Book Review: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez

Book: 87/150

Rating: 4/5

Summary: Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family.

But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga’s role.

Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed.

But it’s not long before Julia discovers that Olga might not have been as perfect as everyone thought. With the help of her best friend Lorena, and her first kiss, first love, first everything boyfriend Connor, Julia is determined to find out. Was Olga really what she seemed? Or was there more to her sister’s story? And either way, how can Julia even attempt to live up to a seemingly impossible ideal?

Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book following Julia and her mission to find out what she didn't know about her late sister. The mystery element of the book was casual, yet was the driving force behind the majority of her actions. She was by no means a flawless protagonist: at times she was bitter and mean, but provided a gritty and raw look at coping with grief and mental health issues. I thought the way that the author handled depression in the character was very careful and genuine. She was a very real character, and I really loved this book.