Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet - Laekan Zea Kemp

Im Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter meets Emergency Contact in this stunning Pura Belpré Honor Book about first love, familial expectations, the power of food, and finding where you belong.Penelope Prado has always dreamed of opening her own pastelería next to her fathers restaurant, Nachos Tacos. But her mom and dad have different plans—leaving Pen to choose between disappointing her traditional Mexican American parents or following her own path. When she confesses a secret shes been keeping, her world is sent into a tailspin. But then she meets a cute new hire at Nachos who sees through her hard exterior and asks the questions shes been too afraid to ask herself.Xander Amaro has been searching for home since he was a little boy. For him, a job at Nachos is an opportunity for just that—a chance at a normal life, to settle in at his abuelos, and to find the father who left him behind. But when both the restaurant and Xanders immigrant status are threatened, he will do whatever it takes to protect his newfound family and himself.Together, Pen and Xander must navigate first love and discovering where they belong in order to save the place they all call home.This stunning and poignant novel from debut author Laekan Zea Kemp explores identity, found families and the power of food, all nestled within a courageous and intensely loyal Chicanx community.