Don't Ask Me Where I'm From
Books | Young Adult Fiction / Social Themes / Prejudice & Racism
4.1
(181)
Jennifer De Leon
“A funny, perceptive, and much-needed book telling a much-needed story.” —Celeste Ng, author of the New York Times bestseller Little Fires Everywhere First-generation American LatinX Liliana Cruz does what it takes to fit in at her new nearly all-white school. But when family secrets spill out and racism at school ramps up, she must decide what she believes in and take a stand.Liliana Cruz is a hitting a wall—or rather, walls. There’s the wall her mom has put up ever since Liliana’s dad left—again. There’s the wall that delineates Liliana’s diverse inner-city Boston neighborhood from Westburg, the wealthy—and white—suburban high school she’s just been accepted into. And there’s the wall Liliana creates within herself, because to survive at Westburg, she can’t just lighten up, she has to whiten up. So what if she changes her name? So what if she changes the way she talks? So what if she’s seeing her neighborhood in a different way? But then light is shed on some hard truths: It isn’t that her father doesn’t want to come home—he can’t…and her whole family is in jeopardy. And when racial tensions at school reach a fever pitch, the walls that divide feel insurmountable. But a wall isn’t always a barrier. It can be a foundation for something better. And Liliana must choose: Use this foundation as a platform to speak her truth, or risk crumbling under its weight.
Romance
Comedy
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More Details:
Author
Jennifer De Leon
Pages
336
Publisher
Simon and Schuster
Published Date
2020-08-18
ISBN
1534438262 9781534438262
Community ReviewsSee all
"I have never felt so seen in a book in my life. I highly recommend this for any Latina, no matter what stage of life you’re in. The writing style is a bit more on the casual side, but I think that’s what made it super relatable for me. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this book. 11/10."
"Ok, so one of her most memorable and fondest memories, is of her dad ripping the nose off of a dead pig...and putting it on his nose...and trying to put it on her nose? For real? Is this how all carnivores are ? YIKES.<br/>Too many product/corporate insertions, name drops, and annoying, "current slang". <br/>I enjoyed the story, but it was nothing amazing."