tl;dr Review:
A mystery, a coming of age tale, a blending of cultures struggle, and an immigrant in America story all rolled into one well-written book.
Full Review:
This was definitely one of my favorite books of 2017! Not only was it well-written, but I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez managed to weave together not only a mystery, but a coming of age tale, a blending of cultures struggle, and an immigrant in America story all into one.
While there were a few spots that I felt like the story could have done without, I also realize I’m not technically the author’s demographic either. As this is a young adult novel, being the ripe old age of 30 means I’m slightly outside of that range. However, the book still resonated with me and was well worth the read.
It may seem silly to talk about how well-written a book is, but it can honestly make all the difference. For this story, the frustrations felt by the protagonist and how she verbalized them (or internalized them) were so relatable as to be painful.
Even if you’re not from an immediate immigrant family, you can still easily relate to the familial aspects of this story. We’ve all felt like we’re not measuring up to our parent’s expectations or that our siblings are both our best friends and basically strangers to us at times.
Anytime I can close a book feeling truly satisfied with the story, I know it’s been an epic read. And that is exactly how I felt upon finishing I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. Add it to your list today!
I give it 4.5 out of 5 thumbs up!
