Details

Length: 340
Story Build: slow burn 
Character development: strong, descriptive 
Age Recommendation: 8th (with parent approval), high school
Reasoning: mental health issues, sexual context, language

Summary and Review

I picked up this novel mostly because I was drawn to the cover and also because my copy has a “National Book Award Finalist” sticker on the front. I figured it must be a good read. From the start, I knew I was right. 

Julia’s family is Mexican, and heritage is extremely important to her immediate and large extended family. Therefore, when her sister dies suddenly, in an accident, all eyes are on Julia to, in many ways, fill her shoes. For you see, Olga was the “perfect Mexican daughter.” 

Julia is the opposite of that. She wants to move away and go to college after high school. She would like to date a boy of her choosing— specifically Connor, and Julia would like to dress in a way that expresses herself. This is all to the dismay of her opinionated mother who is generally backed up by Julia’s mostly silent father. Julia is constantly bucking the systems put in place for her to live up to her mother’s expectations and her heritage. She lies and sneaks out, typical teenager activities. However, there is an added drama knowing that her mother fundamentally disagrees with the actions of her daughter because she is Mexican and that is not the way. 

This novel definitely revolves around what happened to Olga. Julia realizes that as much as she thought she was close to Olga, her sister had a life of which she wasn’t aware. So armed with Connor and her best friend, Lorena, she is determined to find out the truth. Along the way, readers see Julia face issues with her own identity, her family’s poverty, and her struggle to keep her life with friends and school separate from her home life. Because of this, cracks begin to form and ultimately Julia must remember to take care of herself, which is just as important as finding out what happened to her sister. 

The novel is about family—specifically divides among family due to immigration and generations. It’s about trying to accept yourself and being okay with who you are when you aren’t appreciated by those around you; however, it’s also about trying to understand the perspective of the people who care about you. It’s a very close look into a family that might be different from your own, but it is so touching and eye-opening that it evokes emotions across the spectrum. 

Celebrations

I really appreciated the tie in with mental health throughout the novel, especially towards the end. I think the kind of awareness it brings is vital to our youth. I also enjoyed the brief glance into a different family from my own. Having grown up with friends with parents from other countries and having students in similar situations, it’s both interesting and difficult to see them struggle to celebrate their heritage with their parents but also try to fit in with their peers and friends. This is a struggle, and Sanchez illustrates it well. I feel as though it is a necessary read just for that alone because it brings a sense of compassion and sympathy for those who were born in America to parents who are from a different country. It’s an identity that is constantly being assessed by the child in relation to their emigrated relatives

Hesitations

There were times when I wanted to yell at Julia, especially when her mother was trying. You just wanted to tell her that she should give her mother a chance. However, I also struggled because I understood where Julia was coming from after having to endure her mother’s criticism all the time. I also became frustrated with the relationship with Connor, although the ending allowed me to understand more why Julia struggled.