Review: I AM NOT YOUR PERFECT MEXICAN DAUGHTER
I've been highly anticipating this book, based on the title and cover alone. Other than that, I had no idea what it was about, but I knew I wanted to read it. Luckily, I found it among my sister's collection, and eagerly jumped in.
I loved the first half. Julia is a snarky girl whose mouth and opinions get her in trouble. She's got hilarious commentary about her mom, cultural expectations, and common idioms. I love that she's her own person, and that she says exactly what's on her mind.
The novel then took a serious sharp turn, focusing on issues of immigration and mental health. I was a little unprepared for that, and might appreciate this more with a second reading. I think it is important for books to deal with sensitive issues such as these, especially given the high rates of depression among Latina teenagers.
Overall, I'm glad this book exists. Parts of it seemed a little too much like a telenovela for my tastes (some of the reveals regarding Olga, for instance), but I'm sure other readers would get a kick out of all the drama.