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A review by plumpaperbacks
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This is the second book I’ve read by Acevedo, and I’ll happily repeat countless others when I say that she’s an extremely talented writer. I also partially listened to the audiobook, and Acevedo is one of two narrators; I love listening to her narrate her work.
I think I like this one even more than The Poet X. Admittedly, for the first hundred pages or so, I struggled to differentiate between Camino and Yahaira and get invested in their story. But despite my rocky start, I ended up quite invested in both girls and the way their stories intertwined. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like Clap When You Land, in that regard—one that writes sibling relationships in such a unique way, examines family secrets and love and how loss can lead to gain in unexpected ways.
Only when I started reading did I realize that Acevedo based this story off of a real tragedy, the AA587 plane crash in November 2001. That realization intensified the emotions within the pages, even though the novel is in verse. Sometimes such a method means detachment from what you’re reading, but not here. Yet another one of the author’s talents, honestly.
I’m tired (as I write this, it’s 2 a.m.) and I’m not sure how much sense I make, but I did quite enjoy this book. It wasn’t a favorite, but I’d recommend it regardless. I look forward to reading more from Elizabeth Acevedo, hopefully soon.
Representation
I think I like this one even more than The Poet X. Admittedly, for the first hundred pages or so, I struggled to differentiate between Camino and Yahaira and get invested in their story. But despite my rocky start, I ended up quite invested in both girls and the way their stories intertwined. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like Clap When You Land, in that regard—one that writes sibling relationships in such a unique way, examines family secrets and love and how loss can lead to gain in unexpected ways.
Only when I started reading did I realize that Acevedo based this story off of a real tragedy, the AA587 plane crash in November 2001. That realization intensified the emotions within the pages, even though the novel is in verse. Sometimes such a method means detachment from what you’re reading, but not here. Yet another one of the author’s talents, honestly.
I’m tired (as I write this, it’s 2 a.m.) and I’m not sure how much sense I make, but I did quite enjoy this book. It wasn’t a favorite, but I’d recommend it regardless. I look forward to reading more from Elizabeth Acevedo, hopefully soon.
Representation
- Afro-Dominican protagonist
- Latinx protagonist
- established sapphic romance
- side characters of color
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Sexism, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Violence, Emotional abuse, and Xenophobia
Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, Drug use, Racism, Blood, Medical content, and Trafficking