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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 experienceashleycmms'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
johannawithbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
This is a moving and beautifully written novel in verse about Ani, a young girl who loves to swim. After a diagnosis that suddenly changes everything, she is determined to be heard and find her way back to the water.
When Ani’s joints begin to swell and her body is aching, she can no longer hide a secret she has been sharing with her dad. For years she has been swimming and competing behind her mothers back. Her mother fears the water after the lost of a loved one in her own youth. Diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis, Ani has lost the space she feels most whole when her mother forbids her to continue swimming.
The audiobook is narrated by the author and there is a great pace and rhythm to each page. You explore the root of her mothers fears, how her relationships with those around her change, and the ways she doesn’t feel heard or seen beyond her diagnosis.
I love seeing Dominicans in books but seeing brown girls with curly hair will always bring me a special joy. Throughout you get little tidbits of Dominican Republic and history. Memories of living on the island and scenes of the island.
Aniana Del Mar Jumps In follows Ani as she grieves losing a thing she loves and how she knew herself to be, while finding a claim to who she is becoming and not giving up on what she loves to do.
Genre/ Age: Middle School Novel In Verse
Rep: chronic illness/ disability
Format: Audio/ Libby Loan
2023 release
When Ani’s joints begin to swell and her body is aching, she can no longer hide a secret she has been sharing with her dad. For years she has been swimming and competing behind her mothers back. Her mother fears the water after the lost of a loved one in her own youth. Diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis, Ani has lost the space she feels most whole when her mother forbids her to continue swimming.
The audiobook is narrated by the author and there is a great pace and rhythm to each page. You explore the root of her mothers fears, how her relationships with those around her change, and the ways she doesn’t feel heard or seen beyond her diagnosis.
I love seeing Dominicans in books but seeing brown girls with curly hair will always bring me a special joy. Throughout you get little tidbits of Dominican Republic and history. Memories of living on the island and scenes of the island.
Aniana Del Mar Jumps In follows Ani as she grieves losing a thing she loves and how she knew herself to be, while finding a claim to who she is becoming and not giving up on what she loves to do.
Genre/ Age: Middle School Novel In Verse
Rep: chronic illness/ disability
Format: Audio/ Libby Loan
2023 release
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness
Minor: Death
mrsclarkcatlady's review
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
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