gigireadswithkiki's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-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? No
4.0
This book really challenged me to examine my internalized biases against characters who are unlikeable to me. Fabiola made some absolutely buckwild errors in judgement when faced with difficult challenges, but Ibi Zoboi does a fantastic job of reminding readers of her situation as both a child isolated from their parental figure and a new immigrant to the U.S. American Street felt like a raw and emotional examination of not only the racism and police brutality faced by Black Americans but also how that can layer with immigrant xenophobia. Though this story focused on Fabiola's experiences, my favorite part of the book was definitely the small moments at the end of chapters, where we'd get a slice of another character's thoughts/perspectives; these sections felt so poetically lush with emotion, and many of the lines felt so heartfelt and impactful.
My only criticism is that the pacing of the story felt a little disjointed. The ending comes in quickly and violently, without leaving readers much space to sit with the events before concluding the story. I wish the conclusion had been shifted a bit earlier into the book so that the ending could've had room to breathe and settle with all the characters but otherwise, I really enjoyed this read though please please please check content warnings before reading!!!
My only criticism is that the pacing of the story felt a little disjointed. The ending comes in quickly and violently, without leaving readers much space to sit with the events before concluding the story. I wish the conclusion had been shifted a bit earlier into the book so that the ending could've had room to breathe and settle with all the characters but otherwise, I really enjoyed this read though please please please check content warnings before reading!!!
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, and Police brutality
Moderate: Xenophobia
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
emotional
tense
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
5.0
Whelp. That was an ending I didn’t anticipate.
For my first book by Ibi Zoboi, American Street hit hard! In a good way, but also in a sad way. I quickly fell in love with Fabiola “Fabulous” Toussaint. From the way her dialogue is written, to her vibrant internal monologue, to her flow of emotions and determination and love and fear… Fabiola is a beautiful multi-faceted character and the perfect one to be telling this story.
From the first pages of the book, the world challenges Fabiola. Upon entering the United States, her mother is detained in immigration. Detroit is not quite the place she imagined. Despite an excellent education in Haiti, she has to navigate a new school with a slightly different way of doing things and she has to navigate the rules of the West Side. Meanwhile, everyone seems determined to keep as much information from her as possible – they want her to live a good life and stay out of the bad parts of their world. But Fabiola will do anything to get her mother back.
For me, the characters in this story are its greatest strength, and since American Street is an excellent book, that’s saying a lot. Each one is deeply developed, with their own story that slowly unravels around Fabiola. They each have their own motives and their own secrets. The plot takes you through a few unexpected twists, but those twists are all that much stronger because of the way the characters shine.
Reader be warned, there is also a lot of difficult content in American Street. Most prominent, to me, is the toxic relationship between two characters (that includes physical abuse) and murder by police. There’s a lot of joyful moments in American Street, but there are also quite a few bad moments. Be prepared for both.
I enjoyed reading this book and it will definitely be one I add to my “to buy” list, because I could read it again. The world is vibrant, real, and alive. There’s important social themes addressed in American Street, and characters that stick with you. It may not be a book with a happy ending, but it is a book with an impactful one.
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, and Violence
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Sexual content
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