
A sister's death reveals hidden secrets, challenging Julia to uncover the truth and redefine her identity.
Julia's world shatters when her sister Olga dies in a tragic accident. As her family mourns, Julia struggles under the weight of expectations and her mother's grief. But when she uncovers secrets about Olga's life, Julia embarks on a journey with her friend Lorena and boyfriend Connor to unravel the truth. Was Olga truly the perfect daughter everyone believed? As Julia digs deeper, she must confront her own identity and the impossible ideals she's expected to meet. Can she find her own path amid the chaos?
National Book Award Finalist!Instant New York Times Bestseller! The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian meets Jane the Virgin in this poignant but often laugh-out-loud funny contemporary YA about losing a sister and finding yourself amid the pressures, expectations, and stereotypes of growing up in a Mexican-American home. Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family. But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga’s role. Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed. But it’s not long before Julia discovers that Olga might not have been as perfect as everyone thought. With the help of her best friend Lorena, and her first love, first everything boyfriend Connor, Julia is determined to find out. Was Olga really what she seemed? Or was there more to her sister’s story? And either way, how can Julia even attempt to live up to a seemingly impossible ideal? “Alive and crackling–a gritty tale wrapped in a page-turner. “–The New York Times “Unique and fresh.” –Entertainment Weekly “A standout.” –NPR
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