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Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez
109 reviews
hmwoodward's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was recommended to me by one of my Mexican high school students as she saw herself in it so much and knowing her story I can see why.
I really enjoyed this audiobook and hearing directly from the main character, it really felt like I was in her head while listening. The book deals with so many challenging themes, most prominently grief. On top of it she is experiencing mental health issues, the challenges of being the child of two immigrant parents, and all that is being a teenage girl. Though the focus is on the main character's life, you do get a subplot of mystery that is actually resolved by the end.
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Deportation
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
shugentobler's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Gun violence, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Rape
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
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
missmaddereads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Mental illness, Rape, and Suicide attempt
verochanterelle'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
4.0
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt
edebaca'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
4.25
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Moderate: Death
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