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aneisy's review against another edition
5.0
Wow talk about emotions! Such an amazing read. I’m Cuban and can relate to this story in so many levels. Definitely recommend it specifically to other Latina women.
natalie_is_reading's review against another edition
4.0
Hehe read this in three days when I should’ve been studying for finals. Very good!
callmeromo's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book came highly recommended to me by my wife and I can see why. There's definitely lots of my wife in Julia and that's a huge compliment to Julia's character. She's fierce, strong, a writer, a reader, very brave and independent, feels strongly, and much more than that as well. I see a lot of the correlation in what my wife has told me about her childhood and Julia's childhood too. I cried quite a bit in this book, especially chapter seventeen, my lord, I had to stop reading like 4 times in that one chapter. Anyways, getting back on track, Erika L Sánchez does an incredible job of writing a really good female character going through it in a low socioeconomic city. I often thought to myself, "yeah I'd probably do the same thing" or "that's not far off from what I would think at that age". The relatability to Julia makes her such a genuine character and there's so many different things this book covers from coming of age, to parenting a kid transitioning to adulthood, to generational trauma, therapy, and more. I love all of what this book covers, I'm not sure if it's my favorite book, but it's definitely one of my favorites. Thank you to my wife for recommending this to me.
ladyreadinton's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a beautiful coming of age story about a first generation Mexican American girl struggling to find her own path. Julia’s family experiences a tragic loss when her older sister dies. This book demonstrates the complex intersections many immigrants experience feeling caught between two worlds. Julia struggles with her desire to become a writer and the guilt of being an imperfect daughter. Ultimately she pursues the life she dreamed of with a better understanding of her parents and a healthier relationship with them and herself.
I loved this book from page one. I felt like I could really relate to Julia. Some parts of the book felt like they were pulled right out of my life story.
vanshikajaiin's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 ⭐️
When I was about 70 pages in, I had decided that I wasn’t going to be able to finish it. I was on the verge of dnf-ing it because gosh, was it slow. But since this was for a book club, I decided to push my way through it. And I’m glad I did!
In the beginning, I really disliked Julia. She was a very problematic, selfish and unsympathetic character. She didn’t have very many likeable qualities and literally anything and everything would piss her off. But as the story progressed and she started understanding herself, I could really relate to her. She’s gone through a lot in her life and is not loved by her family and that, to me, seemed like one of the most important reasons for her behaviour. Her parents were always indifferent towards her feelings and they never paid heed to her wishes. She just wanted to be loved.
The only likeable characters in this story were Mr.Ingman, Lorena and Conner. Only towards the end light was thrown on her mother’s behaviour, but I really wish we’d gotten more insight into it. This book reminds me of A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena for some reason.
Overall, I’d recommend giving it a chance! I’m sorry this review is all over the place
When I was about 70 pages in, I had decided that I wasn’t going to be able to finish it. I was on the verge of dnf-ing it because gosh, was it slow. But since this was for a book club, I decided to push my way through it. And I’m glad I did!
In the beginning, I really disliked Julia. She was a very problematic, selfish and unsympathetic character. She didn’t have very many likeable qualities and literally anything and everything would piss her off. But as the story progressed and she started understanding herself, I could really relate to her. She’s gone through a lot in her life and is not loved by her family and that, to me, seemed like one of the most important reasons for her behaviour. Her parents were always indifferent towards her feelings and they never paid heed to her wishes. She just wanted to be loved.
The only likeable characters in this story were Mr.Ingman, Lorena and Conner. Only towards the end light was thrown on her mother’s behaviour, but I really wish we’d gotten more insight into it. This book reminds me of A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena for some reason.
Overall, I’d recommend giving it a chance! I’m sorry this review is all over the place
stars_n_scars's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
viarwn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
melist6's review
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Death, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Rape, Self harm, and Mental illness
Minor: Sexual assault, Abortion, Homophobia, Sexual harassment, and Racism
raptorred's review against another edition
4.0
Fit right at home, it's nice to have a book that relates to a lot of personal experiences, especially culturally. I ended up disagreeing with the main character, especially with her actions. Then I would remind myself that she is a TEENAGER coping with very big changes in her life. A emotional read from the eyes of a Latina first gen teenager with undiagnosed mental illnesses and a nagging over protective mother. Girl, same.