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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
Very good story. I like the format, and the voices of the characters (how they communicated).
I saw this book and immediately fell in love with the cover, because well it’s gorgeous. And while you should never judge a book by its cover I feel that in this case the book is as good as the cover.
The novel centers around the main character Alaine, who seems to be a very self-aware teenager who attends school. Both Alaine’s parents are from Haiti, but they are divorced and she lives with her Dad. Alaine’s mom is an on air reporter and makes a huge mistake slapping a senator on TV, cringe. At the same time Alaine also gets in a little hot water in school, almost getting expelled and both women are shipped to Haiti to take a little time out. Since Alaine is suspended she must go to school in Haiti to make up the credits.
I’ve never read a book that was written through a series of emails, tweets, texts, letters and journal entries but I really loved it.
I also loved the fact that the book also looked at so many aspects of Haiti including immigration, poverty and colonialism that has plagued the people for centuries. I don’t know a lot about Haiti and this prompted me to learn more. Such a great book!
The novel centers around the main character Alaine, who seems to be a very self-aware teenager who attends school. Both Alaine’s parents are from Haiti, but they are divorced and she lives with her Dad. Alaine’s mom is an on air reporter and makes a huge mistake slapping a senator on TV, cringe. At the same time Alaine also gets in a little hot water in school, almost getting expelled and both women are shipped to Haiti to take a little time out. Since Alaine is suspended she must go to school in Haiti to make up the credits.
I’ve never read a book that was written through a series of emails, tweets, texts, letters and journal entries but I really loved it.
I also loved the fact that the book also looked at so many aspects of Haiti including immigration, poverty and colonialism that has plagued the people for centuries. I don’t know a lot about Haiti and this prompted me to learn more. Such a great book!
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
I LOVED this book. Alaine is an amazing character. I really enjoyed her personality, her passion, and her determination. The descriptions and the settings were just so amazing and i could see them so clearly in my head. Throw in some mysticism and curses? Yes, please. This was such an excellent read. I also loved finding out from the authors’ note that it was written by two sisters.
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
this was fun! the writing is nothing spectacular but I enjoyed the archival quality.
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I won this book from Goodreads' FirstReads. Alaine is a Haitian American teenager of immigrant parents. It looks at the pressures and successes of her life. She's dealing with her parents' divorce, their demanding careers, struggles with peers at school, and being a part of two different cultures. I learned a lot about Haitian history and culture. Haiti is one of those countries that is near to the US and has important historical events, but is never really talked about in the American classroom. I really recommend this book.
3.5 stars
i really enjoyed getting a glimpse into haiti. and the different formats of the story kept it fresh and compelling... until the end where i got kind of confused about the curse and whether we were supposed to believe it or not. maybe that was the point. but it made it to seem like tony was killed on purpose? and i can see why alaine thinks it was her fault (because she wanted to go back early despite his predictions abt a storm) but are we to think that rosalie had planned all that from the beginning? or was alaine just giving her too much credit and emotional once she realized the ritual wouldnt cure her mother's alzheimers?
anyhow, i enjoyed the teen voice on this one a lot -- a strong and defiant but reasonable voice (at least most of the time). and again, happy to see haiti represented in the YA world. would love to see more #ownvoices writing like this that is very specific to bicultural teens who experience their parents' home country for the first time. because there's the sense of newness and comparison to the US but without the white tourist voice dominating the story. in a way this reminded me of darius the great is not okay and listen slowly. can we create a hashtag for this genre of books so that i can find them more easily? maybe #2ndgen1stvisit ?? yeah, im sure you can come up with something better. just do it quick and start tagging.
i really enjoyed getting a glimpse into haiti. and the different formats of the story kept it fresh and compelling... until the end where i got kind of confused about the curse and whether we were supposed to believe it or not. maybe that was the point. but it made it to seem like tony was killed on purpose? and i can see why alaine thinks it was her fault (because she wanted to go back early despite his predictions abt a storm) but are we to think that rosalie had planned all that from the beginning? or was alaine just giving her too much credit and emotional once she realized the ritual wouldnt cure her mother's alzheimers?
anyhow, i enjoyed the teen voice on this one a lot -- a strong and defiant but reasonable voice (at least most of the time). and again, happy to see haiti represented in the YA world. would love to see more #ownvoices writing like this that is very specific to bicultural teens who experience their parents' home country for the first time. because there's the sense of newness and comparison to the US but without the white tourist voice dominating the story. in a way this reminded me of darius the great is not okay and listen slowly. can we create a hashtag for this genre of books so that i can find them more easily? maybe #2ndgen1stvisit ?? yeah, im sure you can come up with something better. just do it quick and start tagging.
I can't say enough about how amazing this book was! The characters, settings, and emotions coming through are so genuine and spectacular. Excellent read!
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In this novel the main character, Alaine,aspires to be a great journalist like her mom, Celeste, who is a famous political TV anchor. Alaine admires her work, but feels estranged from her since shes always busy with work. One day everything falls apart as her mom has an outburst on live TV. After an incident (prank gone wrong) where she tries to restore her mom’s name at school she is suspended and shipped off to Haiti to complete her final project. Will she be able to reconnect with her mother and heritage?
As Alaine tries to bond with her mom and her aunt she finds it difficult. She learns more about her heritage, but finds it hard to connect to a world that seems so different from where she grew up. Things are especially difficult since her mom is suffering from a illness. She tries her hardest to stay strong to reconnect because they have been so estranged for so many years.
Reading the book through Alaine’s perspective is entertaining. She has a lively personality with her heavy sarcasm and humor, but readers see how she uses it cover up how she struggling with all the recent events. She’s a talented writer with great wit and use of words. The final project is a great challenge for her and through researching the history of Haiti she becomes more connected to her heritage.
This book was such a fantastic from start to finish. It paints a vivid portrait of Haiti’s rich culture, people, language, and history. While the story is heartwarming, it’s a bit bittersweet at the same time. Alaine uses her voice best way she knows how to express feelings in her writing. In Haiti she become more connected to family but also learns about her heritage falls in love, and learns more about herself. The journey has its ups and downs Alain comes out even stronger in the end.
I loved the way the book is written in a mixture of narrative, letters ,diary entries, and emails. It kept me engrossed into the story and it also helped to show multiple sides of the story. This is a beautifully written novel with a very strong narrative about family, growing up, and feeling connected to your heritage.
*Trigger Warnings: Illness, Death
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
In this novel the main character, Alaine,aspires to be a great journalist like her mom, Celeste, who is a famous political TV anchor. Alaine admires her work, but feels estranged from her since shes always busy with work. One day everything falls apart as her mom has an outburst on live TV. After an incident (prank gone wrong) where she tries to restore her mom’s name at school she is suspended and shipped off to Haiti to complete her final project. Will she be able to reconnect with her mother and heritage?
As Alaine tries to bond with her mom and her aunt she finds it difficult. She learns more about her heritage, but finds it hard to connect to a world that seems so different from where she grew up. Things are especially difficult since her mom is suffering from a illness. She tries her hardest to stay strong to reconnect because they have been so estranged for so many years.
Reading the book through Alaine’s perspective is entertaining. She has a lively personality with her heavy sarcasm and humor, but readers see how she uses it cover up how she struggling with all the recent events. She’s a talented writer with great wit and use of words. The final project is a great challenge for her and through researching the history of Haiti she becomes more connected to her heritage.
This book was such a fantastic from start to finish. It paints a vivid portrait of Haiti’s rich culture, people, language, and history. While the story is heartwarming, it’s a bit bittersweet at the same time. Alaine uses her voice best way she knows how to express feelings in her writing. In Haiti she become more connected to family but also learns about her heritage falls in love, and learns more about herself. The journey has its ups and downs Alain comes out even stronger in the end.
I loved the way the book is written in a mixture of narrative, letters ,diary entries, and emails. It kept me engrossed into the story and it also helped to show multiple sides of the story. This is a beautifully written novel with a very strong narrative about family, growing up, and feeling connected to your heritage.
*Trigger Warnings: Illness, Death
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.