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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
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
3.25-3.5
Read this in preparation for reading Erika L. Sanchez’s memoir. Heard a lot about this book after it was added to summer reading curriculum’s, made into a movie, and when Sanchez was (unnecessarily) fired from my University. It definitely lives up to the hype.
Read this in preparation for reading Erika L. Sanchez’s memoir. Heard a lot about this book after it was added to summer reading curriculum’s, made into a movie, and when Sanchez was (unnecessarily) fired from my University. It definitely lives up to the hype.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a really interesting exploration of what means to be first-generation in a culture that expects us to give so much of ourselves for others. Of course we understand that Julia is not their perfect Mexican daughter, but this does a really good job of dismantling that idea altogether. In the eyes of their parents, Olga was held in such high esteem, without realizing even she wasn't perfect - because no one is. There were definitely some hard moments to get through as they resonated pretty deeply. This was overall enjoyable and is likely to crop up in my mind every now and then.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content
My final book for trivia night and whew did Sanchez cram as much as possible into this novel. It was one new event after another, without the prior event being finished or understood. And to a point that can work, after all life is messy at times without resolved endings and whatnot. But in this book it was just too much- she was trying to cover a thousand topics at once. I liked the story less and less as I kept reading. But oh well, it's done and my final trivia night book is completed!
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
sad
dark
emotional
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
Sánchez addresses mental health (and taking medication), societal and cultural double standards, class, and homophobia in one of the most "organic" ways I've seen. Nothing felt pushed or tokenized, and I'm glad she showed various Latinx people in Chicago and Mexico.
It's interesting to read YA books as an adult, especially if you didn't also read them when you were younger. Julia's conflict with her parents and internal conflict of feeling unable to bite her tongue or control her mood before medication speaks to the complex nature of empathy: empathizing with someone's hardships doesn't mean they didn't still hurt you. Julia's father's silence was understandable, as was her mother's caution and overbearingness, but they nevertheless hurt Julia. Likewise, how Julia acted towards them was hurtful, even if it can be "explained away" with her being a teenager and needing medication.
Many of my students (and 15-year-old Hannah) feel trapped in their current stage of life. They can see freedom in the distance but cannot grasp it yet.
Overall, I liked this book and am glad I read it right before school started. It reminded me of what some of them are going through; I cannot wait to recommend this book to them ❤️
It's interesting to read YA books as an adult, especially if you didn't also read them when you were younger. Julia's conflict with her parents and internal conflict of feeling unable to bite her tongue or control her mood before medication speaks to the complex nature of empathy: empathizing with someone's hardships doesn't mean they didn't still hurt you. Julia's father's silence was understandable, as was her mother's caution and overbearingness, but they nevertheless hurt Julia. Likewise, how Julia acted towards them was hurtful, even if it can be "explained away" with her being a teenager and needing medication.
Many of my students (and 15-year-old Hannah) feel trapped in their current stage of life. They can see freedom in the distance but cannot grasp it yet.
Overall, I liked this book and am glad I read it right before school started. It reminded me of what some of them are going through; I cannot wait to recommend this book to them ❤️
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
When I sat to read this one, I read for a good while. When I was away from it, I didn't feel a pull to read more. UNTIL... the last four or five chapters made the rest of the book totally worth it. Maybe that's one thing the author wanted us to experience - the depression without the glimpses of sunshine. I'm glad I know Julia's story.
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced