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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found this book relatable and realistic. The narrator is a teenage girl and her choices and inner thoughts reflect that accurately, and brought me back to my high school years. Her story is heartbreaking in so many ways and so many times I wanted to just hug the main character and tell her it will be ok, which in a way helps one to say that to her own inner child. I also enjoyed the diversity and seeing a window into the life of a 2nd generation Mexican immigrant and the cultures surrounding that, a world I don't know as much about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Grief
Moderate: Homophobia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Deportation
Minor: Gun violence, Rape
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
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:
Complicated
emotional
funny
inspiring
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
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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:
Complicated
This book was honestly disappointing. I expected a raw, poignant book about love, and uncovering a mystery through grief. What I got was absolutely nothing. I didn't feel anything for any of the characters, and it was very anti-climactic.
There is a lot I love about this book. I wanted to jump in and hug Julia saying “I see you”. The portrayal of the mother (narcissist) and the reality of living in a narcissist nest (dysfunction) was spot on, all the way to the screwed up comments the extended family made and the emotional blackmail they dumped on Julia in Mexico. It was painfully accurate. I was texting like crazy with a friend who (like me) grew up in that abusive insanity and read this story. These emojis were used often 🤮🤬👎
If you relate to Julia, if your mother is like hers, If her relative seem familiar... I pray you find ACA, ACON, a therapist if needed, and several books on being the child of a narcissist. That shiitake is not okay.
Back to the positive:
I learned a good bit about Julia’s culture, which I also loved, and appreciated.
If you relate to Julia, if your mother is like hers, If her relative seem familiar... I pray you find ACA, ACON, a therapist if needed, and several books on being the child of a narcissist. That shiitake is not okay.
Back to the positive:
I learned a good bit about Julia’s culture, which I also loved, and appreciated.
I've seen many Mexican reviewers talk about how this book is hella stereotypical - Mexican parents who are undocumented (i think the word "illegal" is used early on", who clean houses, and can't speak English. I'm all for "realistic" stories but someone pointed out that the only likeable characters were white,,, yeah. So, we're not doing that.
In the 20% I read, I hated every second. This book is marketed as a "laugh-out-loud" book - it's the opposite. It's triggering and annoying, no thanks to our protagonist whose internal monologue makes me want to scream. The writing is really juvenile, even for a YA novel, but it somehow packs in more cuss words than I've ever read in a novel before, which doesn't make it age-appropriate for a younger audience. No character is even semi-likeable, least of all Julia (the MC). There are contradictions galore, as if the editor didn't care for their job (what do you mean when you say Olga can wear sexy underwear if she wants and then a few paragraphs later, say there's no way she smoked weed because she was basically a nun. Do you think nuns wear thongs.)
Anyway. This book was annoying.
In the 20% I read, I hated every second. This book is marketed as a "laugh-out-loud" book - it's the opposite. It's triggering and annoying, no thanks to our protagonist whose internal monologue makes me want to scream. The writing is really juvenile, even for a YA novel, but it somehow packs in more cuss words than I've ever read in a novel before, which doesn't make it age-appropriate for a younger audience. No character is even semi-likeable, least of all Julia (the MC). There are contradictions galore, as if the editor didn't care for their job (what do you mean when you say Olga can wear sexy underwear if she wants and then a few paragraphs later, say there's no way she smoked weed because she was basically a nun. Do you think nuns wear thongs.)
Anyway. This book was annoying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Grief, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship
Sànchez has written a very compelling YA novel that feels so true. She explores the intergenerational effects of the trauma of immigration, and she also does an excellent (de-stigmatizing) job portraying Latina depression and the role of compassionate treatment.
emotional
fast-paced
4.5 stars - raw, authentic, beautiful coming of story