I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

What a book! I learned about this book on Instagram. When America Ferrera was hosting a casting call for the main character Julia since it’s being turned into a movie. Of course, when I saw that, I added it to my never-ending list of books I want to read.

I took my daughter to the library the other day. I came across the book in the teens/young adult section as we were walking out, so I checked it out. However, I was already reading two other books at the time. (Do you like reading one or multiple books at a time? Let me know in the comments.)

I asked my followers on Instagram if anyone else had read this book. A few people told me it was one of the best books they’ve read. Then someone asked me to give them my opinion because it was on their list to read, and I agree; it is one of the best fiction books I’ve read. Now, I don’t read a lot of fiction books, but after reading this one, I think maybe I should.

This book was well written and engaging; it’s that ‘can’t put it down’ type of book, and I cannot wait to see how they adapt it into a movie. (Although, we all know the books are always better.)

About the Book

The book is about Julia – she’s 15, almost 16, a child of Mexican immigrants, and her older sister recently had a tragic death. She is dealing with grief, the cultural pressure of her parenting wanting her to be the ‘perfect Mexican daughter’ – the role her sister had, and the constant clash between her and her parents, especially her mom.

This book talks about what I feel like the typical Hispanic families go through (the stuff that gets swept under the rug) – sexual abuse, religious pressures, teenage pregnancy, mental health, etc. As I was reading, I knew exactly how Julia felt in the book. It transported me back to when I was a teenager and would always clash with my dad. I felt he never understood or tried to understand me, and I couldn’t talk to him about anything.

Erika highlights the complex relationship between immigrant parents and their children, keeping their culture while raising children in a country that isn’t theirs. The parents want their kids to be a certain way, following traditions from their country, while the kids want more (or different things) than what their parents want. They see how things are different in the United States and want to embrace that. For example, Julia wants to be a writer, but her parents don’t see that as a career or a way to make a living.

Although this book is about a Mexican immigrant family – I found my family within this book. This is a book I highly recommend.

With Love, Heidy

This post was originally published at – Into my Thoughts Newsletter

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