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olivialandryxo's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This is the second book I’ve read by Acevedo, and I’ll happily repeat countless others when I say that she’s an extremely talented writer. I also partially listened to the audiobook, and Acevedo is one of two narrators; I love listening to her narrate her work.
I think I like this one even more than The Poet X. Admittedly, for the first hundred pages or so, I struggled to differentiate between Camino and Yahaira and get invested in their story. But despite my rocky start, I ended up quite invested in both girls and the way their stories intertwined. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like Clap When You Land, in that regard—one that writes sibling relationships in such a unique way, examines family secrets and love and how loss can lead to gain in unexpected ways.
Only when I started reading did I realize that Acevedo based this story off of a real tragedy, the AA587 plane crash in November 2001. That realization intensified the emotions within the pages, even though the novel is in verse. Sometimes such a method means detachment from what you’re reading, but not here. Yet another one of the author’s talents, honestly.
I’m tired (as I write this, it’s 2 a.m.) and I’m not sure how much sense I make, but I did quite enjoy this book. It wasn’t a favorite, but I’d recommend it regardless. I look forward to reading more from Elizabeth Acevedo, hopefully soon.
Representation
I think I like this one even more than The Poet X. Admittedly, for the first hundred pages or so, I struggled to differentiate between Camino and Yahaira and get invested in their story. But despite my rocky start, I ended up quite invested in both girls and the way their stories intertwined. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like Clap When You Land, in that regard—one that writes sibling relationships in such a unique way, examines family secrets and love and how loss can lead to gain in unexpected ways.
Only when I started reading did I realize that Acevedo based this story off of a real tragedy, the AA587 plane crash in November 2001. That realization intensified the emotions within the pages, even though the novel is in verse. Sometimes such a method means detachment from what you’re reading, but not here. Yet another one of the author’s talents, honestly.
I’m tired (as I write this, it’s 2 a.m.) and I’m not sure how much sense I make, but I did quite enjoy this book. It wasn’t a favorite, but I’d recommend it regardless. I look forward to reading more from Elizabeth Acevedo, hopefully soon.
Representation
- Afro-Dominican protagonist
- Latinx protagonist
- established sapphic romance
- side characters of color
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: Cancer, Drug use, Homophobia, Racism, Blood, Medical content, and Trafficking
snowhitereads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This year I’m finishing my reading adventure with a bang!
These last few books are killing me! And I love it!
Clap When You Land is a story about grief, humanity, strength, and growth.
The characters’ development was impeccable. Each one had their own personal struggles, aspirations and ideals but everyone was faced with betrayal by a man that they admired, adored, and loved.
One of my favorite aspects about this book is that one character identifies as queer and while she and her girlfriend are an integral part of the story, their queerness is simply a part of the larger story rather than the story itself, and I found that so refreshing. Being queer is more than your coming out story.
Another thing I would like to point out it’s the importance of the author’s note. Seriously, read it! The amount of research that Acevedo put into this tragic event and her ability to respectfully portray it in this book was amazing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Medical content, Trafficking, and Grief
nickoliver's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Grief