Praise for The World in Half from the blogosphere:

“Henriquez’s gifts for lyrical prose, complex characters and sharp dialogue shine in one of the year’s most moving and memorable novels.”
- Largehearted Boy

“[An] unbelievably good first novel…. This is a beautiful and poignant book that combines geology, Alzheimer’s, tragic star-crossed love, coming-of-age, and a search for a never-known father into one seamless whole that echoes in the heart and mind long after finishing the book and putting it away. Her characters live, and with all their flaws, we care about them and long for them to make the right decisions in their lives. Panama comes to life as vividly as one of the characters and impacts all of them. This is a young writer with great talent.”
- Linda Rodriguez Writes

“This book was another one added to the Love It pile…. I fell in love with Danilo’s exuberance and Mira’s thirst for life. And the love story, being understated until fully revealed, was touching and romantic. Panama came alive in my mind and was a beautiful place despite its flaws…. I realized early on that I was reading the dialogue with a Spanish accent; that’s how effective the writing was in transporting me to another place…. It was a beautiful story beautifully told. I definitely recommend it…. a touching story of discovery, love and forgiveness.”
- Educating Petunia

“The World in Half is a beautifully written story that has a certain underlying magic to it…. I think the most compelling thing about the book is its quiet hold over the reader. I kept reading on further and further, not because of thrilling plot twists, but because I genuinely felt a connection to the characters and to the story.”
- Bookopolis

“I found myself transported to Chicago and Panama, in turn, and entranced by the beauty that I found in this author’s first novel…. nearly brought me to tears….  There is suspense in this book, wondering whether or not her search will be successful, but at its heart this book is a story of characters, and a beautiful relationship that didn’t turn out as I thought it would, but in actuality was more touching than I could have imagined…. this is a quiet book in many ways but one that celebrates humanity and love. I just enjoyed the experience of reading it so much … and I recommend it highly.”
- Books and Cooks

“I spent my entire day off on the couch devouring this book.  Henriquez’s writing is beautiful, lyrical and flows wonderfully…. The descriptions are almost poetic and add so much to the story without ever overwhelming it. The characters are all wonderfully developed and feel like friends by the end of the book.”
- Shhh I’m Reading…

“The narrative is smooth and unfolds in an easy, natural way. Cristina Henriquez paints a very vivid, entertaining portrait of Panama…. For me the book was a quiet sort of work, very introspective and self-contained, and a very quick read…. [I]t will entertain you and even transport you.”
- Fashionista Piranha

“[An] excellent book…. All in all, a great story.”
- Passion for the Page

“There was a great sensitivity running through this story, and it was almost a feeling of peeking into the lives of real people who were struggling in their situations but putting on a brave face and trudging through for the benefit of the world. I genuinely liked Mira; she was independent, resourceful and honest, and it was interesting to watch her turmoil change her personality, turning her from an observer of life into a participant. I thought the author dealt brilliantly with the themes of illness and the uncertainty that it can cause…. [T]his book was quite an achievement, both a satisfying and intelligent debut.”
- Raging Bibliomania

“This is a lovely, lovely book.  It’s carefully written in measured, beautiful prose, allowing the impact of the emotions that the characters are feeling to sweep the reader away more than telling us that it should.  The setting is gorgeous.  I could feel the warm breeze in Panama and the chill in Chicago’s winter.  I could see the Panama Canal for myself for the first time…. The World in Half is a wonderful, thoughtful book…. I very strongly recommend this book.”
- Medieval Bookworm