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antidietleah's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Dementia, and Terminal illness
displacedcactus's review against another edition
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
If you are specifically looking for something to complete the Haiti prompt in the StoryGraph Reads the World challenge, you could do worse than choosing this book. It has a few things going for it in that regard:
1. It's a very brisk and easy read, great if you're trying to complete your prompts as the year winds down around us.
2. The story does deal with some heavy subjects (well-detailed in the content warnings here on SG), but the tone overall is pretty bright and there's no graphic, explicit on-page content.
3. The story weaves together a lightly revised version of Haiti's history, its current state, and the diaspora experience. I feel like this really fits the spirit of the Reads the World challenge, as the idea was to get to know other countries that we might not encounter in our usual reading and media consumption.
If you're not reading for the challenge, I can't give it a very strong recommendation. I didn't particularly click with Alaine as a narrator, and a couple of elements of the story didn't sit right with me (getting into them would involve really spoiling the end of the story). The romance element felt tacked-on and poorly fleshed out (I say this as a romance reader, who enjoys a good romantic subplot in any sort of fiction), and at times it felt like there was simultaneously too much going on, and nothing happening.
Your mileage may vary, which is why I don't give books star ratings. I suspect a lot of readers will immediately love Alaine and enjoy spending a few hundred pages in her company. If you're curious about this book, go ahead and find a sample online and you should know pretty quickly if this is a book you'll enjoy reading, though you may still share my quibbles with the end.
1. It's a very brisk and easy read, great if you're trying to complete your prompts as the year winds down around us.
2. The story does deal with some heavy subjects (well-detailed in the content warnings here on SG), but the tone overall is pretty bright and there's no graphic, explicit on-page content.
3. The story weaves together a lightly revised version of Haiti's history, its current state, and the diaspora experience. I feel like this really fits the spirit of the Reads the World challenge, as the idea was to get to know other countries that we might not encounter in our usual reading and media consumption.
If you're not reading for the challenge, I can't give it a very strong recommendation. I didn't particularly click with Alaine as a narrator, and a couple of elements of the story didn't sit right with me (getting into them would involve really spoiling the end of the story). The romance element felt tacked-on and poorly fleshed out (I say this as a romance reader, who enjoys a good romantic subplot in any sort of fiction), and at times it felt like there was simultaneously too much going on, and nothing happening.
Your mileage may vary, which is why I don't give books star ratings. I suspect a lot of readers will immediately love Alaine and enjoy spending a few hundred pages in her company. If you're curious about this book, go ahead and find a sample online and you should know pretty quickly if this is a book you'll enjoy reading, though you may still share my quibbles with the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dementia
Minor: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Animal death
luminareads's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book was pretty good. The beginning was funny, but the middle and end dropped that tone a bit which was disappointing. I liked Alaine's voice in the book, it was clear and distinct, and I thought that using letters and documents to help tell the story was a unique touch. The ending was okay, not my favorite and I doubt I'll reread this book anytime soon but overall, it was a pretty good book. My main complaint is with the cover of the US paperback, the clear film on my copy kept peeling back along the edges and as someone who likes to keep all my books looking perfect this was a distraction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Death
moonytoast's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I'm so happy that I happened upon this book by chance.... There were so many moments where I was surprisingly on the edge of my seat, which isn't a frequent occurrence for me with young adult contemporary fiction. I won't go into details, but I think the Moulite sisters weave a lovely, engaging epistolary novel about coming of age and family. Recently, I've been wondering if I'm just too old to enjoy young adult contemporary fiction as much as I previously did, but this book proved me wrong.
My favorite aspect of this book was the writing style. I've made it no secret that I generally prefer third person narration, but Maika and Maritza Moulite use the first person point of view to their advantage and create a Distinct Character Voice™ that helps to further build out Alaine as a protagonist.
My favorite aspect of this book was the writing style. I've made it no secret that I generally prefer third person narration, but Maika and Maritza Moulite use the first person point of view to their advantage and create a Distinct Character Voice™ that helps to further build out Alaine as a protagonist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia and Miscarriage
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Medical content
Minor: Death
sarah984's review against another edition
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I really liked the idea of this book, but the execution was lacking for me.
First off, things I liked. It was interesting to see a YA where the main character has divorced parents who still have a decent relationship. Both parents were supportive in their own way and had interesting stories. I liked the idea of Alaine going to Haiti to understand her history, and the way the country and culture were described was great.
Things I didn't like: Alaine is supposed to be 17 but she's very immature and babyish so it makes her relationship with a "college boy" seem skeevier than it is. The idea of her including the flirty slack messages in her final project is absurd. The embezzlement plotline felt unnecessary and the culprit is the one person who acts suspiciously. The adults all have interesting stories that are barely delved into. Rosaline in particular is more plot device than person. The tone in general is a wild pendulum between silly teen antics and very serious subject matter (not just the mom’s Alzheimers but another character dies out of nowhere and this is handled in an absolutely bizarre manner). The whole family curse plotline felt kind of pointless (especially having so recently read <i>When You Trap a Tiger</i> which did this better) and I would have liked to see more of Alaine’s work with the Patron Pal app and kids instead.
First off, things I liked. It was interesting to see a YA where the main character has divorced parents who still have a decent relationship. Both parents were supportive in their own way and had interesting stories. I liked the idea of Alaine going to Haiti to understand her history, and the way the country and culture were described was great.
Things I didn't like: Alaine is supposed to be 17 but she's very immature and babyish so it makes her relationship with a "college boy" seem skeevier than it is. The idea of her including the flirty slack messages in her final project is absurd. The embezzlement plotline felt unnecessary and the culprit is the one person who acts suspiciously. The adults all have interesting stories that are barely delved into. Rosaline in particular is more plot device than person. The tone in general is a wild pendulum between silly teen antics and very serious subject matter
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Child abuse, Classism, Death, Slavery, Bullying, Grief, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Terminal illness
Minor: Alcohol, Drug use, Medical content, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Rape, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, and Child death
lyricallit's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Alaine is a vibrant, engaging character! I loved hearing the language and accents in the audiobook, but I did wish I had a brief written reference for some of the Haitian historical figures. I appreciate how the authors were able to weave in Haiti's history in a way that was accessible for white Americans who probably have no experience with it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage and Dementia
Moderate: Sexual assault
noyastan's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really loved Alaine's voice, her snark and sarcasm and how she always mixes her stories with other fictional tales, getting wrapped up in her writing! I loved reading from Alaine's POV and getting to sit in her head, seeing her writing and her feelings unfold. I also liked how the authors combined emails, texts, newspaper articles with Alaine's narration.
Alaine takes an unexpected middle-of-the-school-year trip to her parents' home country, Haiti, when a school presentation goes wrong, and spends her time there trying to counter a family curse and understand her distant mother.
While I appreciated the expansive family drama, Alaine's complex relationship with her mother, addressing the difficulties of coming to term with Alzheimer's/illness, and the mystery of the curse, I did not love the ending. Part of it is because some aspects seem rushed, many things getting all wrapped up in the last few sections, but also one huge part that seemed not only unnecessary but cruel. If the novel had ended a bit differently, I would've probably enjoyed it more, but alas.
Alaine takes an unexpected middle-of-the-school-year trip to her parents' home country, Haiti, when a school presentation goes wrong, and spends her time there trying to counter a family curse and understand her distant mother.
While I appreciated the expansive family drama, Alaine's complex relationship with her mother, addressing the difficulties of coming to term with Alzheimer's/illness, and the mystery of the curse, I did not love the ending. Part of it is because some aspects seem rushed, many things getting all wrapped up in the last few sections, but also one huge part that seemed not only unnecessary but cruel. If the novel had ended a bit differently, I would've probably enjoyed it more, but alas.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Dementia, and Miscarriage
Minor: Child abuse
tucker68511's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Miscarriage, and Death
kateivy's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I absolutely adored Alaine from the very beginning. The authors absolutely excelled at creating a realistic and loveable teen MC.
The epistolary format was awesome; I loved the combination of diary entries, texts, emails, etc. It really kept the book fast paced and showed Alaine's personality.
My only complaint was the organization got a bit wonky in places. Alaine would mentioned something in her diary entry, but there wouldn't be an artifact, so to speak, representing this event until several pages later, which left me feeling like I had missed something. Quite minor!
The epistolary format was awesome; I loved the combination of diary entries, texts, emails, etc. It really kept the book fast paced and showed Alaine's personality.
My only complaint was the organization got a bit wonky in places. Alaine would mentioned something in her diary entry, but there wouldn't be an artifact, so to speak, representing this event until several pages later, which left me feeling like I had missed something. Quite minor!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Sexual assault
mirandareadsca's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Death, and Dementia
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy