Clap When You Land
Book - 2020
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From Library Staff
From Library Staff
Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people... In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal's office, where her mothe... Read More »
From the critics
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Quotes
Add a Quote"But me, I know a man can have many faces & speak out of
both sides of his mouth; I know a man can make decisions
based on the flip of a coin;
a man can be real good at long division,
give away piece after piece after piece of himself.”
"If you asked me what I was,
& you meant in terms of culture,
I’d say Dominican.
No hesitation,
no question about it.
Can you be from a place
you have never been?
You can find the island stamped all over me,
but what would the island find if I was there?
Can you claim a home that does not know you,
much less claim you as its own?”
CorteMaderaStaff_Judi
Jun 24, 2020
"If tension is a winged monster, / it's cast its feathers / on the roof of my house." p 238
Summary
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SPL_Brittany
Jan 13, 2021
A novel-in-verse that speaks to the themes of love, loss, change, and the difficult nature of forgiveness. A compelling, page turning novel told from the perspectives of Camino and Yahaira, who are half-sisters who have never met, nor known of each other’s existence. Living in the Dominican Republic, with her aunt, Camino has dreams of becoming a doctor; In New York, living with her parents, Yahaira struggles with identity and defining her relationship with Dre. Following the unexpected and tragic death of their father, each girl struggles to navigate their new reality in which their father is gone, and their lives are forever changed.
Beautifully and lyrically told, Acevedo’s novel is filled with richly detailed settings and a strong sense of place. Supported by a well-developed cast of characters, the reader is immediately drawn into the lives and relationships that surround Camino and Yahaira. An engaging read that is filled with warmth and hope in the midst of darkness.
This novel will appeal to those who have enjoyed Acevedo’s previous novels Poet X and With the Fire on High, #ownvoices novels, as well as fiction written in multiple perspectives.
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I love Acevedo's books and this might be my favourite of hers so far. This book weaved together two very different girls who are both Dominican and discover they are sisters, one lives in NYC and one in the DR. They both are coping with the tragedy of their father's death and in the wake of that they discover that he was living a double life one with each of them. This book deals with loss in such a real and heartbreaking way. And how to reconcile yourself when someone you've known your whole life and loved isn't who you thought they were and your life wasn't what you thought it was either. Ultimately this book is about family and secrets and finding yourself and what all of this means together. I loved each of the girls. The perspective change was always well done when you wanted to see what one was doing vs. the other or for a change in pace. And a great contrast from being born in the DR and living there vs. being a Dominican American living in the US. Both characters and their worlds and the people in their life were vibrant and felt like a breath of life. Highly recommend for teens and adults alike.
An emotional novel-in-verse about two teen girls thrown into tragic circumstances. Heartfelt and real.
Acevedo packs a punch with her poetical hand. This is a novel-in-verse, and it is written beautifully. This story addresses an actual event that many people aren't aware of. It focuses on family secrets, grief, and cultural differences.
I love everything Elizabeth Acevedo has published so far & this latest novel totally lived up to those expectations! I loved the way in which Acevedo was able to create two distinct characters, despite having this novel entirely written in poems. If you've enjoyed her past books or you're looking for a fascinating, quick & engaging read, I highly recommend this one.
I LOVE ALL OF ELIZABETH ACEVEDO'S BOOKS!!!! This book is different then her other books it has 2 main characters telling you the story from their point of view! I felt every emotion as I was reading it! Its sad, but it is based on a real plane crash that happened before September 11. Love how Elizabeth created this fiction story to show the pain many who lost their loved ones went through and their hidden secrets many found out.
This lyrical book written in verse alternates between the perspectives of sisters Camino and Yahaira Rios. Early on in the book, their father is killed in a plane crash when he is flying to the Dominican Republic for his annual trip home from New York City. The sisters do not even know of each other's existence until the funeral. Recently placed as a young adult finalist for the Kirkus Prize in the Young Readers’s category, Clap When You Land explores the themes of love, loss and what makes a family.
Review excerpt: "I adored this book. But it wasn’t always an easy read. It’s a book drowning in grief and desperation, finely wrought and deeply felt, and it’s an understatement to say that at parts it was so good and so sad and so precise in its pain that I was simply made of tears. So fair warning, if your heart can’t handle a story of surviving the unexpected loss of a parent, there’s nothing wrong with finding other, less tear-stained reading experiences."
Source: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/clap-when-you-land-by-elizabeth-acevedo/
Everything Acevedo touches is gold.
In the Dominican Republic, Camino Rios arrives at the airport to pick up her Papi for his annual summer visit only to learn that his plane went down. In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her Mami delivers the same tragic news.
Camino dreams of moving to the US and attending Columbia University to become a doctor, but with the death of her father who pays for her to attend private school in DR, comes the death of that dream. Now all that seems to await her is El Cero, the local crime lord who just bides his time until he can force her into her worst nightmares.
Yahaira never really said goodbye to Papi, because she had hardly spoken to him in the year since she learned of a secret for which she may never be able to forgive him. The only person she really feels she can trust and love is her girlfriend, Dre.
Neither girl knows the other exists, yet their lives will soon be irreversibly intertwined.