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bahareads 's review for:
Clap When You Land
by Elizabeth Acevedo
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
*I listened to this on audiobook* Now I listened to all of Avevedo's books back-to-back except Family Lore. While this novel is told in verse, it did not sound like it. It read (sounded) like regular prose.
On November 12, 2001, flight AA587 crashed in the ground in Queens killing 260 persons. More than 90% of the passengers on flight AA587 were of Dominican descent. It is the second-deadliest aviation crash in United States history. It is from this historical event that Elizabeth Acevedo decided to pen her third novel. (just took this from BookofCinz review to help with the background).
The book is split between Camino and Yahaira's POV. I LOVED the split view; it translates well when the girls turn to WHY their father has done this. Honestly that is my favourite part, when and how they wrestle with issues of WHO their father was, and WHY he lived two lives. They do not get all the answers, but we do see healing and kindling of family ties. THAT is what I liked. I preferred Yahaira's POV, yet both Camino and Yahaira were loveable. They were imperfect. They were REAL. I felt all the feelings they felt; the rise and fall of the emotional waves was amazing.
The book is raw and real. The characters shine through. I did not like (though I know it to be true in most cases), that Yaharia HAD to go to the US to have a better life. It rubbed me the wrong that emigration was a must in the book. I could be transposing my personal feelings on the book, regarding brain drain and the tropicalization of island life.
On November 12, 2001, flight AA587 crashed in the ground in Queens killing 260 persons. More than 90% of the passengers on flight AA587 were of Dominican descent. It is the second-deadliest aviation crash in United States history. It is from this historical event that Elizabeth Acevedo decided to pen her third novel. (just took this from BookofCinz review to help with the background).
The book is split between Camino and Yahaira's POV. I LOVED the split view; it translates well when the girls turn to WHY their father has done this. Honestly that is my favourite part, when and how they wrestle with issues of WHO their father was, and WHY he lived two lives. They do not get all the answers, but we do see healing and kindling of family ties. THAT is what I liked. I preferred Yahaira's POV, yet both Camino and Yahaira were loveable. They were imperfect. They were REAL. I felt all the feelings they felt; the rise and fall of the emotional waves was amazing.
The book is raw and real. The characters shine through. I did not like (though I know it to be true in most cases), that Yaharia HAD to go to the US to have a better life. It rubbed me the wrong that emigration was a must in the book. I could be transposing my personal feelings on the book, regarding brain drain and the tropicalization of island life.