Everything Within and In Between by Nikki Barthelmess (review)

Junior Maria “Ri” Fernández is caught between different versions of herself, none of which feel complete. To the Mexican grandmother who raised her, she’s the immigrant’s dream, whose light skin will allow her to have a successful future. To white best friend Brittany, she’s a confidant first and a friend worthy of respect second (if at all). Determined to embrace a more complete version of herself, Ri enrolls in Spanish, where she happily connects with Latinx classmates, including former best friend Nina, sexy player Carlos, and adorable, supportive Edgar. She also reaches out to the mother who abandoned her, not realizing that unstable, alcoholic Marisol can’t offer the understanding she craves. Rife with interpersonal drama and soul-searching, this novel offers a sensitively crafted story of personal growth, friendships in flux, and intergenerational trauma. The portrait of Ri’s relationship with her grandmother is particularly genuine and heartfelt, as Ri pushes back against expectations while learning to appreciate the struggles that feed her grandmother’s values. Shifting friendships and burgeoning romances, meanwhile, effectively inform Ri’s efforts to craft a new sense of self, and the novel avoids the pitfall of forcing Ri to choose between old friends and new ones. Ultimately a moving story of acceptance, this will give readers space to consider what they can’t change, what they must fight to change, and what they shouldn’t have to.