Graphic novels are so much fun and I love seeing more of them! Today I have a spotlight for ¡Ay, Mija!: My Bilingual Summer in Mexico by Christine Suggs. The tour for this young adult graphic novel is hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours. Keep on reading to find out more about this book!
Genre: Young Adult Graphic Novel
Publishing date: January 1, 2023
“An absolutely heartwarming and vibrant story of belonging, family, and the meaning of home. This book is a treasure.” – Julie Murphy, New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin’
In this bilingual, inventive, and heartfelt debut, graphic novel talent Christine Suggs explores a trip they took to Mexico to visit family, embracing and rebelling against their heritage and finding a sense of belonging.
Sixteen-year-old Christine takes their first solo trip to Mexico to spend a few weeks with their grandparents and tía. At first, Christine struggles to connect with family they don’t yet share a language with. Seeing the places their mom grew up—the school she went to, the café where she had her first date with their father—Christine becomes more and more aware of the generational differences in their family.
Soon Christine settles into life in Mexico, eating pan dulce, drawing what they see, and growing more comfortable with Spanish. But when Mom joins their trip, Christine’s two worlds collide. They feel homesick for Texas, struggle against traditions, and miss being able to speak to their mom without translating. Eventually, through exploring the impacts of colonialism in both Mexico and themselves, they find their place in their family and start to feel comfortable with their mixed identity.
Content Warning: body issues, colonialism, family trauma, diaspora
Book Links
Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
Indigo
IndieBound
Tour Schedule
If you’re curious about this book, click here for the full schedule. There are amazing bookstagrammers and bloggers talking about this book this week. Definitely check their posts out.
About the Author
Christine Suggs is a comic artist and designer living in Dallas, TX with their wonderful partner, 1 dog, and 2 cats. They’re currently working on a YA graphic novel about spending their summers in Mexico as a teen, set to release in 2023 from Little Brown Young Readers. Christine’s work explores the intersection of their identities, namely being a queer, fat, Latinx leftist who loves all things cute. Bonus facts: their day job is in app design, they are an avid Dungeons & Dragons player, and they’re quite obsessed with their cats.
Author Links
Stories about family always interest me and ¡Ay, Mija!: My Bilingual Summer in Mexico sounds like one right up my alley!
