10 Reasons Why We Love Erika L. Sánchez’s Debut Novel, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

Before I give you a whole bunch of great reasons to pick up Erika L. Sanchez’s novel and read it until there is no more to read, let us pause for a moment to thank J.K. Rowling for writing about young but complex characters in tough situations 20 years ago, opening the door to a whole new breed of young adult literature, which treats our middle readers with same respect as it does adults.

Rowling’s wake has been the path for cult sagas like the Twilight and Hunger Games and for gems like R.J. Palacios’ Wonder. Sanchez is next in line with I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, a coming of age story with a sassy female protagonist. Here are 10 reasons why we’re still obsessed with this remarkable YA book.

9Her Protagonist is a Young and Empowered Female

We can always use more female protagonists, especially outspoken ones. Sanchez chooses to present Julia at age 15, almost a flash forward of heroines like Sheila the Great or Harriet the Spy or a slightly older Lisa Simpson, whom the author admires. She tells a coming of age story appeals to younger readers who have yet to experience it, to teenagers who can relate, and also to adults who remember it all too well.

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