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¡Ay, Mija! (A Graphic Novel): My Bilingual Summer in Mexico
"An absolutely heartwarming and vibrant story of belonging, family, and the meaning of home. This book is a treasure." – Julie Murphy, New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin’
In this bilingual, inventive, and heartfelt debut, graphic novel talent Christine Suggs explores a trip they took to Mexico to visit family, embracing and rebelling against their heritage and finding a sense of belonging.
Sixteen-year-old Christine takes their first solo trip to Mexico to spend a few weeks with their grandparents and tía. At first, Christine struggles to connect with family they don’t yet share a language with. Seeing the places their mom grew up—the school she went to, the café where she had her first date with their father—Christine becomes more and more aware of the generational differences in their family.
Soon Christine settles into life in Mexico, eating pan dulce, drawing what they see, and growing more comfortable with Spanish. But when Mom joins their trip, Christine’s two worlds collide. They feel homesick for Texas, struggle against traditions, and miss being able to speak to their mom without translating. Eventually, through exploring the impacts of colonialism in both Mexico and themselves, they find their place in their family and start to feel comfortable with their mixed identity.
In this bilingual, inventive, and heartfelt debut, graphic novel talent Christine Suggs explores a trip they took to Mexico to visit family, embracing and rebelling against their heritage and finding a sense of belonging.
Sixteen-year-old Christine takes their first solo trip to Mexico to spend a few weeks with their grandparents and tía. At first, Christine struggles to connect with family they don’t yet share a language with. Seeing the places their mom grew up—the school she went to, the café where she had her first date with their father—Christine becomes more and more aware of the generational differences in their family.
Soon Christine settles into life in Mexico, eating pan dulce, drawing what they see, and growing more comfortable with Spanish. But when Mom joins their trip, Christine’s two worlds collide. They feel homesick for Texas, struggle against traditions, and miss being able to speak to their mom without translating. Eventually, through exploring the impacts of colonialism in both Mexico and themselves, they find their place in their family and start to feel comfortable with their mixed identity.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2023
27 people are currently reading
3535 people want to read
About the author
Christine Suggs
2 books26 followersChristine Suggs is a comic artist and designer living in Dallas, TX with their wonderful partner, 1 dog, and 2 cats. They're currently working on a YA graphic novel about spending their summers in Mexico as a teen, set to release in 2023 from Little Brown Young Readers. Christine's work explores the intersection of their identities, namely being a queer, fat, Latinx leftist who loves all things cute. Bonus facts: their day job is in app design, they are an avid Dungeons & Dragons player, and they're quite obsessed with their cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 299 reviews
December 19, 2022
Suggs' debut memoir is a complete delight. The themes of language, translation, family, queerness, fatness, and being biracial are beautifully woven together into a rich and authentic whole. Nothing is overstated, simply presented as it was lived, and illustrated in a lovely palette of warm browns, bright golds, and smoothing blues. I loved the tiny avatar of the author's internal thoughts and how it interacted with the text and images on the page. This book uses all of the visual tools of comics to tell a wonderful coming of age story and the result is as sweet as pan dulce. I had the chance to read this book ahead of it's review and I can't recommend it more! Pre-order it now or look for it on shelves in April 2023.
September 6, 2023
This graphic novel presents the author's story of visiting her mother's family in Mexico. As someone who is half-Mexican and who grew up in the United States, there are many challenges related to adapting to the culture and language. However, these challenges she comes to a greater appreciation of her family.
One interesting thing is that the Spanish used in this comic is not translated, so this adds to the the sense of frustration of the main character as she struggles with the language. That's because my Spanish is very weak. However, I can imagine that a reader who knows Spanish well would be able to see the Mexican family's side of the interaction, so there are multiple ways of viewing the story depending on what you bring to it. Also, having both Spanish and English in the book could make it a good book to pick up for those who are studying Spanish.
One interesting thing is that the Spanish used in this comic is not translated, so this adds to the the sense of frustration of the main character as she struggles with the language. That's because my Spanish is very weak. However, I can imagine that a reader who knows Spanish well would be able to see the Mexican family's side of the interaction, so there are multiple ways of viewing the story depending on what you bring to it. Also, having both Spanish and English in the book could make it a good book to pick up for those who are studying Spanish.
June 11, 2023
many aspects of this book, such as the bilingual struggles and feeling as if you don’t fit in, really hit home for me. would really recommend this book to everyone, but especially children of immigrants <3
February 28, 2023
This book captures complex feelings about identity and being bilingual in a very accessible way. Very enjoyable as an adult, and I suspect very useful for many young adults.
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July 6, 2023
A heartfelt memoir of a young Latinx* person's summer trip to Mexico to be with their family.
Christine loves their Mexican family, but the language gap is hard. They speak barely any Spanish, and their tia and abuela and abuelo (but don't call them that because they're not *that* old!) speak barely any English. When Christine was little, their parents told them they used to be fluent, but they lost their Spanish when they went to school and tried to fit in with the white kids.
Anywho, while not a lot happens externally in this story—Christine visits their family in their home in Mexico City, and then the rancho in the country—so much of the story is a beautiful internal narrative where Christine balances out their worth: in religion, in attractiveness (being fat in a world of skinny beauty standards), and in sexuality. Their Mamá is super Catholic, and Christine is scared about what she would think if she found out Christine liked both girls and boys (Christine doesn't seem too certain of their own feelings, as they have had boyfriends in the past but they also really, really like girls—the fact that they are not hetero is addressed, but they do not label their queerness).
A lovely story, overall, of the importance of home and home and home, all of which have different meanings.
*I use Latinx here because that is how Suggs labels themself.
Christine loves their Mexican family, but the language gap is hard. They speak barely any Spanish, and their tia and abuela and abuelo (but don't call them that because they're not *that* old!) speak barely any English. When Christine was little, their parents told them they used to be fluent, but they lost their Spanish when they went to school and tried to fit in with the white kids.
Anywho, while not a lot happens externally in this story—Christine visits their family in their home in Mexico City, and then the rancho in the country—so much of the story is a beautiful internal narrative where Christine balances out their worth: in religion, in attractiveness (being fat in a world of skinny beauty standards), and in sexuality. Their Mamá is super Catholic, and Christine is scared about what she would think if she found out Christine liked both girls and boys (Christine doesn't seem too certain of their own feelings, as they have had boyfriends in the past but they also really, really like girls—the fact that they are not hetero is addressed, but they do not label their queerness).
A lovely story, overall, of the importance of home and home and home, all of which have different meanings.
*I use Latinx here because that is how Suggs labels themself.
April 3, 2023
I received this book from TBR and Beyond Tours + the publisher in exchange of an honest review~
I just HAD to be part! And I am delighted with this graphic novel, it was a great one~
😍 Spanish! Haha, I am very rusty! I did some Spanish learning years ago when there was a course available but when I moved to live with my hubby I just didn’t find the time/another course nearby. So there was a lot of Spanish that I just didn’t get. At first I thought putting it in Google Translate, but it was A LOT, so at times I just would see if I could translate it myself, and otherwise just shrug and just hope I wasn’t missing out much. I am sorry, we aren’t taught Spanish in school here. Well, maybe now, but when I was in high school it was French, German, Dutch, English (eventually you could ditch either German or French), and if you were at a higher level Greek/Latin. I do love that the Spanish was so present though, I have read enough books in which someone was clearly talking in another language but it was translated to match the book’s main language. Though, maybe, for those like me, it would have been nice if a small translation was present.
😍 It did help that Christine also had problems with Spanish, I didn’t feel so alone about not being able to do understand it all. But whereas I stuck to flailing, I was proud to see Christine get more comfortable, try things out, learn more about the language.
😍 The chapter illustrations, so pretty!
😍 Reading about her family. The Ventura side and her dad’s side. Her Mexican/Spanish side and the English/Irish side. And how she feels about both them. Feeling more at home with Spanish/Mexico. Seeing what her family does. About her mom and dad and how they met. About her aunt and her grandmother. It made a fun and interesting read.
😍 That next to all the information about the family, about the summer, about finding who you are, there is also focus on body image. We see that Christine struggles because she is bigger than most girls. I just wanted to give her a big hug. Thankfully, she has her family around her who supports her. Tells her she looks nice. Comforts her when she feels unhappy.
😍 Plus, that she is questioning her sexuality. She likes boys right? But what if she likes girls as well? I could definitely understand that struggle. It wasn’t until a few years back that I finally found my place, bi/pansexual.
😍 And then there is also a part about the colonialism. About what happened in the past. How that affected people. And more.
😍 And no it never felt too much in regards themes, sometimes it can be overwhelming, but now it just all clicked together like one puzzle.
😍 Seeing her explore Mexico. From sight-seeing museums to going to markets to hiking with the family. Seeing all the sights, I would love to visit Mexico.
😍 Plus the food! YUM!
😍 The art, really really love it!
😍 The epilogue! Seeing what the book is based on. Seeing some fun photographs. It just completed the whole book for me!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I just HAD to be part! And I am delighted with this graphic novel, it was a great one~
😍 Spanish! Haha, I am very rusty! I did some Spanish learning years ago when there was a course available but when I moved to live with my hubby I just didn’t find the time/another course nearby. So there was a lot of Spanish that I just didn’t get. At first I thought putting it in Google Translate, but it was A LOT, so at times I just would see if I could translate it myself, and otherwise just shrug and just hope I wasn’t missing out much. I am sorry, we aren’t taught Spanish in school here. Well, maybe now, but when I was in high school it was French, German, Dutch, English (eventually you could ditch either German or French), and if you were at a higher level Greek/Latin. I do love that the Spanish was so present though, I have read enough books in which someone was clearly talking in another language but it was translated to match the book’s main language. Though, maybe, for those like me, it would have been nice if a small translation was present.
😍 It did help that Christine also had problems with Spanish, I didn’t feel so alone about not being able to do understand it all. But whereas I stuck to flailing, I was proud to see Christine get more comfortable, try things out, learn more about the language.
😍 The chapter illustrations, so pretty!
😍 Reading about her family. The Ventura side and her dad’s side. Her Mexican/Spanish side and the English/Irish side. And how she feels about both them. Feeling more at home with Spanish/Mexico. Seeing what her family does. About her mom and dad and how they met. About her aunt and her grandmother. It made a fun and interesting read.
😍 That next to all the information about the family, about the summer, about finding who you are, there is also focus on body image. We see that Christine struggles because she is bigger than most girls. I just wanted to give her a big hug. Thankfully, she has her family around her who supports her. Tells her she looks nice. Comforts her when she feels unhappy.
😍 Plus, that she is questioning her sexuality. She likes boys right? But what if she likes girls as well? I could definitely understand that struggle. It wasn’t until a few years back that I finally found my place, bi/pansexual.
😍 And then there is also a part about the colonialism. About what happened in the past. How that affected people. And more.
😍 And no it never felt too much in regards themes, sometimes it can be overwhelming, but now it just all clicked together like one puzzle.
😍 Seeing her explore Mexico. From sight-seeing museums to going to markets to hiking with the family. Seeing all the sights, I would love to visit Mexico.
😍 Plus the food! YUM!
😍 The art, really really love it!
😍 The epilogue! Seeing what the book is based on. Seeing some fun photographs. It just completed the whole book for me!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
August 5, 2024
Loved this autobio memoir/travelogue.
As Suggs writes on page 10 "Most people don't know I'm half Mexican until I tell them. My last name is Suggs. My skin is pale. I'm not fluent in Spanish. I'm what's called a güera. White."
Traveling to Mexico to visit grandparents is challenging for Suggs. They struggle with using Spanish. They struggle with their teenage body image during a hot summer in unfamiliar territory (I felt that thread real hard). They struggle to build relationships and connection when there is a language schism.
Loved seeing Mexico through their eyes.
Illustrated in a style similar to the cover, with a more limited color palette of oranges and blues. Nice variety of panel layouts. LOTS of integrated Spanish (billed as a bilingual book). Most of which I understood with my rudimentary Spanish skills.
If any of this strikes a chord with you, I highly recommend it!
As Suggs writes on page 10 "Most people don't know I'm half Mexican until I tell them. My last name is Suggs. My skin is pale. I'm not fluent in Spanish. I'm what's called a güera. White."
Traveling to Mexico to visit grandparents is challenging for Suggs. They struggle with using Spanish. They struggle with their teenage body image during a hot summer in unfamiliar territory (I felt that thread real hard). They struggle to build relationships and connection when there is a language schism.
Loved seeing Mexico through their eyes.
Illustrated in a style similar to the cover, with a more limited color palette of oranges and blues. Nice variety of panel layouts. LOTS of integrated Spanish (billed as a bilingual book). Most of which I understood with my rudimentary Spanish skills.
If any of this strikes a chord with you, I highly recommend it!
June 8, 2024
I enjoyed this one.
January 13, 2024
This is my favorite kind of memoir. It meanders through the complex introspection of a teenager without feeling slow, and the Lizzie Mcquire esque figure that helped out with flash cards was spot on. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and can't wait to see what Christine does next!
October 6, 2022
Relatable from the first pages, the illustrations and conversations feel like home.
A beautify story of moving from "ni de aqui, ni de alla" to "de aqui Y de alla".
Christine’s visit to their grandparent’s home in Mexico is full of delicious food and love and Spanish and learning that they belong.
My absolute favorite spread is when Mamá (their abuela) digs up a cactus while on a hike and takes it home for her garden. My abuela would do the same thing everywhere we would go!!!!
¡Ay, Mija! Also touches on immigration and the conquest of Mexico by Spain. Christine also struggles with their identity and body issues and how that might affect their life later on.
Great graphic novel everyone should read.
A beautify story of moving from "ni de aqui, ni de alla" to "de aqui Y de alla".
Christine’s visit to their grandparent’s home in Mexico is full of delicious food and love and Spanish and learning that they belong.
My absolute favorite spread is when Mamá (their abuela) digs up a cactus while on a hike and takes it home for her garden. My abuela would do the same thing everywhere we would go!!!!
¡Ay, Mija! Also touches on immigration and the conquest of Mexico by Spain. Christine also struggles with their identity and body issues and how that might affect their life later on.
Great graphic novel everyone should read.
April 2, 2023
My full thoughts are on the April 4th All the Books episode!
December 6, 2023
very good, loved the bilingualism, pero era un poco dificil cambiar los idiomas cuando estaba leyendo espcialmente porque i was talking to mi novia in english al mismo tiempo
June 10, 2023
The December I turned 17, my parents let me drive to Ciudad Juarez with my boyfriend and spend Christmas with his family.
There’s a whole lot about that I find alarming now, but at the time it didn’t occur to me that anything could be construed as odd.
And while it did not end up being my last teenaged trip to Mexico, it was the first time I experienced my limited Spanish skills against everyone else’s rapid fire familial Spanish, the exhaustion of constantly translating, and the pride in my improvement. I also loved sightseeing, learning about the culture, the food, and oh boy the nightlife!
Crís’ adventures reminded me so much of my own, though we had plenty of differences. And I positively loved the opportunity to read (and practice) some Spanish.
There’s a whole lot about that I find alarming now, but at the time it didn’t occur to me that anything could be construed as odd.
And while it did not end up being my last teenaged trip to Mexico, it was the first time I experienced my limited Spanish skills against everyone else’s rapid fire familial Spanish, the exhaustion of constantly translating, and the pride in my improvement. I also loved sightseeing, learning about the culture, the food, and oh boy the nightlife!
Crís’ adventures reminded me so much of my own, though we had plenty of differences. And I positively loved the opportunity to read (and practice) some Spanish.
July 2, 2023
Y'all, this got me feeling things! I picked this up pretty much solely based on the title (I could hear it in my grandma's voice), but I knew it would be a memoir that really hit. I know the feeling of being the light-skinned Latina, the young kid of the family that can't understand the conversation, the one doubting their Catholic faith. I still haven't completely figured out how I fit in certain spaces. So I got Christine. <3 Thanks to the author for sharing this with us! And I especially loved the real-life photos at the end!
CW: HP reference, fatphobia, mentions of being undocumented, colonization
CW: HP reference, fatphobia, mentions of being undocumented, colonization
March 24, 2023
I really loved this YA graphic memoir about the author's teen experience visiting their mother's family in Mexico alone (at least initially). It's a really sweet and cozy read about family but Suggs also explores many identity themes of fatness, being biracial, being queer, and being bilingual.
December 12, 2023
So many memories and relatable stories! Loved getting to laugh and share in the feeling of not being mexican enough, not being white enough, but at the same time, simply feeling enough when with family.
March 16, 2025
Ay, Mija!
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ .5 (3.5/5) or 7.28/10 overall
Credibility/Research - 7
Authenticity/Uniqueness - 8
Writing - 7
Personal Impact - 7
Intrigue - 8
Logic/Informativeness - 7
Enjoyment - 7
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ .5 (3.5/5) or 7.28/10 overall
Credibility/Research - 7
Authenticity/Uniqueness - 8
Writing - 7
Personal Impact - 7
Intrigue - 8
Logic/Informativeness - 7
Enjoyment - 7
November 28, 2023
This book made me think a lot about my mom, who had similar experiences as Christine going to stay with her family in Mexico in the 60s and 70s. I liked the story a lot, and I connected with it.
November 18, 2025
Great for someone who has grown up bicultural.
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April 7, 2024Cute, quick read.
January 17, 2025
Loved this book, was a nice comfort read! My favorite part about this book is how it commits to showing entire pages in Spanish, so even if you don't know the language, the emotion carries you through and you can understand what's happening. It felt like a sweet slice of life story that was a wonderful way to unwind for a bit. Definitely give it a read!
March 17, 2024
I ADORED AY, MIJA! 💗 This graphic novel was so cute and relatable! I also come from a big Mexican family and being second/third generation isn't always easy! Sometimes you feel too left out from your family and others too left out from your friends, language is a huge part of it!
This graphic novel follows Christine, who visits their grandparents and extended family in Mexico for the summer. They love their family and being in Mexico, but are nervous about speaking Spanish full-time with no help from their family in the States. We see Christine handle their anxiety and frustrations with their ability to speak Spanish to their family, causing them to feel out of place at times. Along with that, we see Christine question some things about their individuality, sexuality, and physical appearance as a plus-size person. Through it all, Christine still loves their Mexican culture and their tight-knit family.
I absolutely adored Cris, I felt like I was looking back at my middle school and high school self trying to figure out my identity as a Mexican American who struggles with Spanish as well. I love how the author shows their love for Mexico, I learned so many things about it. They embrace their culture by showcasing historical places, delicious food, and cultural norms. If you aren't taking random naps throughout the day, what are you doing? 😅
This was made with so much care and warmth, I love the personal touch at the end where the author shared actual pictures from their visits to Mexico! This just made me so happy and if you ever had these types of experiences growing up, I recommend it!
This graphic novel follows Christine, who visits their grandparents and extended family in Mexico for the summer. They love their family and being in Mexico, but are nervous about speaking Spanish full-time with no help from their family in the States. We see Christine handle their anxiety and frustrations with their ability to speak Spanish to their family, causing them to feel out of place at times. Along with that, we see Christine question some things about their individuality, sexuality, and physical appearance as a plus-size person. Through it all, Christine still loves their Mexican culture and their tight-knit family.
I absolutely adored Cris, I felt like I was looking back at my middle school and high school self trying to figure out my identity as a Mexican American who struggles with Spanish as well. I love how the author shows their love for Mexico, I learned so many things about it. They embrace their culture by showcasing historical places, delicious food, and cultural norms. If you aren't taking random naps throughout the day, what are you doing? 😅
This was made with so much care and warmth, I love the personal touch at the end where the author shared actual pictures from their visits to Mexico! This just made me so happy and if you ever had these types of experiences growing up, I recommend it!
January 31, 2024
I saw the author speak at the Brooklyn Book Festival in October 2023 and finally got around to picking up their graphic novel memoir!
This was really sweet! Christine shared their life in a relatable way. I loved the relationship Chris has with their family, it was shown so lovingly, especially with their mom. They also spoke of how it is to be Mexican but not feel Mexican, which I think a lot of younger generations feel these days.
The artwork was so cute and I enjoyed the use of coloring.
There was a lot of Spanish used in the text throughout but I thought context was easy enough to understand what was going on, despite me not understanding Spanish.
Overall a sweet read~
Frayed Books - blog | twitter | bookstagram | fb
This was really sweet! Christine shared their life in a relatable way. I loved the relationship Chris has with their family, it was shown so lovingly, especially with their mom. They also spoke of how it is to be Mexican but not feel Mexican, which I think a lot of younger generations feel these days.
The artwork was so cute and I enjoyed the use of coloring.
There was a lot of Spanish used in the text throughout but I thought context was easy enough to understand what was going on, despite me not understanding Spanish.
Overall a sweet read~
Frayed Books - blog | twitter | bookstagram | fb
July 14, 2024
I enjoyed this memoir of a Mexican American with a white Dad. The book tells the story of a visit to Mexico to visit family that is rarely seen due to money issues. The author doesn't visit often and doesn't remember much Spanish, so there are communication issues with her family, but they try. I loved how even though there were loneliness issues since she couldn't communicate well and she really missed her parents, she enjoyed her visit and felt the love and peace of her family. :) Her family is great and obviously cares a lot about each other. I enjoyed learning more about Mexico and cultural aspects that I didn't know.
I didn't care for the weird little mini-me ghost thing. I get that it was used to translate things and show inner dialogue, but can't a thought bubble do that? I guess it was to show what her impulses were wanting her to do when she couldn't follow them. I also was concerned about the amount of Spanish. I read Spanish well and had no issues, but I think if you don't know Spanish, you could be lost. I guess that is a tactic to show the reader how it feels to be lost and only understand some of what is going on around you. This might just be me and my inability to decipher things, but I also had a lot of trouble telling the characters apart from each other. The family all look similar (as families might) and I just had issues figuring out which one was which a lot of times.
Content notes: a magazine cover with a woman's breasts showing, body image negative self-talk
I didn't care for the weird little mini-me ghost thing. I get that it was used to translate things and show inner dialogue, but can't a thought bubble do that? I guess it was to show what her impulses were wanting her to do when she couldn't follow them. I also was concerned about the amount of Spanish. I read Spanish well and had no issues, but I think if you don't know Spanish, you could be lost. I guess that is a tactic to show the reader how it feels to be lost and only understand some of what is going on around you. This might just be me and my inability to decipher things, but I also had a lot of trouble telling the characters apart from each other. The family all look similar (as families might) and I just had issues figuring out which one was which a lot of times.
Content notes: a magazine cover with a woman's breasts showing, body image negative self-talk
September 17, 2023
Incredibly heartwarming and life-affirming, this is the book for all my friends who don't feel Latino enough. Christine Suggs's graphic memoir on returning to Mexico to visit family focuses on identity, including colorism, colonialism, language, and being biracial. I loved so much learning about their experience with language: spending so much brain power translating, "losing" your Spanish living in the U.S and speaking predominantly English, and what it feels like when they stay with family who exclusively speak Spanish. Suggs describes how you can't be your true self, with the humor and effortlessness in communicating as you would be able to in English. I felt it 100%: that is my life. This book is so soft, with lots of introspection about place, belonging, home, and a little bit about queerness and fatness. I just wanted to hug this book when I was done. The illustrations are clean and crisp and the color palette is too. Lovely!
June 29, 2024
I really appreciate Cris’s story. My favorite parts were when they discussed Mexican culture and history, and their struggle / feeling of never fitting in anywhere. To emphasize how Cris struggled with Spanish, there are some pages soley in Spanish, making the reader feel like an outsider and translate like Cris was doing. With my basic high school Spanish, I was able to get the gist of what was going on in these scenes. I thought the graphics of the tiles before each chapter were GORGEOUS.
I’m giving this three stars because “the plot” felt a little flat to me. I don’t feel connected to their family in Mexico and I wish there was some afterword about loving their body / body image. I do appreciate the afterword with real images from their trips to Mexico.
All in an all, a decent graphic novel that I know a lot of young adults will easily relate to.
I’m giving this three stars because “the plot” felt a little flat to me. I don’t feel connected to their family in Mexico and I wish there was some afterword about loving their body / body image. I do appreciate the afterword with real images from their trips to Mexico.
All in an all, a decent graphic novel that I know a lot of young adults will easily relate to.
March 31, 2025
love it!! i think this book captured the authenticity of what it is like to be mexican american. even though spanish was my first language, i still found myself relating to christine in trying to figure out what some things mean in spanish, or trying to remember the Spanish equivalent of a word in English.
this story balances out a lot of issues that intersect with being latinx…the struggles of being bilingual, or not being “bilingual” enough, and issues like sexuality, religion, and beauty standards which i would say are pretty hard topics to talk about within traditional mexican culture.
the art throughout the book was great too! i really enjoyed seeing the pages where that introduced each chapter because they had symbols of mexican culture.
seeing all the pictures in the epilogue and reading acknowledgements lowkey made me tear up.
overall it was a great lighthearted read!
this story balances out a lot of issues that intersect with being latinx…the struggles of being bilingual, or not being “bilingual” enough, and issues like sexuality, religion, and beauty standards which i would say are pretty hard topics to talk about within traditional mexican culture.
the art throughout the book was great too! i really enjoyed seeing the pages where that introduced each chapter because they had symbols of mexican culture.
seeing all the pictures in the epilogue and reading acknowledgements lowkey made me tear up.
overall it was a great lighthearted read!
December 10, 2023
This was an enjoyable graphic memoir that really did a great job of capturing the experience of being immersed in a new language and the confusion and fatigue that follows. It deals with the author going to visit family in Mexico for the first time without their parents/siblings. It was very enjoyable, and it’s very much about just spending time with those characters. There isn’t much in the way of plot and there are no big formative moments, but it does a great job of showing family, living in bicultural worlds, and grappling with identity and family history. Very cozy with a dash of queer.
December 16, 2024
This book was amazing! It reminded me of my own vacation to the Dominican Republic even though Christine goes to Mexico. It was very relatable, especially the part when they wrote, "It's strange being so loved by someone who you can't even have a full conversation with. Strange but nice." I feel that with my grandmother. As a queer plus-size Hispanic person, I really enjoyed this book. Pure amazingness.
October 26, 2023
This was FANTASTIC! I loved how they spoke Spanish so much and you ended up understanding exactly what was going on even so. It was the compelling story of a young person who just doesn’t really feel like they fit in anywhere exactly: not Mexican enough, not American enough. It’s a coming of age and family love story. Very touching.
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