Reviews with content warning for Rape - Yo no soy tu perfecta hija mexicana

This book was not what I thought it was going to be, I was happy with it start to finish.
Some of the lines in this book were so profound and accurate to the point of personal experience. I was floored by some of the wisdom in this book, it made me feel very seen.
I also love how there's multiple issues being addressed with even side characters, it shows the complexity of each of our lives and how people may think or notice one thing but it's not enough to tip the scale, until it is. True so real life and when it's thru the eyes of a teenager, even more real.
I was nervous there would be some kinda cheesy ending that wraps up everything in a nice bow but it was so much more realistic than that and I have a ton of respect. Happy I waited for the hype to die down, made it now worth it.

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nesdy's review against another edition

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3.5

I liked it because it doesn't shy away from difficult topics, and the characters are nuanced, but I do have a big gripe with it:

The novel seems to sympathize a lot with Julia's mother because of the trauma she's been through. However, that doesn't justify the way she's treated Julia her entire life. She never listens or cares about anything Julia tells her. Julia's never allowed any privacy. Even after the suicide attempt, when the novel is trying to convince us that the mother is trying to be a better mother, she never takes any responsibility for what happened. She even tells Julia she didn't know she wanted to be a writer, even though that's all she talks about, and even though the mother ripped her writing journals because she didn't approve. And then she acts as if she was oblivious to it, as if their lack of a relationship is Julia's fault for not trying enough.

Another thing I hated was that it is very heavily implied that Julia's depression is inherent to her, as if there weren't any other factors, which pissed me off. Of course she's depressed, her own parents don't show her any love and she is trapped in that house. Even after the suicide attempt, when we're supposed to believe her parents are trying, I see the opposite. She gets sent to Mexico. When she shows concern about missing so much class because that will hurt her chances at college, they completely dismiss her and tell her she can always go to community college, something she's said repeatedly she doesn't want to do.

I don't understand why the novel wants me to empathize with these people.

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jillaay_h's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

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jellybeanie's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative 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

4.75

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mo_bookshelves's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

3.75

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cadinth's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I resonated a lot with the cultural aspect of familial ties and relationships and definitely found myself crying. It’s a bittersweet ending with a lot of growth for many if not all of the characters.

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