Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out …
A good, messy read.
5 stars
Content warning Some plot revelation, talk of suicide
I really liked the realness of this novel. Life is messy, family is messy, and bottling up emotions can lead to messy explosions.
We follow Julia from 15 to 18, covering the aftermath of her sister's accidental death. Her parents' reactions push Julia away even as they cling ever tighter to her.
But they cling not to her, but their vision of her and her dead sister Olga. Julia resorts to lies and subterfuge to keep being her own person. This leads to more conflict and culminates in a suicide attempt.
While this is going on, Julia has found Olga's laptop and racy underthings. Julia's investigation of these clues is as messy as her life, and I appreciated that the hunt for Olga wasn't rushed - it played out as just a part of the whole novel.
By the end, Julia's picture of her parents and their picture of her has matured, and it's reflected not in exposition, but in how the characters interact. Messy, and real.
I'm of Mexican descent myself and saw a lot of my upbringing in the family and neighborhood interaction. Reading this book was like hanging out with a cousin.