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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
im a bit torn here. i loved a lot of the aspects and being able to relate to growing up as a mexican american. but there were a lot of aspects i didn’t like? just seemed a bit outdated with what constituted the “perfect mexican daughter” ya know
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicide attempt
***TRIGGER WARNING***
This book contains suicide, mentions of rape, mentions of anorexia, mentions of child abuse, sexual assault, self-harm, and gun violence.
It's actually 2.5 stars from me. I really wanted to like this book because it has been a very long time since I have seen myself represented in a book as a Mexican-American, but it was just not what I expected. The triggers alone were enough to put me off since I have previous trauma with some of those things. I would have appreciated some mention of that in the summary so I better understood what I was getting into or even avoided the book.
Nevertheless, I carefully pushed through it. Julia, as smart as she is, was often rash and abrasive. She often judged people on looks and fat-shamed people. As the book progressed, I did enjoy her more, but I think the emotional abuse should have been better adressed.
The writing itself was okay, but honestly dragged on at some points. There were short paragraphs of things that I felt should have been delved into more and other things brushed aside altogether.
Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book. It was okay for what it was, but again, I do think the summary is incredibly misleading.
This book contains suicide, mentions of rape, mentions of anorexia, mentions of child abuse, sexual assault, self-harm, and gun violence.
It's actually 2.5 stars from me. I really wanted to like this book because it has been a very long time since I have seen myself represented in a book as a Mexican-American, but it was just not what I expected. The triggers alone were enough to put me off since I have previous trauma with some of those things. I would have appreciated some mention of that in the summary so I better understood what I was getting into or even avoided the book.
Nevertheless, I carefully pushed through it. Julia, as smart as she is, was often rash and abrasive. She often judged people on looks and fat-shamed people. As the book progressed, I did enjoy her more, but I think the emotional abuse should have been better adressed.
The writing itself was okay, but honestly dragged on at some points. There were short paragraphs of things that I felt should have been delved into more and other things brushed aside altogether.
Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book. It was okay for what it was, but again, I do think the summary is incredibly misleading.
This was unexpected. I do understand some of the critiques from other readers, but honestly I gotta hand it to Sanchez for tackling mental health in the Latino community. Yes, the main character Julia is very immature but she’s a teenager. She’s flawed and so are her friends and her parents, but that’s life. Navigating two cultures during the teen years is a freakin mess for a lot of us, and I can only imagine how much harder it is now with our current political climate.
I also thought it was hilarious in some parts, and was literally laughing out loud. I did listen to the audiobook and maybe the narrator is influencing my impression of the book, but I thought it was really well done. I generally don’t expect YA novels to be great writing or be particularly in depth, but I happen to think this one delved into some complex ideas that even adults struggle with. Is it always right to disclose all of the details when it might hurt someone? Do you tell the truth to make yourself look better or exonerate yourself from false assumptions? Where is the line in respecting and honoring your family of origin?
I did not at all expect the novel to take the serious turn that it did, and I applaud the author for telling a very relatable story of mental health issues and I appreciated the responsibility she took in including resources at the end, particularly because it is YA fiction.
I also thought it was hilarious in some parts, and was literally laughing out loud. I did listen to the audiobook and maybe the narrator is influencing my impression of the book, but I thought it was really well done. I generally don’t expect YA novels to be great writing or be particularly in depth, but I happen to think this one delved into some complex ideas that even adults struggle with. Is it always right to disclose all of the details when it might hurt someone? Do you tell the truth to make yourself look better or exonerate yourself from false assumptions? Where is the line in respecting and honoring your family of origin?
I did not at all expect the novel to take the serious turn that it did, and I applaud the author for telling a very relatable story of mental health issues and I appreciated the responsibility she took in including resources at the end, particularly because it is YA fiction.
I’ve read so many reviews on this book & it just didn’t have the same effect on me. It was relatable & touched on many topics that aren’t talked about enough in our culture like mental health & sex. But it was slow paced & I had to force myself to keep reading. The writing was easy to read as it is aimed at a younger audience. There are time jumps that don’t make sense & scenes that you’re expecting more out of that are cut short. I really wanted to love this book but was ultimately disappointed. I did come into it with high expectations bc I heard it was “life changing” but I didn’t get that at all.
Wow, this was quite a story. The plot makes big jumps and then lingers over small moments.
I listened to this book and I really enjoyed it. Maybe it is young adult? The narrator is a teenage girl living in Chicago who is trying to deal with her sister's death and the effect it has had on her family.
Her parents are immigrants and thus have a different outlook than some of her friends' parents. Also, they are low income and that affects her daily life.
I liked it.
Her parents are immigrants and thus have a different outlook than some of her friends' parents. Also, they are low income and that affects her daily life.
I liked it.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
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
ugly cried at least three separate times. this was a heartbreaking but deeply relatable story. it never pulls it's punches, despite the sometimes sloppy execution and pacing. the dynamics felt real and though a lot felt unresolved by the end, that in itself felt authentic to real life. im definitely glad i bought it and would probably recommend this to others, though with a lot of trigger warnings.
though i hated connor immediately though. fuck evanston
though i hated connor immediately though. fuck evanston
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Murder, Sexual harassment
slow-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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