Scan barcode
karen_garcia's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Gun violence, Homophobia, Rape, Abortion, and Suicide attempt
hannahtee93's review
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
corriejn's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual assault
musiclikesme's review
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content and Suicide attempt
Minor: Body shaming, Homophobia, Violence, and Pregnancy
eddiereading07's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment
theromanticace's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
author2223's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Classism
Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, and Rape
Minor: Animal death and Gun violence
bookishevy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
To Julia's mother, she is not the perfect Mexican daughter. She doesn't like learning how to cook and has no intentions of having children. The opposite of her older sister Olga, bookish Julia can't wait to leave home for college in NYC and become a writer.
When Olga dies in a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago, Julia is left to pick up the pieces of her family. Julia's parents don't see that she is also broken. Instead of consoling Julia, her Ama copes with her grief by pointing out all the ways Julia is not like Olga, exacerbating Julia's own grief.
When Julia finds clues that point to Olga leading a double life, she's determined to find out who Olga was texting before the accident.
Sanchez shows the struggle immigrant parents face with instilling their cultural values into their first-generation American children. Olga is the standard that Julia is held up to. Julia is regularly punished for daring to want a life outside their home. Meanwhile, Olga had a secret life that would have scandalized their parents.
Some Goodreads reviewers hate Julia, but I like her. She's a typical angsty teen, but she's also coping with a loss. Yes, she's irritable and combative, but that's how depression manifests in some people. Her sister is dead, Ama is like a warden, she lives in poverty and is surrounded by gang violence. She wants out, and she feels hopeless and alone.
Her parents feel like they're not enough. I agree. Julia's intelligent but judgemental of her parents' culture because they're so conservative. She needs to show them some grace. They're only projecting their anxieties about the world onto her because of what they endured while crossing the border. But they must learn that suffocating Julia is doing more harm than good.
Finding out the truth about Olga's secret life doesn't help Julia relate to her sister any better. Olga was still oppressed and not putting herself first. Julia is determined to get an education and find her own identity.
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Child abuse and Mental illness
_ren's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Classism
Moderate: Cursing, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Racism, Violence, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Abortion, and Sexual harassment
michi3st's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Homophobia, and Suicide attempt