I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
A Time magazine pick for Best YA of All Time
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4.0 • 1 Rating
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
SOON TO BE A NETFLIX FILM DIRECTED BY AMERICA FERRERA
Instant New York Times Bestseller
‘I fell in love with Erika L. Sánchez’ stunning novel... The depth, wit and searing intelligence of her writing, and her young Latina heroine, struck me to my core.’ America Ferrera
‘This gripping debut about a Mexican-American misfit is alive and crackling.’ New York Times
‘A perfect book about imperfection.’ Juan Felipe Herrera
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian meets Jane the Virgin in this poignant but laugh-out-loud funny contemporary YA about losing a sister and finding yourself.
When her sister Olga dies in a tragic accident, Julia is left to pick up the pieces of her family. She is also expected to fill the shoes of her sister. But Julia has never been the perfect Mexican daughter.
As Julia struggles to find her place in the world, she discovers Olga was not as perfect as everyone thought. Who was her sister really? And how can Julia even attempt to live up to an impossible ideal?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Why isn't 15-year-old Julia Reyes a perfect Mexican daughter in her mother's eyes? Mostly because of her older sister, Olga, who puts family first, listens to her parents, and dresses conservatively. Julia, by contrast, argues with her mother, talks back at school, and dreams of becoming a famous writer. When Olga dies suddenly, Julia is left wishing that they had been closer and grieving what she sees as Olga's wasted life. And when she starts to suspect that Olga might not have been so perfect, she follows every clue. S nchez's debut novel covers a lot of ground, including Julia's day-to-day activities in Chicago, her college ambitions, her first boyfriend (who is white and comes from a wealthy neighborhood), her difficult relationship with her overprotective parents, and her search for Olga's secrets. As the book moves along, Julia's frustration with the many constraints she lives under poverty, family expectations, and conditioning that she resents but can't quite ignore reaches dangerous levels. Julia is a sympathetic character, but S nchez's often expository writing keeps her and her struggles at arm's length. Ages 14 up.
