Sofi Mendoza’s Guide to Getting Lost in Mexico

Sofi Mendoza’s Guide to Getting Lost In Mexico by Malin Alegria is a story about Sofi, a first generation Mexican-American living with her strict but loving parents in California. When she and her friends cross the border to Tijuana for spring break, Sofi has no idea that she will have trouble crossing back over the border – until she is stopped at customs and told that she is not an actual citizen of the United States and must remain in Mexico. While waiting for news from the US, Sofi lives with her poor relatives and learns what real life in Mexico is like and what it really means to struggle to survive.

This story is cute, but the story never seriously delves into the seriousness of situations like Sofi’s. This book is great for the younger set, but even readers in High School might find Sofi’s plight pretty lame.