Reviews

Don't Ask Me Where I'm from by Jennifer De Leon

vibeke_hiatt's review

4.0

I received a copy of this book from Simon Teen through Goodreads Giveaways.

Liliana Cruz is an average Latinx teenage girl living what she believes is the average teenage life. And she's fine with that. Sure, her father left suddenly a few weeks ago and she hasn't heard from him since, but it's not the first time. She has her best friend, she has her mother and brothers, and she has her writing.

Then she learns that her parents signed her up for a desegregation program in a suburban school. Reluctantly, she agrees to try. She finds herself thrown into a world where most people are very different from her--physically, socially, and economically. Can she survive at this new school, or will she let it push her out?

This book is a very timely book, exploring issues of race and immigration from a teenagers perspective. How will Liliana react when her "otherness" is so obvious to everyone around her? Liliana is asked to face challenges that her new classmates know nothing about, and none of them even seem interested in understanding.

Writing like a teenage girl, Jennifer de Leon crafted a story that is highly readable. It isn't suspenseful or action-packed, but Liliana is likeable and relatable and I found myself reading nonstop just to see what she would face next and how she would handle it.

Parents should be warned that there are many uses of the f-word.

allie93kat's review

challenging hopeful reflective 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? N/A

5.0

ljzsreadsandreviews's review

3.0

I picked this book up a few months ago at a boozy book fair. All of the copies were signed because the author is local and another woman there told me it was definitely worth the read so I decided to buy it even though i knew nothing about it. This is a much needed story to be told - racism is very much still around us even though if you may not recognize it. Some areas are more affluent than others and some are more segregated than others. I didn’t grow up in Boston but I grew up in a Chicago suburb and although a larger scale, the cities are similar. In this book we see how although not intentional, a suburban area can provide way more opportunities to the children within it, and unfortunately it’s primarily white. Those of color don’t have the same opportunities and it’s a serious detriment to our children. They are the ones suffering from our stubbornness, no matter their race. I thought the story was a strong one with a powerful message but it is ya. I normally am okay with ya but what got me with this one was the language. It was written as if Lilliana was speaking so there was a lot of slang or random interjections. It just wasn’t my favorite way of writing but I did enjoy the story overall.

lmee739's review

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

3.5

urmombose9's review against another edition

emotional funny informative 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

4.5

lindsey_gonzalez's review

challenging hopeful inspiring

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

3.0

This was another lit circle read that I completed with my kids. While this was not my favorite book, I did enjoy the way the author depicted the struggles of a Latina teenager in a predominantly white school. I think it was a nice window for my students into some of their peer's experiences. 

alannar2422's review

5.0

This book was phenomenal, Truly. Being Latina I could not relate more with Liliana and her life. I understood how she felt out of place and how she judged people before they could judge her. This book was really eye-opening and I learned so much. This book needs to be read and people need to see this to truly understand things from our point of view. . I learned about the Guatemalan Genocide which I had not learned about in school and had no clue about.
This made me proud to be who I am, proud from where I come from and where I live, and gave me the strength to be able to navigate through racism like Lili did. This book highlighted the struggles I still go through in High school and issues worldwide. I have so much more to say that I cannot put into words. I Highly recommend this book!

lisathepoetlibrarian's review

5.0

Liliana is a bold new voice in YA fiction. A compelling story about navigating the worlds of school and family, compounded by the layers of class, immigration, and emerging into her own identity as a sophmore. De Leon resists any easy classifications with her characters, allowing them to be fully complex without judgment. I will recommend this book for independent reading and book clubs at my school. It is also a wonderful book to tie into discussions about public education in the U.S.. as well as immigration and class and race dynamics. I think about how literature allows us to see into the lives of others to build empathy and understanding. De Leon's story does this with easy and welcomes the reader into the world of Liliana, her family, and her friend at her new school.

novelnopalito's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? N/A

4.0

owlyreadsalot's review

4.0

Review coming soon