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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
reading_thefineprint's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This book does a great job of showing how complex relationships between family members can be. It is written beautifully and capture’s Haiti in and honest and loving light, like the way a slightly distant family member might.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Sexual assault, and Dementia
pucksandpaperbacks's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
CW: HP and JKR reference, Alzheimer's, ableism, miscarriage, sexual harassment
A great debut full of family drama and family history. The main character was such a realistic teen as she made teenage-like mistakes and I liked her growth throughout the story seeing her learn about her mother that she has a rocky relationship with. I also liked and thought it was a smart writing decision to have the book written in epistolary format since it has to do with the media and as she finds the diary entries that lead her to more information about her family's history.
As this is co-written, I thought it was a unique approach because most co-written words have dual POV but this has a single POV. I'm excited to read more from these authors!
A great debut full of family drama and family history. The main character was such a realistic teen as she made teenage-like mistakes and I liked her growth throughout the story seeing her learn about her mother that she has a rocky relationship with. I also liked and thought it was a smart writing decision to have the book written in epistolary format since it has to do with the media and as she finds the diary entries that lead her to more information about her family's history.
As this is co-written, I thought it was a unique approach because most co-written words have dual POV but this has a single POV. I'm excited to read more from these authors!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Miscarriage, and Sexual harassment
antidietleah's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Terminal illness, and Dementia
luminareads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book was pretty good. The beginning was funny, but the middle and end dropped that tone a bit which was disappointing. I liked Alaine's voice in the book, it was clear and distinct, and I thought that using letters and documents to help tell the story was a unique touch. The ending was okay, not my favorite and I doubt I'll reread this book anytime soon but overall, it was a pretty good book. My main complaint is with the cover of the US paperback, the clear film on my copy kept peeling back along the edges and as someone who likes to keep all my books looking perfect this was a distraction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Death
moonytoast's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.25
I'm so happy that I happened upon this book by chance.... There were so many moments where I was surprisingly on the edge of my seat, which isn't a frequent occurrence for me with young adult contemporary fiction. I won't go into details, but I think the Moulite sisters weave a lovely, engaging epistolary novel about coming of age and family. Recently, I've been wondering if I'm just too old to enjoy young adult contemporary fiction as much as I previously did, but this book proved me wrong.
My favorite aspect of this book was the writing style. I've made it no secret that I generally prefer third person narration, but Maika and Maritza Moulite use the first person point of view to their advantage and create a Distinct Character Voice™ that helps to further build out Alaine as a protagonist.
My favorite aspect of this book was the writing style. I've made it no secret that I generally prefer third person narration, but Maika and Maritza Moulite use the first person point of view to their advantage and create a Distinct Character Voice™ that helps to further build out Alaine as a protagonist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage and Dementia
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Medical content
Minor: Death
sarah984's review against another edition
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I really liked the idea of this book, but the execution was lacking for me.
First off, things I liked. It was interesting to see a YA where the main character has divorced parents who still have a decent relationship. Both parents were supportive in their own way and had interesting stories. I liked the idea of Alaine going to Haiti to understand her history, and the way the country and culture were described was great.
Things I didn't like: Alaine is supposed to be 17 but she's very immature and babyish so it makes her relationship with a "college boy" seem skeevier than it is. The idea of her including the flirty slack messages in her final project is absurd. The embezzlement plotline felt unnecessary and the culprit is the one person who acts suspiciously. The adults all have interesting stories that are barely delved into. Rosaline in particular is more plot device than person. The tone in general is a wild pendulum between silly teen antics and very serious subject matter (not just the mom’s Alzheimers but another character dies out of nowhere and this is handled in an absolutely bizarre manner). The whole family curse plotline felt kind of pointless (especially having so recently read <i>When You Trap a Tiger</i> which did this better) and I would have liked to see more of Alaine’s work with the Patron Pal app and kids instead.
First off, things I liked. It was interesting to see a YA where the main character has divorced parents who still have a decent relationship. Both parents were supportive in their own way and had interesting stories. I liked the idea of Alaine going to Haiti to understand her history, and the way the country and culture were described was great.
Things I didn't like: Alaine is supposed to be 17 but she's very immature and babyish so it makes her relationship with a "college boy" seem skeevier than it is. The idea of her including the flirty slack messages in her final project is absurd. The embezzlement plotline felt unnecessary and the culprit is the one person who acts suspiciously. The adults all have interesting stories that are barely delved into. Rosaline in particular is more plot device than person. The tone in general is a wild pendulum between silly teen antics and very serious subject matter
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Miscarriage, Slavery, Terminal illness, Grief, Pregnancy, and Classism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Drug use, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, and Alcohol
erin_curry's review
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Miscarriage, and Sexual assault
noyastan's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really loved Alaine's voice, her snark and sarcasm and how she always mixes her stories with other fictional tales, getting wrapped up in her writing! I loved reading from Alaine's POV and getting to sit in her head, seeing her writing and her feelings unfold. I also liked how the authors combined emails, texts, newspaper articles with Alaine's narration.
Alaine takes an unexpected middle-of-the-school-year trip to her parents' home country, Haiti, when a school presentation goes wrong, and spends her time there trying to counter a family curse and understand her distant mother.
While I appreciated the expansive family drama, Alaine's complex relationship with her mother, addressing the difficulties of coming to term with Alzheimer's/illness, and the mystery of the curse, I did not love the ending. Part of it is because some aspects seem rushed, many things getting all wrapped up in the last few sections, but also one huge part that seemed not only unnecessary but cruel. If the novel had ended a bit differently, I would've probably enjoyed it more, but alas.
Alaine takes an unexpected middle-of-the-school-year trip to her parents' home country, Haiti, when a school presentation goes wrong, and spends her time there trying to counter a family curse and understand her distant mother.
While I appreciated the expansive family drama, Alaine's complex relationship with her mother, addressing the difficulties of coming to term with Alzheimer's/illness, and the mystery of the curse, I did not love the ending. Part of it is because some aspects seem rushed, many things getting all wrapped up in the last few sections, but also one huge part that seemed not only unnecessary but cruel. If the novel had ended a bit differently, I would've probably enjoyed it more, but alas.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Miscarriage, and Dementia
Minor: Child abuse
tucker68511's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, and Dementia