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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
funny
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Dear Haiti, Love Alaine is written in multiple formats (emails, chats, essays, newspaper stories, diary entries, etc..) and is about a spirited, witty, whip smart Haitian-American girl named Alaine. Despite attending a prestigious Catholic school and living a fairly privileged life, she carries around some heavy emotional baggage. Most of this stems from the pretty much non-existent relationship she has with her super famous mother, but could it also be due to a longstanding family curse? When an "incident" at school gets her sent to Haiti for a semester immersion project, it's not for the vacation she's always wanted. While there, she learns about some dark family secrets, starts falling for an older intern and finds herself dabbling in Vodou. And that's only the beginning of the drama that is Alaine's life...
It took me about 70 pages in to get into this book, and I almost gave up. But then suddenly the pace picked up, the storyline got seriously interesting and I couldn't put it down. Then at the very end, a big event messed it up for me again and made the story a little too far fetched. BUT I still really, really enjoyed immersing myself in the middle part of this story while learning a little bit about the geography, culture and history of Haiti. Also I loved getting to know Alaine.
It took me about 70 pages in to get into this book, and I almost gave up. But then suddenly the pace picked up, the storyline got seriously interesting and I couldn't put it down. Then at the very end, a big event messed it up for me again and made the story a little too far fetched. BUT I still really, really enjoyed immersing myself in the middle part of this story while learning a little bit about the geography, culture and history of Haiti. Also I loved getting to know Alaine.
Loved this book! This is a coming of age (and culture) story wrapped in a love letter to Haiti. The Moulite sisters did such an outstanding job of creating this fun protagonist in Alaine while sharing the history, and a rich yet complicated tradition (with voodoo and everything). Don’t poo poo this for being YA... it’s outstanding.
funny
slow-paced
This was a beautiful story that shows the truth in love and family; and how circumstances effects decisions we, as humans make.
The plot was well-planned and balanced with explanation of culture and locations in Haiti. It was not overly Americanized, like most other books I have read that are set outside the United States.
I also loved that the author shed light on the different struggles in Haiti, while ensuring that readers know that all cities are not in poverty the way Americans tend to see on television in infomercials and media outlets.
The main character, Alaine, was a normal teenager, with normal geeky teenage problems. Her growth into a young woman was not overdone in the short few months the book takes place it. The authors did not exaggerate her flaws, nor her growth.
This book shaped up to become a favorite. Although it is a hard-hitting contemporary, it was not too heavy for its targeted readers. It shows the beginning stages of mental illnesses and disability, and how certain mental/neurological illnesses can affect members of the family.