I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sanchez is a 340 page novel that explores themes of race, education, depression, trauma, and secrets. Created in 2017, the book portrays the main character, Julia, struggling to live with her conservative, Mexican parents after her beloved sister has died. This novel achieved many great accolades, such as being a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature and winning the Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book in 2017. Not to mention, the Goodreads rating of the book is a 4 out of 5. If you’re looking for a page-turning, reflective, and relatable story, this book is a great option.
The main premise of this novel follows Julia as she experiences her unique struggles in junior and senior year. Written in first person, the readers very quickly learn Julia is a very opinionated person in a household that does not believe in questioning authority. Additionally, her deceased sister, Olga, does not help Julia’s case as her sister was praised and adored by their parents. Throughout the book, Julia and her mother’s relationship is strained. They constantly argue over societal standards of women and the sister’s death makes these conversations even more complex.
Not only does Julia worry about home, she also worries about school and her social life. She dreams of going to college far from home but as a first generation Mexican-American, her parents are not so fond of the idea. After every hardship Julia faces, she picks her head up even if only by a little. Her resilience is one of her strongest character traits and keeps readers engaged.
Overall, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is great for relatively fast but emotional reading. Julia learns very valuable and important lessons all throughout the book about mental health, family, friendships, and herself. Furthermore, the book has a very satisfying ending that will leave readers at ease. With the combination of stunning themes and heartfelt endings, this is the perfect book to pick up!
