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michellewords's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
What can I say about this book? It's different than anything I have ever read before.
Let's start with the audiobook. Robin Miles is the narrator and she is INCREDIBLE. I'm glad I "read" this one with the audiobook because Miles gives another layer to this story that I don't think I could experience by just "reading" it. The subtle accents she gives the Haitian characters and the slang-filled voice she gives the teens in Detroit gave depth to the book I didn't expect.
American Street is mostly a story about a teen named Fabiola and her integration into suburban Detroit following her immigration from Haiti. On the way to Detroit, her mother is kept behind due to some trouble with her Visa and Fabiola, alone, is left to figure out the nuances of her new life. Those nuances include: navigating a relationship with her loud cousins, adopting to American culture/education, new/unexpected love, and a nearby drug trade system.
In desperation to get her mother back, Fabiola makes a dangerous deal that makes her new life in America very complicated.
Throughout this story about Fabiola we get little POV snippets from the people around her and their life experiences. While I felt like it flushed out side characters-I'm not sure how I felt about those sections. Sometimes it felt unnecessary and we didn't really go back to why it was important to share. On the other hand, they helped with character development. I don't know what my final call is on that.
What I really enjoyed about this book is the way it reads like a teen movie. It would make a REALLY great movie. The characters and the story put into a film would be amazing. Who can we call to get that to happen.
My biggest detractor is pretty minor. I'm pretty sure this is a YA book, but the content was edgier than I expected. While I don't mind the story with it's language (a lot), sexual content (off-screen & minor), drug use (minor), and violence (minor). At times, it felt like probably a little too much for younger teens. I don't think I could recommend this to anyone younger than 16/17.
Bottom line-American Street was pretty good. Very 'young adult' at times with angst/drama, but also had a lot of emotional depth. It was a fun read and I enjoyed the characters. Would recommend to most people. It's worth the time and the effort.
Let's start with the audiobook. Robin Miles is the narrator and she is INCREDIBLE. I'm glad I "read" this one with the audiobook because Miles gives another layer to this story that I don't think I could experience by just "reading" it. The subtle accents she gives the Haitian characters and the slang-filled voice she gives the teens in Detroit gave depth to the book I didn't expect.
American Street is mostly a story about a teen named Fabiola and her integration into suburban Detroit following her immigration from Haiti. On the way to Detroit, her mother is kept behind due to some trouble with her Visa and Fabiola, alone, is left to figure out the nuances of her new life. Those nuances include: navigating a relationship with her loud cousins, adopting to American culture/education, new/unexpected love, and a nearby drug trade system.
In desperation to get her mother back, Fabiola makes a dangerous deal that makes her new life in America very complicated.
Throughout this story about Fabiola we get little POV snippets from the people around her and their life experiences. While I felt like it flushed out side characters-I'm not sure how I felt about those sections. Sometimes it felt unnecessary and we didn't really go back to why it was important to share. On the other hand, they helped with character development. I don't know what my final call is on that.
What I really enjoyed about this book is the way it reads like a teen movie. It would make a REALLY great movie. The characters and the story put into a film would be amazing. Who can we call to get that to happen.
My biggest detractor is pretty minor. I'm pretty sure this is a YA book, but the content was edgier than I expected. While I don't mind the story with it's language (a lot), sexual content (off-screen & minor), drug use (minor), and violence (minor). At times, it felt like probably a little too much for younger teens. I don't think I could recommend this to anyone younger than 16/17.
Bottom line-American Street was pretty good. Very 'young adult' at times with angst/drama, but also had a lot of emotional depth. It was a fun read and I enjoyed the characters. Would recommend to most people. It's worth the time and the effort.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence
Minor: Violence and Sexual content
A lot of language throughoutnytephoenyx's review
emotional
tense
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
5.0
Whelp. That was an ending I didn’t anticipate.
For my first book by Ibi Zoboi, American Street hit hard! In a good way, but also in a sad way. I quickly fell in love with Fabiola “Fabulous” Toussaint. From the way her dialogue is written, to her vibrant internal monologue, to her flow of emotions and determination and love and fear… Fabiola is a beautiful multi-faceted character and the perfect one to be telling this story.
From the first pages of the book, the world challenges Fabiola. Upon entering the United States, her mother is detained in immigration. Detroit is not quite the place she imagined. Despite an excellent education in Haiti, she has to navigate a new school with a slightly different way of doing things and she has to navigate the rules of the West Side. Meanwhile, everyone seems determined to keep as much information from her as possible – they want her to live a good life and stay out of the bad parts of their world. But Fabiola will do anything to get her mother back.
For me, the characters in this story are its greatest strength, and since American Street is an excellent book, that’s saying a lot. Each one is deeply developed, with their own story that slowly unravels around Fabiola. They each have their own motives and their own secrets. The plot takes you through a few unexpected twists, but those twists are all that much stronger because of the way the characters shine.
Reader be warned, there is also a lot of difficult content in American Street. Most prominent, to me, is the toxic relationship between two characters (that includes physical abuse) and murder by police. There’s a lot of joyful moments in American Street, but there are also quite a few bad moments. Be prepared for both.
I enjoyed reading this book and it will definitely be one I add to my “to buy” list, because I could read it again. The world is vibrant, real, and alive. There’s important social themes addressed in American Street, and characters that stick with you. It may not be a book with a happy ending, but it is a book with an impactful one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, and Violence
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Sexual content
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