I had the pleasure of reading the action-packed, domestic fiction book I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez. The book centers around towering anticipations, sentiment, and pressure, set in Chicago, Illinois. 

The story follows the life of a Mexican-American teenager named Julia, who is struggling to come to terms with the sudden death of her older sister, Olga. Olga was the "perfect" daughter in Julia's traditional Mexican family by excelling academically, staying home for college, never refusing to clean, and respecting all of her elders. Julia, on the other hand, is rebellious and often gets into trouble with her wide understanding of vocabulary and strongly based opinions. 

Currently, the financial situation is rather challenging for Julia’s family as her dad packages candy and her mom cleans houses; both jobs receive low pay. This can be demonstrated through Julia’s poor neighborhood conditions and the rather beat-down school she attends. No one in Julia’s family has ever gone to actual college, but Julia hopes to break the cycle as she aspires to become a successful writer who graduates from a prominent college. 

Although Julia is devastated by the loss of her older sister Olga, Julia is determined to find out more about her sister's life. In the process, she uncovers secrets about Olga and her family that challenges Julia’s perception of Olga, as Julia proves that Olga was not in fact, the Perfect Mexican Daughter. 

With the loss of Olga, the clear favorite child, Julia’s parents are devastated. This causes Julia’s mom to stay in bed for almost two weeks counting, and her dad to constantly watch T.V. This means that there’s no food in the refrigerator, as Julia has to adapt to taking care of herself.

Having to juggle her parent’s emotions, Olga’s secrets, and social problems at school, Julia suddenly enters a bleak state in her life. First, this causes constant crying but escalates to Julia attempting to kill herself, as she feels as if she isn’t accepted in the modern world. This leads Julia to attempt to cut her skin open with a knife, in hope that her life will come to an end. 

Will Julia achieve her dreams or will her life be cut short? Read I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez to find out.

Why Recommend

I would recommend this book for ages 12 and above, as the book does present some mature topics.

 I relish I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter because the book is a true page-turner. Erika L. Sanchez has a flow in her writing that crafts the story together perfectly. 

First, the book deals with topics such as mental health, cultural identity, and the immigrant experience. These are all timely issues that many readers can relate to, as Sanchez does a great job of connecting her readers to the story. 

Also, Julia, the protagonist, is a compelling and sympathetic character in her search for her “real identity”. Julia is a nuanced character, who is not likable at times but is constantly pointing out to readers what “real-life” really is. 

Overall, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is an important and well-written novel that is worth reading. It is a coming-of-age story that deals with vital issues in a relatable and engaging way, and the book is sure to resonate with many readers. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez is a must read.