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livings's review against another edition
5.0
Loved her retelling of growing up as an immigrant American. Great timing for her story -- we are more alike than different no matter where we're from.
readwithpassion's review against another edition
5.0
I really like this book, and my students love it, too. They particularly like how accessible it is. Sara Saedi was born around the time that I was born, so I felt nostalgic reading about all of the pop culture references. I was worried my 20-year-old students wouldn't like it for this reason, but they really did!
literaryk's review against another edition
3.0
I will admit that I struggled with this memoir, but did enjoy the unique perspecitve.
At first, I found it refreshing to read an immigration story that wasn't fraught with immense danger and a perilous journey. I was invested in learning about the paperwork side of things.
However, the bulk of this memoir was vapid stories of teenage hood that I wouldn't normally give the time of day. Like most teens, Sara was obsessed with boys, looks, and making things appear worse than they were. On occasion she mentioned her fear of being deported, but it was only in passing. Often times I felt like I could forget her status. Many critics described this as a very "human" story, and I slowly began to understand that observation. The fact that her journey from "illegal" to American citizen takes 24 years made me realized that I couldn't expect every chapter to give me an update on her immigration story.
Despite this, I was ready to rank this a 2 star story until the final chapters. I appreciated the information the author provided on the citizenship process, and her observations on life became more interesting. I suppose this makes sense-- we're fully out of her teen years by the end.
Overall, a decent story, but ultimately forgettable.
At first, I found it refreshing to read an immigration story that wasn't fraught with immense danger and a perilous journey. I was invested in learning about the paperwork side of things.
However, the bulk of this memoir was vapid stories of teenage hood that I wouldn't normally give the time of day. Like most teens, Sara was obsessed with boys, looks, and making things appear worse than they were. On occasion she mentioned her fear of being deported, but it was only in passing. Often times I felt like I could forget her status. Many critics described this as a very "human" story, and I slowly began to understand that observation. The fact that her journey from "illegal" to American citizen takes 24 years made me realized that I couldn't expect every chapter to give me an update on her immigration story.
Despite this, I was ready to rank this a 2 star story until the final chapters. I appreciated the information the author provided on the citizenship process, and her observations on life became more interesting. I suppose this makes sense-- we're fully out of her teen years by the end.
Overall, a decent story, but ultimately forgettable.
izumisano's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fast read. I was able to read about half of it in one sitting. Saedi makes her story accessible and very relatable. It felt like you knew her on a personal level and could become friends with her in real life. She keeps her narrative very honest, and doesn't shy away from topics like sex, masturbation, and drugs; along with other teen worries like acne, moving, and sibling drama. She tells you her awkward moments and family fights, making it feel like a scandalous exposé as she shares exerts from her diary entries.
It was interesting to learn about her immigrant experience and how the whole process works. On the outside, you wouldn't expect that her family was here illegally. They owned a business, owned a house, learned English. I was shocked to learn how long it takes to get a Green card. It's easy to say, why don't they wait to get a visa? Take the correct channels and come into the country legally. But when your country is in the middle of a war, or socially unsafe for your family, you can't wait for months or years as the bureaucracy gets around to you. We all know some countries take precedent over others. Countries like Iran, who are in conflict with USA, might take longer than Canada. I knew it wasn't a quick process. Hell, it takes weeks just to get your driver's license in the mail, but I wasn't expecting the usual turn around time to be over 10 years.
She organizes it based on themes and Frequently Asked Questions, so there is some jumping back and forth through her timeline. Most of my misgivings about this book are some of her attempts to relate with current teens or to put things into context. It could just be me. I'm in between both generations, so I've experienced most of what she's talking about. I couldn't help but cringe when she'd say things like "Phones used to have cords!" or "There wasn't Facebook back then so we had to stalk our crushes in person." Maybe teens don't know. A part of me hopes kids are aware that things are always changing.
It was interesting to learn about her immigrant experience and how the whole process works. On the outside, you wouldn't expect that her family was here illegally. They owned a business, owned a house, learned English. I was shocked to learn how long it takes to get a Green card. It's easy to say, why don't they wait to get a visa? Take the correct channels and come into the country legally. But when your country is in the middle of a war, or socially unsafe for your family, you can't wait for months or years as the bureaucracy gets around to you. We all know some countries take precedent over others. Countries like Iran, who are in conflict with USA, might take longer than Canada. I knew it wasn't a quick process. Hell, it takes weeks just to get your driver's license in the mail, but I wasn't expecting the usual turn around time to be over 10 years.
She organizes it based on themes and Frequently Asked Questions, so there is some jumping back and forth through her timeline. Most of my misgivings about this book are some of her attempts to relate with current teens or to put things into context. It could just be me. I'm in between both generations, so I've experienced most of what she's talking about. I couldn't help but cringe when she'd say things like "Phones used to have cords!" or "There wasn't Facebook back then so we had to stalk our crushes in person." Maybe teens don't know. A part of me hopes kids are aware that things are always changing.
ncolarusso's review against another edition
5.0
Ooohhh this was so good. I loved this narrative memoir and I learned so much about Iran and our own USA immigration laws and battles immigrants have to go through to obtain status in the US.
chloecamillewittenberg's review against another edition
5.0
This book. Wow. It was so insightful and I felt so connected to her story. I’m the granddaughter of an immigrant. While my abuela has a different story (and is from a different culture than the author) I really felt the love in this and the fear. I saw my grandma’s own struggles and hardships through this. I will read anything this author writes. I was hooked, and I am NOT a non fiction reader.
literarylinds's review against another edition
4.0
Okay I actually laughed and cried while reading this plus I learned a lot!
readingsofaslinky's review
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
First book of 2024! This book was very honest, informative, and candid with the added fun of cringe from the struggles of being a teen in the nineties. I took off a star because there was a weird gen z angle/lingo thing happening in the first few chapters, but that went away after a few chapters and was overshadowed by the great storytelling along the way. Highly recommend this memoir that also tackles the intricacies of undocumented status and process.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Drug use, Incest, Islamophobia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Deportation
Minor: Eating disorder, Xenophobia, and Suicide attempt