I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughte..., Erika L. Sanchez
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughte..., Erika L. Sanchez
26 Rating(s)
List: $25.00 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.50

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

Author: Erika L. Sánchez

Narrator: Kyla Garcia

Unabridged: 9 hr 41 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/17/2017

Synopsis

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A “stunning” (America Ferrera) YA novel about a teenager coming to terms with losing her sister and finding herself amid the pressures, expectations, and stereotypes of growing up in a Mexican American home.

“Alive and crackling—a gritty tale wrapped in a page-turner. ”—The New York Times

Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family.
 
But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga’s role.
 
Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed.
 
But it’s not long before Julia discovers that Olga might not have been as perfect as everyone thought. With the help of her best friend Lorena, and her first love, first everything boyfriend Connor, Julia is determined to find out. Was Olga really what she seemed? Or was there more to her sister’s story? And either way, how can Julia even attempt to live up to a seemingly impossible ideal?

Reviews

Goodreads review by Joss on October 16, 2017

Everyone needs to read this book. I've never felt so connected to a character in my entire life.......more

Goodreads review by Dave on January 31, 2025

1/23/25: Reread for Spring 25 YA class. A coming of age story, and a mystery! And a south side Chicago Hispanic story written by Erika Sanchez, who graduated from the English department in which I teach. Full disclosure: An excerpt from this novel appears in Growing Up Chicago, a book I co-edited wi......more

Goodreads review by Yusra on April 13, 2023

Olga is dead. Olga, the perfect daughter, one who was both innocent and wore clothes that made her look ugly. She died in a bus accident. She was perfect. She was the perfect daughter . Now, there is only Julia. Who blames herself for her sisters death, because her mother could have been picking......more

Goodreads review by Thomas on June 23, 2021

I ended up enjoying this one a lot! I found Julia’s character the most compelling part of the novel. I loved how Erika Sánchez wrote her – a teenage Mexican American girl who’s bold, independent, and a bit judgmental and someone who grows throughout the course of the novel. At the beginning of the n......more

Goodreads review by Melissa on December 15, 2017

The 2017 YA contemporary novel, "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter," was a book I wanted to love. I searched bookstore shelves for this title right after the novel's release date, and when I couldn't find it in stock, I put my name on the wait list at the library, and started reading Chapter On......more

Quotes

“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 and left me wanting so much more." --America Ferrera, Emmy award-winning actress in Ugly Betty

“This book will change everything. . . . A perfect book about imperfection.” —Juan Felipe Herrera, Poet Laureate of the United States

“Unique and fresh.” —Entertainment Weekly

“A standout.” —NPR

“A wonderfully complex and interesting character.” —Los Angeles Review of Books
 
“Blistering. Julia’s persona rockets off the page and into your face from the get-go.” —Christian Science Monitor

“If you ever wanted to [understand] the harsh truths of immigrant life, this is the book you need to read.” —Bustle
 
“As poignant as it is incisive.” —AV Club
 
“An earnest and heartfelt tale.” —Booklist
 
“A timely and must-have account of survival in a culturally contested world.” —SLJ, Starred
 
“Beautifully written.” —Shelf Awareness, starred review

"Ultimately, it’s Julia herself who’s the key to the novel... She’ll resonate with many readers, and they’ll be glad to see her make it through a tough time." —The Bulletin, starred review

Awards

  • National Book Award for Young People's Literature
  • Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award
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