Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo is my favourite book I’ve read so far this year. Such a beautiful story about family, lies, love, forgiveness and grief. These characters came alive, as did the different lives of both main characters Camino in the Dominican Republic and Yahaira in New York as the grief over the death of their father unearths bigger family secrets. It reached a certain point in the story and I felt like I couldn’t contain all the complicated feelings coming off these pages and crying seemed to be my only option. Crying over the beauty and truth of this story. Especially in the face of the incredible love between Dre and Yahaira and between Camino and Tia. I’m still welling up thinking about it. Anyway, if it’s not clear, I’m recommending this one. Publishes in the UK 5th May.

3.5/5 I was hooked by the premise of this story and love Elizabeth Acevedo's writing, however, this book has a very slow start and doesn't go much beyond the blurb. Perhaps the premise gives too much away, or perhaps the story needed to continue on beyond that a bit more, but I felt like very little information was revealed as I read on. It was the writing that kept me going, with lots of classic Acevedo beauty. The pacing was also very strong thanks to the split perspective structure, except the expression did become a bit repetitive and could've been made more distinct. Overall, not the perfect, beautiful book I was hoping for but still great!

*I will also discuss the book in my April wrap up*

There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to love this book. After reading The Poet X and With The Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo and rating both as five star reads, I was fully expecting Clap When You Land to join their ranks. What I wasn't expecting was the emotional journey this novel took me on and the tears I shed towards the end!

I've said it before but I'll say it again verse novels are the most powerful form of literature to me, I discovered verse novels by reading The Poet X and I have loved them ever since. I feel such an instant and deep connection to the characters emotions through verse, their trauma and pain is heartbreaking whilst their hope and love is so utterly uplifting.

Clap When You Land was introduced to me through the synopsis at the back of my copy of With The Fire On High, I read about two sisters who were strangers to each other but who would combat their trauma together. I've been desperate to start reading the book since finishing the synopsis, I knew it would be the most beautiful story of discovery.

It's quite difficult for me to process my thoughts into a detailed review when it comes to Elizabeth Acevedo books because all I want to do is scream about how much I love them! What I particularly liked about CWYL was the solidarity between women, there were times when relationships were strained and lines were crossed but ultimately when it was needed, women stood beside other women to support and empower them!

The dual narrative worked perfectly to represent each sisters individual trauma and to explain their backgrounds and personalities. I thought Elizabeth Acevedo managed to make both narratives sound completely different from one another, representing their varying upbringing.

One other point I need to make is.. have you seen the UK cover of this book? I'd hope you have since it's at the top of my review, but isn't it beautiful?! Incase you're still wondering I would most definitely recommend Clap When You Land.

Great own voices and coming of age novel. Tackling culture, split families and grief which are all important topics that impact teenagers. I loved how the two sisters came together in the end!

This book was amazing! I love Elizabeth Acevedo. She is amazing.

I heard the synopsis of this book a while back and it was one of the most intriguing stories I'd heard in a long time. Yahaira lives in New York, Camino lives in the Dominican Republic. The girls are sisters but don't know about each other, their dad spending most of his time in NY with family, only going to see Camino once a year on her birthday.

Camino is waiting at the airport to meet her dad for his annual visit when she learns that his plane crashed. What follows a tale of heartbreak, sorrow and grief as the girls come to terms with what happened and learn about each other's existence. As always, I loved Acevedo's writing style and how she differentiated between the two character's perspective.

I highly recommend this. Despite being a sad book, it was very bittersweet and heartwarming.

My first thought about Clap When You Land has to be WOW! What a book! This was my first time reading a piece of work by Elizabeth Acevedo and I must admit, I was blown away by everything. This book, you could say was like a work of art and I for one, was captivated by the beauty of it. I do love a novel written in verse and from all those I have read, I must say that this was probably my favourite yet. Acevedo has such a poetic talent for writing in verse and it’s simply stunning.

The story itself was really easy to follow and throughout the book you get taken on a journey of self discovery through the eyes of both Camino and Yahaira, and this dynamic certainly helps you to get to know both characters equally and on a personal level, which can be hard to do in some fiction. Also, the voices of both girls were totally unique to one another and I found it really easy to differentiate them when I was reading. Acevedo really has a way of bringing out the voices of her characters in such beautiful ways and I was all for that. Plot wise, I found myself utterly absorbed in the story and the way it flowed was astonishing. You didn’t feel the need to backtrack to remind yourself of what happened previously or find yourself confused. Every single thing within the book was needed and that made for an easy read. I also want to mention the locations within this book, especially that of the Dominican Republic. Having never been to that location, I found it to be a real eyeopener of the culture and what life is like there. It really did astound me as to how different life is there, and I felt like I learnt a lot about the country through Clap When You Land.

Many different topics are tackled throughout Clap When You Land, some being death, grief, sexual harassment and stalking. As stated in previous reviews these topics need to be spoken about more and featured in YA, so I really do admire Acevedo for putting issues such as these into her work. None of the stated issues are glamourised and bring to light the seriousness of each of them. I also feel that they could really help some teens who are going through some of these issues, to know they are not alone.

Clap When You Land was such a heartfelt, beautifully written story about loss and ultimately the coming together of family. I was instantly pulled in by the poetic writing style and found myself captivated within minutes. Overall it’s a gorgeous story about finding the light within darkness.

4.5 stars

CLAP WHEN YOU LAND is a compelling and poignant story of loss, deceit, finding lost relationships and coming of age. This book hit me in the feels almost straight away and kept me emotionally connected to the characters and story all the way through.

This captivating story is told from the POV of two teens Camiro and Yahaira who were 16, going on 17. They lived in New York and the Dominican Republic respectively and their lives were a complete contrast both financially but also in terms of freedom, access and prejudice. The story was told in normal narrative with elements of beautiful poetic prose. These aspects weren’t choppy, they wove beautifully into the unfurling story.

"I am beautiful like a dark-skinned girl that is right here.
I’ve always preferred playing black on the chess board.
Always advancing, conquering my offending other side."

I really was gripped by life in the Dominican Republic and how Camino conducted herself, her life and her relationships. I admired her as a character so much. When Camino and Yahaira finally connected, it was a lot, brimming over on the page.

This is one of those books that you just have to read. You will lose yourself and emerge the other side affected. This is a book I will remember and as an already fan of Elizabeth Acevedo, I can confirm that this is my favourite of her books yet.

Thank you to Hot Key Books for the early review copy.

What a gem.

This book was BEAUTIFULLY written. From the start I was so taken aback by the poetic form of the prose, it was so refreshing and calming to read.

The story was powerful and Acevedo touched upon a number of current issues, race, sexuality and abuse to name a few. The issues were covered in a realistic manner and I liked that they weren’t the main focus of the plot. I think the fact that the sisters were experiencing such issues, particularly abuse, while going through the traumatic experience of losing their father almost made those even more powerful because they were already going through so much, but had that to deal with as well.

More than anything, this was a story about the power of love and loss. That the love and the loss of one person can link so many people together. Despite the negativity surrounding how the sisters came to know of each other. I think one of my favourite parts of this story is that it did show the ugly parts of that. It showed the betrayal the sisters felt and it showed them fighting with their inner selves to be happy that they found each other. I loved that the sisters didn’t meet and immediately have a happy ending and walk off into the sunset. It showed their trials and tribulations and their hesitations too.

I really enjoyed this and I’ll definitely be reading more of Acevedo’s work!

This was my first time reading a novel written in verse, however Elizabeth Acevedo’s writing did not let me down. In a stunning novel featuring two sisters struck by tragedy, as they find out about their fathers death, they also learn of each other. Following on from the aftermath of a horrific plane crash we follow the sisters as they count the days and try to process what has happened, whilst learning their father was not the man they thought he was. Camino live in the Dominican Republic, her father comes to visit her every summer, she loves the water and wants nothing more than to be able to join her father in the US and study to become a doctor. Yaheria lives in New York and adores her father and will do anything to please him, well she used to until she started carrying around the secret of his other wife.

The novel beautifully captures grief, heartache, and family bonds. Showing that even from two seemingly different worlds two people can have shared experiences and truly understand one another.
I loved the representation throughout this novel, with race, religion, and sexuality. I loved the mention of Yaheria’s sexuality and that it did not seem forced or a massive deal throughout the novel, it just was simply something that was part of the character. I appreciated some of the thoughts that she had throughout the novel and thought the overall representation was done really well.

I also loved Acevado’s use of the duel perspective it allowed us a wonderful glimpse into both girls lives and we were able to see their similarities and differences throughout the novel. We were able to see how both girls dealt with grief and how both girls felt about the existence of the other.

I thought the ending of this novel was heart-warming and I overall adored this novel. However, I would give a trigger warning for sexual assault.
I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Elizabeth Acevedo is fast becoming one of my favourite young adult authors. Her poetry novels are beautiful and this one is no exception. The character's are each given a distinctive voice in this dual perspective narrative and their relationship is raw, honest and I believe to be fairly accurate on what would happen in this situation. The fact that sexuality was not used as a plot-point but just simply was, was one of the things I loved the most about this book - it just wasn't a big deal. This really is a beautiful story about a complicated family coming together in a time of need as well as tackling some really important issues surrounding immigration and the media. Incredible.


Full review will be posted on my blog on Friday 24th April 2020.

Following two teenage girls - Camino in the Dominican Republic, and Yahaira in New York City - who discover they have something unexpected in common after a devastating plane crash. Written in verse, which initially took some getting used to, this is a gripping read that deals with challenging and difficult themes in a way which teen readers will particularly engage with.

I can only imagine that the worst possible thing that could happen to a child is to lose a parent. But imagine losing a parent and with that death learning that they had a whole secret life and that indeed you have another sibling that you knew nothing about. This is the case for Camino and Yahaira. Both learn of each other’s existence when their father dies in a plane crash.

In Elizabeth Acevedo’s new poetry based novel Clap When You Land we look at the bourgeoning relationship between the two sisters as they came to terms with their grief and with each other’s existence. Beside this, Acevedo gives us an insight into the two different worlds: New York - privileged America versus the more dangerous Dominican Republic.

Acevedo really works hard to show this disparity between these two worlds and in the lives of these two girls but also manages to show the reader that even in difficult situations that blood is thicker than water.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo is available now.

For more information regarding Elizabeth Acevedo (@Acevedowrites) please visit www.acevedowrites.com.

For more information regarding Bonnier Zaffre (@bonnierbooks_uk) please visit www.bonnierbooks.co.uk.

For more information regarding Hot Key Books (@HotKeyBooksYA) please visit www.hotkeybooks.com.

Firstly, I want to say thank you to Netgalley and Hot Key Books for allowing me to have an EARC of Clap When You Land, I am so grateful for the opportunity. 

I recently read my first book that was written in verse and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. When I found out that Clap When You Land is written in the same style I knew that I needed to get my hands on it and give it a go. 

It is unquestionable that the writing in this book is beautiful. I felt the warmth and hope from the very beginning until the end of the book. I was memorised from start to finish. I read this at night on my kindle and I found that I struggled to put the book down and go to sleep because I just wanted to read more and more. I was hooked and entranced by the wonderful style.

The characters in this book were so raw. Such an awful chain of events leave them to be in a position that they did not believe would ever happen. Watching each girl cope with the event in different ways was really raw and beautiful to watch. I was so fascinated by their different lives, their cultures and general beings. I found myself wanting more and more from them. 

The one complaint I do have about this book is that the characters are a bit too similar. I get that they are sisters, the discover each other and they are bound to be similar. But at times I really struggled to identify who was who and from what point of view I was reading from. I found myself trying to identify secondary characters like Tia and Dre just so I knew which sister we were talking about. 

I loved the ending of this book and the happily ever after. It made me feel really warm inside. Special mention to Dre, her little gesture at the end was absolutely beautiful and bought a tear to my eye. 

I am interested in reading more by this author and would recommend this book.

For me, Elizabeth Acevedo is one of the best and brightest voices in YA Contemporary right now, and her latest release is my favourite of hers yet.

I'll be up front that there's a lot about this book that already personally appeals to me; i love books about grief and queer books (*when done well*), so this already leant itself well to me loving this book.

But I do truly think this is her best yet. The first half is very slow and internal, and I can see this putting off some readers. We follow the two sisters, Camino and Yahaira learning of the news that their father has died in a plane crash through dual perspectives, and then for around the first 40% we follow them as they try to take in this information, think back on their father through flashbacks and make it through the early days of bereavement. This isn't going to work for some people, but I loved how it allowed us to slowly get to know our two main characters and their individual relationships to their often absent father. The part in the blurb where they learn about each other doesn't actually occur until almost halfway through the book - when the book starts moving forward with good pace.

I loved our two main characters and how individual and yet similar they are. Their struggles are different based on their circumstances, Yahaira growing up in New York with a fairly ordinary and stable family structure, albeit her absent father for three months of every summer and the pressure to perform nationally at a game she doesn't enjoy playing and with the knowledge of her fathers secret. The other in the Dominican Republic, motherless and raised by her Aunt, trying to get by and avoid the men who stare at her on the street and at the beach. Their voices were so individual and strong, that toward the end of the book when the POVs would change without note, there was never a question of whose perspective I was reading from.

The writing was, of course, beautiful, and although I loved With The Fire on High, I was so glad to see Acevedo back doing verse, because her writing really shines. As I read an ARC copy I can't share some of the quotes but please know I was highlighting my e-copy regularly.

The portrayal of grief was some of the best I have read in YA and really resonated with me, as someone who lost a parent as a teen. It was so sensitively handled and I would recommend it for that alone, but as usual Acevedo manages to tackle a whole range of topics within her novel effortlessly and seamlessly.

If you've enjoyed Acevedo's other works or enjoy hard hitting YA Contemporaries in general, I would highly recommend this, and can guarantee this will be in my favourite books of 2020 list!

Trigger warnings: sexual assault, loss of a parent

Clap When You Land is an emotive, powerful and arresting novel which follows two young women coming to terms with their fathers death and the secrets he held during his lifetime. As well as telling the story of two different and equally interesting, complex and loveable characters in Camino and Yahaira, the story touches upon family, culture, sexual harassment and assault as well as betrayal and the secrets people keep. This is (shamefully) my first time reading any of Elizabeth Acevedo’s writing but it definitely won’t be the last.

I also want to note that this book examines which stories are told and which stories are deemed to deserve more or less attention in the media. In the authors note, Acevedo explains the tragedy that befell the passengers and people on the ground, after flight AA587 crashed on it’s way from New York to the Dominican Republic, in the November of 2001. Acevedo also touches upon how incredibly difficult and confusing this loss was for the loved ones of those affected as well as the wider Dominican community as a whole. From reading the novel it is clear just how deeply and passionately Acevedo feels about telling the stories of her community and this made me appreciate the novel even more.

The novel is split in a dual narrative and perspective, with Camino and Yahaira respectively. This works so incredibly well due to the nature of the story and also because both characters are given time to really shine and have distinct voices. I never had a problem distinguishing between who was speaking – it’s also helped that the relevant name is highlighted at the beginning of each chapter, but even without this, I feel like a reader would be able to tell due to the distinct character work.

I liked that we got to check in between both girls, whose upbringings and experiences are worlds apart in so many ways. While both girls are no strangers to the dangers of living where they do, Camino in the Dominican Republic and Yahaira in New York City, the disparities between their experiences is evident. Acevedo skilfully explores social inequality, privilege, sexual assault and identity in a way which leaves a deep and lasting impression. While their separate sections were great, I loved when the two eventually meet and manage to make sense of their shared loss and are able to form a meaningful and healing sisterhood. It’s especially heartwarming to see them grow to trust and appreciate one another, after the initial wariness.

I also really loved the secondary characters, who are vital to the story and add so much. Yahaira’s best friend and girlfriend, Andrea aka Dre is so great and wholesome, their relationship and interactions are written so gorgeously. I thought Yahaira’s mother, Zoila was such an interesting and important character, understandably her relationship with her husband is complex and fractured due to his dual life, and it is such a key moment when she voices that as good a father as he was, he was not as good and committed a husband. I also have such a soft spot for Tía Solana who is such a warm and unwavering presence in Camino’s life, and is the literal embodiment of unconditional and selfless love. I think we could all use a Tía Solana in our lives.

While the novel is very much about Camino and Yahaira and their very real voices and lives, it is also about their father who has essentially led a double life for many years. I think this was done in such a real and genuine way. Their father isn’t demonised but is clearly flawed and complex, just like any individual in reality. It shows how he could be a deeply loving and present father but also secretive and make mistakes. Reading the difficulties both Camino and Yahaira face reconciling the father they thought they knew with who he really was and coming to see some uncomfortable truths was profound and sensitively done. I feel like many readers may be able to relate to this idea of coming to terms with who your parents are and these expectations and notions being forced to change and shift, in big and small ways.

Overall, I would really recommend to readers who have enjoyed Acevedo’s other work as well as readers in search of compelling contemporary / Y/A fiction. This book is so moving and I feel it will really resonate with readers and importantly, it also highlights the tragedy which befell the passengers and others involved on the AA587 flight, which I sadly hadn’t heard about prior to reading this book. I am glad that I know now, and I will always remember.

* Review to be posted on Blog closer to release date*

The second novel in verse from Elizabeth Acevedo, Clap When You Land takes everything from The Poet X, and then builds and blooms that style into something that brings you emotion, depth and true power throughout every word.


Though I feel the story does build slowly, when the things begin to happen the pacing is perfectly done and just pulls you in and just can't stop reading - I had this book on my laptop to read and there is no way I could do anything else when this book got started. The characters flourish throughout the book and their inner monologue allows you to see every facet of their personalities, they are written so well throughout this book.

The Poet X was a very fast book to read, this one is not the case but I don't think that's a bad thing. The poetry flows beautifully throughout the book and how the author describes everything from the linoleum on an airport floor to the oceans around the Dominican Republic is done so beautifully. How the writing changes to reflect the mood and emotions of the characters is so well done throughout from fear to sadness to relief, and it is rarely done so well.

A small but brilliant cast of women, they are all written powerfully throughout this book and lend the story so much as they round out a character that doesn't appear for long in their father. It's just a beautifully written book that I felt was slow to start but fast to finish, and I'm glad I finished it.

<i>"I blow her a kiss/across the linoleum, &/whisper blessings under my breath,//divide a piece of God from my heart for her to carry"</i>

Clap When You Land is a novel written in verse by bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo - commonly knows for The Poet X, which by the way is quite fantastic too - that follows two protagonists Camino and Yahaira.

When tragedy hits for each of the two girls, where they lose their fathers in an airplane crash, their lives are changed forever.

Elizabeth Acevedo is a masterful storyteller. She builds a very diverse cast of characters, and they're very unique and personal. What I particularly enjoy about her characters is that they are the center of topics like POC, but they're never treated as a checklist. If a character is a POC character, there is a reason why they think and behave the way they do, and that for me is inclusivity done right.

The book alternates between the voices of Camino and Yahaira, respectively. They live two completely different lives, in different areas of the worlds, but their experiences are quite similar. The way the author portrays hurt, pain, and mourning is absolutely beautiful. Each of the characters react in different ways, oftentimes frustrating, because pain makes us behave in unexpected ways.

I expected that Camino and Yahaira's voices to be quite similar, but I was quite wrong. Each of them had distinct voices even though they were united in unexpected ways. I think that this coming of age novel is quite important, because it teaches us a lot about compassion, life, secrets, and the power of family.

I almost loved everything about this book, but one thing that wasn't my favorite is that I couldn't immediately connect to the characters. However, that was beautifully weaves and brought together in a short amount of time.

I think that Acevedo is an author to look out for. Her books have so much heart in them. To me, Acevedo writes relevant stories that everyone can relate to. I know I'll be reading all her books.

If I were to compare her to another author, I think that Acevedo is high up on the bar with Jason Reynolds, both of whom write amazing books in verse.

This book is set to publish on May 5th, which is my birthday. Thank you Netgalley for this beautiful early gift. I can't wait to get a physical copy.

4.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an ARC of this novel in return for an honest review.
when you touch down on this soil, you must clap when you land.


Clap When You Land follows the story of Camino and Yahaira as they deal with losing their father in a plane crash. Except, neither of them know the other exists, that they have a sister who is grieving in the same way.

I absolutely loved Clap When You Land. The language was stunning, engaging, and heartbreaking all at once. Acevado has a way with words that just makes you want to keep reading more and more. I loved the developing relationship between Yahaira and Camino, the exploration of messy and imperfect families, especially contrasted with the endless love given by characters such as Tia Solana. This was my first novel in verse, and what a beautiful first novel it was.
This story was beautifully moving and showed that even in tragedy, happiness can be found and there is a silver lining.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Clap When You Land is my first Elizabeth Acevedo book and one of very few stories written in verse I've ever read. After reading it I know I need to redeem both.

It's a beautiful and heart-breaking story about family, grief and how a tragedy can bring people together. It follows two sisters who don't know about each other's existence until a plane crash claims the life of their father.
Camino finds out at the airport, waiting to pick him up. She lives with her aunt in the Dominican Republic and he visits every summer around her birthday.
Yahaira is in school when she's called into the office and told what happened. Her dad lived with her and her mother in America and left "for business" at the same time every year.

I loved reading from both girls' perspectives. They are both different and had a very different relationship with their father - though both loved him dearly, but they were united in grief a long time before they found out about each other and met.
I don't read many contemporaries, but I especially enjoy the ones that focus on family dynamics and this one has so much of it, from the two different father-daughter relationships we see, through how different Yahaira is with her mother compared to how Camino views her aunt who raised her, and so many more. It also explores identity and the hardships of being raised poor. It talks about dreams and opportunities, and how one event can change the course of your whole life.
The writing is absolutely beautiful and harrowing, and the narration style makes the story very unique.

I loved this book and I recommend everyone to read it.

Elizabeth Acevedo is one of my favourite authors of all time. Having read With The Fire on High last summer I knew I had to pick up Clap When You Land straight away. This book is fantastic. It is a story of two unknown sisters who are brought together through a tragedy of their fathers death (no spoilers as it is in the synopsis). This is a whirlwind of sadness, happiness and adventure. I devoured this in one sitting. The descriptions are fresh and vibrant and you can actually see yourself in their positions. A must read for contemporary reading.