Reviews with content warning for Medical content - I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

This book was not what I thought it was going to be, I was happy with it start to finish.
Some of the lines in this book were so profound and accurate to the point of personal experience. I was floored by some of the wisdom in this book, it made me feel very seen.
I also love how there's multiple issues being addressed with even side characters, it shows the complexity of each of our lives and how people may think or notice one thing but it's not enough to tip the scale, until it is. True so real life and when it's thru the eyes of a teenager, even more real.
I was nervous there would be some kinda cheesy ending that wraps up everything in a nice bow but it was so much more realistic than that and I have a ton of respect. Happy I waited for the hype to die down, made it now worth it.

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jillaay_h's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

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mood_reading_maya's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

This is the sort of young adult that is written in the uniquely teen voice, but tackles a lot of complex issues. It’s the sort of YA that would be helpful for a young reader to discuss and unpack with a trusted adult in their life. The most challenging fiction is the one that turns the mirror on ourselves and highlights all the hidden, uglier parts of our interior and shines a light on it for all to see. The proverbial mirror that challenges readers to reckon with all those things we would much rather ignore.

Julia’s voice is unique. At the start of the book, she is 15. Her sister has just died in a tragic accident and she is alone in her grief, regret, and anger. She was so messy, and I loved that she was allowed to be messy and make mistakes and reexamine what she thought she knew. Julia was written in a way that reminds readers outside the intended YA audience that the inner lives of teens are so much more than meets the eye. It’s so easy to forget what you, as an older reader, were like as a teen (sullen, moody, defiant, reading Camus because I wanted to look smarter than everyone, only listening to indie and new wave…jesus, I was a lot more like Julia than I thought lol). I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter was heartbreaking and reassuring and complicated and full of emotion and self discovery.

concepts this book confronts and highlights:

Cultural family expectations for daughters (patriarchy)
Complexities of bilingualism in the US for immigrants and children of immigrants
Death and grief
Mental health support and de-stigmatizing therapy in communities of color
Poverty and food insecurity
Internalized racism and xenophobia

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teacherkess's review

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emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

Content Warnings

fartplatinum's review

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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