Reviews with content warning for Rape - When We Make It

the only reason i’m giving this four stars it’s because i wanted better for saraí. i wanted her to be everything she said she wanted to be. i wanted her to be better than her mother, and her sister.

but, nonetheless…

i enjoyed this, WAY TOO MUCH! this felt like a love letter to my summers in the city, running down the block yelling after el heladero to give me my vasito de colores so that i could give him his two dollars and walk back to my building already with my mouth turning blue thanks to the helado. a love letter to dreams and the hopes and the aspirations i had as a pre-teen sitting on the danger around the corner, away, but close enough that my mother knew where to send my siblings to find me and my friends. a love letter to a better life… to hope.

this collection of poems does such a great job at driving us through saraí’s story, her pain, and her joy. the hunger and thirst she constantly felt. whether for food, love or understanding. the way it forges the story with lack of dialogue is reminiscent of her diary, and how she truly saw life and experienced it.

it’s also a big mirror to the relationship a lot of hispanic mothers have with their daughters. i found myself tightening my jaw and reminding myself that my mother was but a child, too and that i, as her firstborn, were a product of trial and error. she learned. she rectified, but the damage was done, and estrella paid a different price than her mother’s and saraí paid the price because estrella had been the first.

honestly, this is so good and i will be picking this up whenever i feel nostalgic for more. for saraí. for estrella. for mami, and tío richie. I LOVED THIS!

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tahsintries's review against another edition

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4.25

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delz's review against another edition

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emotional reflective fast-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

When We Make It, is Sarai’s emotional roller coaster life in Bushwick NY. Sarai is a Puerto Rican girl living with her Mami and sister Estrella. They live tentatively, almost like transients because there is so little money for food let alone money for rent. Sarai’s life takes one bad leap after another, yet there is always hope that they will “make it” and not necessarily leave Bushwick,but just have some security in their lives. This book does remind me very much of Elizabeth Acevedo‘s The Poet X, but Velasquez has her own story to tell and she has done it very well. Thank @PenguinTeen! for giving me an ARC of #WhenWeMakeIt

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armontheroad's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I was given a copy from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 21ST

WHEN WE MAKE IT is a stunning story in verse about challenging the concept of what it means to “make it” in today’s society. Elisabet Acevedo beautifully tackles a variety of topics that will undeniably help so many readers! As a first-generation Puerto Rican, who has gone through a lot of the same struggles Sarai does, this was comforting in a way words cannot explain. The experiences in this book are raw and real. WHEN WE MAKE IT healed bits of myself I forgot were still parts of my being. I recommend this to any Latinx readers (especially if you’re a Boricua), to people who feel as though their voices do not matter, and literally everyone else. This is a powerful, breathtaking, and impactful debut that you do not want to miss!

Please check the TW/CWs listed in my review.

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melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition

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challenging hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Teen for an arc of this book.

When We Make It is a book written in verse about the teenage years of Sarai as she struggles to find herself as well as hold hope for the future in the midst of a difficult present

Sarai is a wonderful character. I really enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes and seeing how she felt throughout the poetry. The verse in this book is so beautiful! If you are a fan of Elizabeth Acevedo, you should definitely pick this up. It reminded me a lot of The Poet X and I really enjoyed reading it.

This is definitely not a happy book and a lot of bad things happen, but I do think that it is hopeful for the future and could definitely be considered inspiring. Great read!

Pub date: September 21, 2021

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foreverinastory's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.0

Thank you to Penguin Teen & Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Rep: Borican female MC, and mixed borican supporting cast.

CWs: Addiction (drugs), body shaming, child abuse, death, domestic abuse, drug use/abuse, drug overdose, fatphobia, police brutality, pregnancy, racism, rape, sexism, sexual assault, sexual content.

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