Everything Within and In Between

Written by Nikki Barthelmess

Narrated by Frankie Corzo

Color Me In meets I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter in Everything Within and In Between, a deeply honest coming-of-age story about reclaiming a heritage buried under assimilation, the bonds within families, and defining who you are for yourself.

For Ri Fernández’s entire life, she’s been told, “We live in America and we speak English.” Raised by her strict Mexican grandma, Ri has never been allowed to learn Spanish.

What’s more, her grandma has pulled Ri away from the community where they once belonged. In its place, Ri has grown up trying to fit in among her best friend’s world of mansions and country clubs in an attempt try to live out her grandmother’s version of the “American Dream.”

In her heart, Ri has always believed that her mother, who disappeared when Ri was young, would accept her exactly how she is and not try to turn her into someone she’s never wanted to be. So when Ri finds a long-hidden letter from her mom begging for a visit, she decides to reclaim what Grandma kept from her: her heritage and her mom.

But nothing goes as planned. Her mom isn’t who Ri imagined she would be and finding her doesn’t make Ri’s struggle to navigate the interweaving threads of her mixed heritage any less complicated. Nobody has any idea of who Ri really is—not even Ri herself.

Everything Within and In Between is a powerful new young adult novel about one young woman’s journey to rediscover her roots and redefine herself from acclaimed author Nikki Barthelmess.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9780063137172

Nikki Barthelmess

Nikki Barthelmess is an author of young adult books, including The Quiet You Carry, Quiet No More, and Everything Within and in Between. While growing up in foster care, Nikki found solace in books and writing. A former journalist, Nikki lives in sunny Santa Barbara with her husband, daughter, and diva of a corgi. When not reading or working on her books, Nikki loves advocating for the rights of current and former foster youth, jogging near the beach, and trying to convince her abuelita that feminism means it’s okay that her husband does all the cooking.

Reviews for Everything Within and In Between

[ewyatt_16 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ri's been raised by her grandma after the death of her grandfather and the cutting off of parental rights of her mother. Ri is feeling a longing to connect to her culture, her grandparents came to the US from Mexico, but Ri has been raised without knowing Spanish, been push toward white friends, and assimilating into mainstream culture. The whole book is a bit of an awakening for Ri and by association all the people around her. She drops French and starts Spanish class. She goes on a search for her absent mother. She starts becoming aware of the microaggressions all around her, some coming from her best friend Brittany. There are some really hard emotional conversations late in the book that characters stay present for and push through. Would work for grades 8+.