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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
I listened to this one and greatly enjoyed the voices and intonations. However, I felt the main part of the story: the main character's Haitian mother being held by ICE was glossed over and resolved so quickly at the end--too quickly for my tastes in this political climate. I also found it odd that nobody really mentioned or worried about her mother, no other relative. I greatly enjoyed the main character, Fabiola, as she navigates the differences between Haitian and American cultures. I also think the story regarding her boyfriend and Dre was realistic. But overall, the side stories with her cousins bored me a bit. I would give this 3.5, but I felt it could have been much improved with a bit more cohesiveness.
I love the main character's development. She's quietly fierce and doesn't fit the mold of "shy immigrant who doesn't know the ways of her new world." Yes, she has a lot to learn about the way things work in America, but she's been through sh*t too, and she's not afraid of the loud mouths.
That being said, I did not love the ending, and in a way I was hoping (I think) for a deeper meaning/message throughout the book that didn't quite materialize for me.
That being said, I did not love the ending, and in a way I was hoping (I think) for a deeper meaning/message throughout the book that didn't quite materialize for me.
Wow. I listened to this book, and the narrator is extremely talented. She made the book even more of an experience.
Review copy: Purchased
Last week I posted about awesome Black heroines and if I had read Zoboi’s debut novel before then I would have added Fabiola Toussaint to the list. Fabiola is extremely close with her mother and unfortunately, because her mother is detained at customs, she has to navigate her new life in Detroit without her mother’s support. And while Fabiola greatly misses her mother, she has to dig deep within herself to find familiarity with family she has only spoken on the phone with. Fabiola is a bit shy at the beginning of the novel, but through her experiences (and her open-mindedness) she grows and discovers how brave she actually is.
Weaved within Fabiola’s story we get vignettes about the lives of the people in Fabiola’s life, including the story of the house on American Street. These lovely insight to the characters, including antagonist Dray, add to the depth and richness to the characters that live and interact with the ladies of 8800 American Street, and gives the reader a deeper insight into what motives the characters, information that Fabiola must learn. It’s a wonderful literary device that Zoboi uses and is done in a such a way that it adds to the narrative rather than take away from the story.
I absolutely love novels with magical realism, so discovering that American Street was full of magical realism, specifically Vodou and the lwas (spirits), added to my enjoyment of the story. I’m so glad that Zoboi infused her novel with Haitian magical realism because I’ve yet to see a book do Vodou right. Vodou is so misunderstood and is often characterized as evil, when in fact it is the opposite, so I love that the lwas were presented as the religious icons they are. Fabiola’s belief in the lwas is what helps her find strength to live without her mother, adjust to Detroit, and guides many of her decisions. I specifically loved how Zoboi used Papa Legba here and the reveal of who he was was a perfect moment. At that point, just like Fabiola, I was trying to figure out his message and how exactly he was going to help out Fabiola.
Lastly, what makes American Street so truly American is that it is a tale that is told many times over. It is the tale of an immigrant who comes to our country with dreams of golden streets and then must adjust to the reality and contradiction that is America. We get to see ourselves, both the good and the bad, from Fabiola’s eyes. We get to see how wonderful America is and also where we also fail our citizens. But most of all, we are reminded of the hope, the perseverance that all immigrants have (and had) when they arrive here looking for a better life. It is a story that many in our country seemed to have forgotten and need to be reminded of.
Recommendation: This book is available now so run to your nearest book store and pick up a copy.
Last week I posted about awesome Black heroines and if I had read Zoboi’s debut novel before then I would have added Fabiola Toussaint to the list. Fabiola is extremely close with her mother and unfortunately, because her mother is detained at customs, she has to navigate her new life in Detroit without her mother’s support. And while Fabiola greatly misses her mother, she has to dig deep within herself to find familiarity with family she has only spoken on the phone with. Fabiola is a bit shy at the beginning of the novel, but through her experiences (and her open-mindedness) she grows and discovers how brave she actually is.
Weaved within Fabiola’s story we get vignettes about the lives of the people in Fabiola’s life, including the story of the house on American Street. These lovely insight to the characters, including antagonist Dray, add to the depth and richness to the characters that live and interact with the ladies of 8800 American Street, and gives the reader a deeper insight into what motives the characters, information that Fabiola must learn. It’s a wonderful literary device that Zoboi uses and is done in a such a way that it adds to the narrative rather than take away from the story.
I absolutely love novels with magical realism, so discovering that American Street was full of magical realism, specifically Vodou and the lwas (spirits), added to my enjoyment of the story. I’m so glad that Zoboi infused her novel with Haitian magical realism because I’ve yet to see a book do Vodou right. Vodou is so misunderstood and is often characterized as evil, when in fact it is the opposite, so I love that the lwas were presented as the religious icons they are. Fabiola’s belief in the lwas is what helps her find strength to live without her mother, adjust to Detroit, and guides many of her decisions. I specifically loved how Zoboi used Papa Legba here and the reveal of who he was was a perfect moment. At that point, just like Fabiola, I was trying to figure out his message and how exactly he was going to help out Fabiola.
Lastly, what makes American Street so truly American is that it is a tale that is told many times over. It is the tale of an immigrant who comes to our country with dreams of golden streets and then must adjust to the reality and contradiction that is America. We get to see ourselves, both the good and the bad, from Fabiola’s eyes. We get to see how wonderful America is and also where we also fail our citizens. But most of all, we are reminded of the hope, the perseverance that all immigrants have (and had) when they arrive here looking for a better life. It is a story that many in our country seemed to have forgotten and need to be reminded of.
Recommendation: This book is available now so run to your nearest book store and pick up a copy.
Pretty tough book, though I liked the complexity of the lead character. I wish they'd given Fab's cousins room to grow however. 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4.
Wow this book went in a completely different direction then I expected. Before reading this book I read Ibi Zoboi's other book Pride which is the type of book I thought I was going to be reading with American Street. This book while funny and cute was also dark, haunting, and real. This book is about family and the lengths you will go to protect them. Hattian culture was a great add to the story. I loved learning about the culture it really expanded the world of the characters for me. I thought the dynamic between the three B's was a strong one. They all really care for each other and will have each others back no matter what. I wished that I had got to learn more about the detainment of her mom and U.S. immigration. I enjoyed this story immensely and I'm looking forward to reading more of Zoboi's books.
Giving this 3 1/2 stars. Good mix of teen lit with an intriguing use of Haitian beliefs and realities. moved a little farther from her experience as an immigrant into the street life than I was anticipating, but I recognize that as someone who has not experienced that transition myself it may be exactly what that transition is like for many immigrants.
Authentic street language which may be a bit strong for many.
Looking forward to reading Pride, her second book, but will not be sharing this one with my 14 year old daughters.
Authentic street language which may be a bit strong for many.
Looking forward to reading Pride, her second book, but will not be sharing this one with my 14 year old daughters.
Zoboi tells a story with exciting plot and interesting glimpses into Haitian culture. But there is something missing to prompt me to give it a higher rating.
This is an absolutely breathtaking, heart-wrenching, all too real story of a Haitian immigrant who is separated from her mother and forced to navigate her extended family’s complicated relationship with the streets of Detroit.
After years of receiving money from her aunt in Detroit, and saving as well, Fabiola and her mother are finally going back to America for good. Since Fabiola was born there and is a citizen, she’s fine; her mother, however, is detained, leaving Fabiola to find her way to her extended family in Detroit. Once there, she realizes that her cousins - the “Three B’s” - are not at all what she expected. In fact, they are downright scary. But she’s strong. When a detective approaches Fabiola and asks her to give information about her cousin’s boyfriend’s drug dealing in exchange for information about her mother, Fabiola jumps at the chance. As her life becomes more entwined with the Three B’a though, she wonders if she has made a huge mistake. The kind that might get someone she loves killed.
The writing is absolutely LYRICAL. I listened to it, and the narrator did such a fabulous job that I walked into school absolutely distressed about what was going on in the story a couple of times. Bump this up on your #TBR, y’all. It’s the real deal. Recommended for high school and up.
After years of receiving money from her aunt in Detroit, and saving as well, Fabiola and her mother are finally going back to America for good. Since Fabiola was born there and is a citizen, she’s fine; her mother, however, is detained, leaving Fabiola to find her way to her extended family in Detroit. Once there, she realizes that her cousins - the “Three B’s” - are not at all what she expected. In fact, they are downright scary. But she’s strong. When a detective approaches Fabiola and asks her to give information about her cousin’s boyfriend’s drug dealing in exchange for information about her mother, Fabiola jumps at the chance. As her life becomes more entwined with the Three B’a though, she wonders if she has made a huge mistake. The kind that might get someone she loves killed.
The writing is absolutely LYRICAL. I listened to it, and the narrator did such a fabulous job that I walked into school absolutely distressed about what was going on in the story a couple of times. Bump this up on your #TBR, y’all. It’s the real deal. Recommended for high school and up.