Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
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Web ID: 1262037412 reviews
book in prose about sisterhood and community
As a rule, I don’t read YA contemporary. It is hard to keep my attention without a little bit of magic. However, Elizabeth Acevedo’s books seem to always break my rule. The Poet X was an interesting read, though not a favorite. Clap When You Land has made me a little bit weepy. A rumination of sisterhood, family, truth, and community and all the meanings therein. Written in Acevedo’s trademark verse, Clap When You Land was a solid 4.5 star read.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Quick but impactful
“Fight until you can’t breathe, & if you have to forfeit, you forfeit smiling, make them think you let them win.” . I don’t think I need to provide a summary for this book at this point so I’ll be brief. This story follows two sisters who do not know about each other but are brought together after their father is killed in a plane crash. This novel-in-verse jumps between one sister in NYC and the other in DR as they cope with, not only the loss of their father but also the mere existence of the other. . I needed an e-book to read in bed when I couldn’t sleep so I finally picked this one up. Just like The Poet X by the same author, I was amazed at how much emotion and complexity was conveyed with so few words. This is definitely a character-driven story and I loved getting to know the sisters and seeing their similarities and differences. I am still thinking about the differences between the sisters that exist because of privilege and what causes those privileges to exist. I don’t think it’s a secret that I like reading about complicated family dynamics and this definitely gave me that. I do think Camino’s story and POV was a bit more intriguing than Yahaira’s but I still really enjoyed both. If you’re looking for a quick but impactful read and haven’t picked this one up, I highly recommend it.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Clap when you land
I thought it was amazing and quite beautiful. I love poetry and I couldn't put it down.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Interesting format
Told in verse form, it tells the story of two girls--one American, one Dominican Republican--who lose their fathers on the same day. Secrets are revealed. Some know the secrets; some only are finding out the secrets. The girls must decide what to do with the secrets. I wasn't sure what I felt about the story until the end. I liked how it went back and forth between the girls then switched to both of their sides. It was interesting how they ended up helping each other. Until the last quarter of the book, I was not happy with the book. I don't like all these secrets being kept. When the secrets finally are acknowledged by all then I enjoyed the story. I liked the ending. It was what I hoped it would be.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Beautiful story told in verse
This was a beautiful story told in verse and in two POVs that were incredibly distinct. I loved the characters, all their flaws and how their lives were interwoven. But I sometimes felt things happened a little too slowly, or that the pacing was just a bit off.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
All the Feels
I was a little skeptical because it is written like poetry.. but my goodness this book is so good. Part of me wants her to finish the story..
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Lyrical and Compassionate
When a flight from New York to the Dominican Republic goes down, Camino and Yahaira both have to deal with the loss of their father. In the DR, Camino struggles not only with missing her papi, but also with the gaping uncertainty the future now holds without her father to provide for her. In New York, Yahaira faces the difficulty of life with her mother who she has never been close to, and struggles to deal with her extended family. Neither girl is prepared for the revelation of their relationship, but death is unforgiving and families can only keep so many secrets. Elizabeth Acevedo has such a beautiful and compassionate voice. She writes characters with fierce self knowledge and purpose, but with empathetic words and soft, loving descriptions. This is my first novel in verse, and I really enjoyed it. The way it makes timing and flow an element of story, and leaves room for colourful and smudged sentence structure; the narrative becomes a carefully painted picture, one that needs to write it's own rules in order to portray it's heart and meaning fully. I truly enjoyed this journey between Camino and Yahaira, as each of them came to terms with who their father had been, and opened themselves up to be able to accept their new sister. There were a lot of moments when this story could have turned for the worst, and I appreciate each time Acevedo chose not to go there. There is a sense of realism in this story, showing the cracks and damage people live with every day, the fears and the failures. And mirrored to that, it shows the small graces that we are each afforded; the kindness of loved ones, the daily miracles and the comfort of nature. I loved Acevedo's last book With The Fire On High, and I loved this one as well. She has a beautiful voice, and her characters are wonderfully crafted.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Heartwrenching and beautifully told
Elizabeth Acevedo literally never fails to blow my mind. The way she weaves words together in verse is honestly unparalleled, and each time I listen to one of her audiobooks I know I'm in for an experience that will give me chills. Clap When You Land is told in the two perspectives of sisters who discover that their father has been secretly juggling two different families when he dies in a plane crash. Their stories are heartwrenching and told with such rich detail, it truly makes you put yourself in their shoes for a few hours. I've yet to read With the Fire on High, but Clap When You Land easily lives up to the talent Acevedo displays in The Poet X. It's a very different story, but just as emotional and beautifully told. I will say of the two, Poet X remains my favorite just because Clap is so emotionally heavy throughout the whole story, while Poet show a slightly broader range of feelings. But both are equally as important, if they might require different mindsets to really absorb.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com