A review by andrea7oves
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez

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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