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jhschwartz 's review for:
American Street
by Ibi Zoboi
Rating = 4.5 stars, but I am rounding up due to my fondness for a little magical realism
American Street challenges the reader to look at issues of immigration, race, class, abuse, gender, etc. It is an unflinching look. This book is gritty (there is sex, drug use, gun violence, depictions of abuse, etc.), but it is also beautiful and unique. It explores many of the same conflicts that are really popular right now in literature, but does so in a way that I have not seen any other book do. The book is told from Fabiola's point of view (and what a pov it is!), but there are moments that allow us to peek into the perspectives and backstories of other characters (including two that come late in the book at are real gut punches). I also love how Fabiola's Haitian Vodou faith is woven into the narrative with a depiction of Papa Legba that keeps a reader wondering what is real and what is not. Ibi Zoboi also has a really lyrical style that allows the reader to find beauty in some of the ugliest moments. American Street has kept me thinking long after I read the final page.
American Street challenges the reader to look at issues of immigration, race, class, abuse, gender, etc. It is an unflinching look. This book is gritty (there is sex, drug use, gun violence, depictions of abuse, etc.), but it is also beautiful and unique. It explores many of the same conflicts that are really popular right now in literature, but does so in a way that I have not seen any other book do. The book is told from Fabiola's point of view (and what a pov it is!), but there are moments that allow us to peek into the perspectives and backstories of other characters (including two that come late in the book at are real gut punches). I also love how Fabiola's Haitian Vodou faith is woven into the narrative with a depiction of Papa Legba that keeps a reader wondering what is real and what is not. Ibi Zoboi also has a really lyrical style that allows the reader to find beauty in some of the ugliest moments. American Street has kept me thinking long after I read the final page.