First published 2017
Julia Reyes lives in the shadow of her dead sister Olga, who died in a traffic accident on a busy Chicago street. Her mother constantly reminds Julia how she fails to measure up to what a perfect Mexican daughter should be. Perfect daughters stay home after graduation, skip college, and never leave family behind. Julia breaks every rule. Her mother channels grief into criticism while Julia feels invisible in her own pain. Everything changes when Julia uncovers hints that Olga kept secrets. With her best friend Lorena and her boyfriend Connor, Julia digs into her sister's hidden life. She experiences her first kiss, first love, and first taste of independence while searching for truth. The investigation reveals Olga was not the ideal daughter everyone believed her to be. Julia must decide whether to expose what she learns about Olga or protect the family's memory of perfection. Her journey forces her to question whether living up to impossible standards matters more than discovering who she really wants to become.
Genres: fiction, contemporary, young-adult, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, secrets
Setting: Chicago
Period: 21st-century
344 pages · Hardcover · Knopf Books for Young Readers