I got this book as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Just Like Me was a wonderful book about self-discovery for an adopted girl. Not only did she embrace her heritage, which she had resisted, but she understood by the end of the story that everyone has things in life that they have to deal with. The story was a bit difficult to follow, as I was reading an unformatted ARC. Some of the text was in the wrong place and it made the switch between the narrative and the journal entries meld together. I enjoyed the story, especially the relationships between the girls in White Oak. Even though I am not adopted, I felt I could understand Julia's rejection of her Chinese heritage because she wanted to be like everyone else (as she perceived them to be). I've seen many instances where 2nd generation immigrant children reject their heritage so they can be "American." I hope that stories such as this will encourage more people to embrace multiple cultures and to be proud of all they identify with - in Julia's case, Chinese, Italian, and Irish. I felt for her, understanding how the adults would naturally feel the girls had a special connection since they all went on this journey to China to adopt the girls together, and how the adults would form a close bond. Julia, however, seemed to be more of a third wheel - not only limited by her refusal to embrace anything Chinese, but also because Avery and Becca lived closer together and obviously spent more time together. I think this will be a wonderful story to recommend to any student struggling with adoption or identity issues.