Don't Ask Me Where I'm From is a powerful book along the lines of  Angie Thomas's The Hate You Give.        .   Liliana is a very intelligent teen-aged girl who loves to write.  Her mother is from El Salvador and her father from Guatemala.  Both parents are undocumented, but Liliana and her twin brothers are U.S. citizens, having been born in the states.  Liliana's Dad is gone again and when they find out he's been deported, her mother comes undone.  To top it off,  Liliana was accepted into the METCO program and has to take a bus to a swanky school in Boston, an hour from her home in Jamaica Plain.  Of course she's nervous, but she has the support of her best friend Jade, when Jade can tear herself away from her new boyfriend.  Liliana soon gets into the routine of smaller classes and teachers who challenge students to think outside the box.   Her favorite program is a writing lab.  The teacher poses questions for the students to answer and Liliana finds herself glossing over the less savory parts of her life.  She also catches the eye of the hunky Duncan and starts spending time with him, in spite of warning from the other METCO students.  This can't go on for long.   Once horrible, racist memes begin to show up on social media, tempers start to boil.  The racism begins to run rampant on all sides.  Liliana has to decide whether to stand up for herself and fight, or to come up with another way to give voice to everyone who wants to be heard.

Jennifer De Leon has created a book that everyone must read.   Diversity in young adult fiction is growing by leaps and bounds and Don't Ask Me Where I'm From is another fantastic book delving into another person''s story that needs to be told.  This would be an excellent classroom book - tons of room for discussion and projects.  De Leon is a very good writer and handles sensitive subject matter with dignity and compassion..

While probably a good book, with a great story, I couldn't get past the first few chapters as the way the story flowed with discombobulated for me. I had a hard time with the way the characters spoke to one another. Not the actual conversations, but how it was written. While in some areas this would probably sell well, in my area it would not.

Excellent book about the very timely issue of the immigration debate in the United States. Lili was a great character who was very relatable. The author did a fantastic job of putting the reader in Lili's shoes. A powerful, first hand look at immigration in our country and how it affects young people. Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo.

This was a very well-written, with the times young adult book about a first-generation American LatinX individual. (LatinX is a gender-neutral term used in place of Latina or Latino). 
 This book realistically depicted the struggles that an individual faces when attending a school when surrounded by others who are not like you, and the feeling that one needs to hide their true identity in order to be accepted by them. This is a topic that has been done in other novels, but De Leon is able to make the "familiar" and make it feel fresh. The characters are realistic and fleshed out. This book is an emotional journey, and I would recommend it to any who enjoy realistic YA fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the advance Kindle copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this one, which doesn’t release until 8.4.20. Add it to your purchase lists and TBRs though, as it is timely and riveting. First-generation American Liliana Cruz is surprised to learn that her parents signed her up for METCO, a program that takes Boston teens to the suburbs to integrate schools. When she is accepted, Lili finds herself in a whole new world. When she learns that her father has been deported and that both of her parents are undocumented, she feels even more out of place. Can she cope with her home reality and still blend in? Highly recommended for grades 8+.

I wasn’t able to get into the story. It took me awhile to figure out where the plot was going and the writing style was difficult for me to get into. I did like that the main character was from Latin America and we got to see a different perspective.

The story grabbed me on the first page and held on until the last. Lilliana is chosen for a program out of her inner-city Boston high school for an "integrated" school in the suburbs. (Read: bussing in kids of color). She makes friends with other kids in the program as well as upper-middle class suburbanites. Her identity becomes stronger as she experiences these new friendships.

Lilliana never knew her parents were undocumented and now her dad has been deported. What does this mean for her family? I have kids in my own classroom who could relate to Lili's story. I hope they get a chance to read about her in order to look into the literary mirror this will be for them. 

*The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5: In once scene, Lili forgets her phone and has to use the office line to call her mother. However, that same day she is texting her boyfriend. Maybe I missed a device somewhere, but it seemed incongruent.

This is such an important, necessary book with a lovable MC and characters that feel so real I could see them walking the halls of my own school!

This book is about a young girl who gets invited to attend a school in a more affluent suburb of Boston, as part of a "diversity inclusion" program (read: desegregation). Liliana struggles to make friends with the other kids from the program and immediately finds herself in a relationship with a white boy, something she knows her mother wouldn't approve of. As Liliana slowly starts to acclimate, she begins to leave parts of her old self behind, even opting to go by Lili at school. With her dad involved in a nightmarish situation made worse by the current political climate, and her family stretched to the breaking point, Liliana must decide how much of her identity she's willing to lose to fit in--and when she should fight back.

The voice is immediately captivating and authentically teen. I felt like one of my students could be telling me Liliana's story, and as a teacher in a majority-POC, majority-economically disadvantaged area, I'm sure the story will ring true to many of my students. This book addresses issues of race and class in a very thoughtful, nuanced way that is so current and necessary, especially right now. I will take Liliana's words with me forever, and the question of "What can I do to support you?" is one I won't soon forget. The book was funny, moving, heartfelt, and at times even suspenseful, but above all it was REAL. Nothing felt forced or overdone, and I can't stress enough how much we need this book today.

I already try to practice language sensitivity and cultural competency, but this book has given me even more to think about. Thank you to the author for writing such an important story!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Great YA novel about a group of exceptional inner city minority  students who are given scholarships to a prestigious, mostly white, suburban school.  Lili, the protagonist, struggles to fit in and to blend her life at home with her life at the school.  There are racial and ethnic slurs and issues, and Lili is able to find the strength to be part of the solution and to bring understanding and empathy to her school community.

Liliana is a 15-year-old Latinx Bostonian whose life drastically changes when she gets accepted into Metco, a program that aims to desegregate the ultra-white and wealthy suburban schools in Massachusetts by busing ~inner-city~ students of color. Liliana is already dealing with so much when the story starts--her mother's depression, her father apparently leaving, taking care of her little brothers, and her best friend ditching her to spend time with her boyfriend. At her new school, Liliana suddenly finds herself a minority among her many ignorant peers, who frequently ask her, "Where are you from?" and "What are you?" 

I was hooked on this fast-paced story from the start. Liliana's angst is real (and justified!) and made me want to keep reading. The secondary characters were also very vivid and believable and sometimes really infuriating. De León really captures this moment in history so well...

This is a timely and necessary story that highlights the issues many of our mixed-status students face during this unfortunate time in American history, when people's livelihoods are at stake and our own president is spewing hatred and misinformation. I am thrilled that this book exists because as a Boston public school teacher, I have met many Lilianas--students who are forced to grow up, speak up, and take on a lot of responsibilities at a young age. Liliana's story is one of courage, resiliency, and power. Kids like her deserve to see themselves reflected in books... and kids who are not like her need to read these important stories in order to educate themselves (and not say ignorant nonsense). I also appreciated De Leon's ability to balance storytelling with the history of colonization, war, and immigration in Central and North America. Readers will no doubt be captivated by the story but they'll also learn the reasons why people flee their countries and sacrifice so much in order to have better lives. 

Although I received a free e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, I will be purchasing a physical copy of the novel for my classroom library because this story is a must-read.

I am so thankful to NetGalley and Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books for the ARC of this ebook! Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From does a wonderful job of demonstrating systematic racism, daily segregation, white fragility, and so much more. I really felt for Lillian and learned along with her about other border walls that have existed throughout history. It was an easy and informative YA novel! Keep your eyes peeled for this book, it is being published on May 5th!!

Don't Ask Me Where I'm From is a great read. Liliana's story feels real, relatable, and especially important right now. The world needs more books that give voices to young women of color and their unique life experiences, as well as humanizing stories of immigration. Even with these big themes, any kid (or adult) can understand the universal feeling of trying to find your place in the world.

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. ~ From the Publisher
Similar to The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas, this title let’s the reader experience what it is like to be from a different culture trying to fit in to their school community. Ms. De Leon’s writing pulls the reader into Liliana Cruz’s world and builds empathy toward her and the secret her family is keeping. Most teens reading this story will identify with at least one of the characters.
The storyline will have readers rooting for Liliana and admiration for her boldness to do something about her current school situation. Don’t Ask Me Where I Am from will be savored by those readers who like realistic fiction and a cause to get behind . Highly recommended for all teens.
I received an ARC ebook from Netgalley and the publisher, Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, in exchange for an honest review.

This book has a beautiful cover and message. I’m 3rd generation Mexican American, 41, and I have a daughter who is 16 so I felt like I should really relate to several aspects of this book. I was SO glad I was chosen to read an ARC of this book.

I have attended schools like both in this book and it’s pretty spot on. There’s a lot that both teens and adults don’t understand about other races and cultures. People in general don’t understand each other or have compassion for each other. I actually liked that the assembly didn’t have the perfect outcome. It was realistic. I could totally see this exact thing happen in schools today. I also liked that Liliana didn’t give up. These conversations should happen. They need to happen. My daughter had the chance to attend a STEM Academy at a school much like Westburg she ultimately turned it down but I worried about these type of things happening if she did attend.

I gave this book a four star rating because there were things that didn’t feel right to me. I’m not sure if there is some sort of METCO program out there but would they really only have a spot for 10-15 kids? That’s not many. Then Liliana didn’t know much about being an immigrant. Even if her parents never talked about it wouldn’t other people in her community? Then there was their mom, no consistent job and yet she’s zoned out watching the news and not even cooking for her family?! I get being depressed and all that but I’ve just never met a Latinx mom like that. The last thing was the way Liliana spoke. Loved with a capital L? Do teens talk like that today? Maybe it’s a Boston Latinx thing? Seems a bit 90s to me. There were other things that bothered me but I don’t want to spoil the story.

Over all, this book was a page turner, I read it in two days. I was eager to find out what happened next and how the story ended.

DON’T ASK ME WHERE I’M FROM by Jennifer De Leon is a mixed bag for me. On the one hand, a young teen is dealing with excelling in her diverse, inner city neighborhood. After being offered the opportunity to attend a special, mostly white school in an upscale suburb, Liliana faces not only being the new girl, but the discomfort of being “different.” What she does to cross the racial barrier teaches a positive lesson.

On the other hand, she also learns she is the child of illegal immigrants and it explains why her father has disappeared. What it doesn’t explain is how this is acceptable or how it was okay to work “under the table.”

Although Liliana’s story is rich is lessons to be learned, her family’s dark secrets and the way it played out left me shaking my head. How can breaking the law, repeatedly be okay? Not the lesson I would want anyone to take away from reading this story, especially a teen.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This is definitely a book for these times.  I highly recommend this book to young people and even older people to help understand what it is like to be caught up in cultural political manipulation. How difficult it must be for people without citizenship status to spend their lives living in another country and suddenly find it unwelcoming to you. The children who were born here are left without their parents to care for them and lives are torn apart. This is a real thing and it is important that Americans pay attention and have compassion for their neighbors and community members that are having to face deportation. This book reminds us that the people involved are just like us. The red tape that prevented following government directions to citizenship are things that could have been prevented with support from the community and a little compassion.

Really enjoyed this one a lot  although I got stuck on a few of the slang terms.  The book follows Lilliana's story where she is given the opportunity to go to a predominantly white school for better education opportunities under a program called METCO.  In her new school, Lilliana feels she doesn't belong anywhere and even when relationships with others start to develop she finds life at her new school hard to navigate.  The book shines light on the experience of a child with undocumented parents and the subtle and not so subtle racism that occurs when Lilliana is in her new situation.  I thought the writing was great, Lilliana was relatable and I sped right through this.

Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From by Jennifer DeLeon is a story that needs to be told. We need minority characters who aren’t perpetuating some of the negative stereotypes out there, and Lilianna is a great example. She is an American girl with Latinx blood living in the city with her parents and two brothers when suddenly she is accepted into the METCO program which ships in inner-city minorities to an all-white, uber-rich high school in the suburbs. It’s her father’s dream for her to attend this school. She would love to tell him about it, but he’s been gone for almost a month now. Her mom is spiraling into depression, and while her new school is nice, she is really starting to see a sharp contrast between the other METCO students and the regular students and the racial tension is building. Lilianna tries her best to straddle both worlds while worrying about her family. When she discovers where her father is, so much of her sheltered life starts to make sense. Definitely an eye-opening discussion starter of a novel. This would make a great book club book for high schools. Publish date May 5th 2020 #dontaskmewhereimfrom #jenniferdeleon

I feel like there aren’t many books on the market with main characters who are POC and even less who are LatinX. When I read the synopsis for Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From I immediately put it on my TBR, I was so excited and a bit nervous to see the portrayal of a Latina. I have to say I enjoyed this book a lot. It was interesting but also an important read that dealt with topics that aren’t represented often in books, much less YA. We see Liliana navigate her way at a new, prominently white, school and the racial tensions that result from it. On top of that, she has to deal with her family, an absent father and struggling mother. I’m definitely going to be keeping an eye out for whatever the author publishes next.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I read this book in one sitting. I thought the author did a beautiful job capturing Liliana’s character. The reader felt every moment of struggle, every spark of joy along with her. I also loved that there was no pretty, perfect ending. Too many authors wrap everything up so tidily that it isn’t believable, but this story wasn’t like that. There was some happiness in the ending (Dad making it home, Dustin finally turning on Steve), but the high school was still far from perfect, so it all felt authentic. 

Thanks for letting me enjoy this book!