I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

Pros: Mexican culture, themes of family, coming to terms with who you are, inner beauty
Cons: Passive, unlikable protagonist who complains all the time, speaks before thinking.
I’ll start by saying: This book should be required reading for high schoolers. It deals with a lot of hard-hitting issues, such as sexual assault, sexism, racism, gang violence, the death of a loved one, etc. Additionally, there are quite a few important other topics, such as family relationships, and lots of knowledge about Mexican culture.
The book shows Mexican culture very well, from my relatively limited perspective. I grew up around a lot of Mexican families and while at times, the novel can border on stereotypical, it’s rather surprisingly accurate. The author blends Mexican life with the story well, in such a way that you never really forget that Julia is Mexican, causing it to stand out from other books claiming to have similar themes.
In regards to themes, the novel also has several prominent and well-developed themes. The ideas of family, inner-beauty, and self-discovery and being true to oneself are omnipresent in this book. The family angle is explored quite a few ways, and quite honestly many pages could be written about how well developed of a theme it is. While the theme of family is quite prominent, the main theme of the book centers around being true to who one thinks they are and discovering their inner-self. Throughout the novel, Julia is trying to figure out who she is, despite her mother pushing her in a direction she does not feel called to go as well and forcing her to accept an identity she refuses to call her own.
Unfortunately, there is quite a bit that is executed poorly in this book. Julia’s character is an obvious starting point for this. At her core, she’s a very unlikable character. She complains nearly constantly, is rude to her parents, teachers, and friends far too often. She has a problem of not thinking her words through, and does not do anything to make her situation better. She does not explain her thoughts or actions, especially not if she is in trouble. Additionally, she is almost entirely passive as a protagonist as well. She does not really make any meaningful decisions, things just happen to her and she reacts to them. She never causes the plot to move forward due to ingenuity, trying hard, etc, events and deus ex machinas just fall into her lap. For example, upon returning from Mexico, her mother apologizes for being a bad mom and their relationship is instantly fixed, for seemingly no reason.
Additionally, defining what the plot is can also be tricky. The novel opens with Julia’s sister’s funeral and quickly goes on to hint that her sister, Olga, had a dark secret, despite the fact that Olga was the prize child. This seems to be the main driving force behind a few of the things in the book, but is honestly a very secondary plot thread. It took until about two thirds through the book for me to realize that Olga’s secret did not matter as much as the author had made it out to be, nor is it the main point of the book. In the end, the thread gets resolved when Julia reads her sister’s emails, finds out Olga had an affair, and hunts down the man Olga had the affair with. This man confesses that he loved Olga and was going to marry her. Then the book quickly ends after that and this revelation has no real impact on Julia or any other character.
Connor, Julia’s love interest and later boyfriend, is a very young adult addition to this book, meaning he seemed to come from nowhere, say all the right things, swoops Julia off her feet, and then takes Julia’s virginity. His main purpose is to be another thing that goes wrong at the wrong time to lead to Julia attempting suicide. To accomplish this purpose, he comes out of nowhere, instantly falls in love with her (and her with him), and they manage a relationship to the point where he can invite her over without his parents being home. Almost immediately after this, however, he suddenly cannot stand not seeing her and is no longer able to listen to her problems.
As a young adult, I would have enjoyed this book much more. I could have looked past its flaws and seen more of the positives. I would have learned a bit about myself through Julia. But at this point, I am very aware that I am no longer in the book’s target audience, and as a result, it feels a bit lackluster to me. This leads to much difficulty giving this a rating. Taking the perspective of a young adult reading this novel, I would have given it a 3.5/5. Reading this critically, I cannot think of much I enjoyed compared to my list of complaints. In good conscience, I am unable to give this book above a 3/5.

This is one of the most disappointing reads so far. Not because it was bad - I did give it 3 stars after all - but disappointing in the sense that I had such high expectations and ended up with an OK book instead. I really thought this would be one of my top reads this year, and was looking forward to reading it so much, so this really kills me right now.

There are many factors that I had an issue with reading this book. Mainly, the protagonist, Julia. She was very difficult to like. She's hostile, rude, judgmental, and super annoying. She wants to be independent and rebellious, but independence is not synonymous with being a judgmental prick. I understand that this story is trying to show an imperfect side to humans, that you can be a good person riddled with imperfections, but it just made it hard for me to empathize with her and what she was going through.

Her Ama was extremely frustrating as well, but I felt for her, even at her most annoying, I felt for her. She lost her daughter, and is trying to control her other daughter in the only ways she can. I didn't agree with her methods, but I did empathize with her.

The writing was another issue I had, because it wasn't as great as I'd hoped it would be. It didn't make me want to continue reading and it was VERY repetitive that if I had to read how Julia should have kept her mouth shut one more time I would have tossed the book against the wall. Oh wait. I did. Then there's all the Spanish stuff, I mean...some things I kind of got the gist of, but when full sentences are written in Spanish and then not translated or at least somehow through the conversation explained, it gets annoying.

I felt like the book focused a little too much on portraying the Mexican culture in a negative light, and I really didn't like that. Although I did also appreciate some more realistic aspects, such as when Connor hugs Julia and tells her she smells of food. We've ALL been there at one point.

Speaking of which...Connor. Who is he? What is that? He is part of the synopsis making him sound like he is an integral part of the story when he barely plays a part. And they fell in love instantly? That was the lamest love storyline ever. There was nothing believable about that, I did not feel their chemistry at all, and it all felt off. He was a completely unnecessary part of Julia's growth or development, and having him written into the synopsis made me wait the entire story for him to show up, which was annoying.

Finally, Olga and the mystery behind her death. Underwhelming, and dragged for far too long. Again, I don't know that Olga's mystery added any value to the storyline. It was unnecessary to have the older sister's image tarnished for Julia to grow or develop as a character.

I guess I went into this expecting one thing and getting something totally different.

This was such a relatable story for me. Being the first member of my immediate family to get a college degree-then being the first to obtain a Master's Degree. There was those emotions of happiness and pride from the family unit but there was also underlying emotions of resentment, jealousy, and isolation of not understanding the big picture. The protagonist feels a tremendous isolation between herself and her parents. Her parents view success for their daughter as working as a receptionist, being a mother, and being married. They do not understand their daughter's dream to be a successful writter. The complexities of the mother/daughter relationship is vividly illustrated for the reader. It is a must read.

I saw this book on a suggested gift books for 2017 and I am glad I bought myself a copy. I was hooked from the very first chapter because it mirrored much of my own experience. Just as with Sandra Cisneros’ books, I felt very at ease in the world of these everyday Mexican American characters. Instinctively, I understood the reason for the family’s overprotectiveness and Julia’s desire for more autonomy in her life. It is certainly okay not to be anyone’s perfect daughter.

Excellent book! I could not put the book down and had it read in two days. The writer keeps you wanting to continue to read. Many of the costumes and cultural 'norms/behaviors' of the Mexican/American immigrant families are accurately depicted through the eyes of the main character.

I look forward to reading another book from this author.

Warning: book has a suicide attempt in it, but it goes without description until the final chapter. Even then, it’s only vaguely described.

First off, go read Latinx reviewers’ opinions and reviews of this book, especially if they’re Mexican/Mexican-American like Julia and her family. Boost their voices instead of white voices like mine. I’m reviewing I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter mostly because it’s something that’s right as a reviewer who requested the book, but I also want to say this book is good. There’s a reason it’s made the longlist for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature!

White people like me are unlikely to get this book or get much from it either. It’s just a fact because this book is for and about all the Latinx kids chafing in their households and family traditions but still in love their heritage and culture because identity is cimplicated. Some of what Julia lives with because it’s a Mexican thing or just something her mom Amá just does are downright abusive. Even after learning about what Amá went through and why she is the way she is, it’s hard to forgive her for the way she treated Julia. Insulting Julia to her face so many times! Good God!

Julia is an abrasive girl narrating a very character-driven book, so her personality will either make it or break it for readers. She’s also diagnosed with depression later in the book, adding dimension to portrayals of the disease. The mere word makes you think “sadness all the time,” but that isn’t always how you see it. Some people, like Julia, are constantly angry instead. There is no single way depression expresses itself and we can’t forget that. What’s undeniable above all is how well-written Julia is in her fury and familial claustrophobia.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is very pro-medication/therapy for dealing with mental illness too. I swear, I’m going to start a definitive list of books like these for teens because THERAPY AND MEDICATION THAT FIGHTS BACK AGAINST MENTAL ILLNESS IS GOOD. DON’T LET THE STEREOTYPES ABOUT THE TWO STOP YOU.

My one true sticking point comes when Julia insults someone’s hair by saying the woman has an “asexual mom haircut.” I don’t appreciate my sexuality or anyone else’s used as an insult! (Well, except for heteros because it doesn’t hurt anyone, participate in systemic discrimination, or happen all that often, which therefore makes it hilarious. See: white people jokes.)

My best friend is Latina with roots stretching from Mexico to Peru. Her first language was Spanish and she was downgraded from advanced classes in junior high to regular-level classes for the first half of high school because her eighth-grade English teacher didn’t think she spoke well enough to remain in advanced classes despite having excellent grades. Her relationship with her family as of late has also been very complicated.

If she were a fan of prose novels, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is THE book I’d hand to her. Something tells me she’d find a kindred spirit in Julia. I hope its place on the NBA longlist will help get it into the hands of more Latinx teens who need it! If you’re a white person like me, I hope you do your part to get this book to the readers it’s for. If you’re not, I doubt you needed me to tell you this book is worthwhile. You’re smart like that.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican American Daughter proved to be a little different than what I expected, but I still found it enjoyable and a read I'd like to discuss with someone.

Julia is grieving the loss of her sister who has died unexpectedly after an accident. She is a first generation Mexican American and feels it difficult to pull away from her mother. Part of that is because her mother is strict, trying to maintain part of their Mexican ways. And part is because after losing one daughter, she is overprotecting her other daughter.

It's hard to know at first if what Julia feels is the normal sadness one feels when grieving, but it becomes apparent as the story progresses that Julia is depressed.

This book is definitely for older (10th grade-ish) readers, and adults will find themselves enjoying it as well. I appreciated the representation of Latino characters in literature, the way their culture is depicted. I also like that Sanchez tackled the issue of mental health and how depression may affect someone.

I found myself intrigued by Julia's quest to find out more about her sister Olga after her death. Sanchez does a great job of exploring the idea of how little we really know about each other and how many things about someone might be left unknown.

This really is a great book with plenty to discuss and think about and I want to read more by Sanchez already.

I love this book.

I love the plot: Julia is a high school student in Chicago. When her sister Olga is killed, it throws her whole family into a spiral, at first leading Julia down a rabbit hole of trying to probe into Olga's secret life. Mostly this is a manifestation of her grief, and her remorse at not having been closer to her sister. Eventually, Julia (and more importantly, her family) realizes that she's depressed. Yes, Julia does find out that her sister did indeed have secrets, and yes, the title is a reference to both Julia and Olga. But make no mistake, the book is about Julia.

I love the subject matter: Death and depression are hard ones to pull off, but Sanchez does it well. I love that the characters have love interests, but that romance doesn't define the book by any means.

I love the characters: Julia is a strong-willed girl, and her voice is just pitch perfect for a smart and perceptive kid who doesn't have everything figured out yet. Even the minor characters - her parents, her aunts, her friends' friends, her sister's coworkers - are fully realized. She has one teacher who I was afraid would slip into the "Dangerous Minds" mold of being just too good of a motivator, but he's realistically drawn. Sanchez is so perceptive as an author and she obviously has the eyes of a poet - little anecdotes are so telling, like one about how Julia had a roach crawl out of her shoe once when she was younger and since then always checks her shoes when she puts them on.

I love the diversity: Julia and her family are poor. Her parents are undocumented. They live in a bad neighborhood. But none of these things are presented as novelties; they're just the facts of her life. One of her good friends is gay. She's never been sledding. Spanish phrases, mostly left untranslated (but obvious from context), are peppered throughout the book. It's realistic and it's refreshing. She's not bitter about her situation or her lot in life - she accepts it and just wants to be a writer who lives in an apartment that doesn't have roaches.

In short, if you haven't realized it, I love this book.

Thank you @kidlitexchange for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This young adult book completely surprised me, yet felt so incredibly familiar. Growing up in south Texas, I witnessed many friends who were first generation Americans with very traditional (they would have said strict) parents. I went to my fair share of quinceaneras, tagged along on road trips to Mexico to visit their relatives and was a listening ear when they complained about the different dreams and beliefs that they had from their parents. I was expecting that to come across in this book and even chuckled quite a few times when I read certain interactions amongst the characters.

What took me by surprise was the lead character, Julia. Wow!!! Talk about an incredibly complex, yet very relatable young lady. At the beginning of the book, you find out that Julia’s older sister has just been killed in a horrible accident. She appeared to be the golden child and everyone was taking her death extremely hard. As the story progresses, you watch Julia slip into a deep depression and see her family drift apart as they become even more protective and controlling. Along the way, Julia uncovers some surprising secrets about her sister so there is also a little mystery throughout the story as she pieces together the clues.

Julia’s story and inner dialogue is heartbreaking, raw, realistic and entirely captivating. You feel the deep emotions in each and every chapter. I’ve seen this intense mother daughter relationship in real life and the author portrayed it so honestly. I think many readers will be able to relate to a relationship that creates toxicity from keeping secrets and struggles that come up when you are trying to create your own path, but still not wanting to disappoint any expectations from your loved ones.

This book is a must read. It can be dark and painful at times, but it also expresses real feelings, settings and circumstances. It covers such a wide array of important topics: severe depression, anxiety, mental health, suicide, biracial relationships, poverty and various cultural differences. Brutally honest and completely deserving of the award nominations.

“I don’t understand why everyone just complains about who I am.
What am I supposed to do? Say I ‘m sorry?
I’s sorry I can’t be normal? I’m sorry I’m such a bad daughter?
I’m sorry I hate the life that I have to live?” -Julia Reyes

I love a book that makes you sit up straight in your chair with a shocking start. What could be better than an opening paragraph with fifteen-year-old Julia Reyes staring into her dead sister's face. Olga Reyes, the "good daughter", distracted by her cell phone, had stepped off a bus into the path of a semi and died at the tender age of twenty-two.

But I am getting ahead of myself. Julia's parents illegally entered the United States in 1993 fleeing a violent life in Mexico with hopes of a better life. They settled in Chicago and maintained the necessary low-profile. Their Latinx culture and extended family contacts tethered by a phone line back to Mexico. With the birth of her daughters, Amà, strives to do her duty to pass along her culture and family traditions to her girls. Olga proved pliant but Julie fights her hoof and nail.

"Perfect daughters" would be obedient, respect elders, and place needs of the family before needs of the self. They would marry a Latino, raise a family and eschew a life away from their parents and ethnic community. Olga was Amá's pride and joy. But beneath Olga's quiet nature lies a deep secret. Julia breaks into her dead sister's sealed bedroom and discovers something strange. In time she learns her sister's secret and she must decide whether to reveal it to her parents. What good would it do to destroy their lives?

"Here [Olga] was, a grown-ass woman, and all she did was go to work, sit at home with our parents, and take one class each semester at the local community college. What kind of life is that? Didn't she want more? Didn't she ever want to go out and grab the world by the balls?

Julia is the polar opposite of Olga. While Olga spent her days cleaning and cooking, Julia escapes (literally) the house to visit art museums and the library. She dreams of college and a career. Her descriptions of her favorite books and pieces of art work will drive you to Google to find out what she sees for yourself. (She identifies with Edna Pontellier in The Awakening by Kate Chopin.)

She feels she is holding her breath until she can become a writer and move to New York - or anywhere that wasn't Chicago. She and her mother had been at loggerheads forever but after Olga's death, Amá was on Julia's back like white on rice. Amá determined to control Julia's future and Julia determined to be free from her suffocating mother.

"When I tell her I need privacy... she tells me I've become too Americanized. 'You kids here think you can do whatever you want.'"

It is hard to like Julia; she's every parent's nightmare. A teenage girl. She is foul-mouthed, abrasive, outspoken, and angry all the time. She lashes out and confronts everyone about everything. Her favorite "power word" is f***. It is evident that the anger is a defense mechanism to mask her severe depression and anxiety disorder. The softer side of Julia reveals a deeply caring person desperate to be loved and feeling unloved. The book's powerful discussion of depression and Julia's suicidal attempt might be a trigger for those teens experiencing the same feelings. Julia's therapy sessions should offer hope to those same troubled kids.

In and among the cornucopia of stressor topics that derail Julia are strong characters that see beneath her bluster and guide her toward adulthood and peace within herself and among her family. She learns she doesn't need to cast off her culture to achieve her dreams.

"I have so many choices they've never had. And I feel like I can do so much with what I've been given. What a waste their journey would be if I just settled for a dull mediocre life.”

Recommended reading.
Advanced Reading Copy provided by NetGalley.

Rating: 4.5/5

Genre: YA Contemporary

Recommended Age: 14+ (some sexual content, confrontational scenes, depression and anxiety, death)

Pages: 340

Author Website

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Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from KidLitExchange and the publishing company. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: 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 kiss, 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?

I thought this book was really touching and sweet, which would make it a perfect book to cry to. And honestly I did. I thought this book was amazingly well done. I loved the way the story was written with Spanish and English, some explained and some not. I loved the writing and how well the story flowed. The pacing and the plot was well done and the world building was as well. I also felt I learned a lot about the Mexican culture and I feel smarter for reading this book.

However, I do feel that the main character was way too confrontational. Although I could see where it works well for her character, it just made me not connect with her as much. I also had an issue with understanding why education was less important than family. I mean I can assume things, but I don’t want to. If any Mexican readers here could explain this to me I’d love to know why.

Verdict: Other than a couple of issues on my part, I feel this book was amazing and a book you should read if you’re looking for a diverse book on Mexican culture.

A smart and talented H.S. girl, with goals of breaking out of poverty and away from family expectations to become a writer, comes to a screeching halt when her only sister is tragically killed. Her sister, Olga, was the star of this Mexican family, quiet, doting, affectionate and Julia is obnoxious, rebellious, and disrespectful to her parents and their traditional ways.

This was a difficult read for me and I kept giving up but then returning to the book anyway. I’m sure a good part of it had to do with it mirroring my own story although my family had green cards, came by way of O’Hare, and eventually all became U.S. citizens. Also, my family had a little more money and owned their own modest houses. Big differences but not. Julia’s struggles and pains were still the same, especially being the first in her Mexican American family who wanted to go to college and the enormous fact of being a female who did not want marriage or kids. Her loneliness, despair, and burning need to follow her dreams were utterly on point. Even our names are the same, sheesh. One glaring difference is that I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s and this book is about a girl growing up now which I find incredibly sad because why hasn’t anything changed?

With humor and love, this book captures the conflicts of growing up in a first generation immigrant family. Julia longed to leave her stifling family and go to college and become a writer - she was decidedly NOT the perfect Mexican who would stay at home and live a domestic life. The book opens at the funeral of her sister who was the perfect daughter. Or so it seemed. I couldn't stop reading this book- or laughing out loud.Without giving spoilers, Julia learns compassion for the fears and experiences of her parents, and what they sacrificed to come to America, And she still manages to follow her dreams.

The synopsis of this book seems a bit misleading. It focuses a lot on the mystery of Julia's recently deceased sister and the secrets she was keeping, but those are only small bits of the story, while the main focus is Julia's mental health and the conflicting desires of her family and their cultural expectations and Julia's desire for a less traditional life.

This book is a really intense look at depression and there is a suicide attempt, so please be aware of those triggers before picking up the book. I had mixed feelings about this book because the up-close and personal look at depression wasn't what I had expected and it was very emotional for me since I'm struggling with my own mood at this time. Even so, watching Julia face her depression and then grow and learn to live in a happier and healthier manner was really fulfilling and the growth and change in Julia's point of view were very satisfying.

I'd say this book is probably closer to a 3.5, falling short of 4 stars due to my mistaken idea of the book and also because there's not a lot of overall plot. There are the unsolved questions about Olga, but for most of the book we just explore Julia's everyday life and her ups and downs and it seemed to drag a bit in the middle. Still, it's a powerful book and explores depression and mental health through the lens of a first generation Mexican-American teen. It's a much-needed book for its representation and it tells its story well

Julia's life is in freefall after her older sister is hit by a truck on her way home from work. Julia always knew her sister, Olga, was the favorite but watching her parents fall apart along with dealing with her own grief is overwhelming. Julia copes by looking into Olga's life--something she was never very interested in when Olga was alive--but Julia ends up with more questions than answers and soon realizes that knowing the truth doesn't always lead to closure in I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (2017) by Erika L. Sánchez.

I am happy this book exists but I am 100% not the audience for it which I think influenced my lukewarm feelings about it. Julia is an interesting narrator--it's still rare to see girls being unapologetic about being unhappy and being themselves, two things that come across immediately in Julia's story. That Julia is Mexican American adds another dimension to the narrative and makes her voice even more badly needed.

Sánchez's writing in this novel is authentic and literary without being neat. Sometimes Julia uses course language, sometimes she isn't polished. But she's always real and so is the Chicago neighborhood she inhabits--things that I am sure contributed to this book's nod for the National Book Award long list.

In its review of this book, Kirkus points out that Julia isn’t likable. I don’t think she has to be and I don't think we're going to get very far as a society until we stop demanding female characters be likeable at all times. That said, sometimes Julia's discontent felt a little vague. I wanted to know more about why she feels so unsatisfied and always has been. It's never quite explained in the text.

There’s a lot going on in this book with side plots; some to good effect, some with unrealized potential. Julia is always striving and learning and while she isn't always the nicest character, her growth over the course of the novel is all the more satisfying because of it.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is a story about a first generation American trying to do the best she can. Give this to readers looking for a new story of the immigrant experience, readers who need their characters to be real rather than sweet, and above all give this to anyone looking for a character who loves art and words as much as they do.

Possible Pairings: What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen, And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard, This Raging Light by Estelle Laure, You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins, Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero, How to Save a Life by Sarah Zarr

Once I finished this book I knew it would go down as one of my 2017 favorite books.

Julia, 15, loses her sister Olga in a tragic accident. Olga was the model of a Mexican daughter, working and going to college. Julia was the opposite. After Olga’s death her family falls apart. Julia’s mother is now over protective and controlling of her. Her father works long hours and retreats into silence after Olga’s death.

Julia suffers from depression after Olga’s death and I love how the books shows that and the road to recovery, especially with a quest to discover who Olga really was. The characters were relatable and felt realistic. Sanchez does a wonderful job at making the other supporting characters stand out like Amá and Apá. You want to root for them all.

This is a wonderful book about Mexican culture, trying to hold onto tradition while exploring new changes, and learning truths about a person you thought you knew. I truly enjoy the diversity of the characters and cultures in this book. It was a refreshing read that was engaging and fast pace.

Should you read it? Yes! A refreshing read!

I came across this book by accident.I was searching for an ebook and saw this one in the young adult section. I loved the cover, I usually read a book by its cover. I ordered it at my library and started reading it mainly because Im first generation born to immigrant parents too.
I loved the way the author describes the feelings of being raised in an old school tradition and the fears a mother has for her children, not realizing that living in America can be a safe environment and also a step forward for their children to grow with a better life, especially their education.
Julia, the young teenager telling her story,sometimes the frustration of being poor with obstacles that stand in her way to grow, and parents that can't understand her feelings why she wants to go to college. Her terms were words I can relate to because growing up in a mexican culture too, I understood her humor of old school terms and ways, yet appreciate now as an adult because Ive been able to hang on to these tradtitions but more with open eyes as to give my own grown son his growing space.
The author showed a wonderful aspect from her view of possibly also growing up as first generation and being able to have wonderful menthors to help her grow and succeed. Young adults in school need to read this book especially if they are first generation mexicans and it shows that no matter the obstacle, culture is a good thing to hold to your heart and yet they can also succeed and start a new generation of living a successful life if they go in the right direction, and still hold family close to your heart..

Julia is not only a great character (I'm with you about how weird it is to kiss with tongues!), but I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter deals with such an interesting question - do we really need to know everything about the people we love? Will the truth really set us free? Above all, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter asks a lot of really important questions, deals with very relatable and important issues, and has intriguing characters.

This wonderful, warm story about a teen's struggle to understand her family, cope with the loss of her sister, deal with grief and depression, and to navigate growing up in a complex world is well worth your time to read. Secrets abound in this book, and Julia will take you on an emotional rollercoaster. For me, being in Julia's head initially felt like a stream of consciousness, but it wasn't long before I found myself fully enveloped in her life and her family. The closeness established in those early pages was instrumental in creating the intimacy that made the story so intriguing and made Julia feel like a best friend sharing her life and secrets with me. Try this book, you won't be disappointed.

The hardcover version of this book is beautiful to hold. The cover art looks so much better in person than in pics. Like Julia says in the story, cover art matters.

I absolutely loved this story and related to Julia so much. If you've had the dynamic of growing up in the shadow of a favored sibling, this book will speak to you. If you've grown up struggling with depression and anxiety this book will speak to you. I downloaded the audiobook and it was done really well. The reader puts a lot of emotion into the different characters and you can really feel Julia's struggle and frustration and desperation.

Worth the money to experience the hardcover book and the audiobook. I'm sure this will be turned into a film before long.

Julia Reyes is the best sort of YA protagonist, flawed but sympathetic and with an incredibly distinctive voice. She struggled under the weight of her immigrant parents' expectations even before her older sister died, but now everything feels like it's crumbling and she doesn't know how to get past that trauma and go on with her life. Her parents expect Julia to behave as properly as their other daughter did, but even as she learns that her sister wasn't so perfect, Julia can't seem to get her parents to understand why she needs to leave home and go to college. It's the basis for a powerful novel on grief and depression and the first-generation American experience, and on the importance of speaking about what hurts rather than keeping it bottled up inside.

This book has been on my To Read List since I heard about the New York Times bestseller... and it was very, very worth the wait. The story was beautiful and absolutely enthralling. I really enjoyed living in Julia's Mexican-American world, in Chicago, in her internal monologue as she struggles to overcome the sadness of her sister's death and the depression and anxiety living within her. I very much related to her story in many ways, in particular a lot of the anxiety she experienced about not being the perfect daughter. I think that's very prevalent for those of us who are children of immigrants and this beautiful book definitely nailed that experience.

The best "young adult" books are great books that just happen to involve teenage characters, and this novel is YA in the best possible sense of the term. "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" unfolds in Chicago, as 15-year-old Julia and her parents make their way through the days and months following the death of Julia's older sister. This contemporary story touches upon immigration, teen suicide, first-generation college students, income inequality, parent-child conflict, therapy and more. Author Erika L. Sánchez manages to do all that without writing a single scene that feels forced or false. Highly recommended.

When her perfect older sister Olga is tragically killed, Julia struggles to find her purpose in a world where Mexican daughters are loyal to their families. Julia is a brilliant writer and has the ability to attend a great college, but she will have to get beyond the feelings of guilt she has for leaving Amá and Apá behind, not to mention her mother will not even allow her out of their apartment except to go to school and church. When Julia experiences a huge crisis, she is sent to live with family in Mexico. While she finds more about her family, she also learns about loving herself. This one is a must read for #Allthefeels

Book Review

The book “I’m not your perfect Mexican daughter” is a great book filled with lots of culture, humour and occasional drama. After completing this book, I would most likely give it a rating of about a 4.5/5 because I could relate to the different relationships throughout the novel in multiple ways. This novel is loaded with lessons that Julia learned that you can take in and utilize throughout your own life journey.

Something that made this book an excellent read was how realistic and authentic it was. Although it wasn’t, it truly felt like a true story being told because every little detail and scene could most definitely happen in real life. From her home life to her school life to her relationships, it’s all reality. Julia has many different relationships throughout the novel. The relationships that where touched on the most was Julia relationship wither boyfriend/ ex-boyfriend Connor, her relationship with her Ama (mother) and finally her relationship with her sister Olga. Now, I said I could relate to this novel but I’m a teenage boy and not a teenage girl (two totally different types of people) so obviously it’s the little stuff in the relationships that I relate to. Julia’s relationship with Olga is what I can connect to, she talks frequently about her and Olga always fighting over the smallest things even if it’s not worth fighting over. If I were to give a description of my relationships with my sisters that one would be bang on. I felt like I understood Julia when she would complain about her sister for those little things. All of those little things made me even more connected to the book. This novel was a true eye opener to me, I got to experience the Mexican culture and the different family traditions. I got to learn some Spanish along the way while Julia would speak it occasionally to her family members which just makes the novel that much more interesting. The way the author wrote about the Mexican family and culture was quite accurate from what I could tell and not too stereotypical.
This story lasts about three years over time and I found that although everything moved fast, you could still see the development in the characters. One of my favorite character from the novel is Mr. Ingman. He is Julia’s English teacher and really the only teacher that she finds really understands her. For starters, he says her name correct unlike anyone else and he never gives up on making sure she continues to do what she loves which is writing. He helps her write her letters to various universities and colleges when nobody else would. He’s the reason she kept her foot on the pedal and ended up and University of New York. It makes you feel happy when you read those parts of the novel. Now, you may be wondering why if docked off that 0.5 in my rating and its simply because I thought in some parts of the book it wasted time on a small subject for multiple pages. Another reason was the ending. It was very bland and didn’t have a twist or anything it was very basic. As a teenager in high school myself I would most definitely recommend this to any other high school student or even young adult because the book has amazing messages to hear and lessons to learn for anyone in their daily lives.

I had a love/hate with this book. The protagonist (an argumentative and obnoxious teenager) was hard to like... and it didn't come full circle until the end of the story. Like other reviewers who have left one or two star reviews, the explicit sex scene, depression, suicide, etc. was a turn off. I was glad to see resources for depression and suicide listed at the end of the novel. I learned a ton about the struggles that immigrants and their first generation children go through, and that alone was worth the entire book. Julia's realizations and understandings about her family at the end of the book were also worth the read. Her parents had such a difficult life, and I have a lot of empathy for them, and for immigrants.

What a pretty spot on depiction of being a first generation woman to defy the traditional norms of what it means to be the perfect Mexican daughter. Julia's character spoke to my soul in every which way and had me relating to almost everything pretty spot on. Although I'm a Texas girl, and the book is based in Chicago, it goes to show that geographical barriers do not limit the similar experiences that we all have as Latina women trying to keep the traditions of the old country, yet fit in to the American way of life. Although I do think this is not limited to only first generation Mexicans but anyone struggling to assimilate to a new culture and way of living, while still trying to uphold the morals and traditions that your parents instill upon you. I read half of this book on a flight and had a hard time putting it down once I got to my destination. Like Julia, I was the bookworm more interested in having my nose in a book than being a "metiche" at family gatherings keeping my ear open for the latest gossip. Turns out...the gossip was about me and how rude I was for bringing a book to the family party.I laughed, cried, and really felt for Julia because I related so much. I would most certainly recommend this book, it was such an enjoyable read. I even recommended it to my 17 year old niece who is actually going through similar situations with her mom and just proves that the author, Erika Sanchez is so spot on that it transcends multiple generations. I even told my bf that he should read it so he got an idea of what my life was like growing up. I'm just sad that Julia left me hanging, what are you up to in New York?!?READ THIS BOOK!

This is a book I wish had been out when I was a teenager.

The main character Julia is snarky, smart, and foul mouthed aspiring writer trying to survive high school. She lives in a roach infested apartment with her strict mother, and barely present father, both of whom are immigrants from Mexico.

The novel begins at the viewing of her sister Olga who died in a freak accident. As Julia grieves she begins to wonder what her sister was really like. Could she really have been as good of a daughter as her mother thought? The expression on her face when she died, a smirk, leaves Julia thinking this might not be the case.

Her mother, in her grief, points out frequently how Julia is failing to live up to the standards of being a perfect daughter unlike her sister Olga. Olga never questioned her parents, stayed home, and was content with that life even at 22 years old. Julia on the other hand wears dark colors, wants to go away to college, and doesn't do a very good job of being meek or modest. As Julia struggles with her own grief she must deal with the increasingly harsh words of her mother and find ways to uncover the secrets that her sister was hiding.

This book deals with a lot of topics that Latinx culture isn't good at talking about: female sexuality, mental health, suicide, and cultural expectations. It's one of the reasons I love this book so much. I think that books that cover these tough topics in the hands of young people can be a route to finally having open dialogues and showing teenagers that they're not alone in the things they're going through. I hope to see even more characters like Julia in YA literature.

I will caution that it's not the happiest of reads. It's tough in a lot of ways and I will caution that it does deal with topics like death, mental health issues, suicide, and sexual assault. I do think that the dark humor and snark of the main character allows these topics to be talked about in a way that is easier to deal with.

Overall I would highly recommend this book.

My twelve-year-old granddaughter is reading this book and is raving about it. She was relating the plot to me and I am so happy she likes this book so much and identifies with Julia protagonist. I must read this book so I can discuss it with her. Thank you, Erika L. Sánchez, for writing about the Mexican culture in such a positive way. We need more books like yours for more people to enjoy and discuss.

Grade: D+
This ARC was provided by Miss Print's ARC Adoption Program in exchange for an honest review.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: I wanted to love this National Book Award finalist so badly, but I didn't. There are a lot of issues with the writing that I am going to explore in this review.
The time jumps in the book are very sudden, and the timeline feels stretched too long (from right after Olga's death to two years later). There's a time/plot gap between chapters 16 and 17, leaving readers to guess what happened until much later in the book. Honestly, the mystery didn't help the book any. Most of the plot doesn't take off until a year after Olga's death, and the plot felt like it was made up of a lot of little details that didn't matter. The characters were all vaguely annoying, and I didn't feel anything in me to root for them, which is kind of hard to achieve actually.
There were so many elements that could've worked - Julia's mental health, her relationship with Connor, the relationship with Olga - but they felt two-dimensional and shoehorned in like puzzle pieces that don't fit together.
The one thing I did like was the setting and culture. It all felt authentic.
There was foul language, on-page sex, underage drinking and drug usage, a suicide attempt, and some other violence. (Honestly this book felt like a giant YA stereotype at times.)

The Verdict: I know enjoyment of a book is subjective, but I'm honestly not sure how this one made it onto the NBA shortlist.

Wow. Just, wow.
At first, I was a little apprehensive about the beginning of this book. But as I continued to the end, I became really entrenched in the story. While I didn’t have the EXACT same youth as Julia, her struggle with reality and identity really resonated with me.
What a touching and amazing story.
Great job, Ms. Sanchez!!

I can’t say I “enjoyed” this book. I am certainly glad I read it. It is a beautifully-written story that is heartbreaking and harrowing.

Julia’s struggles with her mental health and so vivid. I’ve never read a story like it. I felt her conflicting feelings on every page. I’m grateful for the education.

Also, Julia and her mother’s relationship was fascinating to me. I know that particular plot line personally.

My GOODNESS. This book.... I cannot begin to describe the glory of this book. I’m a 24yearold woman, Mexican,1st generation “American” who cried, laughed, rejoiced, and just plainly said, related so MUCH. This book talks about the story of a teen girl dealing with the struggle of balancing two cultures, while also learning herself, finding her values, and self-worth. She has traditional Mexican parents who are grieving from losing their 22 year old first-born daughter in a terrible accident. Julia is just trying to make it to adulthood, so she can go to college and become a writer. Her journey is beautifully written.

The main character's voice is so strong and believable; the story is fast-paced and draws you in to not only the streets of Chicago but also to streets in Mexico; and these emotion-filled pages were filled with humor and tear-jerking scenes. Truly loved this book!

I read this on a whim because it was available through my library on Overdrive and I'm so glad I did.

I love, love, loved everything about this book. From the way some of the Spanish was never translated for us, to the protagonist who was so different from most YA protagonists, the exploration of race and racism, everything.

I could talk about this forever but I won't. Just read it.

I enjoyed the audiobook a lot. The story was very present to current events and had a very real feel to the characters. A YA book that didn’t read as an exclusively YA book. I highly recommend. One of the best books I “read” in 2018.

I just can't. There is so much negativity, the way people dress, their makeup, their body size. It's just too much. Also the whole situation with Lorena's mom's boyfriend. I can't. That was when I stopped.

I usually enjoy a good coming of age story and the story of Julia was phenomenal. It was just enough Holden Caufield that I was able to enjoy it as an adult. I could see so many of my students in Julia, Juanga, and the other high school characters that I want them all to read it. I highly recommend this book!

Cried multiple times during this book. I felt she took a magnifying glass to my heart, my life, my experiences being a Mexican daughter. MUST READ if you are (or were) from a strict Hispanic household growing up.

I finished the book with a new appreciation for many of the many nuances of people. I don’t want to give anything away but I love the idea of perfectly imperfect people and she does a great job of conveying that in this coming age story. Highly recommend!!!

This book is a must read!!! I personally related to the protagonist so much considering that I can from a traditional Mexican household, yet I was always questioning gender roles in the household and always wanted to go off to college and live my own life. The feelings are raw. I've cried so much while reading it because I felt I was reading about my own life. I highly recommend this book to any Latinx that felt they could never please their parents/family, and felt like they were the odd ones bc they wanted to breakout of the machista culture that is largely imposed on us.

I'm on the fence about this novel. "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" tackles several difficult topics, from death, to sex and abortion, to pursuing your dreams when circumstances might not allow you to otherwise, and that there might be more to people than meets the eye. I think part of the reason why the book didn't work for me is because the writer tried to address too many issues, and some of them weren't strong enough, or dropped to the side. There were too many balls in the air. At one point, Julia tries to commit suicide but we never see her feelings of depression really resolved. Or how her parents felt about what happened. Or how Julia felt about affecting her parents after they just lost one daughter. She never stops to think about how her actions affect other people.

Julia is a hard character to warm up to. She's 15-years-old, living in Chicago with her parents (her mother is rather controlling, her father not so much), and eager to experience the world but can't. Her mother never lets her go or do anything. She wants to go to college, she wants to become a writer, but she can't confide her dreams in anyone but her English teacher.

Her older sister, Olga, died at 22, and Julia always hears, well, why can't you be more like Olga? Olga was the perfect daughter: went to work, went home, spent time with her family, never wanted more for herself.

In the beginning, there are hints to Olga's secret life, so Julia decides to pursue this and discover who her sister really was. But we learn a tidbit, it gets dropped, learn a tidbit, it gets dropped, etc. When we do learn what happened, it's at the end of the book and by then, the plotline had been dropped and picked up so many times, that it didn't matter to me.

I thought that the writer did a good job of portraying teenage emotions but I found Julia and her friends to be okay. She did a lot of complaining, which was a turn-off. She seemed to be complaining about EVERYTHING rather than taking a step back and asking the hard questions, like about her parents, their lives before they came to Chicago, why were they so controlling? Why didn't she think about how expensive college and writing careers are?

I was also upset that at the end, it's revealed her mother was raped on their journey from Mexico to Chicago, and that was supposed to explain why the mother acted the way she did.

There was minimal character development, most of it didn't happen until the end. I also wasn't in favor of the time jumps, I thought that those were confusing.

I run a library in a school. This may be a wonderfully written book but be aware that the language and situations in this book is not for tweeners. Because of the language content parents are going to complain. this is about a 15 year old girl...as always, younger girls want to learn about older girls and they are just too young for this content. This is more for mature, older teens. I chose this book because of the book award, in case you are wondering.