I listened to this after a recommendation, it sometimes felt a little rushed. But the twist in the story helped it along and more willing to read it

I really enjoyed this book and the premise behind it, I just felt like there were some serious issues that were mentioned and then completely glazed over in this book. There were a lot of questions left unanswered.

The representation seemed to be really good. (As I am not an own voices reader of this book, this is just an opinion) and I really enjoyed the narration of this book.

#IAmNotYourPerfectMexicanDaughter by #ErikaLSanchez Narrated by #KylaGarcia I am fascinated with stories of undocumented immigrants in the US. A struggle to make a living whilst constantly living in fear of deportation and separation. The main theme is grief but also features teenage mental health issues. Many thanks to #Netgalley for gifting me an #ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for a audio copy of this book in exchange of my honest opinion.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter was a big surprise. I went into this book without really knowing what I was going to find, but this story will stay with me for quite some time.

Julia’s sister Olga has just died. She is just a teenager and her life wasn’t easy before the events, but after her sister’s death, her world crumbles down.

I cannot think about a single thing I disliked about this book. I liked the way the story is told. I liked Julia’s voice, how she faced her current situation, how she analysed what was going on and her internal thoughts.

For a 15 years old, I found her to be very mature, with clear ideas and with a good knowledge about how to surf the waves.

The plot is amazing. We really just follow Julia during a couple of years after her sister dies, but I found some real life problems that are very well addressed, I found some mystery that had to do with Olga and that I thought was very interesting. I found many Mexican expressions, cultural references and traditions that I loved to know about and I found a little bit of inclusivity dealt in a very professional manner.

I was very surprised as to where the story went. It isn’t a mystery, or a thriller, or a romance. But there is a little bit of everything and the final product is a book that I will cherish forever.

I wish there was a second part. I cannot wait to find out how Julia’s life is in college!

Trigger Warnings: Homophobia, mental health issues, rape, self-harm.

This book is a stunning exploration of what it means to want so much while feeling like you have so little. Sanchez does an excellent job of exploring cultural expectations, socioeconomic issues, and anxiety and depression as a late teen. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

Julia’s older sister is the perfect Mexican daughter in the eyes of their parents. But when she is killed in a tragic accident Julia discovers she had dark secrets her parents knew nothing about. She sets out to try and find the truth whilst dealing with her own grief and spiralling mental health. As pressure mounts of her to be the perfect daughter her sister appeared to be, Julia realises that’s not who she wants to be, and not who her sister may have been after all.

This book have a fascinating insight into what it is like to grow up as the children of undocumented parents in America. The constant struggle to make a living and the fear that you could be deported at any time is a terrible burden to live with. As well as tacking grief, the book also looks at how hard it can be to suffer from mental health issues as a teenager and not know where to turn.

Although I respected Julia’s bravery and tenacity, I did find her attitude sometimes very grating.

I do think this book deals with many very important topics and certainly gave me interesting insights into a culture I know little about.

The narrator was excellent and I felt this added extra dimension to the story.