Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Puerto Plato, Dominican Republic

Clap When You Land is a beautifully written coming of age novel about two young women whose father dies in a plane crash (based on the actual AA587 plane crash in 2001). Camino lives in a small village in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic with her aunt and relishes her father's yearly visits during the summer. Yahaira is a high school student and talented chess player who lives in New York City. Prior to their father's death, the young women were unaware of each other or their father's infidelity.

The novel is written in a rhythmic, sometimes poetic style that gives life to the story and the characters. It captures the raw emotion of the tragedy while also conveying hope. There is a smattering of Spanish words, and in some of my research readers have complained about the lack of context. But, I know only the barest minimum of Spanish, and I was able to figure everything out (Google is also your friend. Why does everything have to be spoon-fed to us all the time?). So I'm not giving much thought to those critics.

One of the best parts of this novel is that its characters feel so real. They're all imperfect. Papi made some questionable decisions in his life, but he continued to support both his daughters in the best way he could. Mami could be seen as a villain, but she is able to overcome her heartbreak and ultimately allow Camino into her life. Not to mention the grief and anger (and love) she felt every day is completely understandable. Both Camino and Yahaira are well rounded characters with friends and hopes and dreams.

This is a short review, but it's best to just read this book. It's a great YA novel (a genre I tend to avoid whenever possible), with characters that are well-rounded and real. The prose and poetry are beautiful. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is I didn't feel as emotionally attached to this book as others I have read. I can't pinpoint quite why that is, but it simply didn't suck me in like other books. But I will certainly read others by Elizabeth Acevedo and give this a solid 4/5.

Review by the Numbers

Overall: 4/5

Writing: 4/5

Message: 4/5

Plot: 4/5

Character Development: 4/5

Challenges Satisfied:

- Dominican Republic (Reading My Way Around the World Challenge)

- A Book with Onomatopoeia in Its Title (2022 PopSugar Reading Challenge)

- A Book from a BIPOC Author (2022 Fully Booked Reading Challenge)

- Involves Travel (2022 Gotta Read ‘Em All Challenge)