I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
by Erika L Sánchez (Author)
National Book Award Finalist! Instant New York Times Bestseller! The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian meets Jane the Virgin in this poignant but often laugh-out-loud funny contemporary YA about losing a sister and finding yourself amid the pressures, expectations, and stereotypes of growing up in a Mexican-American home.
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 "Unique and fresh." --Entertainment Weekly "A standout." --NPR
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Publishers Weekly
Why isn't 15-year-old Julia Reyes a perfect Mexican daughter in her mother's eyes? Mostly because of her older sister, Olga, who puts family first, listens to her parents, and dresses conservatively. Julia, by contrast, argues with her mother, talks back at school, and dreams of becoming a famous writer. When Olga dies suddenly, Julia is left wishing that they had been closer and grieving what she sees as Olga's wasted life. And when she starts to suspect that Olga might not have been so perfect, she follows every clue. Sanchez's debut novel covers a lot of ground, including Julia's day-to-day activities in Chicago, her college ambitions, her first boyfriend (who is white and comes from a wealthy neighborhood), her difficult relationship with her overprotective parents, and her search for Olga's secrets. As the book moves along, Julia's frustration with the many constraints she lives under--poverty, family expectations, and conditioning that she resents but can't quite ignore--reaches dangerous levels. Julia is a sympathetic character, but Sanchez's often expository writing keeps her and her struggles at arm's length. Ages 14-up. Agent: Michelle Brower, Zachary Shuster Harmsworth Literary. (Oct.)
Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.School Library Journal
Gr 10 Up--Fifteen-year-old outcast Julia Reyes longs to attend college in New York, in order to get away from the suffocating watch of her undocumented Mexican parents in Chicago. The unusual death of Julia's older sister Olga--considered the perfect child by her family--only bolsters this desire, as her parents focus their attention even more strongly on their now only child. When Julia stumbles across unexpected items in Olga's bedroom after the funeral, she sets off on a course to discover her sister's secrets while trying to find some escape from her strict parents. Sanchez makes Julia's unflinching candidness very clear from the start, with the opening sentence providing her stark description of Olga's corpse. This attitude intermittently brings levity to heavy moments, but also heartbreak when the weight of it all comes crashing down. That honesty and heartbreak is skillfully woven throughout, from the authentic portrayal of sacrifices made and challenges faced by immigrants to the clash of traditional versus contemporary practices, and the struggle of first-generation Americans to balance their two cultures. The importance of language, a lens through which Latinxs are often viewed and sharply judged, is brilliantly highlighted through an ample but measured use of Spanish that is often defined in context without feeling forced or awkward. The author interweaves threads related to depression/anxiety, body image, sexuality, rape, suicide, abuse, and gang violence in both the U.S. and Mexico with nuance, while remaining true to the realities of those issues. VERDICT Like Isabel Quintero's Gabi, a Girl in Pieces, sans the diary format, this novel richly explores coming-of-age topics; a timely and must-have account of survival in a culturally contentious world.--Alea Perez, Westmont Public Library, IL
Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
"This book will change everything. . . . A perfect book about imperfection." —Juan Felipe Herrera, Poet Laureate of the United States
"A wonderfully complex and interesting character." —Los Angeles Review of Books "Blistering. Julia's persona rockets off the page and into your face from the get-go." —Christian Science Monitor "If you ever wanted to [understand] the harsh truths of immigrant life, this is the book you need to read." —Bustle "As poignant as it is incisive." —AV Club"Beautifully written." —Shelf Awareness, Starred
"Ultimately, it's Julia herself who's the key to the novel... She'll resonate with many readers, and they'll be glad to see her make it through a tough time." —The Bulletin, starred reviewYAF018070 - Young Adult Fiction | Family | Siblings
YAF046140 - Young Adult Fiction | People & Places | United States - Hispanic & Latino
Juvenile works
Mothers and daughters
Grief
