Fifteen-year-old Julia Reyes dreams of being "a famous writer who wears flamboyant scarves and travels all around the world." In this imagined future, she can go wherever she wants and do whatever she pleases. But as a first-generation Mexican American girl and younger sister to Olga--who cemented her status as the "perfect Mexican daughter" by dying at age 22--Julia feels trapped by her family's expectations and cultural expectations. It's only when she finds mysterious items in her sister's bedroom that Julia begins to wonder if Olga was the perfect girl she always seemed to be.
In the beautifully written I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, Erika L. Sánchez (Lessons on Expulsion) captures the hearts and trust of teen readers, struggling at the crossroads of familial and personal identities. --Emilie Coulter, freelance writer and editor