Scan barcode
marthanator13's review against another edition
4.0
More like a 4.5. I liked it way better than I thought I was which was a nice surprise.
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
5.0
This was SUCH a great debut!! I loved it a LOT! The story follows Penelope, a Mexican American teen who is balancing what she wants with her parent's expectations for her. When Penelope drops out of college her plan to manage her family's Nacho's Tacos restaurant gets thwarted, forcing her to find a new path to her dream of opening a pastelería. Kicked out of the house, she's forced to find her own place and get a minimum wage job to support herself. Her disappointment and the rift with her parents becomes a little easier though when she befriends Xander, the new hire at Nacho's Tacos.
Xander is living in the shadows as an undocumented immigrant and trying to stay under the radar from authorities while also searching for his father. The two teens quickly bond over food and help one another realize their goals.
I can't praise this book enough! Full of food, found family and first love the author has created memorable characters I won't soon forget. There's also really good mental health rep in this book as Penelope suffers from depression and self-harm (this was glossed over a bit which was my one critique for the book). Highly recommended for fans of A Cuban girl's guide to tea and tomorrow, With the fire on high or How Moon Fuentez fell in love with the universe and excellent on audio with an author's note included at the end and a bonus song too.
Favorite quote:
"Because in life sometimes the only way to move forward is to do the scary thing, especially when it's the right thing. That's what I've learned about fear: courage isn't a currency and claiming it isn't a game. The things that scare us are roadblocks but mirrors. And bravery isn't about shattering a reflection, it's about having the strength to look."
CW: depression in teens, self-harm, parental absence
Xander is living in the shadows as an undocumented immigrant and trying to stay under the radar from authorities while also searching for his father. The two teens quickly bond over food and help one another realize their goals.
I can't praise this book enough! Full of food, found family and first love the author has created memorable characters I won't soon forget. There's also really good mental health rep in this book as Penelope suffers from depression and self-harm (this was glossed over a bit which was my one critique for the book). Highly recommended for fans of A Cuban girl's guide to tea and tomorrow, With the fire on high or How Moon Fuentez fell in love with the universe and excellent on audio with an author's note included at the end and a bonus song too.
Favorite quote:
"Because in life sometimes the only way to move forward is to do the scary thing, especially when it's the right thing. That's what I've learned about fear: courage isn't a currency and claiming it isn't a game. The things that scare us are roadblocks but mirrors. And bravery isn't about shattering a reflection, it's about having the strength to look."
CW: depression in teens, self-harm, parental absence
lurossreads's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-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? No
4.0
z_brarian's review
4.0
This was a good story. I’m going to have to come back and do my review at a later date. There’s a lot of things I need to think about.
*update: Brought together by a love of food and family, this was a different story. Definitely a more mature #ownvoices YA novel. It’s romance but also coming of age, finding not only yourself but your place in the world. For Pen, she realizes she needs to fulfill her dreams, not her parents and for Xander, he is seeking assurance that his father does love him, that he wasn’t just left behind. The food descriptions alone made me want to learn how to create Pens amazing desserts! Foodies will appreciate this book.
*update: Brought together by a love of food and family, this was a different story. Definitely a more mature #ownvoices YA novel. It’s romance but also coming of age, finding not only yourself but your place in the world. For Pen, she realizes she needs to fulfill her dreams, not her parents and for Xander, he is seeking assurance that his father does love him, that he wasn’t just left behind. The food descriptions alone made me want to learn how to create Pens amazing desserts! Foodies will appreciate this book.
notinjersey's review
3.0
I am not sure why I didn’t love this book about two Latinx teens who are dealing with family dynamics in a restaurant setting. I tried both the audio and the print and I couldn’t seem to get into it. Maybe I didn’t believe in the love story, as it was insta love, which is my least favorite! However, I know others who did really enjoy it! This book covered topics included being undocumented and threatened and mental health. One thing I loved in the book was all of the food!
stralins's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 - fun! oscillated between serious and goofy, maybe could have used a little more depth when unpacking identity, trauma, corruption, but also lovely to read where light is shone versus darkness overcoming
thenextgenlibrarian's review
4.0
I’m Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter meets Emergency Contact meets Maurene Goo’s The Way You Make Me Feel.