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I wa su able to finish the book (will be working on that), but from where I left off it seems as if Merci has a strong personality. She is intelligent and observant, making connections specifically about Lolo and how much they’ve changed. The age Merci is in is a difficult one. You are learning yourself, your personality, your body, how to manage outsides stressors. You are beginning to grow up and take responsibility. I think she handles all of this so well even without beating treated like a growing girl by her family.

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I think that it was wrong they kept Lolo's alzheimer's hidden from Merci because I think if shes mature enough to take care of her cousins and take on more responsibilities she can know the truth.

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I related to this book a lot considering I am also an older sister, I noticed Merci always stayed strong proving to be a role model. I also noticed she was staying strong going through the tough times that she was having as an actual teenager.

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I noticed that Merci handled the situations she went through really well. When Edna messed up the costume she was the bigger person and didn't really try to get back at her which is important and says a lot about her character.

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I noticed how much the dynamic of the family changed as soon as Merci found out about Lolo's alzheimer's. It might have really hurt her hearing this news but it made it easier for her to understand her surroundings and why it is things are changing around las casas. I think this is something many parents do in order to protect their children when in reality it does more harm. You cannot expect your child who has all these responsibilities and sacrifices to understand when you don't explain and give them answers.

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Something that really stuck out to be from this book is just how sometimes adults choose to shield children from the cruel reality because they want to keep them safe and they don't want to hurt them. The irony however, is that by doing this they are actually hurting the children even more in ways that they may not expect. This is the case with Merci who is left in the dark about Lolo's illness which only makes her resent her family because she doesn't understand why everyone is acting so differently and why her life is suddenly not the same anymore. Ignorance is not always bliss.

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As a teenager I feel that as I get older I get more things that need to be cared of, not only school but also help at home and most importantly help my inner self. Not only as I get older my body gets sore, my head hurts. things I didn't noticed when I was in middle school or elementary. Our parents dont mean to dump responsabilities on us even if it seems so but they need help. Life is a handful and everyone has problems but you can handle things better when you look back at the obstacles you overcame and realize that you can do may things in your own ;)

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Some things I've noticed in the book was just how much merci has grown and matured. When your one of the oldest kids in a big family a lot is expected and I think that it's important to recognize that growth. I wonder though what made her see that change was okay that it was art of life. Because in the end you saw her see that aceptence towards change but was it the disease or her own growth that made her see change in a new light?

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I can relate to the family not telling Merci the truth about Lolo. I feel like they are still processing, too. My parents did not tell me a lot growing up - and  as I've grown older, they have shared more. I think that they may have been processing themselves and now in telling me they continue to process and finally heal. Especially in this last year, witnessing the murder of
George Floyd and all the struggles in the world, has opened up more conversations about past experiences - examining in new ways. They are seeing their lives in new ways - through a new lens.

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Share your thoughts about the book. What do you notice? What do you think? What do you wonder?