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Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez
26 reviews
op3's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I really tried to love this book. I really did. I found the quality of writing lazy and rushed, the only highlight was the ending which I found to be just ok. So that’s what I’m rating the book as. Just ok.
Often times I take at least an hour or two to pick out books I want to read so I can enjoy what I read. This is one of those books I avoid when I spend that time searching. This is a testimony that I should keep doing that. But the ending was okay. The fluff was ok if you consider there to be any.
Often times I take at least an hour or two to pick out books I want to read so I can enjoy what I read. This is one of those books I avoid when I spend that time searching. This is a testimony that I should keep doing that. But the ending was okay. The fluff was ok if you consider there to be any.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Sexual violence, Miscarriage, Rape, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Sexual assault, Self harm, Violence, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Blood, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, Outing, Death, Bullying, Sexual violence, Grief, Suicide, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Homophobia, Sexism, Car accident, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, and Child death
Minor: Violence, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Drug use, Blood, Gore, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Death, and Eating disorder
gem114's review against another edition
hopeful
sad
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? Yes
4.0
Read this because it was added to my 11th grade curriculum. I was a little surprised by some of the more graphic scenes, but I do think kids will relate to the generational divides whether they come from immigrant families or not and that makes it worth any potential awkwardness in class. Will definitely need to give content warnings, though.
As an adult reader, I did struggle at times to be sympathetic to Julia. Maybe it’s my age and personal experience talking, but I do think there are some basic responsibilities that teenagers should have regarding chores, communication with parents, etc that she pushed back on more than was reasonable, and I think Olga’s secrets were unnecessarily over the top, but I can see how this will all make it more appealing to young readers.
As an adult reader, I did struggle at times to be sympathetic to Julia. Maybe it’s my age and personal experience talking, but I do think there are some basic responsibilities that teenagers should have regarding chores, communication with parents, etc that she pushed back on more than was reasonable, and I think Olga’s secrets were unnecessarily over the top, but I can see how this will all make it more appealing to young readers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Rape, Gun violence, Car accident, Grief, and Racism
Minor: Deportation, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, and Pregnancy
kbseymour's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Suicide attempt
Minor: Drug use, Sexual content, and Racism
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
I really appreciated 15/16-year-old Julia Reyes's messy personal development in this young adult coming-of-age story. Julia tells this story in first-person, past-tense POV, and this is a character-driven, slow-paced story that explores identity, grief, authenticity, and what it means to live. I am not Mexican, but I do share the identity of being a first-generation child of immigrants, and in that particular light, I deeply related to Julia's journey, especially the generational differences that threatened to dismantle any relationship she had with her mom or dad.
The story takes place in Chicago, IL after Julia's older sister Olga dies in a tragic car accident as she was crossing the street and distracted by her cell phone. Julia always felt she lived in Olga's shadow, as Olga was *the* "perfect Mexican daughter," and in the wake of her death, that shadow only grows. Her distinctions from Olga are under even more scrutiny, and it is a devastatingly heavy burden to bear. Julia was never the obedient daughter, she hated learning how to cook with her mom, and she constantly challenged her parents' authority. Her mom consistently calls Julia "ungrateful" and uses guilt as a way to shame Julia for not making her parents happy. It is painful to read, as it felt very familiar; the constant exhaustion of knowing that nothing you do will ever be enough to pay back your parents who overcame unimaginable trauma to come here feels insurmountable at times.
However, I admired Julia for speaking up and being so incredibly bold and glib. I recognize many people have called her "unlikeable" but I found Julia to be so authentic when I look back on my own teenage experience, pushing and pulling between being a first-generation kid who wanted to do well by their parents, but also wanted to be trusted and have a "normal" American teenage life. To talk back to my parents meant even more autonomy being taken away. That was something I rarely did as a teenager, because I was so scared of consequences. For Julia? Consequences be damned! Is she a bit flippant and ignorant sometimes? Absolutely. She made offensive comments like "hookers" and "gangbangers," but I also think that's representative of a young, angry, frustrated kid. Her phone would be taken away and she couldn't go to the library, and yes, she put up a stink, but she constantly advocated for herself, and I think she more confidently found her voice in therapy too.
There is a subplot of romance between Julia and Connor, which was illuminating for Julia, since she is mostly "inexperienced" as the story begins. I appreciated the argument that Julia got into with her friend about Julia being "uptight" and acting like she was too good for anything. We look for "yes men" and people who will become an echo chamber as friends, especially when we're young as we are rediscovering who we are. However, her friend didn't let Julia walk all over her or proclaim to walk through life as the only "right way". I don't know if that makes sense but this one interaction really spoke to me, and there are so many moments like this throughout the novel which force Julia to confront who she is, who she wants to be, and what that means regarding how she spends her free time, her relationship with her family, college, and writing as an occupation.
The final reveal of the secret life Olga was leading was sad but also satisfying for me to read, because it only affirmed to Julia that Julia would never live up to the "perfect Mexican daughter" ideal, because even her seemingly perfect sister wasn't. Some of it was an act, and she had to hide parts of herself in order to protect optics and make her parents proud. I appreciated this because it brought Olga down to earth, rather than being this unattainable ideal as Julia always thought she was.
This was a powerful narrative about Julia discovering not only herself, but the ways in which the world around her operates, and I highly recommend it to anyone.
content warnings are listed below!
I really appreciated 15/16-year-old Julia Reyes's messy personal development in this young adult coming-of-age story. Julia tells this story in first-person, past-tense POV, and this is a character-driven, slow-paced story that explores identity, grief, authenticity, and what it means to live. I am not Mexican, but I do share the identity of being a first-generation child of immigrants, and in that particular light, I deeply related to Julia's journey, especially the generational differences that threatened to dismantle any relationship she had with her mom or dad.
The story takes place in Chicago, IL after Julia's older sister Olga dies in a tragic car accident as she was crossing the street and distracted by her cell phone. Julia always felt she lived in Olga's shadow, as Olga was *the* "perfect Mexican daughter," and in the wake of her death, that shadow only grows. Her distinctions from Olga are under even more scrutiny, and it is a devastatingly heavy burden to bear. Julia was never the obedient daughter, she hated learning how to cook with her mom, and she constantly challenged her parents' authority. Her mom consistently calls Julia "ungrateful" and uses guilt as a way to shame Julia for not making her parents happy. It is painful to read, as it felt very familiar; the constant exhaustion of knowing that nothing you do will ever be enough to pay back your parents who overcame unimaginable trauma to come here feels insurmountable at times.
However, I admired Julia for speaking up and being so incredibly bold and glib. I recognize many people have called her "unlikeable" but I found Julia to be so authentic when I look back on my own teenage experience, pushing and pulling between being a first-generation kid who wanted to do well by their parents, but also wanted to be trusted and have a "normal" American teenage life. To talk back to my parents meant even more autonomy being taken away. That was something I rarely did as a teenager, because I was so scared of consequences. For Julia? Consequences be damned! Is she a bit flippant and ignorant sometimes? Absolutely. She made offensive comments like "hookers" and "gangbangers," but I also think that's representative of a young, angry, frustrated kid. Her phone would be taken away and she couldn't go to the library, and yes, she put up a stink, but she constantly advocated for herself, and I think she more confidently found her voice in therapy too.
There is a subplot of romance between Julia and Connor, which was illuminating for Julia, since she is mostly "inexperienced" as the story begins. I appreciated the argument that Julia got into with her friend about Julia being "uptight" and acting like she was too good for anything. We look for "yes men" and people who will become an echo chamber as friends, especially when we're young as we are rediscovering who we are. However, her friend didn't let Julia walk all over her or proclaim to walk through life as the only "right way". I don't know if that makes sense but this one interaction really spoke to me, and there are so many moments like this throughout the novel which force Julia to confront who she is, who she wants to be, and what that means regarding how she spends her free time, her relationship with her family, college, and writing as an occupation.
This was a powerful narrative about Julia discovering not only herself, but the ways in which the world around her operates, and I highly recommend it to anyone.
content warnings are listed below!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Cursing, Death, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Xenophobia, Racism, Car accident, Homophobia, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Self harm, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual content, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity
joisaddler's review
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, Suicide attempt, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, and Death
Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, Abortion, Grief, and Sexual content
cielosiluminado's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
4.0
leer este libro me causó tener una crisis emocional porque relacioné mucho con julia y el tema de los cosas que gente de primera generación navegan, especialmente sobre la identidad y que confundido es para nosotros porque ningún lado nos acepta completamente T__T
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Rape, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
Minor: Death and Violence
vreyna20_2004's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
3.5
I would’ve wished Julia apologized to her sister as the main reason why her family got reunited was because of the grief Julia felt after Olga’s death but it’s whatever. In my opinion the author wrapped up Olga’s story too quickly and sometimes talked about finding Olga’s secret. I would’ve loved to see Julia grow and realize why people did the things they did as well but instead she did what she wanted with a more open mind which I can’t judge that much. I also wished that they talked more about what had occurred in the border with Amá and Apá so it can help Julia understand why her parents are like that same with knowing why Apá stopped drawing to show Julia that not everyone can follow their dreams instead of him just saying it and moving on.
And I also found Julia to be a hypocrite as she has mentioned that she hates when people keep secrets yet is keeping a major secret from her family which I know it’s not her secret to tell but I would’ve wanted to know something about my own kid if it was a secret this big. But that’s besides the point. Julia is just judgmental but cries when people give her the same energy. For someone who is so “smart” she sometimes acts stupid I have to facepalm for example when Lorena told her that she is such a judgmental person that she wishes she can just calm down but instead Julia started to cry despite Julia calling Lorena names as well.
Overall I liked the book but that was really it. I loved the references to Mexico/Mexican culture and I would’ve loved if Julia appreciated it more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Homophobia
Minor: Pregnancy
squatruhh's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-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
Oh my lantix heart! 😭😭🥰 I absolutely adored this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Abortion, Addiction, Death, Deportation, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Grief, Self harm, Cursing, Alcoholism, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Suicide attempt, and Violence
elena9954's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Pregnancy, Grief, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Sexual content, Racism, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Gun violence, Suicide, and Alcohol
Moderate: Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Deportation, Eating disorder, Blood, and Rape
ihatecarlos8's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I don’t know if I’m the only person who noticed the slight micro aggressions in this book. There were a couple mentions of black people which I felt like we’re just not relevant to the story and just felt a tad bit like the authors expression of their racism. There was also a part in the book where the main character explains how she’s not homophobic because she’s been to pride parades and watches lgbtq+ shows which was just really weird to me. It also feels like in a lot of chapters Julia is just complaining about her life and her flaws are a very big part of the story and are mentioned and shoved in our faces almost every chapter. Also a lot of other parts of the book just felt random and unnecessary and just really felt like a self reflection of the author. However this book did touch on a lot of hard but important topics and the parts where Julia wasn’t whining about her life were actually really nice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Hate crime, and Sexual content
Minor: Racism, Rape, Homophobia, and Sexual harassment