I finished this book on my flight to Knoxville, Tennessee, (did I mention I went to Tennessee? I went to Tennessee, I'll blog about it) and I absolutely loved it. I loved it. I had reservations, as this book was categorized as "Young Adult Fiction (YA)" in the library, which I usually detest. However, the first sentence on the first page immediately drew me in, and I'm so glad I didn't let my initial reservations stop me from poring over this book so thoroughly on my two flights.
If you're looking for a vivid story about a first-generation Mexican-American's experience living with the dual reality with its contrasting expectations, responsibilities, and confusion... This is the book. This is it. The best part is I feel like an older child and above would appreciate the beauty of this book, the flow of the prose, and the painful imagery and nostalgia that it conjures to the reader. I was floored with the quality of writing under a YA label (yes yes I shouldn't judge a book by its cover, which is ironically also mentioned by the protagonist in the novel), and the author, Sánchez, navigates so fluidly the most awful parts of growing up, with the fun and camaraderie that only happens when you're growing up.
Not to mention that she doesn't shy away in the slightest from using Spanish phrases and Mexican slang (why should she, anyway?), AND that the novel even has a thriller-mystery aspect to it too! It's really an enjoyable book, with wonderful cadence, and even though there are many heavy moments, I ended the book with a tear in my eye, and hope in my heart. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter really takes readers into an intimate view of Mexican family life in Chicago, showing the strength of a mother's love and the fragility of things left unspoken, forever, locked away safe in secret memory.
As the protagonist navigates her way through life as a teenager trying to make sense of the world, she is also living it as a person of color, and Sánchez doesn't make you forget that, which is very refreshing for those, like me, whose daily life consists of living as a person of color *cough* not all coming-of-age stories should be white *cough*. As the oldest generation of Generation Z, I also resonate deeply with the troubles the protagonist faces, as well as having to code-switch her personality depending on who she's talking to. She reminds me so much of myself many moons ago: angry, desolate, and longing so awfully to be loved, and heard, and understood.
National Hispanic Heritage Month may have just ended, but this book deserves to be read every other time of the year. Beautiful, beautiful, book.
5/5
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