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A review by daniyoung
Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maritza Moulite, Maika Moulite
3.0
"Dear Haiti, Love Alaine" is a contemporary young adult novel that follows Alaine, the daughter of divorced Haitian immigrants living in the United States. The story takes place both in the U.S. and Haiti, where Alaine visits for the first time. During her visit, she connects with her extended family, explores her family history, and gains a deeper understanding of her mother and Haiti's vibrant, complex culture.
The novel is presented epistolary, using emails, texts, journal entries, and articles to tell the story. While this approach adds creativity and variety, it often disrupts the flow and makes the plot feel disjointed.
One central plotline involves Alaine's mother, who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. Alaine becomes convinced she can cure her mother by breaking a family curse linked to a ritual from her mother's past. While this concept is intriguing, the portrayal of Alzheimer's feels underdeveloped and overly tied to the curse, which detracts from a more serious exploration of the condition. This could have been an opportunity to depict a family navigating such a diagnosis realistically.
Despite its flaws, the novel features a vivid setting and offers a fascinating exploration of cultural identity. However, weak character development and gaps in the plot left me feeling unsatisfied by the end. While the premise drew me in, the execution fell short of its potential.
The novel is presented epistolary, using emails, texts, journal entries, and articles to tell the story. While this approach adds creativity and variety, it often disrupts the flow and makes the plot feel disjointed.
One central plotline involves Alaine's mother, who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. Alaine becomes convinced she can cure her mother by breaking a family curse linked to a ritual from her mother's past. While this concept is intriguing, the portrayal of Alzheimer's feels underdeveloped and overly tied to the curse, which detracts from a more serious exploration of the condition. This could have been an opportunity to depict a family navigating such a diagnosis realistically.
Despite its flaws, the novel features a vivid setting and offers a fascinating exploration of cultural identity. However, weak character development and gaps in the plot left me feeling unsatisfied by the end. While the premise drew me in, the execution fell short of its potential.