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amkozy23's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The main character of this book, Alaine, was very relatable. I loved how complex the relationships in this book were. I thought it was a fun, interesting, and engaging read. I think it spent a little too much time on the gathering of the sand for the curse but other than that, I really liked it.
swalshbuckles's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
lostinfrance's review against another edition
2.0
I have carried this book around for a couple years-- my interest piqued because the book took place in Haiti, but hesitant because I find books written by more than one author....blah.
This book was just all over the place....and not for me.
Daughter asked to leave private school, so goes to Haiti (her first time!) to rejoin her mother who is suffering from an illness...and decides to try to end the curse that has been on her family for centuries....and there is a boy (intern) at her job, corruption, scandal, her Dad...random death. My issues were this story was--- soooo convoluted. Never really understood the role of the woman that was the child maid- nor the history of the curse. They tried to have the story written in different formats- letters, emails, articles. It did not add to the story- but made it more difficult to understand. I was really disappointed and didn't like the end- it was just a big Ugh at the end. Such a time commitment and I still had questions....
Read if you enjoy Haiti and don't mind being a bit lost.
This book was just all over the place....and not for me.
Daughter asked to leave private school, so goes to Haiti (her first time!) to rejoin her mother who is suffering from an illness...and decides to try to end the curse that has been on her family for centuries....and there is a boy (intern) at her job, corruption, scandal, her Dad...random death. My issues were this story was--- soooo convoluted. Never really understood the role of the woman that was the child maid- nor the history of the curse. They tried to have the story written in different formats- letters, emails, articles. It did not add to the story- but made it more difficult to understand. I was really disappointed and didn't like the end- it was just a big Ugh at the end. Such a time commitment and I still had questions....
Read if you enjoy Haiti and don't mind being a bit lost.
bookishmadness's review against another edition
4.0
Absolutely adored this book. The history, the culture, the language, the creativity. Wish I could go back and read this again for the first time!
sarahmcgurren13's review against another edition
2.0
Quick Synopsis: Alaine is a hilarious and angsty teenage girl with divorced parents. When her mom, a national news anchor, has a big oops on TV, she flees to her childhood home in Haiti to live with her sister. Meanwhile, Alaine gets suspended from school and gets sent to Haiti to complete a service project at her aunt’s company for punishment. In Haiti, Alaine discovers that her mother has some serious health issues which has her digging into the “family curse.” While she tries to work the counter curse and cure her mother, Alaine grows closer with her mother, learns her family history, and matures.
My Opinion:
My Opinion:
kal_self's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ihateprozac's review against another edition
5.0
This story has two central themes: Alaine coping with her mother's diagnosis, while also falling in love with the motherland. Haiti feels like a character in and of itself, and Alaine is getting to know that character (both the good and bad parts!)
Alaine is one of my favourite YA protagonists I've read recently! She's feisty, voicey, and flawed. She displays so much character growth over the course of the story as she learns about her family, her heritage, and herself. Her relationship with her mother is difficult, and I'm always here for a YA that explores detached or workaholic mother relationships.
As someone who works in philanthropy, I was stoked to see all the discourse about privilege and poverty in Haiti, performative philanthropy, and how international aide can ruin an economy if not executed properly. There's also great conversation about colourism, colonialism, and whitewashing Haiti in the name of tourism.
I loved the mixed media format comprised of school assignments, diary entries, postcards, letters and emails. It added an urgency and vibrancy to the story, and I'm always interested to see how authors switch formats and respond to changing economies of dialogue.
I knew I would like this, but was unprepared for how much I would love it!I'm always here for stories of diaspora kids travelling to the motherland for the first time, and this was an exceptional example of that.
4.5 stars
Alaine is one of my favourite YA protagonists I've read recently! She's feisty, voicey, and flawed. She displays so much character growth over the course of the story as she learns about her family, her heritage, and herself. Her relationship with her mother is difficult, and I'm always here for a YA that explores detached or workaholic mother relationships.
As someone who works in philanthropy, I was stoked to see all the discourse about privilege and poverty in Haiti, performative philanthropy, and how international aide can ruin an economy if not executed properly. There's also great conversation about colourism, colonialism, and whitewashing Haiti in the name of tourism.
I loved the mixed media format comprised of school assignments, diary entries, postcards, letters and emails. It added an urgency and vibrancy to the story, and I'm always interested to see how authors switch formats and respond to changing economies of dialogue.
I knew I would like this, but was unprepared for how much I would love it!I'm always here for stories of diaspora kids travelling to the motherland for the first time, and this was an exceptional example of that.
4.5 stars
destheesquire's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
4.0
literary_lyette's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Abortion
thelilbookwitch's review against another edition
4.0
There was a lot of work put into this book, wholly voiced by the (sometimes) unreliable narrator and titular character: Alaine.
When a character is pitched as "smart" and "sassy" I tend to roll my eyes, but Alaine has intellect and razor-sharp wit in spades. This book required active reading as the story is told with traditional prose, email exchanges, post-cards, DMs, and other forms of communication that make it the closest thing to a YA Epistolary novel I've likely ever read.
Equal parts skeptical and trying to grapple with the unimaginable, Alaine's story feels a little disjointed at times, with meaningful moments that could be the jumping point for other novels cast aside to tell a different story with carefully laid connections and growth points.
While not melodramatically heavy, this book isn't light and I definitely think the appeal for it is with older high school readers who will be able to relate to Alaine on their on journeys into adulthood.
When a character is pitched as "smart" and "sassy" I tend to roll my eyes, but Alaine has intellect and razor-sharp wit in spades. This book required active reading as the story is told with traditional prose, email exchanges, post-cards, DMs, and other forms of communication that make it the closest thing to a YA Epistolary novel I've likely ever read.
Equal parts skeptical and trying to grapple with the unimaginable, Alaine's story feels a little disjointed at times, with meaningful moments that could be the jumping point for other novels cast aside to tell a different story with carefully laid connections and growth points.
While not melodramatically heavy, this book isn't light and I definitely think the appeal for it is with older high school readers who will be able to relate to Alaine on their on journeys into adulthood.