Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

29 reviews

hanarama's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

CW: death, grief, sexism, assault 

The Good:
• Opposing POV
• Built sisterhood
• Free Verse
• Brings attention to a often forgotten tragedy

The Bad:
 • POV too similar

You Might Like this if You Like:
• Poetry 
• Family secrets 
• Explorations of loss and grief. 

In the wake of the crash of flight AA587 Yahaira and Camino lose their father. As they seek to make sense of their grief, they discover each other, sisters kept secret from the other. 

With this revelation, they are further forced to grapple with their father's imperfections and try to build a relationship with each other. This is complicated by Camino's sense that Yahaira in New York has been given all the privileges that she has lacked, while Yahaira has difficulty in making sense of her father's infidelity. 

Acevedo creates a really beautiful story around the often ignored tragedy that rocked New York's Dominican population. The audiobook is an absolute joy, with the readers delivering powerful and emotive performances. 

Though the two POV feel too similar at the beginning, they are eventually differentiated. I believe that this may be in part due to the use of free verse. However, the poetry really captures the grief and emotions of the characters, helping the story to feel more alive. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Sexism

malloryfitz's review against another edition

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Grief

Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, Infidelity, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Sexism

Minor: Homophobia, Racism, and Police brutality

jayisreading's review

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

3.75

This is a beautifully written story presented as poetry, which I found rather refreshing (though that could be because I’ve been reading dense theory for a while). It was a nuanced exploration of cultural differences and the manifestations of grief. Putting Clap When You Land in poetry format gave Acevedo the benefit of taking more liberty in beautiful ways to depict these themes, as well as showcase her skills as a poet.

That said, I wouldn’t say there was a lot left to be desired, but I wish there were a few things more than what was given. I wish Acevedo went a little more into the lives of Camino and Yahaira, giving us more than the couple of months we get to know them on the pages. In other words, Camino and Yahaira have such interesting stories that are begging for more attention. Also, while presenting two perspectives allowed for the incredible dive into cultural differences between the United States and the Dominican Republic, I felt that more could have been done to develop the grief of the two protagonists. After a while, it started reading the same and made the story drag a little.

The ending felt a little too “tidy,” for a lack of a better word (though Dre’s present for Camino was too sweet), but in some ways, it feels like the deserved ending for our two protagonists who had such heavy weight burdening their hearts.

Oh, and a random side note. Like so many other books I’ve read, I love when authors unapologetically use and not italicize non-English words, phrases, and sentences.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Sexism, and Stalking

Moderate: Pedophilia and Sexual assault

Minor: Cancer and Trafficking

saimab's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexism

valpuri's review

emotional 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Death of parent

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Medical content, Infidelity, Death, and Stalking

Minor: Vomit, Trafficking, Sexism, Police brutality, Cancer, and Adult/minor relationship

anainthecastle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, Death of parent, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Stalking, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia

Minor: Pregnancy and Cancer

devikapha's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexism

silviaaa's review

challenging dark hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Infidelity, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Cancer, Medical content, and Medical trauma

anna_j's review

emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual violence, Death, Death of parent, and Grief

Minor: Medical content and Medical trauma

ifersinklings's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This was a heartbreaking story that deals with family dynamics, betrayal, and grief. It was also a heartwarming story about family dynamics, acceptance, and love. The story is told in prose, which was still evident in the audiobook. I really loved this story and learning a bit about the Dominican Republic and the struggles of those living there, especially women. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence