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bookish_jlp's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Abandonment
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Stalking
lolasbooks12's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
Minor: Racism
shanaaa's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
readingqueerly's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-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
3.25
I'm not entirely sure what the intention was behind the specific layout and formatting of the text, but if nothing else it made for a really quick read since there are so few words per page.
A story quite different from what you would usually find in YA despite having a lot of familiar themes of family, culture and identity; and how those concepts are completely shaken up when you find out your late father has a whole other daughter in a different country.
Such an interesting read. Not necessarily a favourite though. As I said, I'm not sure what the choice was for the words to page ratio, but I think I would have preferred full text where the characters and their environment were just more fleshed out. I feel like I missed something in that.
I did like the characters though, I think that's why I wanted more. I just wanted to know more about their inner world and interactions knowing now they had a secret sister.
Bit bad just wanted MORE.
A story quite different from what you would usually find in YA despite having a lot of familiar themes of family, culture and identity; and how those concepts are completely shaken up when you find out your late father has a whole other daughter in a different country.
Such an interesting read. Not necessarily a favourite though. As I said, I'm not sure what the choice was for the words to page ratio, but I think I would have preferred full text where the characters and their environment were just more fleshed out. I feel like I missed something in that.
I did like the characters though, I think that's why I wanted more. I just wanted to know more about their inner world and interactions knowing now they had a secret sister.
Bit bad just wanted MORE.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual assault
midnightrubies's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
What a beautiful story of loss and grief. Reading the audiobook helped ne so much in overcoming my feelings of intimidation around verse in books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
clovetra's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
i do truly adore the message of this book. the language, the ending, the story in general is quite touching.
this book was already going to be a tough one for me, as my dad passed away whilst i was a child, so i could relate a lot to the feelings in this story. reading about zoila's grief was especially hard, as although i dont remember my own grief as a child, i do remember my mums.
i loved yahaira & her story, i felt i very much related to her, esp with her anger towards life. also shout out sapphics i love herrrrrrr
now camino..... im sorry i found her insufferable. and that was probably one of my biggest issues with this book. her anger towards yahaira unfair. realistic? yes. did it also annoy me? yes! like this girl did nothing to you. its realistic but idk it felt like i had to pick a side, and i will always align with the gay bitch sorry.
i wont lie tho i didnt like camino from the beginning 🫣 she just didnt grow on me, and then was just a dumb character with her decisions. most of her plot followed her & el cero, but im sorry why didnt she just tell someone. literally at least one person. yahaira made dumb decisions sure but they were relative to grief. camino's dumb decisions were as a result of pride and idk i cant stand that shit.
the story felt rushed in a lot of places but also what do i want this is a poetry book. ofc its gonna be short. theres like 4 words on a page.
the ending was sweet, i will admit. but honestly when half the story is following camino and i dont really like her, its hard. i do overall like the story, i did find it good, god i just couldnt stand camino at all. maybe its because i decided to be number one dick rider for yahaira cuz shes sapphic & camino was angry at yahaira for like 60% of the book. idk. its 3am and all i know is that i didnt like camino. i might come back in the morning & write more but yeah. this was a book! nothing too good, but nothing too bad either. perfectly average
edit: ok im back. more proper thoughts:
- plot needed more fleshing out imo, but also im not too mad about this seeing as this is a poetry-based story
- characters felt one-dimensional
- i didn’t grow to care about anyone really except yahaira but even then i wasn’t worried for her
- predictable story
- i loved the language used but my ass had to google like half this book cuz i don’t speak spanish
- poetry itself was lovely and very relatable
i sound like i hated this book but it was perfectly average (for me)
this book was already going to be a tough one for me, as my dad passed away whilst i was a child, so i could relate a lot to the feelings in this story. reading about zoila's grief was especially hard, as although i dont remember my own grief as a child, i do remember my mums.
i loved yahaira & her story, i felt i very much related to her, esp with her anger towards life. also shout out sapphics i love herrrrrrr
now camino..... im sorry i found her insufferable. and that was probably one of my biggest issues with this book. her anger towards yahaira unfair. realistic? yes. did it also annoy me? yes! like this girl did nothing to you. its realistic but idk it felt like i had to pick a side, and i will always align with the gay bitch sorry.
i wont lie tho i didnt like camino from the beginning 🫣 she just didnt grow on me, and then was just a dumb character with her decisions. most of her plot followed her & el cero, but im sorry why didnt she just tell someone. literally at least one person. yahaira made dumb decisions sure but they were relative to grief. camino's dumb decisions were as a result of pride and idk i cant stand that shit.
the story felt rushed in a lot of places but also what do i want this is a poetry book. ofc its gonna be short. theres like 4 words on a page.
the ending was sweet, i will admit. but honestly when half the story is following camino and i dont really like her, its hard. i do overall like the story, i did find it good, god i just couldnt stand camino at all. maybe its because i decided to be number one dick rider for yahaira cuz shes sapphic & camino was angry at yahaira for like 60% of the book. idk. its 3am and all i know is that i didnt like camino. i might come back in the morning & write more but yeah. this was a book! nothing too good, but nothing too bad either. perfectly average
edit: ok im back. more proper thoughts:
- plot needed more fleshing out imo, but also im not too mad about this seeing as this is a poetry-based story
- characters felt one-dimensional
- i didn’t grow to care about anyone really except yahaira but even then i wasn’t worried for her
- predictable story
- i loved the language used but my ass had to google like half this book cuz i don’t speak spanish
- poetry itself was lovely and very relatable
i sound like i hated this book but it was perfectly average (for me)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Grief, Stalking, and Death of parent
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Pregnancy, and Classism
bookishevy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Friends, I continue to celebrate #pride and #readcaribbean Month with this tale of secrets, loss, and forgiveness.
Camino lives in the Dominican Republic with her Tia. Yahaira lives in New York City with her parents. The two teens learn they have the same father when his plane crashes while traveling from NYC to the DR. Like The Poet X and some of her other books, Acevedo uses poetry instead of prose to tell this story.
Thoughts while reading: Even though their father Yano spent most of his time in NYC with Yahaira and her mother, he was his authentic self in DR because that was home. Camino and her father seem to have more in common with their love of swimming and shared spirituality. A spirituality that is highlighted through Camino's Tia.
Yano toiled in the U.S. not just to care for his wife and Yahaira, but to send money back to Camino so she could have luxuries others in her village do not. He had big dreams for both of his daughters. He split himself in two and gave each of them a different version of himself. Now that he's gone, they must grapple with his secrets and the jealousies that come with sharing a father they didn't know they were sharing.
Camino is dealing with the resentment she feels toward Yahaira, who had Yano most months out of the year and doesn't have to worry about money. Camino is desperate to get out of the DR, where she has limited opportunities, and men will prey on her. Yahaira is dealing with the guilt of being more privileged than her sister. A privilege that allows her to explore her sexuality without the complications she might have faced in the DR.
Losing a loved one and then finding out they kept parts of themselves from you is like losing them a second time. Camino and Yahaira grieve Yano but are rightfully angry at being kept in the dark. The girls and Yahaira's reluctant mother, Zoila, must learn to forgive Yano and fulfill his wish of bringing his two girls together.
This is a complex family drama that I could not put down.
Camino lives in the Dominican Republic with her Tia. Yahaira lives in New York City with her parents. The two teens learn they have the same father when his plane crashes while traveling from NYC to the DR. Like The Poet X and some of her other books, Acevedo uses poetry instead of prose to tell this story.
Thoughts while reading: Even though their father Yano spent most of his time in NYC with Yahaira and her mother, he was his authentic self in DR because that was home. Camino and her father seem to have more in common with their love of swimming and shared spirituality. A spirituality that is highlighted through Camino's Tia.
Yano toiled in the U.S. not just to care for his wife and Yahaira, but to send money back to Camino so she could have luxuries others in her village do not. He had big dreams for both of his daughters. He split himself in two and gave each of them a different version of himself. Now that he's gone, they must grapple with his secrets and the jealousies that come with sharing a father they didn't know they were sharing.
Camino is dealing with the resentment she feels toward Yahaira, who had Yano most months out of the year and doesn't have to worry about money. Camino is desperate to get out of the DR, where she has limited opportunities, and men will prey on her. Yahaira is dealing with the guilt of being more privileged than her sister. A privilege that allows her to explore her sexuality without the complications she might have faced in the DR.
Losing a loved one and then finding out they kept parts of themselves from you is like losing them a second time. Camino and Yahaira grieve Yano but are rightfully angry at being kept in the dark. The girls and Yahaira's reluctant mother, Zoila, must learn to forgive Yano and fulfill his wish of bringing his two girls together.
This is a complex family drama that I could not put down.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Death of parent
leirarae's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
It is now weeks later that I write this review and I still think about this book! It made me feel just about every emotion. It made me reflect on my life and not many books make me do that because I like to escape. This was my first Elizabeth Acevedo book and her real and rawness sucked me in like a tornado in the night!
I sympathized with Camino and Yahaira the entire book. Their bond that kept growing warmed my heart. They lost their hero and dealt with the secrets and pain far better than the adults. I wished things happened differently but this book reminded me that everything isn’t glitter and gold.It also taught me life is full of heartache and loss but, there is love in unexpected places and you can choose to do things differently despite the cards you are dealt.
I sympathized with Camino and Yahaira the entire book. Their bond that kept growing warmed my heart. They lost their hero and dealt with the secrets and pain far better than the adults. I wished things happened differently but this book reminded me that everything isn’t glitter and gold.It also taught me life is full of heartache and loss but, there is love in unexpected places and you can choose to do things differently despite the cards you are dealt.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual assault, Grief, Stalking, and Death of parent
Minor: Trafficking
leslie_c's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Stalking, and Death of parent
Minor: Trafficking
willowandbees's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Stalking, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Trafficking and Pregnancy