I received a review copy of this book through netgalley.

I DNFd this book. There wasnt anything wrong with it as such. It was well written and interesting but I couldn't get into it in the beginning. Perhaps it's a matter of timing but the book itself, of what I read so far, was well written with witty dialogue.

I really enjoyed the descriptions of family and Mexican culture. Most of all, the discussion of real issues of immigration and deportation, etc. was so impactful. However, the pacing seemed off, and the characters felt... unfinished, which made the story seem a bit choppy at certain points. Overall, an interesting read with Latinx representation that I hope helps someone find themselves represented in.

I really enjoyed the first few pages of the book. It felt like the plot was something really interesting to me, but after a while it didn't progress quite far enough for me. That being said, i think this book is so necessary, and perhaps that i don’t experience what is happening in this book, its a opportunity for me to learn more rather than connect to what is happening.

I’ve started and stopped this book about three times, and I’ve got to come to the realization that it just isn’t for me. It’s not for the lack of trying I really wanted to like this because I loved what this book was trying to do. And trust me i typically try to get 50% through a book before I put it down; but not with this one.
It was forgettable, and it just wasn’t clicking right with me, every time I put it down I would have to go back and re read what I forgot and it just got to be tedious.

Maybe it was me and I read this at the wrong time but for now I’m just going to go ahead and DNF this.

Thank you Netgalley for this opportunity.

I'm not sure if it was the book or if the timing was wrong, but I just couldn't get into this book. I made it 25% of the way through and there was nothing that really grabbed me and made me want to keep reading. Maybe I'll have to return to this once it's in print.

This book is the story of a young woman who studies at a community college, and the (mis)adventures that she finds herself in from having joined an extra curricular club. It is a light read.

I really liked the concept of this book. I feel like it was a light read that was still able to tackle some hard topics. Overall, not a bad read.

It's hard for a book to be a light read yet tackle some real life issues, this book found that balance. I found Sol to be an interesting character and was just heartbroken for her entire situation. I loved how close she is to her Mom and Dad and how she wants the best for them. I knew this book would be about a history club but I never really got what was happening. The side characters seemed to be more of an afterthought and it was hard for me to follow in some ways. The ending also felt rushed. I think maybe I just expected more based on the description, but I did overall enjoy the book for a light read.

This is a frustrating book to review because what this book wanted to do and what it actually accomplished are radically different - and I'm unsure whether to admire the attempt at a diverse and complex look at immigration, family, education, and gender or to criticize the lackluster writing, plot, and character development. Ultimately, it's a fairly bland coming-of-age with generic events and storytelling, without the benefits of lush prose or introspective characters. It's not a bad book per se, but amidst a sea of well-crafted diverse own voices YA, I can't find this one anything but painfully average.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC for honest review.

I really wanted to like this book, as it deals with current and important issues. I found the characters to be underdeveloped, despite the amount of exposition this book contained. I didn't feel particularly drawn into the story, although, as I said, I wanted to be. I think younger readers than I might feel more connected to the story and the writing.

When Soledad’s mom is deported after a car accident she finds herself in a new house with a new family dynamic and going to a college near home. To counteract feeling lost she joins the History Club but weirdly nothing about the club adds up. When she begins to catch feelings for a new club member she has to question her place in this world and how the club fits in it! A story of love, family, friendship and the price of stupid choices.

Historically Inaccurate follows Soledad a year after her mother has been deported to Mexico. Following her mother's advice, Sol joins the history club. But before she can join she has to do an initiation.

This book is okay. Just okay. It did not blow me away. I liked Sol's interactions with Carlos and Ethan but this is not a book that I would reread or something. While reading, I just did not know where it was going. I think because it is very character-driven but even then I was not sure what I wanted to see. It was too vague for me personally. I hope that others may enjoy it more than I did.

3.5/5

Historically Inaccurate was a fun, easy read. Sol was hilarious and her voice was realistic for a eighteen-year-old; I enjoyed her banter with her friends and found her relatable in a lot of ways (minus the crazy club shenanigans). I have read a lot of YA novels where the characters don’t sound realistic for their age so it was a refreshing change.  This book is a great example of why we need more young authors publishing young adult books.

Another great aspect of the book was the diversity. There were a lot of diverse characters but they didn’t feel tokenized or stereotypical.

As for the plot, I really liked that it addressed some important issues like deportation and racism. I also loved that Sol’s parents were so present in her life which is a little rare for YA novels. The plot was a bit slower but overall it worked for me. The reveal at the end felt a bit rushed. It felt like it was supposed to be the climax but then it just ended shortly after. 

I enjoyed the book overall. There were a few aspects that could be improved but I would definitely still recommend it.

This book was excellent. It follows one of the first semesters of a young woman in college and realistically portrays decision making during the late teen years Knowing some Spanish will help to understand the dialogue between the protagonist and her family. The book also delves into sexual identity and LGBT+ issues. I recommend for teen book clubs, older teens, and young adults.

This book was important for some reason - it depicts the danger of being a young black male, and also shows the struggle of life after a parent is deported to a country they barely know. However, at various points, you become frustrated with some of the characters for engaging in reckless behavior despite some of this. This does reflect the seeming invincibility of some young people, though.

Bonus points for using a community college as the setting, as I feel like so often, students are only every trying to go to Harvard, Yale, or Stanford in YA novels.

This was a very pleasant surprise. I knew there are amazing stories on Wattpad I just never took the time to look for one, and when I saw the synopsis of this one it intrigued me. And thank god I requested it because it's such a well-written story that acknowledges many issues like deportation, racism, and family relationships, although briefly. I love the characters so much. Soledad is a very interesting, thoughtful character, and her friends and her fellow club members all felt like genuine people that you relate to one way or another. The diversity didn't seem forced at all, but I can't say how good the representation is, because I can't speak for other people. Shay's writing, as simple as it is, is moving and captured my attention from page one and I applaud her for that. I can't wait to read more from her and I'm very very proud.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was very excited to read this book due to the subject matter of the main character coping with her mother’s deportation and the aftermath in her own life.

I appreciate the discussion around how sexuality is fluid and how it wasn’t super obvious that one of the supporting characters was transgender. Also appreciate main character’s guilt around her mother getting deported and how she has coped with the major separation in her family

I do wish the translations for Spanish dialogue were in the book so I wouldn’t have to break away from the story to see what’s going on. I’m also still not entirely sure about the club the main character was apart of (the purpose) despite it being a large part of the plot. Overall I think this book was fine and would likely recommend it to someone else as an easy read.

I'm settling on a low 3/2.5 stars. I wanted to really like this book. It has a great foundation and solid bones. But I feel like the editor(s) did the author a disservice by not helping this book be as great as it could have been. There were many parts of the story that could have been made stronger with some harder edits, and there were SO many repetitions of dialogue and aspects of the story to the point where I was repeatedly pulled out of the narrative.

I loved our main character, Sol, as well as her friends and family. I feel that Sol's relationship with her family is the strongest and best part of this book! I appreciated the storyline about Sol's mom being deported and living in Monterrey. I personally have not lived this experience, but as a reader I thought Bravo did an excellent job balancing out the emotional and mental struggles of having a loved one deported with the everyday moments of happiness and connecting that families deserve to have. I also really enjoyed Sol's friendships with Carlos and Diane. Basically, the character development is awesome!

The history club that Sol is a part of is allegedly the focal point of the narrative. However, I never fully grasped its importance. We never see the club doing anything even remotely related to history? There's a few mentions of Sol volunteering at a local museum, but...like, that's it. The club is talked about like it's a really prestigious, serious society, but we just see the members doing hazing rituals and hanging out. I didn't get how the appeal or importance of this club would motivate the characters to break the law to be initiated. The whole time I was like "How is this club even worth it?" I think there is some kind of disconnect between what the author intended and how it actually plays out in the book.

Overall, this story has a lot of potential, and I would be willing to read any other work by the author.

The premise of this book - a mystery-esque novel about a Latina female character dealing with not just a mother that's deported, but a father who needs her, responsibilities at school, disillusionment with her life and the disappointments of plans that have changed without notice...these are all great concepts that ring true with anyone reading this book, whether they're a 20 year old girl or not. I believe that this book has good bones and could really be something great.

But there is a dissonance between the story that I believe the author is telling in her mind and what's actually on the page. I found myself going back and rereading sections because the build-up didn't match what the author stated. There were moments when a character had an over-sized reaction to what was said and I couldn't understand the mismatch until I realized that this must've been built up differently in the authors mind's eye. Again, I would reiterate that this story could be GREAT. I mean she mentions Sor Juana! I was swooning! But it just isn't there yet.

It took me to get to the end of the book to recognize the purpose of the title. Historically Inaccurate outlines the story of Soledad "Sol" Gutierrez who finds herself joining a history club. This is not your average history club, though. Sol has to be extra careful because her decisions impact her family, too. Her mom was deported and her interaction with her mama is via the Internet. (This definitely pulled at my heart strings.)

The books introduces us to some interesting characters. While I, as a Black Woman, can appreciate diversity in a book, there were some elements that felt forced. However, I appreciate the sentiment of the inclusivity. Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a quick read. Is it my favorite? No. BUT, it is a pretty good book.