Book Review: Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Title: Clap When You Land

Author: Elizabeth Acevedo

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult

Pages: 432

Publisher: HarperTeen

Year Published: 2020

Format: Audiobook

"In a novel-in-verse, that brims with grief and love, National Book Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our lives.

Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people...

In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal's office where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.

Separated by distance- and Papi's secrets- the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered.

And then, when it seems like they've lost everything of their father, they learn of each other."

My Rating: 3/5

This audiobook was very intense. The switching of narrators, and their stories kept me interested throughout the book, but I wasn't interested enough in the plot. I felt like there wasn't enough tension in the grief to make me feel what I was meant to feel for the main characters. That being said, I think seeing the different lives they lived, and how their father wasn't the person they believed him to be is what really kept me interested in the story. Overall, just an okay read for me.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Title: With the Fire on High
Author: Elizabeth Acevedo
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Pages: 400
Publisher: HarperTeen
Year Published: 2019
Format: Audiobook

"With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions, and do what must be done. The one place she can let her responsibilities go in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. Still, she knows she doesn't have enough time for her school's new culinary arts class, doesn't have the money for the class's trip to Spain- and shouldn't still be dreaming of someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has for her life- and all the rules everyone expects her to play by- once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free."

My Rating: 4.5/5

I'd heard so many amazing things about this hard-hitting contemporary. And I agree with so many statements. The writing about food and cooking in this book were mouth-watering. The fact that cooking for someone could be therapeutic is interesting for someone for whom cooking is a chore. But it was inspiring in a sense. Makes me want to get recipes from my family to pass down. I also think to see a role where a teen mother was cooperating with the father and although they had issues were putting the child first was so important. Too often if there is a teen who is pregnant or has a baby it is about how they're doing it alone or wish to have changed their plans. But while it was anything but easy Emoni had a certain grace to her character! I loved her roots and personality. So much more than what people would assume about her. The only reason that this book got dinged .5 stars is the line "I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding." It's just a line that is so utterly frustrating to me. I know it can still be used well, but whenever I hear those words it just takes me so far out of any story.
Overall would recommend to Teens and Young Adults interested in an uplifting story about finding your balance and burning bright!

Thanks for reading,

Sidny