Erika L. Sanchez
I don't know about you, but I am definitely a person who will choose a book to read based solely off of the title or the cover, or even the spine at the library. That was how I came to choose this book. I was scrolling through Amazon, looking to spend my health wellness insurance gift card thingie, and I came across this book. It looked interesting, so I purchased it. Simple as that.
"I wonder if Amá is going to cry, hit me, or both, because she looks like I annihilated her. And it startles me. Amá just shakes her head. "You know, Julia, maybe if you knew how to behave yourself, to keep your mouth shut, your sister would still be alive. Have you ever thought about that?" She finally says it. She says what her big, sad eyes were telling me all along."
3 out of 5 Stars
Julia is a high school student, struggling with life after the tragic death of her sister. She lives in a poor neighborhood in Chicago with her parents. Her parents came over from Mexico with the help of a coyote before her older sister was even conceived. They are doing their best, but being undocumented in the United States isn't easy. As Julia tries to cope with her guilt over not knowing her sister better, her frustrations with her strict parents, as well as school, friendships, and relationships...the overwhelming feelings begin to take over.
I appreciated getting to learn more about a culture that is different than my own. Even though the story takes place in America, obviously this family is dealing with things that I've never had to. There comes a point in the story where Julia ends up with family in Mexico for a bit. This is where I realized that I don't pay close enough attention to what is really going on globally. Was the portrayal of the cartel and life in Mexico really as it is represented in the story? I found myself really feeling for Julia as she struggled with how to go on. I'm struggling with how to put into words how I was able to connect with Julia because when I was a teenager, I too thought briefly that I didn't want to go on living. And I too decided, immediately after, that it scared me and that life really is worth living, though it isn't always easy. Truly, this book made me feel like I just want to reach out and love people, because we don't really know the inner struggles that anyone else is dealing with.
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