Truthful and realistic, this well written book is one that will resonate with many students. Realistic, believable characters with heart. I enjoyed the writing style and I will be looking for more by this author! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Liliana Cruz is a Latinx teen thrust into a program that sends her from her local public high school into a program called METCO at a higher rated and mostly white suburban high school. As she slowly acclimates to the new school and new friends, her family falls apart around her. Her father disappears and her mother descends into depression, causing more responsibilities for caring for her younger brothers and the household to fall to Liliana, too. Everything is only exacerbated when Lili discovers that both her parents are undocumented and her father has been deported back to Guatemala and the racism at school gets worse and worse.

Lili's story is not uncommon, I'm sure, and it came off as realistic. I appreciated that everything wasn't tied up in a pretty little bow at the end. Racism, even subtle subconscious racism, still exists, but the book was hopeful overall. Lili was brave and stepped up to combat the racism she encountered and people listened. Not everyone, there's no magic cure or wand to waive, but inroads are made and the reader is left feeling hopeful.

This is a fantastic book to make you think and question your own views/biases. I cannot speak for the Latinx community, but I found the book believable and eye opening and hopeful and I definitely recommend it and will be purchasing it for my library.


Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Liliana Cruz has been accepted into a new high school, thanks to the METCO program, that gives opportunities to inner city kids in Boston that they might not to be able to afford. As she navigates the new “white” school, while struggling to maintain her friendships from her previous life, and dealing with the news that her father has been deported. As a Latin girl in a new world, she struggles to find her voice, both in and out of class, and her relationships are tested throughout the novel. As she grows and learns to find her voice, and overcomes the real-life struggles of a young Latinx girl who needs to figure things out on her own.

This is exactly the type of story this world needs. I will be recommending this to teachers and students alike. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
I loved this. Liliana is a great teen character, and I loved the focus on her and her family, and how it humanized the issue of her parents being undocumented and what it is like for a family to be separated like this. It would be pretty hard to read this and NOT be rooting for her father to make his way back to them. I also liked the portrayal of the racism in the suburban school, and how the minority students tried to combat it, but how they didn't "fix" everything and have a happy ending where everyone realizes they were wrong and it's all ok now. I mean, I think the ending was hopeful, but it wasn't like all the problems were solved. Great story.

Lilianna lives in Boston with her parents and twin brothers, except her father has been deported back to Guatemala. Life is stressful at home with only one parent. When she is offered a place in METCO at a high school an hour away, Lilianna doesn’t want to take it but mom makes her.
It’s hard to fit in at a school where most faces are white. The ones that aren’t are skeptical about her. (Will she last or will she quit?). Gradually, Lili makes friends and even gets a boyfriend. She now is busy juggling her two lives, school life and home life. When racial slurs start popping up on social media, Lili gets mad and takes action.
This was a great book! The situations and feelings that Lili goes through are similar to what many teens face today. This book openly addresses racism, even subtle racism, and challenges you to do something instead of being a bystander.
I love that this story is relatable for many kids. Even if they have never faced racism, they’ve faced prejudice for some reason or another. Lili ends up being a hero who fights to change people’s beliefs. I’ll be recommending that my students read it and my library purchase it.

This story was a compelling read that I found hard to put down until it was done. I can see students at any of the schools n which I've taught (large urban, suburban, small rural, and private) finding truths and insights which transcend the two settings and apply to their own lives and how they want to be seen in the world. A huge thumbs up.

I received a complimentary copy of Don't Ask Me Where I'm From from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This novel surprised me in so many wonderful ways! I appreciated the Latina point-of-view, which is not a huge presence in YA. Struggles including impromptu jobs, little money, lack of opportunities for equal education, race and socioeconomic discrimination, and possible deportation affect every member of Liliana's family, casting overwhelming shadows over most every moment of their lives. A strong character, Liliana defied or at least challenged the odds against her. I was actually quite inspired by her spirit. (So much so that I plan to use the assembly activity for a class lesson to help 6th graders become more accepting!)

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book rang true for me. The story of a first generation student integrated into a more affluent school and the struggles she has not only as a Latina but also as a high school student of color in a whole new world will hopefully open the eyes of many. Parents that want the best for their children and children that are making the most of their situations is clearly exemplified in this book. Great read for adults and students alike.

15-year-old Liliana Cruz, has a lot on her plate. Here’s her laundry list: best friend troubles, keeping her little brothers in line, dealing with her dad who always seems to be traveling, and trying to fit in at Westburg. Westburg is the wealthy, suburban, majority-white high school where Liliana has just been accepted. It is quite different from her inner city Boston neighborhood.

Liliana, is half-Guatemalan and half-El Salvadorian. So, she wonders, if maybe it would benefit her to change her name and way she talks? Then some hard truths come to light. Is her father traveling more or does he just not want to come home. This fact has put her whole family in jeopardy.

On top of all this the racial tensions at school are reaching what seems to be insurmountable proportions.

This is a well written novel for the teen audience as the characters make their way through friendships and romantic relationships.

This book was reviewed by me on Goodreads. My review can be found at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48426158-don-t-ask-me-where-i-m-from

This is what I wrote after giving it 4 stars:

I must confess I began reading this book and did not stop until I read the last word.

Looking back on my reading of the book made me aware of the different lenses I used throughout the story.

1. First and foremost, how did the story compare with my Latinx lens, with a constant eye for using what I know about my culture, (my education, my family stories, or the stories of Latinx people I have met) to either believe or be turned off by the writing? How believable was this author? Check plus! There were so many true little details among the Guatemalans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, or altogether the children of families who migrated to this country and live in that dual-culture world.

2. How did the two high schools compare? I have been to both, and I have taught (briefly) in both. Physical descriptions were truly believable.

3. Why didn't I give the book 5 stars? There was one unanswered question bugging me throughout the book: how did the family make it to pay rent, pay for utilities, and buy food, especially since Dad wasn't around, there was no family close, and mom couldn't get a job? Yes, the mom would pick up little jobs here and there, but there was no constancy in this to justify covering a family of 4 living in the city.

4. I liked that there was no dreamy ending with race relations at school, but just a seed that was planted (the paper & markers mural). It's up to all of us to make a change.

5. Would I buy this book for our library and recommend it to teachers and students? Yes!

Thanks to NetGalley for bringing my attention to this book and sharing it with me.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book to read. I was not given it in exchange for a positive review. I could not put this one down. I loved the characters and how well De Leon drew me into Liliana's struggle. A new school where she is an outcast (poor, Latinx, etc.), undocumented parents, and a father who has been deported are all major issues for her.....as well as friendships and romantic relationships and how teens navigate those. I love the empowerment involved and how there isn't a Hollywood element here.

Interesting story of young immigrant girl thrust into unfamiliar surroundings and how she adjusts. Lol I is a strong female character and inspirational. Good story that held my interest.

As someone who lives in MA and knows people who have had experience with the METCO program, it was very interesting to compare some of Liliana's experiences to those I've heard about. The cushy suburbs west of Boston offer plenty of opportunities, but acceptance of minorities can be a mixed bag, and I think De Leon does a strong job of showing both the positive and negative experiences Liliana has with this. She also portrays the struggle of uncertainty that the families of undocumented immigrants experience, and unfortunately, it is all too topical. De Leon gives voice to people who are not always heard from as often as they should be.

I reviewed an ARC of this book from Netgalley. It was okay, definitely not my favorite, but I think my students will like it because it deals with the racism and division/segregation that goes on in schools, still even today in 2020. I needed a better ending though to give this one a higher rating.

Liliana Cruz is perhaps her school's best writer, and when she has the chance to leave her inner city school for a prestigious program in the suburbs, Liliana is not all that excited, but her mother is thrilled.

Once ensconced in her new school, Liliana struggles to understand where she fits in among the affluent, white students who call the school home. She struggles in her classes, and when a basketball star is knocked off the team, tensions come to head between the students bused to the school and those zoned for it.

As a teacher, I felt the book was well-written for a teen audience and did not talk down to young adults or become preachy. I felt Liliana's family struggle was handled deftly, as was the relationships between her new and old friends.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for my students.

A gut wrenching urban to suburban story of a teenage child of two undocumented immigrants. You get to follow Lili(ana) as she navigates homelife vs. School life in two drastically difference environments.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a contemporary YA romance that revolved around the theme of race. The language was Abit gritty for me but thought this was a good read for our youth of today.

This book reminds me our our local high schools -- I love how real the characters are. Teens will enjoy the story of a young girl transferred to a new school in order to reap educational benefits, only to find out she needs to change her ways -- and her color (!) -- to survive the new environment. Will she be able to fit in AND remember her own culture?

A very timely novel, well written, and engaging. As a teacher of predominantly minority students, I'm always looking for representation in YA for them. Liliana Cruz is a wonderful character. De Leon shows us through this book how even though technically segregation doesn't exist, it still does. Liliana gets accepted into the METCO program, that takes her from her comfortable neighborhood school and friends to a white school in a suburban neighborhood. While she struggles with those changes, she also has to cope at home with her missing father and the home life; we discover De Leon's parents are undocumented and her father has been deported.

Despite the serious subject matter, I really enjoyed this book and would absolutely recommend it to my students and other teens who cross my path.