Don't Ask Me Where I'm From (A LatinX Coming-of-Age)

I loved Don't Ask Me Where I'm From. It was extraordinary. Have you ever liked a book so much that when you're done with it, you hug it to your chest and quietly hold it there for a little while, thinking about the characters, running the story through your head again, and feeling pretty sad that it's over? Yup- that was me. DeLeon's book was one of those books for me. Her characters were real and complex, the plot was rich and funny and heartbreaking and compelling, and reading the novel made me think about race, identity, following your passion, what it means to "fit in," what it means to have a voice, the power of writing, and family. And Lili, the 16 year-old protagonist, ROCKED. I am a public school English teacher and have highly recommended this book to my students, many of whom read it and felt the same way. Reading level and content is appropriate for strong 8th grade students and up.

It’s hard to find a book that everyone loves and this one was a big hit within our book club. It may have been a story about a teenager but all the women (35yrs +) could all relate to the story. Definitely recommend.

Started off slow, but got better. Ended up being a good story. This was a quick read and easy to get through.

I recently read this book for a book club. It was a very easy read as an adult. I finished it in under a week, mainly because the story was so good! The story touched on so many relevant topics of today. Highly recommend!

Don’t Ask Me Where I’M From | ReviewWhat is one question you get repeatedly asked that you can’t get over ?I have a few, but one is definitely the title of this book.Now, don’t get me wrong, I love where I come from. My country, Dominican Republic, and what it represents. It is my land, my roots, and my culture.BUT that is NOT all that I am. There’s more to me than the color of my skin and the first language I grew up speaking.When people hear my accent, the first thing they ask is where I come from ( and they’re not talking about where I live, of course)This is the story of our main protagonist, Liliana.After getting accepted to an elite program in a high school in a White neighborhood, she is faced with a cultural shock.This YA novel highlights the systematic racism in schools and how live segregation still is even if we may not notice it.It talks about deportation and the experience of an immigrant family trying to make it in what we so called, the land of the free.There’s so many important topics in this book that needs to have an open conversation about in real life that it’s hard to mention it all.Meanwhile, go read this book!

I loved this story so much - I couldn’t put the book down!!! I laughed, I cried, I turned the pages as fast as I could yet found myself wishing the book would never end. Such a powerful, relevant story.As a former middle school teacher, I know how relatable and important Liliana and her story will be to the lives of so many. I wish I was still teaching middle school - Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From will be so much fun to read and discuss with a classroom full of spunky, thoughtful young adults.

I just recently finished reading Jennifer DeLeon’s debut book, Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From, and the story has been on my mind since. Liliana’s powerful discovery of her cultural duality and her fight back against racism in her predominantly white school has left a lasting effect on me. There were scenes that gave me chills, made me extremely angry (I’m looking at you, Steve), and made me tear up and cry a bit. I think books that elicit those types of responses from their readers are always special and memorable.

Liliana Cruz is a high-school student with parents originally from Central America; she is bright and spends her time building miniature scenes or crafting words. She is initially resistant when admitted into METCO, a desegregation program; she is bright and yet attends an underperforming school in Boston, and this is an opportunity to give her a stronger educational experience while diversifying the suburban school, so she acquiesces. So begins some predictable situations of the struggle to make new friends but also the guilt that can arise when she starts to find a home there and others feel she has left them behind.Relevant issues are covered, and we see how even well-intentioned educational experiences can backfire. Themes of perseverance and family are key.(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)

It's written well and is an easy read

I absolutely loved this book! Really relevant, informative and captivating; I’d highly recommend it.