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nerdese 's review for:
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
by Erika L. Sánchez
While this may not have been an entirely “perfect” read for me, Julia as a character is a perfect heroine in her own way.
Julia was mouthy, disagreeable, and utterly real. She was frustrating, but in the way that so many real teenagers are. She had highs and lows, and while she wasn’t always easy to sympathize with, I never felt that her actions, relationships, and reactions rang false. Her journey to accepting herself, to understanding her sister and parents, to learning about then world beyond what she’s known, was really interesting to read. I don’t know that I’ve read a book that dealt so honestly with the complexities of a teen/parent relationship, that really delved into generational and cultural divides. Julia’s tempestuous relationship with her mother and father felt very true to life: the way their mutual trauma at Olga’s death affected them in surprising ways; Julia needing to confront the struggles and traumas her parents went through on their way to the States; her parents, and mother especially, learning that Julia needs space to live her own life, to separate herself from Olga’s complex legacy. It was all really illuminating and interesting to follow.
Erika’s Authors Note mentions Olga’s story unfolding like a page-turning mystery, though I didn’t find myself engaging with it quite that way. Julia’s evolving understanding of her sister was more engaging to me than figuring out what Olga was hiding. There were also times when Julia’s voice felt slightly more middle grade than YA — I think this was mostly due to her growth through the novel. The more immature voice in the beginning evolves into a more mature and confident one by the end. I do wish Julia’s desire to be a writer and her own work had factored in a bit more frequently — it sometimes felt like that thread was weaving in and out of the story inconsistently. While I didn’t always find every aspect of the story totally interesting (while I liked what her relationship with Connor did for her, I didn’t find him well-developed, nor did I feel some of the supporting characters were explored as well as they could have been.) I did love Julia’s relationship with Mr. Ingman, a kind, perceptive, and supportive teacher who shows her that she can desire more, and push the boundaries of what’s “expected.”
This is an excellent debut novel that is incredibly self-assured in its message, which is much more complex than it might appear at a glance. It’s a beautiful examination of the struggles that the children of immigrants can face when traditions clash.
Julia was mouthy, disagreeable, and utterly real. She was frustrating, but in the way that so many real teenagers are. She had highs and lows, and while she wasn’t always easy to sympathize with, I never felt that her actions, relationships, and reactions rang false. Her journey to accepting herself, to understanding her sister and parents, to learning about then world beyond what she’s known, was really interesting to read. I don’t know that I’ve read a book that dealt so honestly with the complexities of a teen/parent relationship, that really delved into generational and cultural divides. Julia’s tempestuous relationship with her mother and father felt very true to life: the way their mutual trauma at Olga’s death affected them in surprising ways; Julia needing to confront the struggles and traumas her parents went through on their way to the States; her parents, and mother especially, learning that Julia needs space to live her own life, to separate herself from Olga’s complex legacy. It was all really illuminating and interesting to follow.
Erika’s Authors Note mentions Olga’s story unfolding like a page-turning mystery, though I didn’t find myself engaging with it quite that way. Julia’s evolving understanding of her sister was more engaging to me than figuring out what Olga was hiding. There were also times when Julia’s voice felt slightly more middle grade than YA — I think this was mostly due to her growth through the novel. The more immature voice in the beginning evolves into a more mature and confident one by the end. I do wish Julia’s desire to be a writer and her own work had factored in a bit more frequently — it sometimes felt like that thread was weaving in and out of the story inconsistently. While I didn’t always find every aspect of the story totally interesting (while I liked what her relationship with Connor did for her, I didn’t find him well-developed, nor did I feel some of the supporting characters were explored as well as they could have been.) I did love Julia’s relationship with Mr. Ingman, a kind, perceptive, and supportive teacher who shows her that she can desire more, and push the boundaries of what’s “expected.”
This is an excellent debut novel that is incredibly self-assured in its message, which is much more complex than it might appear at a glance. It’s a beautiful examination of the struggles that the children of immigrants can face when traditions clash.