
This is Not a Personal Statement is a young adult novel that takes fake it till you make it to the next level. While Perla's actions are a little unbelievable, her character is especially relatable. Anyone who has felt stressed by their parents to succeed can relate to Perla's trouble, especially if your parents don't share your vision for the future. Perla's parents are written to the extreme and their words and actions are really verbal and psychologically abusive. The writing carried an excitement, hope, and suspenseful feeling the whole way through as Perla's carefully constructed plan kept changing, the lies built up and an inevitable unraveling was in the works. I was glad that during Perla's stolen time at Delmont, she was able to discover that her parent's dreams are not her dreams, make friends and speak up for herself. Perla had to break herself down in order to rebuild. While Perla's punishment seemed harsh in the end, it is also exactly what she needed. Overall, This is Not a Personal Statement is an exciting, cotemporary story of gaining independence, finding yourself and discovering your passion.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.