The Other Half of Happy Audiobook By Rebecca Balcárcel cover art

The Other Half of Happy

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About this listen

Quijana is a girl in pieces. One-half Guatemalan, one-half American: When Quijana's Guatemalan cousins move to town, her dad seems ashamed that she doesn't know more about her family's heritage. One-half crush, one-half buddy: When Quijana meets Zuri and Jayden, she knows she's found true friends. But she can't help the growing feelings she has for Jayden. One-half kid, one-half grown-up: Quijana spends her nights Skyping with her ailing grandma and trying to figure out what's going on with her increasingly hard-to-reach brother. In the course of this immersive and beautifully written novel, Quijana must figure out which parts of herself are most important, and which pieces come together to make her whole. This lyrical debut from Rebecca Balcárcel is a heartfelt poetic portrayal of a girl growing up, fitting in, and learning what it means to belong.

©2019 Rebecca Balcárcel (P)2019 Hachette Audio
Difficult Discussions Fiction Growing Up Growing Up & Facts of Life Literature & Fiction Social & Life Skills Heartfelt
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Critic reviews

"Rebecca Balcárcel has written a powerful story that seeps into the spaces where language and heritage meet family and new discoveries. The Other Half Of Happy strikes all the right chords, bridging a gap and stretching open arms to readers looking for home in both familiar and unfamiliar places. Bravely told, with notes of vulnerability, brevity, and hope, this is a story that invites quiet courage to speak love, regardless of your native language." (Beth Hautala, author of The Ostrich and Other Lost Things)

"Rebecca Balcárcel has penned a touching and oh-so-satisfying story featuring a fierce and tender new Latinx super star, Quijana Carrillo! Quijana will capture your heart with her defiant spirit and unwavering love for friends and family." (Angela Cervantes, author of Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring)

"Quijana's journey to understand herself better and how she fits between two cultures is authentic and relatable to readers of all backgrounds, and her language struggles will particularly hit home for some. With Rebecca Balcárcel's lyrical language, Quijana's voice feels both fresh and familiar. A beautiful coming of age story." (Hena Khan, author of Amina's Voice)

All stars
Most relevant  
I deeply related as Guatemalan-American. I also appreciate the gay and autistic representation. Narration in English and Spanish was spot-on.

Lovely story of coming to terms with being biraci

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Enjoying the book &
all the emotions involved around family.
The stories within the story are lovely
with flavor and insight around growing up
learning about our heritage.
We are all in here together to work as
a family.
Disfrutas el libro y más

Moving

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She took the reading to a whole new level! Exceptional! I’ve listened to dozens of books, but this is the first one that had me leaving a review because it was so lovely and the narration was exquisite!

Best narration ever!

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This is a story of life and family. It is a great book for teenagers of all stages of life.

Life of love and family

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