Reviews with content warning for Trafficking - La hija que no soñaste

This was an intense read and I warn those not to go into this unprepared.

As a child of an illegal immigrant, Julia's life revovles around being reminded of her parent's sacrifice and wanting to move as far from it as possible. It only when her life is spun by the death of her "perfect" sister, Olga, that she must truely stand on her own for the right to her life.

This story deals with transversing the differences of generational expectations and family relations. Julia's mum is in constant strife for wanting Julia to be more of the Mexican girl that she had been raised to be; all the while Julia is trying her hardest to move away from that frame and live a life that allows her to acheive her dreams. This dissonace causes a major rift to a point where Julia's mother confirms her deepest fear, blaming her for Olga's death.

This nagging feeling of something left behind has Julia digging into Olga's life and finding out she was not as perfect as imagined. Skipping her college classes and delaying her diploma, a torrid affair with a married man, and an illicet child that no one was aware of, paints a picture of who Olga's really may have been. These cracks almost encourage Julia's drive to acheive her own life, away from the traditions and fears carried by her parents

By the end of the story, we see that nothing is perfect in the family lives. Ama and Apa still work their jobs and live the life they have come to know. Julia achieves the first step of her journey and breaks away from her family, even after understanding their view through their hardships. Life moves on, and that is the largest takeaway this story gifts.

Content Warnings

_sunlux's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Was extremely relatable for any person who grew up in a difficult household where you never understood the challenges your parents went through to get to America whilst also being affected by the unprocessed trauma of your parents. Was strong representation of a poc household, specifically mexican, but as a non-mexican, it was still very relatable and did make me cry.

Content Warnings

kristimb's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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