Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina

Release Date: March 26, 2013
Publisher: Candlewick
Rated: YA 14+
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
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Piddy Sanchez is shocked to learnt that a girl named Yaqui Delgado wants to kick her ass – mostly because she doesn't have a clue who Yaqui Delgado is. All Piddy knows about Yaqui is that apparently Yaqui hates her.

At first Piddy's more concerned with trying to find out more about the father she's never met and how to balance honors courses with her weekend job at the neighborhood hair salon. But as the harassment escalates, it completely takes over Piddy's life as she tries to avoid Yaqui and, eventually, to avoid school altogether. Is running away her only chance for a new start?

A poignant and all-too-realistic story about a girl who is forced to decide who she is versus who others are trying to make her become and ultimately discovers a rhythm that is all her own.

I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. I've (surprisingly) only read a couple books where the main focus is on bullying, and a Latina girl at that too, and so this was really an eye-opener for me, and a fabulous novel with absolutely gorgeous writing that had me hooked.
This book brings up so many different thoughts, perspectives, emotions, which makes it such a deep and moving novel. From reading previous YA books about Latino teenagers, I found it really interesting once again to see the world, like school and such, from their point of view. Coming from a more international background and having attended (and still attending) international schools in many different countries, it's quite a shock to me to read about teenagers in school being treated this way, because I go to a school which is secular and so diverse – there's a mix of races, religions and culture – and it's very normal for me to be amongst so many backgrounds. It makes me sad to see that obviously, not all places are like this.

There were times when I loved and hated Piddy, to be honest. I really loved the emotional roller coaster that she's forced to go through, and completely empathize with her character, especially when she's being harassed by the mean girls, but when she was so rude and blatantly ignoring people who were trying to help– that's when I got a little bit ticked off with her. Like when she yells at her mom (I mean, we all get mad at our parents, but the way she does really makes me cringe), or when she tries to be tough, or when she refuses to talk to anyone. I know I may not understand some of the things she'd gone through, but some situations made me want to slap my forehead.
I however, do respect the fact that the author went through something similar like this (which you can read about later in her interview). It must have been an incredibly hard time for her, and I really feel sad that she did have to go through this. The world is truly a harsh place to live in, methinks.

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass brings up a lot of issues with cliques, racial groups, being an outsider, wanting to fit in, bullying, and more. I really empathized with Piddy through the torture she goes through in high school– truly no one deserves teenage years like that. Meg Medina is brilliant, and I'm looking forward to reading more from her in the future.

▪ ▪ ▪ Thank you so much to Meg Medina and Candlewick for sending a copy of Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass for review and BTG2013! ▪ ▪ ▪

If you like this, try...

• What Can(t) Wait by Ashley Hope Pérez ● Goodreads
• This Girl Is Different by J.J. Johnson ● Goodreads

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