Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

Despite the story being about finding out about Olga’s secret I felt unsatisfied at the end. I would’ve wanted Julia to tell her parents about Olga’s affair as well as her pregnancy but I understood why she did it. The book was great showing the struggles a female Latina faces within her community (speaking from experience) but I couldn’t get past how obnoxious Julia is. She found every and any excuse to criticize people including but not limited to her own DECEASED sister which I understand being 16 and constantly being compared to someone you would expect your parent to prefer them over you, but it got annoying that despite the things Olga did for Julia when they were kids Julia didn’t care because of how tainted Olga’s image become all because of Julia’s mother. She tried to be there for her sister and all Julia did was push her away I’m not surprised why Angie push Julia away when Julia started snooping into Olga’s business.

I would’ve wished Julia apologized to her sister as the main reason why her family got reunited was because of the grief Julia felt after Olga’s death but it’s whatever. In my opinion the author wrapped up Olga’s story too quickly and sometimes talked about finding Olga’s secret. I would’ve loved to see Julia grow and realize why people did the things they did as well but instead she did what she wanted with a more open mind which I can’t judge that much. I also wished that they talked more about what had occurred in the border with Amá and Apá so it can help Julia understand why her parents are like that same with knowing why Apá stopped drawing to show Julia that not everyone can follow their dreams instead of him just saying it and moving on.

And I also found Julia to be a hypocrite as she has mentioned that she hates when people keep secrets yet is keeping a major secret from her family which I know it’s not her secret to tell but I would’ve wanted to know something about my own kid if it was a secret this big. But that’s besides the point. Julia is just judgmental but cries when people give her the same energy. For someone who is so “smart” she sometimes acts stupid I have to facepalm for example when Lorena told her that she is such a judgmental person that she wishes she can just calm down but instead Julia started to cry despite Julia calling Lorena names as well.

Overall I liked the book but that was really it. I loved the references to Mexico/Mexican culture and I would’ve loved if Julia appreciated it more.

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abril_chavez's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

Having personal cultural ties to this book, there were a lot of moments where the author would describe a behavior or thought process they had in response to old school Mexican views and I kept picturing myself at various moments. It’s well written, easy to read and a nice flow. It was really fun to identify so much with a book and a character and see a lot of struggles for young Mexican girls and women being brought to light and into question about the injustice and misogyny at the root.

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andrea7oves's review

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emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I tried so hard to sympathize with Julia, she’s a teen and she lost her sister and her family, her mom isn’t the nicest to her- but as a Mexican it was so hard to read her trashing Mexican culture at every page. From complaining of how her uncles are “always crying about Mexico as if it were the best place in earth.” She’s unbearable and doesn’t seem to realize how hard her parents work for her. My parents are also immigrants so maybe i’ve been ingrained with a habit of toxic gratefulness, but Julia doesn’t seem to sympathize at all with her parents, especially when she wonders “what it’s like to clean houses all day and then come home and keep cleaning” about her mother, when Julia herself could also help?? Throughout the last third of the novel Julia finally reflects on herself and her treatment of her parents. She grows as a character and achieves her goal:

getting into college in New York

and it’s good for her. I think the story is an intimate look into depression, loss, and how tragedy can dive a family further into issues. However, the references to Mexican culture didn’t always feel natural, and Julia’s constant criticism of Mexico is something that’s hard to read over.

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stacyaj's review

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emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

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ifwyshay's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring lighthearted sad fast-paced

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

4.5

i loved this book so much.

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madanxiety's review against another edition

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tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I found Julia so frustrating for most of this book. She was just so negative and unlikeable! Obviously, this was intentional, and given her circumstances, it's understandable, but it still made the book a less enjoyable read for me. Not that it was all bad though - especially in the latter half, it was relieving to see her finally start to communicate her feelings/thoughts with adults.

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jpfortmiller's review against another edition

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informative tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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