Clap When You Land

4.5 but I'll rate it as a 5 here. The audiobook is EXCELLENT - Acevedo reads Yahaira (I could listen to her perform the phone book) and Melania-Luisa Marte holds her own reading Camino. As a novel in verse, the performance of the verses really lends emotional heft. Acevedo's characters are always so alive and vibrant, and within the context of her story she always hits universal themes: family obligation and the meaning of family, whether it's through blood or choice, what it means to be a teenage girl in the world and how you express “femaleness” in varying ways, voices and who is represented and has a right to be heard. My only minimal critique is that I wanted just a bit more before the book ended. It built to the meeting of the sisters, and a dramatic confrontation between a lurking pimp and all the women in this new family, but I wanted just a bit more expansion of their lives intersecting before the end. I love that Acevedo built this story around a real incident of a plane crash that didn't receive the national attention it should have - I had never heard about it until now.

Goodreads needs a half star system! This read was a 4.5 for sure. Elizabeth has a way with words and every sentence flowed perfectly. I related to this story and this is possibly the only story where I could relate to both characters. Growing up hispanic, not knowing much spanish, being queer, secret sister... yes been there dealt with it! Elizabeth captures everything just perfectly. Words cannot describe how good this story was.

Why did I not give this 5 stars? Well Papi was a garbage human being. He had 2 families and treated his wife in NYC like trash. He literally only married her to prove he was good enough to marry the general's daughter. Really? What a scumbag. Also, these girls are weeping over him, wondering how he would have felt and thought. Who gives a shit about him? Trash human being. Most of the men (minus Nelson) were trash. Tio? Trash. You knew your brother was garbage and didn't tell him so? El Cero? MEGA TRASH.

I recommend 100% and I can't wait to read more of Elizabeth Acevedo's work.

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POPSUGAR 2021 READING CHALLENGE - A book about a subject you are passionate about • Sisterhood.