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lawbooks600's review against another edition
emotional
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? Yes
4.0
Score: Eight out of ten.
This one wasn't perfect. But it was close. The library only had Aniana del Mar Jumps In in eBook form so it was more difficult to get but I got it anyway. The blurb seemed intriguing, so I headed in hoping for an enjoyable read, but when I closed the final page, I found it a lot heavier than expected.
It starts with a flashback involving Aniana 'Ani' del Mar experiencing swimming for the first time when she was six (better late than never) before cutting to part one of the central storyline (there are six parts) with her now being a competitive swimmer, at least for her age (12.) Everything looks ordinary in the opening pages until she says something's wrong with her body, as she feels pain in her joints, but she doesn't know what it is yet.
There's a subplot that soon turns out to be a critical part of the narrative, where Aniana's mother remembers a traumatic event where she lost her brother, Mateo, in a hurricane and she never completely moved on ever since. I get that losing someone is difficult, but the way Aniana's mother tries to cope makes her look like a helicopter parent. Let me get this straight: the protagonist's family is dysfunctional, as her father is barely there and her mother doesn't want her to swim, fearing she may lose Aniana too. Aniana's father takes her away to swim in secret, but that didn't last forever as her mother found out, and now banned swimming. Is it me or does it feel like an antithesis to another novel I've read before? Aniana's mother forced her out of swimming instead of in.
I liked Aniana as a character the most, but her parents aren't role models, and the side characters like Maria Tere and Delilah only appear for a few pages, but I would've liked to see more. The pacing is slow, with the book lasting 400 pages, but I didn't mind, since it was enough to keep the creation going. The writing style is unique and Jasminne Mendez executed it well. Finally! Actual poetry! It took me long enough to find one after reading spaced out prose for a while.
Did I mention Aniana's family is Christian? The middle four parts feature Aniana trying to cope with the swimming ban, and when a doctor diagnosed her with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA,) all Aniana's mother can do is to pray it away, but advice from a therapist to do physical therapy also helped. The therapist says swimming can reduce the effects of JIA, but Aniana's mother is steadfast, even when she tries out for an elite swim camp, her mother caught her again since the ban still applies (she resorted to physical measures once.) However. The conclusion, part six, felt like an afterthought. It took Aniana's mother to almost lose her son, Matti (to the sea,) for her to change her mind? Really? At least the prohibition is gone now and the finish is heartwarming.
Addendum: Matti started swimming at age four (which isn't too late.) There's no exploration of intersectionality (since Aniana is a young biracial Dominican American girl with a chronic illness.) Why is this?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, Chronic illness, Bullying, Child abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death and Child death
Full trigger warnings: Implied PTSD, death of a child and brother in a hurricane in the past, grief and loss depiction, bullying, child abuse, physical assault and injury, chronic and physical illness, near-death experiencebibliobrandie's review
4.0
This coming-of-age novel focus on Aniana and the struggles of a Latinx tween pushing against the expectations of a lovingly strict family while also figuring out her identity as an athlete with chronic illness. Because her mother lost someone she loved to drowning, Aniana and Papi keep the secret of Aniana's swimming from her. This part bothered me but anyone who loves reading about conflict between daughters and their mothers will love it. Other themes explored are disability, sports, family trauma, immigrant identity, and standing up for yourself and following your dreams.
claudiaslibrarycard's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
Aniana del Mar Jumps In is a beautiful novel in verse that I could not put down. This middle grade title captured me with its depth of emotion and dynamic characters that will appeal to both young and older readers. At its core, this is a story of intergenerational wounds and disability.
Aniana loves to swim, but her mother is terrified of the water. Because of this, Aniana's father takes her to swim practice in secret. And Aniana is an excellent swimmer, her medals are hiding in her father's tool box. But when her joints begin to swell and her secret is discovered, Aniana's world comes crashing down.
Aniana has an adorable, silly little brother, a father in the Coast Guard, and a very religious mother. All of the characters and the family dynamics were made so relatable and fleshed out so well in very concise poetry. The mother-daughter relationship here is fraught, and the healing at the end is realistic, imperfect, and not oversimplified or trite.
I am a sucker for novels in verse and I'm putting this one among the best I've read in the middle grades age group. I hope you'll read it as well!
Aniana loves to swim, but her mother is terrified of the water. Because of this, Aniana's father takes her to swim practice in secret. And Aniana is an excellent swimmer, her medals are hiding in her father's tool box. But when her joints begin to swell and her secret is discovered, Aniana's world comes crashing down.
Aniana has an adorable, silly little brother, a father in the Coast Guard, and a very religious mother. All of the characters and the family dynamics were made so relatable and fleshed out so well in very concise poetry. The mother-daughter relationship here is fraught, and the healing at the end is realistic, imperfect, and not oversimplified or trite.
I am a sucker for novels in verse and I'm putting this one among the best I've read in the middle grades age group. I hope you'll read it as well!
royallyreading's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
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
readtotheend's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
A wonderful middle grade novel in verse about a Dominican American girl who loves to swim and her new juvenile idiopathic arthritis diagnosis. The mother-daughter relationship is complex in this one and some of the challenges Aniana faces in terms of having autonomy over her body as an adolescent and dealing with immigrant parents and how they see her new diagnosis definitely reminded me of Breathe and Count Back From Ten by Natalia Sylvester. I think it's a great middle grade appropriate book on chronic illness and wonderful representation all around.
ahousethatreads's review
emotional
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? Yes
4.0
“Mama calls the ocean
“la mar” instead of “el mar”
because she believes
the ocean is a strong woman
who gives and takes life
when she wants.“
This was so beautiful and heart breaking, but I always love a middle grade written in verse. I recommend the physical becausel I loved how they were formatted. Some looked like hearts, some turtles, some how she was feeling. I believe Ani is supposed to be in 8th grade but she often felt younger to me. Also I now wish it was time to swim!
ashleycmms's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Grief
Moderate: Death and Child death
Minor: Religious bigotry
brittneyfike's review
4.0
Ani is one amazing girl who fights for what she wants despite obstacles she faces. A beautifully written novel in verse. I loved how the story was separated into the hurricane categories to match the storyline. This story was inspiring & I’m so glad I have a copy of it in the library! The author’s note at the end was
georgann's review
emotional
hopeful
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
4.25