Read for: Audio Book Challenge/ BTAFest
Synopsis: "The rock in the water does not know the pain of the rock in the sun.
On the corner of American Street and Joy Road, Fabiola Toussaint thought she would finally find une belle vie—a good life.
But after they leave Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Fabiola’s mother is detained by U.S. immigration, leaving Fabiola to navigate her loud American cousins, Chantal, Donna, and Princess; the grittiness of Detroit’s west side; a new school; and a surprising romance, all on her own.
Just as she finds her footing in this strange new world, a dangerous proposition presents itself, and Fabiola soon realizes that freedom comes at a cost. Trapped at the crossroads of an impossible choice, will she pay the price for the American dream?"
My Review: I picked this book up because Ibi Zoboi is going to be at the BTA Fest this fall and even though this is pretty far outside my normal comfort zone I wanted to give it a try. It was interesting and it seemed pretty authentic, at least as far as I can tell not having lived in the inner city or been to Haiti or having even a slightly similar background. The characters were all very interesting and well developed. I was a little put off by the vast amounts of cursing, I don't mind some (heck I am pretty bad about it myself) but this book really took it to an extreme. It was interesting to read about some of the Haiti traditions and beliefs tucked in throughout the story. I was left hanging a little bit, the conclusion got a little rushed and I am not entirely sure as to what happened. I am glad I read it and I can see lovers of YA contemporary really enjoying this one. If you can get the audio book, I highly recommend it; the narrator, Robin Miles, did a fantastic job with all the accents.
On the corner of American Street and Joy Road, Fabiola Toussaint thought she would finally find une belle vie—a good life.
But after they leave Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Fabiola’s mother is detained by U.S. immigration, leaving Fabiola to navigate her loud American cousins, Chantal, Donna, and Princess; the grittiness of Detroit’s west side; a new school; and a surprising romance, all on her own.
Just as she finds her footing in this strange new world, a dangerous proposition presents itself, and Fabiola soon realizes that freedom comes at a cost. Trapped at the crossroads of an impossible choice, will she pay the price for the American dream?"
My Review: I picked this book up because Ibi Zoboi is going to be at the BTA Fest this fall and even though this is pretty far outside my normal comfort zone I wanted to give it a try. It was interesting and it seemed pretty authentic, at least as far as I can tell not having lived in the inner city or been to Haiti or having even a slightly similar background. The characters were all very interesting and well developed. I was a little put off by the vast amounts of cursing, I don't mind some (heck I am pretty bad about it myself) but this book really took it to an extreme. It was interesting to read about some of the Haiti traditions and beliefs tucked in throughout the story. I was left hanging a little bit, the conclusion got a little rushed and I am not entirely sure as to what happened. I am glad I read it and I can see lovers of YA contemporary really enjoying this one. If you can get the audio book, I highly recommend it; the narrator, Robin Miles, did a fantastic job with all the accents.
My Rating: As I have said before, contemporary is not my genre and especially those without much or any romance. With that said this book certainly has a story to tell and a message behind the story. While it may not have been the book for me, I can still appreciate it. For me it was a Three Paw book but I believe that it will rate much higher for those who prefer the genre.
This isn't my genre so I'd probably skip it. I'm impressed you read and stuck with it.
ReplyDeleteI do like to try new things, especially when I expect to meet the authors.
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