Author: Elizabeth Acevedo
Genre: Contemporary; Young Adult
Rating: 8.5/10
In the Dominican Republic, Camino Rios waited with bated breath for the arrival of her father, while across the ocean in New York, Yahaira Rios had just parted from hers. When tragedy strikes, they learn that their father has not only left grief in his wake, but life-changing secrets.
When I heard about this book, I was completely taken with the concept. I thought that it was not only original and intriguing, but also very meaningful.
I really enjoyed learning about these girls who come from such different backgrounds, but are connected by this terrible ordeal. I liked how they were experiencing the same things differently and I loved that you not only got to see their normal routines, but also how the tragedy had changed and disrupted them.
This book was written from the perspectives of young black girls. As a Chinese girl who has never lived in America, I have next to no idea what their experiences of the world might be like, so I found it very insightful and enlightening to read about them. I think it’s important to empathise and connect with those who are different from you, whether it be by race, religion or just attitude. I felt that this book really broadened my worldview and I look forward to reading more works by this author.
Now, back to the story at hand. I loved the development of the relationship between the two girls. There was the initial apprehension and hostility, as is to be expected with their very complicated relationship. But there was also understanding, and a recognition that the situation they are in is not the other’s fault, and could actually be a blessing in disguise.
However, I wish there was just a bit more backstory with regards to the father to provide a clearer explanation for his decisions and actions.
Just like The Poet X, it was written in beautiful verses that worked to tackle difficult topics which are impossible to express with simple words. It also used literary devices and imagery to depict those intangible and perplexing emotions and thoughts.
For a book written in verse, it conveyed so much detail and was able to give us a complete story. Moreover, it had a lot of depth and weight, which you could see in the construction of the verses. I found myself rereading certain stanzas to grasp their meaning, which I found to be very profound. You could choose to read it like any other novel, or as a poetry collection, and you would come out of it with the same level of enjoyment and appreciation.
The book discussed grief, mourning and the gray area in relationships. I especially enjoyed the way it examined the complexity of relationships we share with those around us and explored the many different feelings and thoughts that accompany loss.
This was definitely a book full of intense emotions, and I won’t lie, I teared up a bit at a few scenes. It did make me think about how you could lose someone you love, literally in the blink of an eye.
This is undoubtedly a book everybody will experience differently, not only because of the story it tells, but also because of the way it was told.
“I tell her that when we land
some people on the plane might clap.
She turns to me with an eyebrow raised.
I imagine it’s kind of giving thanks.
Of all the ways it could end
it ends not with us in the sky or the water,
but together
on solid earth
safely grounded.”
Reviewed by: N.G. Rainwater (1st Reading)
Comments