Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass

It's an honest book focused on bullying.

3.5 Very realistic with a strong depiction of a loving but contentious mother/daughter relationship. Some elements felt dated after only 5 years but definitely has strong kid appeal!

I went into this book hesitant, unsure if this would be another book I wouldn't like or willing to trust Meg Medina's brilliance. While I had never heard of this book before, my mentor has spoken high praise for Meg Medina's book, Burn Baby Burn. So, I took my chances and I am glad I did. 

This is an amazing book with rich, lively characters who are ready to tug at the reader's heart strings. Piddy is a wonderful character who develops and grows through out the book. There are good role models shown who are still distinct and good in different ways while different kinds of friendships are also shown. Not many characters willingly blend into the background, all being different and identifiable. Because there is a lack of talk among friends it is hard for me to tell if this book would pass the Bechtel test, but considering the lack of talk abou boys and love, I think it does.

The story is beautiful and emotional. I loved the flow of the novel and it felt very realistic. The tone and realism of the novel at times may make the story difficult to read for those with a sensitive heart, but the words are ones that need to said and need to be read. 

I'm obviously not the target audience for this book–it's aimed at middlegrade kids–but I admire everything about it. The characters are complex and believable, the situation the protagonist finds herself in feels real and high-stakes, the dialogue is spot-on, and the language is fluid and perfect. Piedad Sanchez is faced with a bully in her school at a time when she is also dealing with the loss of a friend, a first attachment to a boy, and anxiety about the future.

This is an admirable book. Kids should read it.

Received free copy as part of Amazon Vine.