3.5
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
ByPublisher Description
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A “stunning” (America Ferrera) YA novel about a teenager coming to terms with losing her sister and finding herself amid the pressures, expectations, and stereotypes of growing up in a Mexican American home.
“Alive and crackling—a gritty tale wrapped in a page-turner. ”—The New York Times
Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family.
But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga’s role.
Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed.
But it’s not long before Julia discovers that Olga might not have been as perfect as everyone thought. With the help of her best friend Lorena, and her first love, first everything boyfriend Connor, Julia is determined to find out. Was Olga really what she seemed? Or was there more to her sister’s story? And either way, how can Julia even attempt to live up to a seemingly impossible ideal?
“Alive and crackling—a gritty tale wrapped in a page-turner. ”—The New York Times
Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family.
But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga’s role.
Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed.
But it’s not long before Julia discovers that Olga might not have been as perfect as everyone thought. With the help of her best friend Lorena, and her first love, first everything boyfriend Connor, Julia is determined to find out. Was Olga really what she seemed? Or was there more to her sister’s story? And either way, how can Julia even attempt to live up to a seemingly impossible ideal?
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesI Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter Reviews
3.5
“This book made me feel SO many things. 😭 There were definitely moments where Julia was driving me insane, but I also understood her so much. Growing up between Hispanic and American culture, especially with immigrant parents, made so many of the family dynamics hit really close to home. The misunderstandings, the expectations, the sacrifices parents make, and the difficulty of talking about mental health… I felt ALL of it.
There were multiple parts that had me tearing up, especially the conversation between Julia and her mom after Mexico. 😭 I loved seeing Julia finally grow and understand things from her parents’ perspective instead of only seeing her own side.
I definitely had my frustrations with Julia, but I think that made her character arc feel more real. This book is emotional, messy, and at times heartbreaking, but ultimately really beautiful. Definitely check the trigger warnings before reading because there are A LOT.”
“A coming of age story that gives you a glimpse into the perspective of a child of Mexican immigrants growing up in the U.S. At its heart, it’s a story about family, identity, and the complicated mother daughter relationship.
I laughed out loud so many times while listening to this one. Even so, this is not a lighthearted story. It has a lot of serious themes.
Can the FMC Julia be a little annoying? Absolutely. She’s extremely confrontational, but honestly, it didn’t bother me because she’s a teenage girl, and her emotions and actions felt believable for her age. She has such a strong voice and personality, and I really enjoyed watching her grow throughout the story.
One of my favorite parts was seeing Julia slowly begin to understand other perspectives especially her parents’. Her growth felt genuine, and I loved watching her perspective evolve as she learned more about her family and herself.
Really enjoyed the storytelling, and the narration was 5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️”
About Erika L. Sánchez
Erika L. Sánchez is a poet, a feminist, and a cheerleader for young women everywhere. She was the sex and love advice columnist for Cosmopolitan for Latinas for three years, and her writing has appeared in the Rolling Stone, Salon, and the Paris Review. Since she was a 12-year-old nerd in giant bifocals and embroidered vests, Erika has dreamed of writing complex, empowering stories about girls of color—what she wanted to read as a young adult. She lives in Chicago, not far from the setting of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. Erika is fluent in Spanish, Spanglish, and cat. You can find out more about her at erikalsanchez.com or @erikalsanchez.
Other books by Erika L. Sánchez
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