¡Ay, Mija! (A Graphic Novel): My Bilingual Summer in Mexico

by Christine Suggs

Overview

"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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316591928
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	04/04/2023
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	116,607
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Christine Suggs is an illustrator, designer, and comic artist. Their work explores the intersection of their identities, namely being a queer, fat, Latinx feminist who loves all things cute. They're also way too into Pokémon and cats. They're currently living in Dallas, TX with their super rad husband and insanely adorable pets.

Editorial Reviews

*“Chrístine’s navigation of their identity will resonate with teens who feel insecure and find belonging difficult. An accessible graphic novel for high schoolers seeking a character they can relate to and a safe space to read about mixed heritage and identity.”—SLJ, starred review

"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

"¡Ay, Mija! is full of everything I love about a Christine Suggs comic. Their work magically exudes a sense of warmth and calm, even when exploring difficult or complicated topics. Snippets of introspection about cultural identity and family trauma are interspersed with vivid, effective world-building, and the love Suggs has for their family and heritage is palpable. I’ve only been to Mexico once, but ¡Ay, Mija! made me want to return as soon as possible."—Tyler Feder, creator of Dancing at the Pity Party

"A charming tale of belonging and familial connection beyond language barriers. Beautifully drawn and relatable depictions of bilingual struggles, I wish I read this as a kid. A must-read story!"

—Kat Fajardo, creator of Miss Quinces

"A great exploration of what it's like to narrow the gap when being part of a diaspora group and what it means to belong somewhere and love every part of it, the good and the complicated."—Barbara Perez Marquez, co-author of The Cardboard Kingdom

"Suggs' debut soars as a tender, honest, comfortingly queer coming of age tale wrapped in a love letter to their Mexican heritage. To read it feels like a warm hug."—Rose Bousamra, illustrator of the forthcoming Frizzy, by Claribel A. Ortega

"It's magical to see a book I had nothing to do with capture my life as a Mexican-Texan so perfectly. Everything Christine Suggs felt I have felt, too. From the food to sight seeing, this book is a lovely slice of life on vacation."—Yehudi Mercado, creator of Chunky and Sci-Fu

“Suggs delves into a topic that many teens in multicultural families go through. . . . A warm and honest coming-of-age story about self-love and self-discovery.”—Booklist

"A sweet and memorable story of growth and self-discovery.”—Kirkus

“A deep reflection on family and the difficulties of growing up, making art, fearing their own sexuality, and judging their body…pair with Liz Montague’s Maybe An Artist.”—BCCB

“Via a limited blue and orange color palette that mimics Mexican Talavera pottery traditions, Suggs tackles themes of sexuality, cultural identity, and body image with understanding and heart.”—Publishers Weekly

“This engaging graphic memoir . . . poignantly highlights the journey of self-discovery that so many young people experience—often in silence—growing up in the U.S. as the children of mixed families.”—The Horn Book

From the Publisher

★ 02/01/2023

Gr 10 Uep—In this autobiographical graphic novel, teenager Chrístine travels from Texas to Mexico City after finishing 10th grade to spend the summer at the home of their maternal grandparents. The grandparents and aunt are loving and welcoming, but Chrístine does not speak Spanish well and struggles to connect with their Mexican heritage. This journey will help empower Christine to improve their Spanish while exploring and articulating how it feels to be a queer, fat, and white Mexican teen. Despite Chrístine's self-consciousness, they start capturing their experiences through drawing and soon appreciate the delicious Mexican cuisine and the historical buildings attesting to Mexico's rich history pre- and post-colonization. The text, mainly in English, is interspersed with paragraphs in Spanish driven by Suggs's Spanish-speaking family. The expressive illustrations, set mainly in shades of blue and brown, convey the plot with one artistic element providing a humorous tone and highlighting the main character's disposition: a mini-Christine character that reacts to the plot and acts as their conscience. Although Chrístine's intersectionality is always present, the main character openly discusses it halfway through the story to refer to the profound Roman Catholic background of their grandparents and Chrístine's fear of coming out to them. Chrístine's navigation of their identity will resonate with teens who feel insecure and find belonging difficult. VERDICT An accessible graphic novel for high schoolers seeking a character they can relate to and a safe space to read about mixed heritage and identity.—Kathia Ibacache

School Library Journal

2023-02-25
A teen’s life-changing trip to see relatives in Mexico is explored in this graphic novel inspired by the author’s own life.

The summer before junior year offers a chance for Christine to immerse themself in their Mexican family’s culture, but as a light-skinned, biracial kid from Texas with a White American father and Mexican immigrant mother who does not speak Spanish fluently, it is also intimidating. Christine gets to visit their maternal grandparents for the summer and explore both Mexico City and the family rancho in Querétaro. Christine grapples with multiple facets of their identity, from how to embrace the Mexican side of their mixed heritage to their weight, body image, and sexuality, but their summer in Mexico gives them the chance to explore all of these subjects. Though their lack of mastery of Spanish is isolating in the beginning, they slowly become more comfortable with the language and with themself. The illustrations effectively and attractively use a limited palette, mostly shades of blue and orange, and Christine’s internal monologue is depicted as a small orange avatar. This is a fun and fast read, and while the story is light, the coming-of-age self-exploration Christine undertakes adds nuance and depth, grounding the story in enduring themes. An epilogue includes charming photos from the Suggs’ middle and high school visits to relatives.

A sweet and memorable story of growth and self-discovery. (Graphic fiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews

02/27/2023

Sugg’s debut, a warm and good-humored semi-autobiographical graphic novel, follows rising high school junior Suggs, who is Mexican and white, preparing to spend the summer in Mexico City with their maternal grandparents and tía. The creator inserts themself as the narrator, portrayed in miniature alongside their teenage self as they recount their first time traveling from Texas to Mexico without their bilingual mother, who usually acts as the teen’s unofficial translator but is arriving two weeks later due to work. While Suggs’s lack of confidence in their biracial identity, fatness, and Spanish-speaking skills makes them dread their trip, they eventually open up to new experiences. In Mexico, Suggs learns more about the country’s history pre- and post-colonization, and gains a deeper understanding of their mother’s life before she immigrated to the U.S. Joyful moments, such as Abuela digging up a cactus during a hike to take home, lend specificity and counterbalance wrenching moments of pathos, as when the protagonist’s fear of ridicule over their body prompts them to cover up during a sweltering heat wave. Via a limited blue and orange color palette that mimics Mexican Talavera pottery traditions, Suggs tackles themes of sexuality, cultural identity, and body image with understanding and heart. Ages 12–up. Agent: Melissa Edwards, Stonesong Literary. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly