Author: Jennifer De Leon
Release Date: 08.04.20
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Source: Publisher
My Rating: 4/5 stars
Synopsis: “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.”
REVIEW:vv
Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From is a beautifully written and raw story. It’s captivating, informative, and expresses real emotions through powerful writing. I’m very impressed with this book and I believe it’s so so important that this story ends up in the hands of readers everywhere.
In Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From things are changing for Liliana Cruz. First, she’s been hitting figurative walls. Then, at home her father is gone, again, and this time things aren’t the same. Lastly, she transfers to Westburg, a new cushy school, where she’s pushed to whiten up. But, something is changing within Liliana too, because the walls she’s building between herself and the world may be the exact foundation she needs to speak her truth.
As I said, I am so impressed with this story. The messages and overall narrative were so powerful. The way Jennifer De Leon discussed the serious topics featured were masterful; It covers a variety of things including deportation, racism, and racist treatment at school. Liliana’s unique narrative gave this book the perfect balance of a teen voice and cultural information which made it a wonderful read.
Speaking of Liliana, she had wonderful character development in this book! I loved watching her blossom from the beginning until the end through her thoughts, writings, and relationships. Her growth was phenomenal, inspiring, and like everything else in this book so well written.
Overall, my biggest hope for this book is that it ends up in the hands of readers everywhere. With it’s remarkable writing, incredible characters, and meaningful cultural discussion Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From demands to be read and heard from readers everywhere.
Jennifer De Leon is the author of Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, August 2020) and the editor of Wise Latinas (University of Nebraska Press). An Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Framingham State University, and a GrubStreet instructor and board member, she has published prose in over a dozen literary journals, including Ploughshares, Iowa Review, and Michigan Quarterly Review. She lives in the Boston area.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Simon and Schuster, for including me on the blog tour for Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From! Opinions are all my own.
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