The Education of Margot Sanchez came up in at a time when I was looking for something different, not too “light”, but not too “heavy” either. And the book Lilliam Rivera presented was a story of coming of age when your world is not as perfect as it might seem.
There is a lot to this story to make it a familiar story. We have the “trying to fit in with the cool crowd” plot line. We have the “abandoning old friends who don’t fit your literal new look” plotline. There is the “OMG do I go for Cool Hot Guy Number One or Cool Hot Guy Number Two?” plot. And then there is the family issues (mom and dad are fighting, there are secrets, the older brother has issues, and everyone hides it under the “aren’t we perfect look.”
The characters come to life with a diverse cast of characters. There are Margot’s new friends, rich and white. Her family, Hispanic. And there are the various people of the community her family’s supermarket are in. Culture and gender roles play a part in the education our narrator one Margot Sanchez. All of this happens (life, love, the haves and have nots) to teach her who she is, who she wants to be and who she wants to be in her life.
Due to language, sexual situation, and drug use, this book is not for the younger or sensitive readers. Teens aged at least 13 and up will enjoy this “safe but has teeth” romance novel.