Page 2 April 5 , 2018
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican
Daughter Dashes Expectations
Reviewed by Tommy Vinh Bui,
MLIS, Associate Librarian,
Inglewood Public Library
This is a riveting and rambunctious read that
tugs all the right heartstrings unabashedly and
without hesitance. Erika L. Sanchez has tapped
into a rich reservoir of relatable and poignant
characters who are flawed, vulnerable, and
muster the courage to grow and change into
better people by book’s end. This is young
adult fare that will have mass appeal and manage
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez.
to get you flipping fervently page by page
and rooting for our young female protagonist.
We follow teenage Julia as she navigates
the rigors and pitfalls of growing up in a strict
Mexican-American household that upholds
familial responsibility supreme. But Julia has
an independent streak that runs directly counter
to that value and the friction between her and
her mother is fraying her thin. To compound
her frustrations, Julia suffers the slings and
arrows of overcoming daily stereotypes. She
yearns for more. The book is incredibly layered
as it explores themes of self-identity, LGBTQ
discrimination, loss and grief, and teen mental
illness. These are all very sensitive issues that
are dealt with by incorporating an appropriate
amount of levity and gravity. It’s a tough onetwo
to maintain throughout.
Julia carries this novel single-handedly. Her
voice is authentic and you’re immediately
yanked into her trials and tribulations from the
first chapter. Julia is a firebrand, but also has
a sensitivity to her: a febrile fragility. This is
a complex character study that confounds and
compels and the writing percolates with flair.
From the farcical to the solemn, every tone and
idiosyncrasy is captured with gusto. There’s
also a myriad of fleshed-out and memorable
secondary characters to help prop up our
primary protagonist, from the ever-kvetching
mother to the sassy and sometimes absurd
circle of friends. Every voice is singular and
unique and ably captured. Top marks.
It’s so much beyond just a coming-of-age tale.
It’s a modern day bildungsroman in the vein
of Jane Eyre. It’s just angrier and more relevant
to today’s diverse audiences. There’s a smidge of
Catcher in the Rye in there too. The author captures
a voice of cynicism that is just a disguised
cry for help, so there’s sincerity in that sardonic
tone. The struggles and challenges of growing
up are timeless. And the writer here manages
to carry on this rich literary tradition while
also melding other aspects of popular genres such
as mystery, social critique and race politics. It’s
an ambitious and culturally-timely piece -- and
a successful one that merits a look-through.
A wholehearted recommend. Read and be
ravished by the book’s insights and cultural
shrewdness. •
Lean on Pete Is a Stunning Companion
Film Full of Heartache and Triumph
By Morgan Rojas for www.cinemacy.com
Last year, it was Luca Guadagnino’s
visceral drama Call Me By Your Name that
transported audiences to the remote village of
Crema, Italy where we felt the warm summer
breeze on our skin, tasted the juices of the
perfectly-ripened fruit, and got that all-tooreal
pit in our stomach that only first love
can give. While the “cinematic” year is just
getting started, it seems like Lean on Pete is
British-born director Andrew Haigh’s answer
to last year’s aforementioned Best Picture
Oscar nominee. The visual and emotional
vibrancy of Lean on Pete, plus the powerful
performance from breakout star Charlie
Plummer, radiates from the screen and will
easily make its way into your heart.
Sixteen-year-old Charley Thompson (Plummer)
and his father Ray (Travis Fimmel)
have a dysfunctional relationship, which is
apparent from early on. They love each other
dearly, but Ray is not financially stable and
his emotional capacity is constantly being
distracted by the various women he brings
home. Because of his upbringing (Charley’s
mother left the family when he was young),
he has always been an independent boy
longing for connection -- so when he finds
a job at a local horserace track working
alongside Del Montgomery (Steve Buscemi)
and jockey Bonnie (Chloë Sevigny), Charley
finally feels complete. Del and Bonnie fill
the role of “family” and Charley becomes
emotionally attached to one of Del’s older
horses named Lean on Pete. However, when
Charley learns that Pete is being sent to the
slaughter after failing to win a race, he feels
not only betrayed by the people he considered
his chosen family, but heartbroken at
the thought that his best friend was going to
be discarded in such a horrific way. Charley
won’t let that happen and so, with Pete in
one hand and a couple bucks in his pocket,
he sets out across the Midwest to escape the
harsh reality in hopes of a promising future
ahead in the great unknown.
While the story isn’t an original idea
-- Haigh adapted Lean on Pete from Willy
Vlautin’s novel of the same name – the director
turns this story into an unforgettable
cinematic experience. Heartbreaking and
beautiful, we follow Charley as he makes his
way through rough terrain -- both literally
and figuratively -- navigating through the
harsh environments and a messy personal
life. Charley experiences various tragedies
and Pete becomes a sort of emotional support
animal for him. It is a heartwarming
moment once realized that just as Charley
saved Pete from an unethical death, Pete is
saving Charley from total loneliness.
Coming off of last year’s role as the kidnapped
J. Paul Getty III in All the Money in
the World, Plummer does an outstanding job
holding it all together as the headstrong yet
naive and underprivileged teen. The tension
bubbles and tears well behind his eyes, but
the attitude he adopts as Charley doesn’t
allow him to let his vulnerability show. It is
during certain moments of the film when this
vulnerability peaks through his tough exterior
that we see a child who is aching for stability
in any form. The supporting performances
from Buscemi and Sevigny are full of depth
and evoke a wide range of emotions. The
environment is also very much a character
in itself as the brutal landscape and places
within it provide Charley and Pete with benefits
or deterrents. However, Charley seems
to always come out the other side having
learned from the experience.
Lean on Pete is divided into three distinct
parts, perhaps serving as an homage to the
book. At times, it can feel like three different
movies. The motivation deters slightly
throughout each part, but the emotional impact
of Charley’s end goal remains consistent and
strong. It will be hard to get through the film
with dry eyes, but its lasting satisfaction and
tenderness make it all worth it.
121 minutes. Lean on Pete is rated R for
language and brief violence. Opening this Friday
at The Landmark and ArcLight Hollywood. •
Entertainment
Film Review
Morgan Rojas.
Check It Out
Lean on Pete. Courtesy of A 24.
Tommy Vinh Bui.
“Once you have read a book you care about,
some part of it is always with you.”
– Louis L’Amour
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