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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
First things first, I want to give a shout out to my awesome friend, who shall remain nameless (per request), for getting me a signed physical ARC of this book at Bookcon. I received a digital ARC from the publisher through Netgalley in February, but, unfortunately, I had difficulty reading it because the eARC was weirdly formatted. I’m immensely grateful that my friend thought of me.
Dear Alaine, Love Haiti was one of my most anticipated releases of 2019, but I felt some trepidation because of mixed reviews and the writing style. Going into the story, I thought I wouldn’t care much about the characters because of the writing style, but that wasn’t the case at all.
Alaine is a first-generation Haitian American from a wealthy family. She’s intelligent, sarcastic, and quick-witted. She gets in trouble often because she’s slightly impulsive, but that’s kind of expected at 17. Although parts of her family background are an alternate version of history, it warmed my heart to read a generational story about family and powerful Haitian women. I loved the side characters, the pieces of Haitian culture that were mentioned, the way the authors weaved Haitian history into the story, and their use Haitian Creole throughout the novel. My nostalgic little heart did backflips seeing mentions of I Love You Anne, Tonton Bicha, and konpa on page. That truly made me feel represented.
That said, there are few things I wished the book handled differently:
1. There were far too many side plots 2. The beginning of the book alludes to Alaine’s struggle to fit into either culture as a Haitian American, but the book doesn’t circle back to that. Would’ve been interesting to see if time in Haiti helped her find a middle ground 3. I had no problem with the family curse, but it took over the second half of the book in a way I wasn’t expecting. I wish more time was spent developing Alaine’s relationship with her mother instead. 4. There’s a lot commentary on social issues, but the book kind of danced around elitism and social class in Haiti. 5. I didn’t love the epistolary style for this story.
Other than those things, Dear Haiti is a solid debut that accomplished exactly what the authors set out to do—show another side of Haiti most people aren’t familiar with. I’m very happy to have read a magical realism book with a Haitian MC and I look forward to reading more books from the Moulite sisters. I hope there’s something in the works for Alaine’s best friend, Tatiana.
Would recommend this to fans of Ibi Zoboi, readers who also enjoyed Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno, and anyone who's in the mood for magical realism stepped in Haitian culture and mysticism, familial responsibility, fierce female characters, and pop culture references.
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Dear Alaine, Love Haiti was one of my most anticipated releases of 2019, but I felt some trepidation because of mixed reviews and the writing style. Going into the story, I thought I wouldn’t care much about the characters because of the writing style, but that wasn’t the case at all.
Alaine is a first-generation Haitian American from a wealthy family. She’s intelligent, sarcastic, and quick-witted. She gets in trouble often because she’s slightly impulsive, but that’s kind of expected at 17. Although parts of her family background are an alternate version of history, it warmed my heart to read a generational story about family and powerful Haitian women. I loved the side characters, the pieces of Haitian culture that were mentioned, the way the authors weaved Haitian history into the story, and their use Haitian Creole throughout the novel. My nostalgic little heart did backflips seeing mentions of I Love You Anne, Tonton Bicha, and konpa on page. That truly made me feel represented.
That said, there are few things I wished the book handled differently:
1. There were far too many side plots 2. The beginning of the book alludes to Alaine’s struggle to fit into either culture as a Haitian American, but the book doesn’t circle back to that. Would’ve been interesting to see if time in Haiti helped her find a middle ground 3. I had no problem with the family curse, but it took over the second half of the book in a way I wasn’t expecting. I wish more time was spent developing Alaine’s relationship with her mother instead. 4. There’s a lot commentary on social issues, but the book kind of danced around elitism and social class in Haiti. 5. I didn’t love the epistolary style for this story.
Other than those things, Dear Haiti is a solid debut that accomplished exactly what the authors set out to do—show another side of Haiti most people aren’t familiar with. I’m very happy to have read a magical realism book with a Haitian MC and I look forward to reading more books from the Moulite sisters. I hope there’s something in the works for Alaine’s best friend, Tatiana.
Would recommend this to fans of Ibi Zoboi, readers who also enjoyed Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno, and anyone who's in the mood for magical realism stepped in Haitian culture and mysticism, familial responsibility, fierce female characters, and pop culture references.
Blog // Instagram // Twitter // Tumblr
Really wanted it to be better....
Narrator and some characters (dad) compelling, not a fan of the plot, also felt like the most interesting things were never described (and not in the Zadie Smith reviewing EM Forester teapot way)
Narrator and some characters (dad) compelling, not a fan of the plot, also felt like the most interesting things were never described (and not in the Zadie Smith reviewing EM Forester teapot way)
I honestly wasn't sure at first how I was going to feel about this one. The last book I read with a similar format of story telling through letters, texts, diary entries, etc., was just ok for me, so I was hoping for more... and I got it.
Anyone who knows my reading preferences, knows that I am all about the characters, and Alaine is a hugely vibrant character. She starts out with a lot of sass and a lot of opinions. She came on pretty strong and I was concerned that she might just be a little too overpowering for me, but as the story progressed she softened in a lot of ways. She remains bold and strong throughout the story, but that underlying vulnerability begins to show as circumstances around her change. And it doesn't weaken her, but make her more human and relatable. It also allows her character to let others in.
This book is all about strong women. The three adult women most predominantly featured all have a powerful presence on the page, whereas the male characters seem to take a bit of a back seat.
Celeste, Alaine's mother, is successful and driven by her career, though has a softer side she rarely lets people see, even her daughter. As Alaine gets to know her mother better, she discovers so much that they have in common, and so much that her mother has hidden from her over the years.
Tati Estelle, Alaine's aunt, seems so much more nurturing and supportive of Alaine, while still being successful in her own right. She has political position and clout within the Haitian community, but has some pretty big secrets hidden away.
The final woman is Roseleen, she played a pivotal role in Celeste's and Estelle's lives when they were Alaine's age, revolving around a curse that had plagued their family. She plays a role again as Alaine seeks a way to remove the curse from her mother and protect her family. Roseleen's presence is critical to the story, as is the strength and defiance she exhibits when facing down the rest of Alaine's family.
There are two characters that I felt were important, but were really glossed over. Jules, Alaine's dad is a key character, but we really don't get a lot about him. Aside from that he will do pretty much anything for his daughter and his ex-wife. And Jason, who I felt could have played a huge role in one of the main plot twists involving Tati Estelle, but was relegated to more of a bystander role, with his contribution barely mentioned in Alaine's review of the incident.
Along with the strong female characters and an interesting and relevant plot-line, this book also provides a look into the history of Haiti and some of the players in history who shaped it into the country it is today.
Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book through Net Galley and the publisher {Harlequin TEEN & Inkyard Press} in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Anyone who knows my reading preferences, knows that I am all about the characters, and Alaine is a hugely vibrant character. She starts out with a lot of sass and a lot of opinions. She came on pretty strong and I was concerned that she might just be a little too overpowering for me, but as the story progressed she softened in a lot of ways. She remains bold and strong throughout the story, but that underlying vulnerability begins to show as circumstances around her change. And it doesn't weaken her, but make her more human and relatable. It also allows her character to let others in.
This book is all about strong women. The three adult women most predominantly featured all have a powerful presence on the page, whereas the male characters seem to take a bit of a back seat.
Celeste, Alaine's mother, is successful and driven by her career, though has a softer side she rarely lets people see, even her daughter. As Alaine gets to know her mother better, she discovers so much that they have in common, and so much that her mother has hidden from her over the years.
Tati Estelle, Alaine's aunt, seems so much more nurturing and supportive of Alaine, while still being successful in her own right. She has political position and clout within the Haitian community, but has some pretty big secrets hidden away.
The final woman is Roseleen, she played a pivotal role in Celeste's and Estelle's lives when they were Alaine's age, revolving around a curse that had plagued their family. She plays a role again as Alaine seeks a way to remove the curse from her mother and protect her family. Roseleen's presence is critical to the story, as is the strength and defiance she exhibits when facing down the rest of Alaine's family.
There are two characters that I felt were important, but were really glossed over. Jules, Alaine's dad is a key character, but we really don't get a lot about him. Aside from that he will do pretty much anything for his daughter and his ex-wife. And Jason, who I felt could have played a huge role in one of the main plot twists involving Tati Estelle, but was relegated to more of a bystander role, with his contribution barely mentioned in Alaine's review of the incident.
Along with the strong female characters and an interesting and relevant plot-line, this book also provides a look into the history of Haiti and some of the players in history who shaped it into the country it is today.
Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book through Net Galley and the publisher {Harlequin TEEN & Inkyard Press} in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
lighthearted
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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:
Yes
I really liked the story as far as I read, but Alaine was way too snarky. It made it difficult to relate to her, and it cheapened the beauty of the rest of the plot. Maybe I will finish it at some point, because it did inspired me to learn more about the history of Haiti, but the Alaine's constant sarcasm was distracting.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes