MEET ME HALFWAY

In this heartwarming tale, a pair of freshly acquainted half sisters embark on a small adventure to meet their estranged Colombian father.

For Mattie, being the new kid in seventh grade gets even weirder when she notices popular Mercedes, who looks almost exactly like her. Mercedes, meanwhile, would rather not draw attention to the fact that dorky Mattie strongly resembles her. When the girls realize they’re half sisters who share the same Colombian dad, their discovery flips the script. Having recently moved to California from Minnesota thanks to her mom’s marriage to her new stepfather, a man with two sons of his own, anxiety-ridden Mattie is finding it difficult to settle into her blended family. For short-tempered Mercedes, home life also leaves much to be desired: an absent workaholic mom who’s always traveling, a little half brother who gets to spend time with his dad, and a fancy, sterile house with a live-in nanny. The opportunity to meet Francisco Gómez Flores, their renowned anthropologist father, lands at their feet when they learn he will be a visiting professor at a nearby college. This novel rests upon a classic premise and treads familiar narrative beats, but thanks to Fajardo’s keen writing, Mattie’s and Mercedes’ journeys as they bond and grow familial ties earns its sweet ending. Though Operation D.A.D. drags on for a comically long time, the author bolsters strong alternating chapters from each girl’s perspective with a satisfying portrayal of a family finally brought together.

Sweetly woven.