This was touching, funny and honest. Anyone who is a lover of memoir will enjoy this book, even those unfamiliar with Erika L. Sanchez or her work.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC. This is a memoir about the author who grew up in Chicago in the 90s as the daughter of Mexican immigrants. She recollects her younger self through the lens of her adult self as a successful writer. She shares about all facets of her life and struggles, with humor and honesty. I was also able to listen to the audiobook read by the author which was ok.

this was excdellent and challenging, and I def recommend it. I loved her novel and now reading the memoirs, more connections made.

In 1990s Chicago, Erika Sanchez grew up feeling like a misfit and disappointment to her Mexican immigrant family. Perhaps her misbegotten youth is what made her the award-winning novelist and poet she is today. In this series of essays, Sanchez revels in and reveals her inner life - the good and bad of it all.

Tangential at times, Crying in the Bathroom felt like getting to know that drunk girl who randomly sat down at your table one night, bared her soul, and became one of your dearest friends. Opening the door to her inner life, Sanchez makes those who struggle with love, life, and the *gestures wildly* of it all feel seen, heard, and comforted. I recommend this essay collection to those who get lost in their own thoughts, question the meaning of everything, and sometimes find themselves crying in the bathroom, though the title will likely suck them in.

While not my favorite memoir of the year, I think this is a solid book to give to most millennial females.

If you loved Not Your Perfect Mexican American Daughter you'll love hearing Sanchez voice in this memoir! She starts off the book very real, letting you know the exact level of bluntness, hilarity, and vulnerability that defines her voice. I would also recommend the audiobook version as well!

Full disclosure- I have not read Sanchez' novel, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. I do not really enjoy reading YA novels, but given the attention that book was given as a Mexican- American I was very interested in her non-fiction work/ memoir. As a child of Mexican immigrants on the Southwest border, I always forget that Mexican immigrants do not simply settle near the Mexican border. It was interesting to see what being Mexican was like in the Mid-West.

Besides those childhood stories and identifying with generational differences as far as familial expectations. I did not grow up knowing what a Fulbright Scholar was and when I did discover this honor, it was only white people with this award. She is a great writer, this is a great read and more importantly, I believe that representation matters and I am glad that new generations of Mexican-Americans have Sanchez to look up to.

This does not even address the intricacies, delicateness, and rawness that is the titular chapter in the book. It is a #GoodRead

***I received a free copy of this e-book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.***

Whew this book just wrapped me around its finger. I looked forward to picking it up each time I could read it. It’s both well-written and relatable, funny and moving. Loved this and looking forward to reading her other work.

“It almost feels like a miracle to be this person, to be me. There are times I see myself and see the whole world. I look at my face and see multitudes.”
“Virginia Woolf once said, ‘As a woman I have no country. As a woman I want no country. As a woman my country is the whole world.’ When you don’t belong, you learn to make a nest in the unknown.”
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Author Erika L. Sanchez is a YA author, poet, comedian, teacher, feminist, wife, traveler, mother and all around interesting woman, as evidenced by her newest book Crying in the Bathroom. This nonfiction work will make you laugh out loud, cry silent tears, as well as make you pause in introspection. Told through essays we get to learn about Erika’s childhood through her teen years, college and adulthood. Her honesty was raw and brave.
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If you’re unfamiliar with Sanchez’s work, you’re going to want to devour it after reading her memoir. I loved Erika’s books before picking this autobiography up and adore her even more now. I want to be best friends with her and if I lived in Chicago, I’d make it happen! 😂 Her funny, raunchy, sincere words captured my attention from the beginning. This is a must read for fans of memoirs by authors and I’m happy I picked it up to highlight during Latinx heritage month.

CW: hospitalization, abortion, childbirth, mental illness, depression, thoughts of suicide, suicide attempt, sexual assault, emotional abuse, vomit, blood, alcohol and drug abuse

I didn't finish this book, but I did talk about it on my Summer Circle Back podcast episode. The tone was just too angry and, despite a lot of hype about how funny she is, the humor in this book didn't land with me.

This book is a great companion to the "new adult" audience that read I'm not your perfect mexican daughter as teens. Unfortunately can't include it in my high school library collection because some sexual references are too graphic.

A memoir in essays focused on the many facets of Sánchez’s life, from religion to depression to reproductive rights and much sex and dating.
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This collection started off slow and eventually got going. By the end I could appreciate Sánchez and how her experiences had transformed her in her own estimations. I loved her confidence and willingness to openly discuss topics that can be very challenging to parse out. Ultimately this collection didn’t have teeth. I think Sánchez is a very good writer, but the content felt lacking. Almost like she didn’t have enough to say or didn’t want to say it all (which is of course her right).

Book review: Honest and relatable essays sum up chaos, beauty of life
By ASHLEY RIGGLESON FOR THE FREE LANCE–STAR

I loved listening to Erika Sánchez’s début novel, “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter,” so when I heard she had a memoir in essays coming out, titled “Crying in the Bathroom,” I knew I wanted to read it. Despite coming from different backgrounds, I found I related to some aspect of every essay in this collection. She describes both the messy and the glorious in life with keen insight. Sanchez has hit another home run.

Since this is a memoir in essays, the text does not have a traditional narrative arc. Instead, we slowly learn who Erika is as she uses the events of her life to discuss myriad topics, including race, religion, standards of beauty and mental health.

My first impression of Erika was that she is rather brash, but as I continued to read this astounding collection, I began to realize that, on the contrary, Erika is a woman who embodies the sentiment “carpe diem.”

Though her parents are both working-class Mexican immigrants, Erika is sure from an early age that she does not want that life for herself. And it seems she will sacrifice everything to achieve her vision, become a writer, and travel around the world. Of course, none of these dreams are easy to achieve, but for Erika, it seems, growing into the life she wants is particularly challenging.

As a woman of color, she comes up against systemic barriers, but she also suffers from debilitating and chronic depression (later diagnosed as Bipolar II). Though she constantly aspires to achieve, she often falls into pits of despair and must learn to juggle both her boundless ambition and her mental health. Therein lies the difficulty.

I loved reading every essay in this collection. I loved the personal aspects and the journey of getting to know Erika over these pages. Her outlook on life is often quite beautiful. And as a person with chronic mental illness, I loved, in particular, the parts where she describes the everyday beauty of the world. She is unapologetically funny, with a keen intellect. And yet this collection does not feel overly academic. Instead, it is poignant and honest and true. I hope this collection will find its way into many readers’ hands. “Crying in the Bathroom” is a text that deserves to be read!

Ashley Riggleson is a freelance reviewer from Rappahannock County.

This review was originally printed in The Free Lance-Star in Fredericksburg, VA.

This book felt like I was reading parts of my own story. I cried. I laughed. It's amazing how a single book can always come at the right times.

I'd suggest this book for anyone who grew up in a Mexican family, but are having some troubles in their identity.

I really love this book. The essays are really interesting and the author has a very unique voice. She brings up some really hard topics through out and speaks about them elegantly. A quick must read

Erika L. Sanchez is open and blunt about things in her life from vaginal issues, sex life, mental health, and more. I follow her on social media, so it was interesting to read some of the parts from the last few years when I was following and remember some of the situations as they unfolded in real time.

Crying in the Bathroom had me cracking up and nodding my head as I read along. This memoir is relatable, hilarious, unapologetic, and like your best friend is ranting with you in these pages. Sanchez is incredibly honest and self-aware. This collection of essays will make time fly by because they're addictive making it hard to put the book down. Highly recommended to anyone looking for a good time!

This book was disappointing. It did not read as advertised and wasn't as funny as I hoped it would be.

Crying the in the Bathroom
by Erika L. Sanchez
Pub Date: July 12, 2022
Viking
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. From the New York Times, bestselling author of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, an utterly original memoir-in-essays that is as deeply moving as it is hilariously funny
* Memoir *Nonfiction
This memoir was very good. Sanchez writes about everything from sex to white feminism to debilitating depression, revealing an interior life rich with ideas, self-awareness, and perception. Raunchy, insightful, unapologetic, and brutally honest. I am recommending this book, mainly because it is so relatable.
4 stars

I loved the structure of this memoir - semi-chronological, but meandering at places where the author wanted to explore. It felt like a conversation with a friend. Sánchez is incredibly honest about her triumphs and struggles, making this a deeply relatable and compelling read. The mixture of very serious and very funny was perfect, always striking a good balance throughout.