I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
Ratings33
Average rating3.9
*4.5! This book was amazing, like I was freaking attached to the book or something but yeah this one was freaking GOOD!!!
Straight ahead realism, will be highly relatable for teens across gender and ethnic spectrums. All real teen stuff handled and written very well: sex, alcohol/drugs, depression/suicide, parental smothering, dating/friendships
This book went places I didn't expect, but I loved. From the blurb, it sounds like it's going to be about Julia investigating/tracking down Olga's secrets, and while that is definitely a part of the story here, it's also so much more than that. It's about family, secrets, coming of age, depression and family trauma, immigration and being a first-generation child, and loving people who you have a hard time connecting with. That's a lot, but it never felt heavy-handed, preachy, or exploitative. Julia is a difficult and sometimes frustrating narrator, but I found myself cheering for her and wanting the best for her. This book goes to some dark places but does so in the service of a compelling and hopeful story, and it's never just bleak for bleakness's sake. Definitely worth your time.
3.5 stars. I found myself wanting to throttle Julia several times during this book, but I thought it came together at the end in a satisfactory way.
Jesus. This book was amazing. 5/5 no doubt about it. Julia really depicts what life is & can be as a teenager in the most realistic way possible. I've never felt more connected to a book in my life. Im so glad I finally got the chance to read this incredible book.
Contains spoilers
This book was very melancholy to read. I had a hard time getting through it because the character whined a lot. It wasn't until the end, when she realized that she had depression that everything finally clicked for me. After that I was able to put the book into a bit more perspective and enjoy the story telling
Julia thought her sister, Olga, was the perfect Mexican daughter. Olga stayed home after high school with her family, went to community college, went to work as a receptionist, and dated a nice boy.
But now Olga is dead.
And Julia isn't so sure Olga was the perfect Mexican daughter after all...
A beautifully written young adult novel, set in Chicago, one of my favorite cities, and featuring an authentically Hispanic cast of characters.