A review by giulia_and_books
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This isn't the typical kind of book I go for, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I could see myself in the main character, Julia, in more ways than one. Between me and my siblings, I'm the difficult one who is always causing trouble. My mom and I always had a hard time relating to one another and have a different view on life that causes a lot of strife and pain between us. Some of Julia's reactions were similar to my own when talking to my mom as a teenager and I could empathize with her frustrations.
Sánchez created a story that was accurately portrayed from Julia's point of view. I say accurate because it helped to shape the character in the way that the story was written. The writing style, word choice, and flow seemed to fit with the character and her development. Whenever she was confused about her feelings, I felt confused with what was going on. Whenever she was upset or feeling despair, it came off so strongly from the page.
There were a few parts, which I won't mention in an attempt to avoid any spoilers, that I did not totally buy in to. Some aspects of the story, I thought, could have been left out or were just unnecessary to the development of the character of Julia. I know the author was trying to make the part about Olga a totally mystery/surprise, but I just wasn't hooked on it. I cared more about Julia's journey with depression and grief after her sister's death and no so much with what was going on with Olga.
Read this if you are looking for a character-driven story that centers around a young adult's journey with mental illness, family dynamics (specifically mother and daughter), and a story of triumph for a young girl who is trying to figure out her place in her family and world.
Sánchez created a story that was accurately portrayed from Julia's point of view. I say accurate because it helped to shape the character in the way that the story was written. The writing style, word choice, and flow seemed to fit with the character and her development. Whenever she was confused about her feelings, I felt confused with what was going on. Whenever she was upset or feeling despair, it came off so strongly from the page.
There were a few parts, which I won't mention in an attempt to avoid any spoilers, that I did not totally buy in to. Some aspects of the story, I thought, could have been left out or were just unnecessary to the development of the character of Julia. I know the author was trying to make the part about Olga a totally mystery/surprise, but I just wasn't hooked on it. I cared more about Julia's journey with depression and grief after her sister's death and no so much with what was going on with Olga.
Read this if you are looking for a character-driven story that centers around a young adult's journey with mental illness, family dynamics (specifically mother and daughter), and a story of triumph for a young girl who is trying to figure out her place in her family and world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Rape and Emotional abuse