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chelle22's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Pregnancy, Death, Grief, Physical abuse, Stalking, Trafficking, Infidelity, Deadnaming, and Death of parent
eve81's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Cancer
kbairbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was a hard read for me. I think it’s important and we always need more diversity in the world. But it was hard.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Stalking
criticalgayze's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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? Yes
4.75
I am a huge fan of Acevedo's National Book Award-winning debut, The Poet X, so I was thrilled to get to read this as one of my grad school book discussion selections. Acevedo remains at the top of her craft as both poet and storyteller in her third effort, and I need to make time for her sophomore effort, With the Fire on High.
What I love most about Acevedo is that, like with Aiden Thomas's Cemetery Boys, she makes time to celebrate so much of the culture and peoples that she loves. There are so many different facets of Latinx and immigrant heritage here, and she also makes sure to also have Queer rep in a way that feels authentic and cared for.
Acevedo is also a phenomenal poet, and, like Jason Reynolds, is able to sustain the individuality and emotional tone of the pieces while still crafting a compelling novel with them. I do think there is a little bit at the end that becomes a little more narrative than the rest where I think the format loses its function, but it is brief and comes at an understandable point in the novel. Once I realized what was happening, I found the structural difference between the two sister's poetry, and I'd love to find an article or interview where Acevedo discusses the choice a little more.
Finally, I appreciate that, unlike most novel-in-verse (including The Poet X), Acevedo does not feel the need here to give a reason (like, "I'm doing this for a school project.") to explain why the story is told this way. There is form without making excuses for function.
(I listened to this one while following along in the text - thanks to Libby for allowing this to be an easy, available, and free option - and I found both Acevedo and Melania-Luisa Marte to be wonderful narrators.)
Quotes:
But it might be a sinkhole/trying to feast quicksand/mouth pried open; I hunger for stable ground,/ somewhere else. (Page 2)
I've always loved that phrase for birthing:/dando a luz giving to light./I was my mother's gift to the sun of her life. (Page 13)
He must have realized/his laugh was like one of those paper shredders/making a sad confetti of my hopes. (Page 15)
How could I have known then/there are no rules, no expectations, no rising to the occasion./When you learn news like this, there is only/ falling. (Page 22)
They can't dance bachata or sing Juan Luis Guerra,/can't recite Solomé Ureña or even name the forefathers;/ they wrap their flag around their shoulders like a safety blanket,/& if a heart has topography,/I know none of these boys know the coordinates/to navigate and survive mine's tough terrain. (Page 44)
& if the game taught me one thing,/it's once you lift a pawn off the board,/you have to move it forward. (Page 55)
There is an artist my mother loved,/Juan Gabriel, who was once asked/in an interview if he was gay./His reply: What's understood need not be said. (Page 75)
Fight until you can't breathe, & if you have to forfeit,/forfeit smiling, make them think you let them win. (Page 86)
Can you be from a place/you have never been?/You can find the island stamped all over me,/but what would the island find if I was there?/Can you claim a home that does not know you,/much less claim you as its own? (Page 97)
I am from a playground place. (Page 159)
As if she couldn't believe this of Papi./But me, I know a man can have many faces & speak out of/both sides of his mouth; I know a man can make decisions/based on the flip of a coin;/a man can be real good at long division,/give away piece after piece after piece of himself. (Page 266)
She doesn't look like an American-apple-pie mother./She looks like a tres golpes of a mother. (Page 279)
What I love most about Acevedo is that, like with Aiden Thomas's Cemetery Boys, she makes time to celebrate so much of the culture and peoples that she loves. There are so many different facets of Latinx and immigrant heritage here, and she also makes sure to also have Queer rep in a way that feels authentic and cared for.
Acevedo is also a phenomenal poet, and, like Jason Reynolds, is able to sustain the individuality and emotional tone of the pieces while still crafting a compelling novel with them. I do think there is a little bit at the end that becomes a little more narrative than the rest where I think the format loses its function, but it is brief and comes at an understandable point in the novel. Once I realized what was happening, I found the structural difference between the two sister's poetry, and I'd love to find an article or interview where Acevedo discusses the choice a little more.
Finally, I appreciate that, unlike most novel-in-verse (including The Poet X), Acevedo does not feel the need here to give a reason (like, "I'm doing this for a school project.") to explain why the story is told this way. There is form without making excuses for function.
(I listened to this one while following along in the text - thanks to Libby for allowing this to be an easy, available, and free option - and I found both Acevedo and Melania-Luisa Marte to be wonderful narrators.)
Quotes:
But it might be a sinkhole/trying to feast quicksand/mouth pried open; I hunger for stable ground,/ somewhere else. (Page 2)
I've always loved that phrase for birthing:/dando a luz giving to light./I was my mother's gift to the sun of her life. (Page 13)
He must have realized/his laugh was like one of those paper shredders/making a sad confetti of my hopes. (Page 15)
How could I have known then/there are no rules, no expectations, no rising to the occasion./When you learn news like this, there is only/ falling. (Page 22)
They can't dance bachata or sing Juan Luis Guerra,/can't recite Solomé Ureña or even name the forefathers;/ they wrap their flag around their shoulders like a safety blanket,/& if a heart has topography,/I know none of these boys know the coordinates/to navigate and survive mine's tough terrain. (Page 44)
& if the game taught me one thing,/it's once you lift a pawn off the board,/you have to move it forward. (Page 55)
There is an artist my mother loved,/Juan Gabriel, who was once asked/in an interview if he was gay./His reply: What's understood need not be said. (Page 75)
Fight until you can't breathe, & if you have to forfeit,/forfeit smiling, make them think you let them win. (Page 86)
Can you be from a place/you have never been?/You can find the island stamped all over me,/but what would the island find if I was there?/Can you claim a home that does not know you,/much less claim you as its own? (Page 97)
I am from a playground place. (Page 159)
As if she couldn't believe this of Papi./But me, I know a man can have many faces & speak out of/both sides of his mouth; I know a man can make decisions/based on the flip of a coin;/a man can be real good at long division,/give away piece after piece after piece of himself. (Page 266)
She doesn't look like an American-apple-pie mother./She looks like a tres golpes of a mother. (Page 279)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Stalking, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Medical content, Physical abuse, and Trafficking
Minor: Cancer
imaginingly's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
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
5.0
this was such a good read. i’ve never read a poetry book before but i loved this so much. i loved the different POVs between the 2 main characters and how the story gave insights to their minds while the plot continued on
the lgbtqia+ representation also made me cry
the lgbtqia+ representation also made me cry
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Physical abuse, Gaslighting, and Stalking
andra_mihaela_s's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.5
4.5 stars!
This is the second book I read by Elizabeth Acevedo and I must say that hers is the only poetry I'm interested in!:)))
We follow 2 sisters finding out about each other due to their tragic connecion to the second deadliest plane accident in the history of US.
Content Warnings: death of a parent; infidelity; attempted rape; sexual harassment; traumatic childbirth.
This novel in verse is amazing in it's contruction...how seamless the story is written and how easy is for the reader to experience the Dominican Republic through Camino's, and later on, Yahaira's eyes; it's a great homage to the people lost in the real accident and thier families, being inspired by secrets and shattered hero images as the author mentiones in her note; and more than that...it's a beautiful story of family growing stronger through loss.
I instantly loved the 2 girls! They have distinctive voices, one being silent in her grief over her hero vanishing in the smoke of lies uncovered-one that failed her when it mattered most, and one...an angry sort of quiet, a stubborn refusal of sharing and receiving, a rock that lets the nature scream for her!
It's quite impressive how using the same characteristic...the silent sort of girl...Acevedo creating such different people!
I think I can safely say all these characters are comunicating without words, from the girls, to the aunt (tia Solano) and Yahaira's mother, Zoila (for whom I have a deep respect. I truly could not put up with what she did >...>) and the dead. This is a book based on listening with your other senses.Fascinating!
Still...I would have enjoyed this even more if our 2 sisters comunicated a little bit more, if they would have had another bonding moments before the climax.(This may not be what you'll think...after all I usually want more emotions from my characters...even the silent ones who have a pretty solid reason to not want to share themselves with others..>..>...so take this with a grain of salt...)
As much as I like our main cast, the pivotal part - the MC in absentia - the faher "Papi" is not on my list. I quess this is because I won't ever forgive such a person no matter what. I understand that maybe this has a different weight for every human, but betrayal is not easily forgiven or forgotten in my book. This is way I couldn't understand how the 2 sisters could move so fast (for me! mind you we have a period of shock, denial, anger and sadness for each girl!) to acceptance and beyond.
Don't get me wrong! I'm perfectly happy how the book ended and how the girls dealt with the news of a sister previously unknown, but the constant lamenting over a man that failed every woman in his life was not something I could agree with....especially when Yahaira needed him and he showed her only contempt, and Camino was left in such a dangerous situation.
About this situation...I will not address it being a spoiler, but it's definetely a negative for me...how come he did not speak about this issue with tia???? or Zoila??? how come they don't find evidence for this "attempt at protection" after his death??? ..and WHY ON EARTH YOU WILL LET YOUR DAUGHTER IN SUCH A UNCERTAIN SITUATION WHEN YOU'RE GONE????
For those of you that read the book..I'm referring to El Cero.
In terms of plot and atmosphere... I was a little bit surprised about the type of heavy in encountered here..sure, we have grieve and anger/ betrayal as main focus, but also feelings of abandonment to the fates (exemplified by Carline's story and hardship in life), of fighting a loosing battle when you feel everybody tells you no, it's not meant for you...safe to say, I resonated a lot with Camino! ^^
The plot was also complemented with surprises..one of them being Carline's journey..I just wanted a little bit more when it come to the climax of the story...high emotions can and will take over you under constant pressure, but Camino's decision put her in a danger she wasn't prone to taking...
As themes discussed we have: sex tourism, infidelity and how that affects family, parallel families in Dominican culture and how accepted they are by older generations, the importance of family and heritage in Dominican culture.
In conclusion, despite my personal gripe with how such a father can be forgiven and how the danger was dealt with, this book is an unique coming of age story about family and loss, grieve and the process of acceptance, that also tackles what it means to be Dominican, life on the island and everyday hardships of women of that culture everywhere in the world.
If you enjoy/are interested about any of this, please pick up the audiobook!( The author herself reads it and that is a major plus when it comes to poetry!)
Enjoy
This is the second book I read by Elizabeth Acevedo and I must say that hers is the only poetry I'm interested in!:)))
We follow 2 sisters finding out about each other due to their tragic connecion to the second deadliest plane accident in the history of US.
Content Warnings: death of a parent; infidelity; attempted rape; sexual harassment; traumatic childbirth.
This novel in verse is amazing in it's contruction...how seamless the story is written and how easy is for the reader to experience the Dominican Republic through Camino's, and later on, Yahaira's eyes; it's a great homage to the people lost in the real accident and thier families, being inspired by secrets and shattered hero images as the author mentiones in her note; and more than that...it's a beautiful story of family growing stronger through loss.
I instantly loved the 2 girls! They have distinctive voices, one being silent in her grief over her hero vanishing in the smoke of lies uncovered-one that failed her when it mattered most, and one...an angry sort of quiet, a stubborn refusal of sharing and receiving, a rock that lets the nature scream for her!
It's quite impressive how using the same characteristic...the silent sort of girl...Acevedo creating such different people!
I think I can safely say all these characters are comunicating without words, from the girls, to the aunt (tia Solano) and Yahaira's mother, Zoila (for whom I have a deep respect. I truly could not put up with what she did >...>) and the dead. This is a book based on listening with your other senses.Fascinating!
Still...I would have enjoyed this even more if our 2 sisters comunicated a little bit more, if they would have had another bonding moments before the climax.(This may not be what you'll think...after all I usually want more emotions from my characters...even the silent ones who have a pretty solid reason to not want to share themselves with others..>..>...so take this with a grain of salt...)
As much as I like our main cast, the pivotal part - the MC in absentia - the faher "Papi" is not on my list. I quess this is because I won't ever forgive such a person no matter what. I understand that maybe this has a different weight for every human, but betrayal is not easily forgiven or forgotten in my book. This is way I couldn't understand how the 2 sisters could move so fast (for me! mind you we have a period of shock, denial, anger and sadness for each girl!) to acceptance and beyond.
Don't get me wrong! I'm perfectly happy how the book ended and how the girls dealt with the news of a sister previously unknown, but the constant lamenting over a man that failed every woman in his life was not something I could agree with....especially when Yahaira needed him and he showed her only contempt, and Camino was left in such a dangerous situation.
About this situation...I will not address it being a spoiler, but it's definetely a negative for me...how come he did not speak about this issue with tia???? or Zoila??? how come they don't find evidence for this "attempt at protection" after his death??? ..and WHY ON EARTH YOU WILL LET YOUR DAUGHTER IN SUCH A UNCERTAIN SITUATION WHEN YOU'RE GONE????
For those of you that read the book..I'm referring to El Cero.
In terms of plot and atmosphere... I was a little bit surprised about the type of heavy in encountered here..sure, we have grieve and anger/ betrayal as main focus, but also feelings of abandonment to the fates (exemplified by Carline's story and hardship in life), of fighting a loosing battle when you feel everybody tells you no, it's not meant for you...safe to say, I resonated a lot with Camino! ^^
The plot was also complemented with surprises..one of them being Carline's journey..I just wanted a little bit more when it come to the climax of the story...high emotions can and will take over you under constant pressure, but Camino's decision put her in a danger she wasn't prone to taking...
As themes discussed we have: sex tourism, infidelity and how that affects family, parallel families in Dominican culture and how accepted they are by older generations, the importance of family and heritage in Dominican culture.
In conclusion, despite my personal gripe with how such a father can be forgiven and how the danger was dealt with, this book is an unique coming of age story about family and loss, grieve and the process of acceptance, that also tackles what it means to be Dominican, life on the island and everyday hardships of women of that culture everywhere in the world.
If you enjoy/are interested about any of this, please pick up the audiobook!( The author herself reads it and that is a major plus when it comes to poetry!)
Enjoy
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Stalking
Moderate: Death of parent and Trafficking
Minor: Infidelity
elisabethjoe's review
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Stalking
Minor: Violence and Terminal illness
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