I'm going to start this book review by saying that I am obssessed with this book. I know I say this a lot, but I really love this book. "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika Sanchez is beautifully written, incredibly poignant, and extremely realistic. A triple-threat not often seen in Young Adult Literature.
The novel follows the life if main character Julia after her seemingly perfect sister dies in a tragic accident. The title aptly describes her relationship with her parents after her sister's death: she feels inadequate in the light of her sister's memory and feels disconnected from what she is "supposed to be". Her sister, Olga, stayed home post-high school and slowly took classes at a community college while working as a receptionist. Olga had a good relationship with her mother: she helped cook, she helped clean, and she spent an immense amount of time with her family. Julia, on the other hand, does not want to stay home after high school--she wants to move to New York City and immerse herself in good literature while attending a prestigious college.
Through the grieving process we learn that she struggles with mental health, finding a community in those around her, and forming romantic relationships. The reader gets a realistic depiction of living with depression. And a description, through her newfound friend Juanga, of living in an unaccepting household as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
Further, the reader gets a picture of immigrant life and Mexican culture/life that is not romanticized. It includes the good and the bad at the right time in the narrative and considers what the reader may or may not know about immigration and other cultures.
I will admit that the novel is slow to start and that it does take a little time to get into the narrative, but it is incredibly worth it. This book is an important read chalk full of important and hot-ticket topics discussed in society today. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
