Glorieta loves her heritage and especially looks forward to the Days of the Dead every year. But unfortunately her Tia refuses to let Glorieta's mom be buried in the nearby cemetery or honored because she committed suicide. Glorieta would like to convince her Tia to change her mind. But she has other things to deal with as well - a new stepmom who has children of her own. Her new stepsister Lilith in particular seems to hate her. And then there is the constant stress of refugees or "illegal aliens" crossing the nearby border with Mexico.
There is a lot going on with this book and ultimately I think that is where it falls apart. The conflict of getting her Tia to change her mind about honoring her mother is foremost but when it is finally resolved it almost seems too easy. I think, in a way, the same goes for the issue with Lilith. Glorieta starts to understand what drives Lilith's hatred but it seems a bit unresolved. Then there is the immigration side story and Glorieta's experience with immigration officials. It is added into the book but not fully explored - I feel like that could have been a book in itself.
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