Review Detail

When I first started reading This is Not a Personal Statement, I thought it would be similar to the 2006 movie 'Accepted.' If you're not familiar with the movie it's about a kid who received college rejection letter after rejection letter until he finally creates his own fake college, starring Justin Long. Good movie, I definitely recommend.
The further I got through this book, the more I felt it was a mix of Accepted and Pixar's Turning Red.

This is Not a Personal Statement is about much more than a young woman not getting accepted into any college. A heavy theme is disappointing parents, parents wanting the best for you and pushing you to be "the best," following someone else's dream losing yourself on the way, and the way parents show their love.

The plot is pretty sound, flaws and all. The first person POV really puts you in Perla's shoes, once her plans start to unravel the emotion grips you.

The character growth with Perla is fantastic. It's slow but steady, you want to hug her and shake her at the same time.
I would have loved to see more with Camilla, whether from the past or just more as a support person.
Jackson was such a loveable character, I wish him nothing but good things.