A review by rachelbookdragon
Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maritza Moulite, Maika Moulite

3.0

A tale of a girl finding her Haitian roots and dealing with a family curse and her mom’s secret, Dear Haiti is told in letters and documents as the story is wound together. Alaine has very tongue in cheek humor, nothing I laughed out loud for, but very smart and quippy. Reading about her mom’s illness and the emotional repercussions and understanding Alaine experiences as a result was an interesting experience, as this disease hasn’t come up in other books I have read up to this point. I loved reading about the history of Haiti, as I’ve met many Haitian people living in South Florida, and this is the first contemporary YA book I’ve seen exploring the culture. The curse that Alaine contends with, partially as a metaphor of her journey in understanding her mom’s illness, wasn’t my favorite part of the book, but is a part of the culture explored in the book. I do think this book is an important part of the YA growth we are seeing as more stories are being told, and I’m glad it exists for people to pick up and learn more, or see themselves in the story told. Personally, the star rating is only representative of my enjoyment level. I was a bit bored and just couldn’t connect with the characters in the way I usually like to, which colors my impression on the book, but that is just my personal experience with the book. I fully support the very sweet sisters the book was written by and wish them much success.