Full Review from my blog Owl Eyes Reviews

It’s not everyday that you see a young adult book with a non-American black protagonist, so when I saw this book I was very attracted it it. The story wasn’t necessarily attractive to me, but I wanted to try the story simply to read about this different perspective.

I was surprised how I - a black, first generation Congolese American girl with parents who grew up speaking french - could find so many cultural similarities between myself and the characters in this book. That aspect was really comforting and was honestly what kept me interested in this book for so long. It was refreshing to read about something that was like my family in certain aspects.

Unfortunately, other than the cultural things, this book wasn’t my favorite. I have realized that I have a problem when books start with a really big things - like an earthquake - and we as readers don’t get the opportunity to now the characters before their lives change. We don’t have the time to fall in love with the things the main characters love. I really felt that way with this book. I wish the story would have started before the earthquake so I could have fallen in love with Port-Au-Prince and the people before the quake.

The end of this book felt rushed, which frustrated me because I felt like the story needed to be fleshed out more. Especially in the place where it ended.
In the end, this book wasn’t my favorite, but I’m really glad I read it. It gives a really raw and beautiful look into the life of a Hatian girl, which I haven’t ever read about before. :)