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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
A very cute journey of a young woman learning about her motherland for the first time written in the style of a journal. A great YA read with an interesting plot.
I listened to the audiobook and chose to listen to it because I’d the narrator, Bahni Turpin. I wanted to like this and at the start I would have given it four stars but my rating went down as the book went along. I honestly can’t pinpoint why I didn’t like this one but it just didn’t click well with me. I like the epistolary style in general but felt like it could have been utilized better
Alaine was an incredible protagonist — mouthy, adventurous, vulnerable, & gutsy ✨. Her relationship with her family was wonderfully dynamic & full, especially her relationship with the women in her family, which was heartwarming. I wish I liked the plot as much as the characters — I feel like I lost my grip on it halfway through. And the romance was utterly unnecessary — & I say this as someone who usually adores romance side plots.
This story was SO FUN! I loved Alaine as a main character and I loved seeing her interact with her family. Alaine is driven, witty, and confident which made her a fun narrator. The story is also told through regular old narrative, emails, postcards, notes, diary entries and even parts of Alaine's school assignment which makes for a unique reading experience! I found myself laughing multiple times throughout this book. There’s also a lot of heartwarming scenes between Alaine and her mother, but I don’t want to spoil too much there.
Along with being super entertaining, the book brings up discussions on how tourism can impact places like Haiti and how foreign aid is not always helpful. There is also talk of privilege and colorism.
The Haitian setting of this book is AMAZING! Maika and Maritza Moulite really do a great job bringing Haiti to life and I can tell they have a lot of love for their country! This is an #ownvoice story and I definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a good coming of age story!
TW: assault, parental illness, death
Along with being super entertaining, the book brings up discussions on how tourism can impact places like Haiti and how foreign aid is not always helpful. There is also talk of privilege and colorism.
The Haitian setting of this book is AMAZING! Maika and Maritza Moulite really do a great job bringing Haiti to life and I can tell they have a lot of love for their country! This is an #ownvoice story and I definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a good coming of age story!
TW: assault, parental illness, death
The digital ARC from Netgalley was super glitchy, which required a ton of scrolling back and forth. But I did it, because Alaine’s story was so funny and compelling.
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a fun and original story, even if the frame of the novel-as-school assignment didn't quite work in my mind. It teaches a bit about Haitian history and culture, and has a bit of the supernatural with lots of realism in between.
Originally posted here at In the Senter of it All
SUMMARY:
Alaine isn’t afraid to make trouble if it’s a worthy cause. And this last time, she’s in it big! She has to go stay with her mom and aunt in Haiti until things cool off. It turns into the experience of a lifetime as she connects with her relatives and finds a place to make a difference.
CONTENT:
Language: I honestly did not notice any language in this book. I feel like it probably had some, but it didn’t jump out at me.
Sexuality: none
Violence: none
Drugs/Alcohol: mild-- some high school drinking
THEMES:
loyalty, family
THE BOTTOM LINE:
I adored this book. It was a fun read that was different from all the others that tend to run together.
STATUS IN MY LIBRARY:
It’s in my middle school.
READALIKES:
[b:From Twinkle, with Love|36373464|From Twinkle, with Love|Sandhya Menon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1519633175l/36373464._SY75_.jpg|51394148]
[b:Love & Gelato|25756328|Love & Gelato|Jenna Evans Welch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1452081385l/25756328._SY75_.jpg|45600264]
[b:What Light|29093326|What Light|Jay Asher|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456817857l/29093326._SY75_.jpg|49288333]
SUMMARY:
Alaine isn’t afraid to make trouble if it’s a worthy cause. And this last time, she’s in it big! She has to go stay with her mom and aunt in Haiti until things cool off. It turns into the experience of a lifetime as she connects with her relatives and finds a place to make a difference.
CONTENT:
Language: I honestly did not notice any language in this book. I feel like it probably had some, but it didn’t jump out at me.
Sexuality: none
Violence: none
Drugs/Alcohol: mild-- some high school drinking
THEMES:
loyalty, family
THE BOTTOM LINE:
I adored this book. It was a fun read that was different from all the others that tend to run together.
STATUS IN MY LIBRARY:
It’s in my middle school.
READALIKES:
[b:From Twinkle, with Love|36373464|From Twinkle, with Love|Sandhya Menon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1519633175l/36373464._SY75_.jpg|51394148]
[b:Love & Gelato|25756328|Love & Gelato|Jenna Evans Welch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1452081385l/25756328._SY75_.jpg|45600264]
[b:What Light|29093326|What Light|Jay Asher|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456817857l/29093326._SY75_.jpg|49288333]
adventurous
emotional
funny
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:
Yes
slow-paced