY TOP TBR SHELF! ...more

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Mar 13, 2017 Kerri rated it it was amazing

being a crit partner has its benefits...you NEED this book in your life, trust me!

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May 22, 2019 Katherine Moore rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, 2019-read, arc-galley, favorites, 2019

I can already say that this will be on my list as one of my top and most impactful reads of the year (and it’s only May). I’ve not read too many books lately that can bring me to shed both happy and sad tears, as well as make me drop my jaw, and cause me to put the book down for moments so I could collect my thoughts. And although the title would suggest that ‘The Grief Keeper’ is filled with sadness, it also brings with it a bright message of love and hope.

The novel opens with seventeen-year ol I can already say that this will be on my list as one of my top and most impactful reads of the year (and it’s only May). I’ve not read too many books lately that can bring me to shed both happy and sad tears, as well as make me drop my jaw, and cause me to put the book down for moments so I could collect my thoughts. And although the title would suggest that ‘The Grief Keeper’ is filled with sadness, it also brings with it a bright message of love and hope.

The novel opens with seventeen-year old Marisol being interviewed in a federal border detention center, having just crossed into the U.S., after fleeing El Salvador with her younger sister Gabi, afraid for their lives after the death of their brother Pablo. She has dreamed for years for a life in the States, perfecting her English, and getting lost in the imaginary world of her favorite TV show ‘Cedar Hollow.’ When it looks like her asylum request will be denied, and a new and curious opportunity to have it granted arises, Marisol will do just about anything for her and her sister to make that happen. And that’s by becoming a ‘grief keeper.’

Debut author Alexandra Villasante has written an expertly crafted novel about the complexities of immigration, grief, sexual orientation, PTSD, depression, and, new love. There are even more nuanced topics woven in such as attitudes towards immigrants (legal and otherwise) being hired to do menial jobs in this country, our political climate, and how the LGBTQ community suffers in other countries (ie which would cause a young girl like Marisol to flee her home).
This story gives so many deep, complex topics to talk and think about but at the core there is this beautiful story about Marisol and Rey (grieving her own brother) who are discovering their relationship with each other, including Marisol who would never have been allowed to explore this part of her back in the country she has fled. Persecution of LGBTQ youth and ‘conversion by rape’ is brought into the spotlight and from this story of family and migration, I was enlightened and educated.

This is a novel about connections as well as grief, and Villasante sheds light on PTSD, and gives new meaning to the idea of taking someone else’s pain away so they don’t have to suffer. There are serious moral and ethical questions to the procedure that’s used so that Marisol will absorb Rey’s grief and pain (this actually brings quite a futuristic aspect to a very realistic story, which I really liked) and shows the extent that Marisol will go to gain entry to the U.S., and it’s heartbreaking.

I read this book and I felt so many different emotions, and the very fact that it’s able to envelope immigration criticism, discussion on sexual identity, loss, classism, plus a loving sister relationship, AND a sci-fi twist, make it a VERY special book. I think it belongs on every school and YA library shelf everywhere and I hope many people will pick it up, even if it’s initially because of the insanely gorgeous cover (thanks to Kaethe Butcher and Kelley Brady), and that they end up holding it close to their hearts.

*Trigger warnings/mentions: sexual assault, suicidal ideation, violence, bombing, PTSD ...more

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Jun 28, 2019 Lata rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kids-and-ya, bipoc-actor, bipoc-author, scifi-fantasy, x2019-read, auth-f

4.5 stars. While I thought the book's resolution was a little too positive, considering the anti-immigration sentiment that's so prevalent now, I thought so much of this book was wonderful.
Marisol and her younger sister Gabby are asylum seekers from El Salvador, staying in a detention centre in the US. Marisol feels very protective of her much more lighthearted sister, and is carrying plenty of grief and worry about their current situation, as well as the situation they're running from. Seizing 4.5 stars. While I thought the book's resolution was a little too positive, considering the anti-immigration sentiment that's so prevalent now, I thought so much of this book was wonderful.
Marisol and her younger sister Gabby are asylum seekers from El Salvador, staying in a detention centre in the US. Marisol feels very protective of her much more lighthearted sister, and is carrying plenty of grief and worry about their current situation, as well as the situation they're running from. Seizing an opportunity one day, Marisol and Gabby escape from the centre.
They're picked up by a woman, Indrani, who gives Marisol a choice: participate in a study of some new technology and maybe they'll be granted asylum. Marisol agrees to the test, knowing that this isn't really a choice. The tech is to be used to help veterans suffering from PTSD; the sufferer and the non-sufferer both wear cuffs (the non-sufferer also has an implant) and the sufferer sends their pain and grief and fear to the non-sufferer.
Instead of who she thinks she'll be helping, Marisol and Gabby are taken to the home of a young, suicidal woman, with whom Marisol is urged to connect. The two, after a few false starts, begin speaking, and find a common interest in an old Canadian tv series. Eventually Marisol even convinces Ray to wear the cuff corresponding to her own, and Marisol begins her job of assisting Rey deal with her grief and suicidal thoughts by channeling them to her brain.

Author Alexandra Villasante brings us into the mind of Marisol; she's a resourceful young woman, but is also nursing deep pain from some unexplained experiences in El Salvador. She understands the bind she and her sister are in and makes decisions, knowing fully well that she doesn't have any good options. It's impossible not to be aware that Indrani, a child of immigrants, is complicit in the Marisol's abuse when Indrani coerces Marisol into agreeing to participate in the trial of the new, untested technology. Additionally, Villasante explores a number of other situations through the relationships in the story: income inequality, homophobia, grief, identity, rape, and mental health. At its heart, though, this is a lovely story of Marisol and her sister, and of Marisol and Rey. ...more

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Jun 20, 2019 oliver rated it it was amazing

Shelves: lgbtq, favorites

this book really hit home, i can't even put into words how much i loved it.

the grief keeper shows the crude reality of being an immigrant, of how hard it is to leave the country you grew up in because you were in danger there. it shows the difficulty of thinking in both english and spanish (it was really amazing to see all those spanish words in an english book) and it deals with grief, depression, ptsd and homophobia. it was hard for me to read but totally worth it.

the overall plot was very ori ...more

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Jul 02, 2019 Christy rated it it was amazing

The number of emotions this book made me feel is off the charts.

1. Angry. Would the US subject immigrants seeking asylum to experimental tests that could harm and re-traumatize them? Yes, this could be a thing.

2. Relieved. So happy Marisol found Rey.

3. Angry. Angry that we live in a world where this is so close to reality. We can’t let the concentration camps continue.

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May 29, 2020 Eva B. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: metaphorical-tears-were-shed, young-adult, badass-ladies, best-romances, mental-health-rep, queer-leads, that-cover-though, underrated, best-of-the-best-of-the-best, banned-or-challenged-books

This is such a beautiful and emotional book, and I think everyone should probably read it.

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Jul 19, 2018 Maribel rated it it was amazing

Of course I didn't read the final - with a real cover, and with the fantastic new book smell, but I'm dying to! A fantastic and refreshingly new tale that needs to be told today more than ever. ...more

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Sep 20, 2019 Priscilla (Bookie Charm) rated it really liked it

Shelves: latinx

El mundo se abre, and you can see everything you’ve ever wanted—so near at hand, you can almost touch it. The wheel spins, or the cards turn over, and then every possibility you imagine transforms, like magic, into one reality.

At the heart of this story, is the relationship between the protagonist 17 year old Marisol and her younger sister Gabi as they risk it all and flee from the violence in El Salvador. I loved how Villasante explored the thought processes of an immigrant suffering from deep pain and trauma in both the past and present. The novel opens with an interrogation at a US detention center that reminded me of Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions as the experiences of children seeking asylum are often far too similar and traumatic for their language skills to convey.

Soon the speculative fiction element of medical experimentation was introduced and utilized to explain the sacrifices that immigrants make when they carry a heavy burden and responsibility to their families. Marisol is very resourceful, compassionate, and self-less in her approach to this situation. I thought so much of these discussions were well written and fast paced with some dam good commentary on immigration politics and mental health.

The relationship between Marisol and Rey takes center stage in the latter part of the novel as their connection intensifies and the experiment progresses. All of these heavy themes were balanced with light hearted moments of hope between Marisol & Rey and Marisol & Gabi. Those moments were necessary with such compelling depictions of depression like this:

A heaviness sits under my skin, above my bones—an invisible, smothering blanket. Pavor, angustia, pánico, a collection of heavy, gut-churning feelings. I am drowning.

Upon finishing this book, I initially thought that the ending was abrupt and the romance was too much of the central focus. However, the nuance of such complex issues of immigration, grief, and queer identity are handled with such care. That's why I would recommend this book.

CW: PTSD, suicide & suicidal thoughts, homophobia, sexual assault, depression, death of a sibling. ...more

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Dec 10, 2018 Fanna marked it as definitive-tbr

Shelves: 2019-releases

|| F/F Romance
|| Immigration criticism
|| PTSD experiment

LIST & POSTS I'VE MENTIONED THIS BOOK IN:

16 Most Anticipated LGBTQIA Novels To Be Released in 2019

Ten 2019 YA Debut Novels You Need To Add To Your TBR Right Away!

Blog/Website | Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram | Pinterest

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Jul 12, 2019 Alexa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: no-words-just-thoughts, owned, wlw, april-2021, 5-stars, perfect-piece-of-lit

10/5 omg favorite book of all time

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Sep 27, 2020 Anniek rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 1-2019-releases, author-of-colour, mc-of-colour, 2-ya, latinx-mc, 3-contemporary, sapphic, 3-sff, lgbtq, mental-illness

This was just so so beautiful.

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Jun 01, 2019 Kelly added it

Shelves: ya-fiction, read-in-2019

A teen girl and her younger sister are seeking asylum in the US from El Salvador, where their lives are at great risk for numerous reasons (view spoiler). When they make it across the border and are held in a detention facility, Marisol's interview goes less well than she suspects and she worries her request will be denied. She uses a break in attention by the guards to run with her sister, where she's pick A teen girl and her younger sister are seeking asylum in the US from El Salvador, where their lives are at great risk for numerous reasons (view spoiler). When they make it across the border and are held in a detention facility, Marisol's interview goes less well than she suspects and she worries her request will be denied. She uses a break in attention by the guards to run with her sister, where she's picked up by what seems like a nice woman who offers to help her get to New York, where she's to meet a friend of the family who wants to help them.

The woman, however, informs her she has an offer: she's actually a government employee and there's a new procedure that needs a human test subject. The procedure will remove the traumas from someone suffering and give them to an otherwise healthy individual. Marisol can be the participant, in exchange for her asylum request. Fearing deportation, she agrees.

There is so much in this tightly written book about love, family, immigration, and race, but the thing that really struck me was what it dove into about our understanding of grief. For Rey, the white girl struggling with grief who is to be the "giver" of grief to Marisol, grief leads to deep depression and PTSD; the assumption by the wealthy family she's part of, as well as the government and scientists, is that grief can just disappear. That it can be poured into someone "less worthy" to make someone feel better. The "less worthy," of course, being a brown girl desperate for freedom. It's an incredible premise and one that isn't far fetched, despite seeming like it. More, well, grief is a feeling. It's an experience. And we ALL have it in some capacity. It can't be shoved away. It has to be felt and experienced. It demands attention because it's a big deal. Here, though, teen girls aren't allowed to have it. More specifically, white teen girls from wealthy families.

Marisol, though, can. And she does. And it's here when we discover how deeply flawed this program is.

There is a queer romance here that's lovely and powerful, and the relationship between Marisol and Gabi, her little sister, is fabulous. I love Marisol's passion for language and learning new languages, as well as how she learns about things like idioms in English. It's charming without ever being demeaning.

Fear is a driver for Marisol, and that shines through in her complicity with the experiment . . . as well as why she hides a huge part of herself until she's finally able to share it. ...more

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Mar 05, 2021 tessie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

(4.5)

this!! book!! this was a super heavy read and largely dealt with subjects like ptsd, homophobia, grief and a lot of other hard hitting subjects but it did it really beautifully

the writing was really simple and at the same time just read so beautifully??? sometimes books like this remind me that simplistic writing can actually!! work better than something more complex and flowery

i found the plot really interesting and it absolutely isn’t something i haven’t read before and i loved the way i ...more

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Dec 29, 2018 E. marked it as to-read

Shelves: 03-0-f, 03-2-f-contemporary, 03-0-standalone, 06-novel, 04-rep-lgbt, 00-2019-release, 04-rep-lgbt-wlw, 03-1-f-ya, 04-rep-poc, 00-my-pre-read-thoughts

holy shit, the blurb killed me already. now i'm waiting for this book to come out and do it again

a story about two sisters, the struggles of 'illegal' immigration, f/f romance, and an experimental study

__________________________

insta | twitter | blog | booksirens | duolingo

...more

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Oct 20, 2019 Stella ☆Paper Wings☆ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: pretty-covers, lgbt-plus-presence, good-romance, interesting-titles, scifi-ish, great-expectations, denial-is-the-new-instalove, contemporary-ish, lgbt-plus-mc, dark

Um. Wow.

Y'all are SLEEPING on this book! The Grief Keeper deserves all the hype in the world, and I don't understand how it doesn't have it. (I mean, just look at that cover!) I hope my review can convince you to read this book, but if we're being honest, it's just a mess of flailing right now.

The overarching beauty of this book is that it explores themes I've never exactly seen in a novel before. Namely, (somewhat of a spoiler but it's good to know) the unique struggles of LGBT+ undocumented im Um. Wow.

Y'all are SLEEPING on this book! The Grief Keeper deserves all the hype in the world, and I don't understand how it doesn't have it. (I mean, just look at that cover!) I hope my review can convince you to read this book, but if we're being honest, it's just a mess of flailing right now.

The overarching beauty of this book is that it explores themes I've never exactly seen in a novel before. Namely, (somewhat of a spoiler but it's good to know) the unique struggles of LGBT+ undocumented immigrants and the reality of homophobic violence. There's also the more obvious theme that grief always has to go somewhere; you can't bury it down and you can't push it off onto someone else. The Grief Keeper is the sort of book that will make your heart ache.

I love the somewhat nonlinear structure, starting near the middle of the narrative when Marisol is in the detention center, and having flashbacks to her life before that point throughout the book to slowly reveal her story. This was definitely a book I could not stop reading, and I think it was partly due to that.

It is a pretty dark story, as you can probably guess based on the content warnings below, but there's a lot of light too. Just when the plot nears rock bottom, it starts to get better again. When I hit that point, I distinctly remember thinking she stopped it just before it might have become too much to handle.

"Masterful" is a word I've thought about using a lot in this review. This does not read like a debut novel. It feels like every sentence is carefully thought out- and for that matter, many of those sentences are truly beautiful. At times I daresay I got Anna-Marie McLemore vibes from this. The characters are masterfully flawed and complex; the plot is masterfully developed, somehow keeping a contemporary feel the entire time; and THAT COVER is masterfully done too.

I look forward to Alexandra Villasante's next novel, and I wholeheartedly recommend you read this book for an important American narrative, an original and relevant speculative fiction, or even just a lovely sapphic romance.

CWs: attempted suicide, suicidal thoughts, depression, homophobia, xenophobia, homophobic slurs in both English and Spanish, threat of rape, medical malpractice, pharmaceutical drugs, detention center ...more

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Jul 11, 2019 Camryn rated it it was amazing

This was really, really good. It got into all the ways immigrants are discarded and treated like trash. There was also a lot about homophobia, but in a really subtle way. I usually hate reading books about depression, but I didn't have to put this one down. The descriptions were some of the most accurate I've ever seen. How you can't eat, how you basically have no will to do anything, and even the physical pain, like how you feel that you can't breathe or move.

I liked the different sibling rela ...more

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Jan 20, 2019 Casey, with a book rated it it was amazing

Shelves: top-10-of-2019, stand-outs

still formulating all my thoughts but this is exactly the kind of YA i want to see in the world right now. topical, thought-provoking, written with careful attention to and clear love for language, and just overall beautifully done.

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May 16, 2019 Lorraine (Reading With Lori) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

You had me at Salvadorian! I’m Salvadorian and this synopsis made my jaw DROP! The cover is gorgeous and I know this book will be heartbreakingly beautiful too. YES FOR THE LATINX REP!!

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Sep 24, 2019 Kazen rated it liked it

3.5 stars

Content warning for suicidal ideation and attempt, violence including murder, attempted sexual assault, PTSD, depression, and homophobia.

This was the group book for Latinxathon and LatinxLitTakeover and they chose well!

The good:

- Don't tell me all writing in YA sucks. There are some great lines here, great characterization, little moments that sing.

- No italics for Spanish, huzzah! And the code switching is so real. I connected with it as a person living in my second language - reverti ...more

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Jul 11, 2019 Cristina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, interracial-intercultural, young-adult, rich-girl-poor-girl, 2019, injured-sick-disabled, drama, colored-ladies

This book was very well-written, with an interesting storyline that deals with many issues: immigration law, homophobia, depression, etc. All of them were handled with care. I can't forget to mention the relationship between the two sisters: Marisol and Gaby. ...more

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Jun 17, 2019 Nev rated it really liked it

Shelves: lgbtqiap, 2019

Marisol and her younger sister Gabi have fled El Salvador and are seeking asylum in the US. When their request isn’t granted Marisol is offered a different way for them to stay in the country legally, become a test subject in a scientific experiment. A device has been created to help people with PTSD deal with their grief and trauma by transmitting their grief into a different person. Marisol now has to deal with taking on the grief of another young girl while also dealing with her own personal Marisol and her younger sister Gabi have fled El Salvador and are seeking asylum in the US. When their request isn’t granted Marisol is offered a different way for them to stay in the country legally, become a test subject in a scientific experiment. A device has been created to help people with PTSD deal with their grief and trauma by transmitting their grief into a different person. Marisol now has to deal with taking on the grief of another young girl while also dealing with her own personal trauma that led her to leave El Salvador in the first place.

I really like stories that are mostly contemporary but also have a very light fantasy or sci fi element. This book fits into that because the technology they’ve created to transmit grief from one person to another doesn’t exist, but the rest of the story is just set in regular modern day. Normally in stories like this I prefer for the sci fi elements to not be overly explained, I think it’s more interesting to just use it in the story rather than try to make it seem as real as possible. So in the beginning of this book I hated how they spent so much time with doctors and scientists explaining the fake science to Marisol about how this device would function and different neurotransmitters, etc. I just thought the “how it’s going to work” was nowhere near as interesting as the “how will taking on somebody else’s grief impact Marisol.”

So the first 35% of the book wasn’t that interesting to me, but once Marisol meets Rey, the girl she’s going to be taking the grief from, the story REALLY picked up. This book delved really deep into grief and trauma and how it’s important to experience it and work through it. I thought that this technology was an interesting way to bring up conversations of how different people experience emotions and trauma. I enjoyed seeing how Rey and Marisol were able to help one another and form a friendship that eventually turns into something more.

This book covers a lot of important topics in addition to grief and PTSD. Immigration and the tendency to treat immigrants as “less than” or to dehumanize them was covered heavily. Sexuality, homophobia, depression, suicidal thoughts, and sexual assault are also brought up as well. I’d highly recommend this book. Even though I felt like the beginning wasn’t that strong, the rest of the book makes up for the slow start.
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Oct 07, 2019 Cande rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: heart-eye-emoji, latine-creator, sapphic, qpoc-mc, sob-fest, about-family-friendship

This is gorgeous and tender and so important. What a powerful read, the journey of a gay brown inmigrant girl who will do anything to protect her sister. Marisol's inmigration experience resonated so deeply with me and I'm so thankful for this book.

Heads up for heavy content: discussion of xenophobia and racism, called out ableism, lesbophobia/homophobia, homophobic slurs (both in English and Spanish), suicidal ideation, recollection of trauma, death of a brother/closed relative, discussions of ...more

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Feb 06, 2019 Sami rated it it was amazing

Villasante tackles immigration, identity, and loss in this gorgeous novel with a magical realism/sci-fi twist. When Marisol agrees to become a grief keeper in exchange for asylum for herself and her younger sister, Gabi, she gets more than she bargained for. Rey, her corresponding test subject, is drowning in sorrow, but as she begins to heal at Marisol's expense, the two are drawn together in a beautiful and inextricable tangle. ...more

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Feb 06, 2020 Melanie Brinkman added it · review of another edition

Shelves: own-v, young-adult, fiction, science-fiction

Sharing grief might just take on a new meaning.

Escaping gang violence in their home country, El Salvador, Marisol and her little sister ,Gabi, got caught crossing the U.S. border. After learning that the woman who was going to take them in has died, and that they are going to be sent back, Marisol makes plans to flee.

The sisters hitchhike with an unassuming woman who turns out to be a government agent. She offers Marisol a deal of becoming a Griefkeeper (someone who takes another person's grief Sharing grief might just take on a new meaning.

Escaping gang violence in their home country, El Salvador, Marisol and her little sister ,Gabi, got caught crossing the U.S. border. After learning that the woman who was going to take them in has died, and that they are going to be sent back, Marisol makes plans to flee.

The sisters hitchhike with an unassuming woman who turns out to be a government agent. She offers Marisol a deal of becoming a Griefkeeper (someone who takes another person's grief into their body) in exchange for being allowed to stay in the United States. Going home is not an option, so Marisol takes the deal. But when she meets Rey, the girl she's helping to heal, something far more powerful than grief develops between them.

A story of love, loss, and life after initial pain. A tale of just how far one girl will go to protect her sister.

Trigger warning for grief, PTSD, homophobia, sibling death, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt.

Brave but terrified, Marisol was hardened with fortitude. Willing to do anything for those she loved, especially her little sister, she took on intense, emotionally heavy burdens. Although this protective soul was cautious, she was abundantly loving and caring towards her sister, and eventually Rey. Being inside her head, hearing her thoughts and the gradual reveal of her past let us get to know this genuine, vulnerable girl. Her experiences and overflowing well of emotions made her feel human. My soul truly ached for everything she went through.

From her sister, Gabi, to her deceased brother and the gang back home, from Rey to Indranie, the government agent, Marisol's actions were heavily swayed by those in her life. Wanting to give her sister a chance to start anew, she literally took on someone else's most painful emotions, while already dealing with her own. The lively Gabi respected her big sister, but also wanted to enjoy life in her own way. Wether caring, controlling, bickering, or loving, the bond between these two was powerfully sweet. Her siblings were never far from her mind as Marisol was also weighed down by memories of her brother and his involvement in the gang. Sarcastic, temperamental Rey was angry at the world. Finding common ground in the overwhelming greif of the loss of their siblings and more, she and Marisol built a relationship that was truly unique to them. Slowly burning and only growing in strength, it was beautiful to watch the progression of their bond. The analytical woman who made any of this possible, Indranie, left a really bad taste in my mouth as her emotional reasoning only seemed to come into play when something was going deeply, horribly wrong for her. I found the supporting cast to be well drawn.

What would you do for a chance at a better, safer life? Through memories of the past and her unforeseen present day, Marisol took on the burdens no one else was willing to take on. A contemporary with light sci-fi, grief, trauma and the role they play in shaping how we face the world was masterfully examined. While I initially thought the sci-fi elements would be the most intriguing part to me, the gorgeously crafted deep relationships blew me away. Marisol was such a strong individual, but even she was not immune to the heavy tolls of loss, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Capturing the beauty of sisterly love, new friendships, and the chance for romance, as well as the disturbing prescene of homophobia, dehumanization, and PTSD, Alexandra Villasante's debut moved me. It also talked about the rights and wrongs of how we treat immigrants in the U.S.A. Although the ending seemed a tad rushed and left me with a lot of unanswered questions about the futures of our characters, The Grief Keeper was a book that I will never forget.

The Grief Keeper is a book that will forever live inside my soul. ...more

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Jan 20, 2021 Saiesha rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult

An exceptional concept that took as much time as it needed to build. Full review to come

Tw; attempted suicide, bombings, murder, violence, homophobia, molestation, lack of agency.

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About Alexandra Villasante

Alexandra Villasante

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Alex Villasante has always loved telling stories—though not always with words. She has a BFA in Painting and an MA in Combined Media (that’s art school speak for making work out of *anything*). Born in New Jersey to immigrant parents, Alex has the privilegio of dreaming in both English and Spanish.

When she’s not writing, painting or chasing chickens around the yard, Alex plans conferences and fun ...more