Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Pages: 432 pages
Published: May 2020

Clap When You Land is my second read by Elizabeth Acevedo. It is written in verse. I read that Acevedo's first book, The Poet X, is also written this way. Her second book, and my first read, With the Fire on High was written in a more traditional way. While the stories are different, the writing is captivating; however, I did enjoy the format of With the Fire on High more.

Acevedo's books are categorized as young adult fiction, but I find that she takes on some heavy topics told through the eyes of teens that any reader can appreciate. Clap When You Land is about two half sisters: Camino who lives in the Dominican Republic and Yahaira who lives in United States. Neither sister knows about the other until a tragic plane crash kills the father they both share and love so dearly. The story is about them learning who they are through their shared connection. Because of the topic, there is grief and sadness, but it's realistic and handled appropriately for the age group of the book's target audience. The book also touches on colorism, sex trafficking, forgiveness and healing.

"The kindness of a stranger, simply because she sees in us something worthy of this small gift."

I truly enjoyed this book. It was a summer read that lifted my heart. When I landed at the last page, I too wanted to clap.

Recommendation: This is a great book for teens or older adults. There are serious topics that are handled very well by this highly skilled and talented writer.

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare

Rating: 5+ of 5 stars
Pages: 384 pages
Published: February 2020

Oh! How I fell in love with Adunni, the main character in The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare. This emotionally wrought story is about a 14-year old child whose mother has died and her father sells her (his only daughter) to a dirty, old polygamist in a rural town in Nigeria. All Adunni wants is an education so that she may one day become a teacher and have a voice in her own life and circumstances. Afraid of becoming impregnated by the polygamist "husband" and the abusive sister-wife, she runs away only to be thrust into another abusive human trafficking situation.

I know the plot sounds dire, and it is, but there are elements of hope and redemption. Adunni is a heroine. She is courageous. She is the perfect protagonist to read about any time, but this read was especially inspiring to read during Women's History Month. The novel featured several strong female characters. As an author, Dare did an excellent job with this debut, painting vivid imagery without being too graphic. I enjoyed that she wrote in the voice of a young person who was struggling to learn English. It made the book feel more authentic.

This book gave me all the feels and left me pondering about what lie ahead for Adunni. It also made me think about how truly fortunate I am to have grown up in a place where education is readily available to boys and girls alike. I truly have no complaints about this book. It was executed very well and well worth the read.

Recommendation: I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Length: 369 pages
Published: 2016

The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon - I learned about this little gem on NPR's book review section this summer, and librarian Nancy Pearl did not let me down! The focal point of this fiction novel is, Margaret Creasy, who goes missing during the 1976 heat wave in England and two little girls (Grace and Tilly) who set out to find her by searching for God. While Margaret Creasy is the nexus of the story, we never hear from her directly. The book is about her community and its reaction to her disappearance. This book is filled with mystery, suspense, and a dose of spirituality. And there's a little plot twist at the end - but no spoilers here, friends! 

The author provided a little bit of everything in this story. There was humor, love, compassion, and more. She created a great sense of tension for the reader in the journey of what happened to Margaret Creasy and why. I also appreciated the relationship between the two little girls. This book took me back to my childhood summers and friendships. I also appreciated Cannon's prose. I made nearly 20 highlights in my Kindle copy. She certainly has a way with words! And as Ms. Pearl noted, there's a cute and touching scene in the book featuring the two girls and a trip to their local library. This was much appreciated by the librarian and also this avid reader! 

There are a lot of characters in this book. Putting them together and learning what role they play takes a bit of work. And I will warn you, it takes a little bit to get into the book, but once you're in the meat of the story, I don't think it will let you go. You'll find yourself thinking of the residents of this little community for some time after finishing the book. Many thanks to my local Fort Worth Library for the digital loan! 

Recommendation: This is a fun summer read that I think just about anyone would enjoy. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful. 

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ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF FREE BY JESSICA MCCANN

Image Credit: goodreads.com

Rating: 2 of 5 stars

Although All Different Kinds of Free was published a mere 6 years ago in 2011, it was next to impossible to find a hard copy readily available for purchase in the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area. That probably should have given me an indication of its quality. However, I purchased and dug into the story as it was a book club selection.

The author, Jessica McCann, made an attempt at producing a creative historical fiction novel based on an actual U.S. Supreme Court case (Prigg v. Pennsylvania). There was great opportunity with the U.S. on the cusp of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and the Civil War, shortly thereafter. I don't think McCann was successful in advancing a well-rounded story. There were gaps in her story, typos in her copy, and characters that were not fully developed. After plowing through the 267 pages (that felt more like 672 pages), the ending seemed rushed, like McCann was being forced to get her book to publication, resulting in a conclusion that wasn't particularly satisfying nor complete.

The story is set in the 1830s, during a time when the country was becoming more divided on the morality of the institution of slavery. The main character, Margaret Morgan, was living as a free woman with her family in Pennsylvania. Because there is some ambiguity about her freedom status, her former owner takes advantage of this to produce financial gains for herself. Her former owner hires a bounty hunter to kidnap her and her children (one, who was undeniably born free). The Morgans are forced into slavery to help alleviate debts of Margaret's owner.

Meanwhile, McCann offers up the nitty gritty details of the Supreme Court case regurgitating what is probably the court proceeding's transcript, verbatim. I found this section to be informative, but it slowed down the pace of the story a great deal.

I didn't find any redeeming value in this book. Margaret's former owner clearly has a change of heart, but it's too little too late. Margaret's husband sacrifices a great deal trying to get his family back. The lawyer that argued the Supreme Court case to help prove that the kidnapping was illegal wasn't successful and becomes depressed. Margaret's hometown in Pennsylvania experiences violence and riots as a result of the Supreme Court ruling. I think McCann tried to give the reader some hope at the end of the story through Jim Green. However, after so many defeats it's difficult to see that as a true win, especially since the story wasn't developed beyond Jim's heroic actions and the story ended so abruptly.

I understand that slavery is often a central topic in historical fiction. However, this was not the best execution. She would have been better served writing this as a research paper or a literary journalism article, perhaps.

Recommendation: I purchased this ebook because it was not available at my local library nor was it available in hard copy at any bookstores in my area. I wish I could get my money back. Clearly, I am not extending a recommendation to read this book. There is a plethora of stories about slavery. Choose another one to read.

Until next time ... Read on!

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THE GARDEN OF SMALL BEGINNINGS BY ABBI WAXMAN

Image: Courtesy of Goodreads.com

Rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an advance copy of The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman from Net Galley. I have not been compensated for this review.

Who says grief can't be funny? In this novel, we meet 34-year old Lilian Girvan (Lili), widowed mother of two daughters - Annabel and Clare, sister to her polar opposite Rachel, and daughter to her brutally honest mother.

Her husband's untimely death, right in front of her on their neighborhood street, understandably emotionally wrecked her life. The book opens after Lilian has a stint in a mental health facility and is back at work as an illustrator for a small publishing company. In an effort to save the business, she's tasked by her boss to attend a six-week gardening class for a related book the company hopes to publish.

Throughout the course of the book, we learn that even though it's been several years since her husband's death Lilian is still grieving. Much of this grieving is self-focused, setting the stage for opportunities of re-evaluation and reconciliation with her family. All the while, she's attending this gardening class where she makes unlikely friends.

I really enjoyed the self-exploration part of this book. I liked how the author developed the main character through the secondary characters. Most of all, I like that the focus was on healing and friendships and not so much about getting a guy to make your life complete. However, there are some romantic elements, but they are not over done. Additionally, there are various "excerpts" about gardening throughout the book, which made it a fun read for this gardening hobbyist. I would have enjoyed the book more if there was a spiritual element to the healing process, but to each his (or her) own!

Recommendation: There are tidbits of goodness in this book with an overall realistic perspective on grief and and healing; however, I felt like some parts were contrived in an effort to create more humor than was necessary. At times the Lilian character was inconsistent and the happily ever after ending tied the story up a little too perfectly for my taste.

Until next time ... Read on!

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