I read this book for a college class this semester which was exciting because YA books rarely are used in college classes since they’re so often not considered “literature.” BOO. So, I was SUPER excited to have a reason to read this book since I’d seen it mentioned the book world a few times.

Four Stars

Julia is a literature nerd and I love that. She has so many literature and art references that made the book really come to life as she mentioned so many books I read in high school. In that way, I could connect to Julia as a high school student and a book person.

However, I don’t share a lot in common with Julia. I don’t read a ton of contemporary novels–if you haven’t already noticed. However, this book reminded me how contemporary novels serve such an important role in showing and sharing the stories of others.

Julia’s parents are undocumented immigrants and I got to look into her and her family’s lives. She’s also dealing with high school, mental health, the death of her sister, and the feeling she doesn’t belong in her family.

These are important themes that everyone can benefit from reading about, whether they’ve experienced it themselves or not. Julia was a voice for many people I believe who have felt the way she felt and didn’t know how to put it. She’s also representing a community that there is not enough literature about.

This is an important coming of age novel that I strongly believe should be studied in classrooms because Julia is a character we can learn so much from. A ton happens in this book and Julia learns so much. I learned a lot too.

If you haven’t already read this book, I recommend picking it up!