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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-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
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
emotional
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:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
3.5 stars
I have complex feelings about this book. On one hand, as a Haitian American myself, I loved reading about a Haitian American teenage girl and watching her experience Haiti for the first time. Even though it obviously didn't exactly mimic my experience as Alaine was literally rich and almost Haitian royalty. I also really enjoyed the little sprinkling of Haitian history we get, and the socio-political commentary. On the other hand this book included some *magical* ? things that I did not love, and as that was brought up and ended up being the catalyst for a bunch of things it wasn't really easily ignored.
Characters: Alaine was such a fun character to read from. She was funny, refreshing, and #relatable. I loved her commentary on what was going on in her life and the things she ended up reading. I really liked her relationship with her dad, and her relationship with her very often absent mom felt realistic. Especially considering what her mom ends up dealing with. I also really liked seeing her close relationship with her Aunt. I wasn't a huge fan of the love interest just because I felt he was unneccessary, but there was nothing particularly wrong with his character. However, I felt like Tatiana, Alaine's supposed best friend could've been fleshed out more. She literally disappears like halfway through the book (which is explained away but it felt like a cop out). It honestly didn't seem like Alaine had any other friends either which I found odd.
Plot: The incorporation of "a curse" into the story line Really Bothered me. Especially when the breaking of said curse was really believed to potentially cure Alzheimer's?? I really wish this story had just been about Alaine coming to terms with her mom's illness in a different way. I really liked the moments where Alaine deals with it especially when she's having conversations with her mom and wish there had been more of that. I think I would've been able to let it go if the curse hadn't been "broken" the way it was. It felt like it came out of left field and was added for shock value which I wasn't a fan of. A man literally dies?? From the curse??? And Alaine feels bad but it still feels kind of dismissed. Without that part I think I would've given this the full 4 stars.
Overall: I appreciated this book, and what it can hopefully do for Haitian American teens in allowing them to see themselves. There's definitely something powerful in seeing phrases you hear at home and mentions of foods you grew up with written down. But in the end I wasn't a huge fan of the plot device that propelled the story.
I have complex feelings about this book. On one hand, as a Haitian American myself, I loved reading about a Haitian American teenage girl and watching her experience Haiti for the first time. Even though it obviously didn't exactly mimic my experience as Alaine was literally rich and almost Haitian royalty. I also really enjoyed the little sprinkling of Haitian history we get, and the socio-political commentary. On the other hand this book included some *magical* ? things that I did not love, and as that was brought up and ended up being the catalyst for a bunch of things it wasn't really easily ignored.
Characters: Alaine was such a fun character to read from. She was funny, refreshing, and #relatable. I loved her commentary on what was going on in her life and the things she ended up reading. I really liked her relationship with her dad, and her relationship with her very often absent mom felt realistic. Especially considering what her mom ends up dealing with. I also really liked seeing her close relationship with her Aunt. I wasn't a huge fan of the love interest just because I felt he was unneccessary, but there was nothing particularly wrong with his character. However, I felt like Tatiana, Alaine's supposed best friend could've been fleshed out more. She literally disappears like halfway through the book (which is explained away but it felt like a cop out). It honestly didn't seem like Alaine had any other friends either which I found odd.
Plot: The incorporation of "a curse" into the story line Really Bothered me. Especially when the breaking of said curse was really believed to potentially cure Alzheimer's?? I really wish this story had just been about Alaine coming to terms with her mom's illness in a different way. I really liked the moments where Alaine deals with it especially when she's having conversations with her mom and wish there had been more of that. I think I would've been able to let it go if the curse hadn't been "broken" the way it was. It felt like it came out of left field and was added for shock value which I wasn't a fan of.
Overall: I appreciated this book, and what it can hopefully do for Haitian American teens in allowing them to see themselves. There's definitely something powerful in seeing phrases you hear at home and mentions of foods you grew up with written down. But in the end I wasn't a huge fan of the plot device that propelled the story.
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Alaine's parents are both from Haiti, but she has grown up in the US. They are now divorced and she lives with her dad, and watches her high-powered political journalist mom on TV. Alaine wants to follow in her mom's footsteps - until her mom "loses it" on air one day and slaps a senator that she is interviewing. When Alaine goes too far in a school presentation and almost gets expelled, she and her mom both find themselves on a break in Haiti with family there.
There's a lot more to this story than my little blurb can reveal. Pick up this book and check it out for yourself. Strong story about family relationships, also a lot about Haiti in particular but can infer about other developing countries as well. There is a lot in Alaine's character that teens will be able to identify with.
No violence (other than the slap), no sex but there are references to someone in the family who forced himself upon others, no swearing that I remember or saw when flipping back through... I would definitely add to my middle school collection even though Alaine is in high school.
There's a lot more to this story than my little blurb can reveal. Pick up this book and check it out for yourself. Strong story about family relationships, also a lot about Haiti in particular but can infer about other developing countries as well. There is a lot in Alaine's character that teens will be able to identify with.
No violence (other than the slap), no sex but there are references to someone in the family who forced himself upon others, no swearing that I remember or saw when flipping back through... I would definitely add to my middle school collection even though Alaine is in high school.
Wanted to love this book so much. I actually liked it and feel like the three stars is harsh, but it just want my book.
I love Alaine! She’s a great female lead! She is what made me enjoy this book and even finish (I couldn’t finish where’d you go Bernadette or literary and potato peel pie society) the book even though it was written all as notes, emails, diaries, etc. I love that the book involves travel, another country, immigration, complex socio-economic issues, and history. It hits on a lot of things that are of interest to me!
The style is not my favorite. I think we gain very little from the epistolary style of writing and lose a lot. I don’t like it. However, if you do like that style then you’ll love this! I thought there were too many side stories and not enough of a singular focus. As usual, the book wrapped everything up way too fast. Lots could have been cut out earlier to allow for more explanation later.
Final side note: this was a solid book and I’m excited to have it in my classroom library but DO NOT listen on audiobook. This format will not translate well!
I love Alaine! She’s a great female lead! She is what made me enjoy this book and even finish (I couldn’t finish where’d you go Bernadette or literary and potato peel pie society) the book even though it was written all as notes, emails, diaries, etc. I love that the book involves travel, another country, immigration, complex socio-economic issues, and history. It hits on a lot of things that are of interest to me!
The style is not my favorite. I think we gain very little from the epistolary style of writing and lose a lot. I don’t like it. However, if you do like that style then you’ll love this! I thought there were too many side stories and not enough of a singular focus. As usual, the book wrapped everything up way too fast. Lots could have been cut out earlier to allow for more explanation later.
Final side note: this was a solid book and I’m excited to have it in my classroom library but DO NOT listen on audiobook. This format will not translate well!
I really wanted to love this book, but I just didn’t. I liked Alaine’s strong personality and was really excited when I learned Alaine would be traveling to Haiti to learn more about her family’s background. I really liked the representation of family curses, economic diversity, and how the characters dealt with Alaine’s mother’s illness. However, I feel like there was just a lot happening in the book and it was hard to follow it all/get really invested in everything. I liked the idea of having the text presented in emails, letters, and Alaine’s voice, but somehow the style seemed very disjointed to me. As for worldbuilding, there was a pretty decent glimpse into life in both the US and in Haiti, though I was left with wanting to know more about the class divisions that exist in Haiti.
I think the cover is cool, and having two Black authors will appeal to many. I just felt like the book was a bit long and disjointed, so it may require some book talking to get it into the hands of readers.
I think the cover is cool, and having two Black authors will appeal to many. I just felt like the book was a bit long and disjointed, so it may require some book talking to get it into the hands of readers.