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blooms_in_books 's review for:
American Street
by Ibi Zoboi
My full review of this title can be found here on The Book Hookup.
*Disclaimer: An e-copy of this title was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. However, that did not influence this review in any way. All thoughts, quotes, and opinions will be of this version and not of the published edition.
Actual rating of 3.5 stars! Zoboi tackled a lot in this novel. There's cultural and ethnic representation, LGBTQIAP+ presence, immigration, drugs and police involvement, teen domestic abuse, religion, and loads more. I appreciated that the author included so much and that it felt very organic and authentic in all the different elements, but I also felt like sometimes, with the inclusion of so many subplots, the story became muddled and weighed down; almost like everything wasn't given the exact dedication and detail it required to make it more noteworthy. I also believe that it may have affected the pacing and my connection to the story in places.
I will say that for better or for worse, the author gave us beautifully flawed, but fully realized characters. There would be times that you could love and hate a character so much, but for better or worse, they were completely themselves for the entirety of the book. I also appreciated the closeness of the family dynamic between the cousins.
I will note that if you're a ribbons-and-bows-ending kind of reader, this one probably won't be for you. I'm still not sure exactly how I feel about it, to be honest. Kind of bittersweet, but edging a little more toward bitter. I just finished it though, so it's like a fresh bruise. I'm not too keen on poking at it at the moment, but maybe upon later reflection, I'll appreciate a different aspect of how everything went down.
♥ A very special thanks to Balzer + Bray and Edelweiss for providing me with an advanced copy of this title.
*Disclaimer: An e-copy of this title was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. However, that did not influence this review in any way. All thoughts, quotes, and opinions will be of this version and not of the published edition.
Actual rating of 3.5 stars! Zoboi tackled a lot in this novel. There's cultural and ethnic representation, LGBTQIAP+ presence, immigration, drugs and police involvement, teen domestic abuse, religion, and loads more. I appreciated that the author included so much and that it felt very organic and authentic in all the different elements, but I also felt like sometimes, with the inclusion of so many subplots, the story became muddled and weighed down; almost like everything wasn't given the exact dedication and detail it required to make it more noteworthy. I also believe that it may have affected the pacing and my connection to the story in places.
I will say that for better or for worse, the author gave us beautifully flawed, but fully realized characters. There would be times that you could love and hate a character so much, but for better or worse, they were completely themselves for the entirety of the book. I also appreciated the closeness of the family dynamic between the cousins.
I will note that if you're a ribbons-and-bows-ending kind of reader, this one probably won't be for you. I'm still not sure exactly how I feel about it, to be honest. Kind of bittersweet, but edging a little more toward bitter. I just finished it though, so it's like a fresh bruise. I'm not too keen on poking at it at the moment, but maybe upon later reflection, I'll appreciate a different aspect of how everything went down.
♥ A very special thanks to Balzer + Bray and Edelweiss for providing me with an advanced copy of this title.