Water In May by Ismee Amiel Williams
Fifteen-year-old Mari Pujols believes that the baby she’s carrying will finally mean she’ll have a family member who will love her deeply and won’t ever leave her—not like her mama, who took off when she was eight; or her papi, who’s in jail; or her abuela, who wants as little to do with her as possible. But when doctors discover a potentially fatal heart defect in the fetus, Mari faces choices she never could have imagined.
Surrounded by her loyal girl crew, her off-and-on boyfriend, and a dedicated doctor, Mari navigates a decision that could emotionally cripple the bravest of women. But both Mari and the broken-hearted baby inside her are fighters; and it doesn’t take long to discover that this sick baby has the strength to heal an entire family.
Wow. It is 9:43am and I have just finished Water In May. I feel cut open and raw. Emotionally drained in all the best ways. I knew going into this that I would become emotionally invested but I didnt realize that it would be to this extent.
As the daughter of a teen mother that was raised by her grandmother, I went into this expecting to gain a little insight to what it must have been like for my own mom after finding out that she was pregnant. Shortly after starting, I realized that there would be very few similarities. Though delivery was not easy, I was born a healthy baby and my mothers pregnancy was pretty normal. Reading about Mari going through all of her struggles was deeply emotional. She was such a strong character who stood tall through everything. Even during the hardest times of her pregnancy, she remained positive.
I think Williams strong suit is definitely character building. I felt that each person, even the side characters were fully developed and interesting. The plot was just as great. I cant wait for more!!!
