Tragedies happen around us all the time, some are news worthy but all effect those involved on different levels. One tragedy can open so many secrets an hurt. Sometimes tragedy brings people together.
If you've read any of Elizabeth's previous books you will not be disappointed. Elizabeth Acevedo writes in free verse.
The story is written from the thoughts of two sisters who were not aware of the others existence, in two different countries. Same age, same father, different mothers. One lives in New York one in the Dominican, neither knows of the others existence until Flight 1112 crashes into the sea.
Papi will have two funerals.
Papi will have two ceremonies.
Papi will be mourned in two countries.
Papi will be said goodbye to here & there.
Papi had two lives. Papi has two daughters.
Papi was a man split in two, playing a game against himself.
But the problem with that is that in order to win, you also always lose.

A powerful story with family secrets. Tragedy can force people apart and bring them together.

My first Elizabeth Acevedo!!

After hearing so much about the author, I went into this book with such high expectations and I’m glad to say it didn’t disappoint.

I loved so much about this story: the diversity, the queerness, the realness of the characters but what set it apart from anything else I ever read was the fact that is set in the Dominican Republic and it was really interesting to witness how Yaya and Camino’s cultures and feelings clash and how the place in which you are born can define your entire life in ways you are not even aware of. I also really liked reading a book set in South America in which other creeds other than Christian were observed and treated with respect by the author, instead of amused distance.

The story is told in verse so this is ideal if you want to have all you feel attacked but don’t feel like spending several days around the same book. The writing is of course absolutely beautiful but those that don’t have a basic understanding of Spanish or are not familiar with the culture might need to google more than a few terms.

Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss+, Hot Key Books and Quill Tree Books for these DRCs.

A heartfelt novel-in-prose that brings two strangers together in a tale of tragedy, loss and newfound sisterhood after a plane crash takes the life of a father.

Highly recommended for those who enjoy emotional tales and alternative writing styles.

Thank for to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Clap When You Land is an emotional story with a lot of heart, and lyrical writing which flies off the page. This was such a delight to read. It's a perfect, bittersweet summer story that will have you longing for the beach and desperate to book a flight to the Dominican Republic. Acevedo brings her locations vividly to life, so that I felt like I was in a Dominican Republic summer rather than an English Spring.

Characterisation is extremely strong. Camino and Yahaira have distinctive voices and I loved the way their stories intertwined. I was never disappointed when the viewpoint switched as they were both so brilliant and great to read about. Clap When You Land is a story about family, in all its complexities and different guises. Camino and Yahaira's Papi is a complicated character, who fills the book even though the plot hinges on his absence. He loves both of his daughters dearly, and they him. It is through losing him that they find each other.

I've always found there's something incredibly accessible about verse novels, which helps them appeal to a huge range of readers. Even the most reluctant of teens will be sucked into this story and Acevedo's beautiful writing. The verse heightens the emotional impact of the novel, and this is a truly moving and wonderful story. I would recommend Clap When You Land to teenage readers without hesitation.

Perhaps what I love most about Clap When You Land, besides the author's obvious talent for writing moving free verse, is that it brings attention to something that so many of us forgot about or never heard about. Tragedies happen all the time. Some are noticed, when they are newsworthy and drenched in politics-- terrorism, school shootings, for example --but some are left to be grieved only by those directly affected. The rest of the world goes on as normal, not seeing the pain inflicted on the community in question.

In November 2001, flight AA587 crashed to the ground on its way to Santo Domingo, killing 265 people on a flight where 90% of the passengers were Dominican or of Dominican descent. Noting that it was not another terrorist attack, the media largely ignored it, but it was a terrible blow to the New York Dominican community.

Clap When You Land is the story of two girls - Camino and Yahaira - one in the Dominican Republic and one in New York City. They have never met, never spoken, never known about each other's existence, but when their father is killed in a plane crash on his way to visit Camino, they find each other in the midst of their grief.

Both girls have their own struggles, but Camino is especially threatened without her father to protect her. Now the local pimp, a man called El Cero, is hanging around, following her. All she wants is to escape, study premed, have a chance at something better. Then along comes Yahaira and turns her life upside down, changes everything she thought she knew about her father.

This is another part of the book and I thought it was done really well. Part of the girls' discovery of each other is also the discovery that maybe their father wasn't quite the man they thought he was. That he was more complex, had many flaws. That even though he was a good father, he might not have been a good husband. In this, the book is something of a bildungsroman. Both girls are matured by the intensity of the loss and the discoveries made after.

It is a beautiful story that finds a lot of warmth and hope in the darkness of loss. My only complaint is that Camino and Yahaira's voices were a little too similar. I found it especially hard to distinguish the two in the beginning and had to look for other markers to remember whose chapters we were on. But it's a small complaint.

Highly recommended for those who enjoyed The Poet X and other novels in verse.

A tragic event brings forth a secret, a death that inevitably brings together two completely different lives. What is it like when what you think you know is wrong? What you know is not the truth or at least the whole truth?

Written in verse, that somehow makes the story more powerful, more gut-wrenching, more in your face, more in touch with the feelings it churns up. In verse but never too heavy to absorb, more conversational, with each POV a doorways to one of the girl's inner thoughts.

The overpowering loneliness of loss, of mourning, of losing a parent can be felt. Do not worry, this is not a book wallowing in self pity. In antithesis it exhibits strength, hope even in the middle of despair.

I love the play of words, the different formats, the sometimes poetic flourishes for all kinds of images, in beautiful ways. Also how the relationship of the sisters who did not know about each other plays out, from heartbreak and anger to inevitable respect and... I don't want to spoil it.

With a beautiful ending to a beautiful story, I wanted to hug my reader for a while. Then I realized I finished this book in one day! Watch out because it might happen to you too

I have previously read Elizabeth Acevado’s book ‘Poet X’, so I knew what to expect diving into this one.

I love how different reading a story in verse is, it flows in a unpredictable way. Each part of the story has its own rhythm. I thought it might be difficult to determine the POV in this way, and yes at the beginning I did struggle, but I quickly caught on.

I am usually a very fussy person when it comes to poetry, so I am always apprehensive when picking it up. I even struggled getting into ‘Poet X’ at first, but then grew to really admire everything about what Acevedo does. And while I enjoyed Poet X, I enjoyed Clap When You Land so much more.

It’s a sorrowful and hopeful story about family, culture, secrets and more. And I mostly just love how powerful each woman was. It’s a brilliant read and very moving.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

4 Stars. ⭐️

This is my first book by Elizabeth Acevedo, and its unquestionable that she has a beautiful writing style. The story of two girls, united in grief for a father they had no idea they shared, was certainly intriguing. I particularly enjoyed the Dominican Republic setting, and being whisked off to the beach and the ocean.

As someone who first met their sibling much later in life, the general theme of the story really resonated with me, although I would have loved more of the two girls interacting than we actually got. Grief too was accurately portrayed, and the very different ways in which people handle a loss.

I feel as though the book didn't quite have the impact on me that I was expecting, and can't quite pinpoint exactly why, but I didn't feel the emotional pull as much as I had hoped. Having said that, I can certainly see it being a favourite for others, and I will be checking out Acevedo's other works.

After finishing The Hunger Games, I decided to pick up a contemporary book so that I had a break from all of the fantasy. I got sent an e-arc of this via netgalley and having loved her previous novel, I thought I would dive straight in. I really loved this book. It was a really unique concept with two sisters who don't know about the others existence. I particularly loved the exploration of what family means. After their father dies and they uncover some secrets, both of the main girls struggle with dealing with who their father actually was and whether or not he was a bad person. It touches on the subject of morally grey characters which I really liked. I also think the topic really suited the format of verse well. I have not read The Poet X so I am not as familiar with her stories told in verse but now I definitely need to go back and read it. Another element I really enjoyed was the exploration of the Dominican Republic and the culture. I admittedly don't know much about the culture so I learned a lot. I loved how it was very unapologetic about the culture. I think everyone needs to look out for this book when it releases in May as it will be a very popular release. - 4 out of 5 stars.

This story had a few twists that I really enjoyed, and kept me engaged. The books is told from two points of view, from the two main characters who both lost their fathers. The way the story brings the main characters together was extremely interesting. I enjoyed the secondary characters too, they were complex people with their own stories. There's some angst and a lot of grief in this book, but the ending was brilliant and although I felt like I wanted to read more, it was a good place for the story to end. I would love to know where the characters end up, so if Elizabeth Acevedo ever decides to right anything else about these characters, even a short story, I'd happily read it.

A plan crash kills hundreds and affects even more. Two of them are teen girls with an ocean that separates them but a newly discovered blood link that now bonds them.

The POWER and BEAUTY of this cover is just something else and the story delivered much of the same vibe. I read this on the back of two emotionally traumatic reads and fully feel like I've shut down a little, following them. If this had not been so I'm sure the harrowing events depicted here and the focus on loss, grief, and assault would have impacted me all the more. I adored the feminist vibes, the strong female cast, and Acevedo's writing and know this is a story I will return to, in the future.

After their father dies two girls, one in New York and one in Dominican Republic, learn of each other.

I really enjoyed this book. For me, the book really hit its peak when the girls began to learn of each other and the consequences of these discoveries. I wish there was more of this or it came a littler earlier. However one of the parts I really appreciated from the first part of the story was the relationship of one of the sisters and her girlfriend. It was nice to see a supportive and healthy relationship represented while the protagonist deals with her grief.

I really enjoyed this! I really enjoyed that this had a bit of the poetry feel of her first novel and I enjoyed both the POVs. I loved seeing these two sisters that have no idea the other one excits grieving their dad in completely different ways in separate countries. I think Camina might have been my favorite to read about but I did like both of their stories and voices! Definitely recommend this if you’re in the mood for a heavier contemporary with beautiful writing!

Elizabeth Acevedo has gotten tons of acclaim for her first two books - her debut in free verse, The Poet X, won multiple awards, and With The Fire on High has gotten great reviews also. So I was excited to read Clap When You Land, as it sounded like such an interesting concept. Yahaira and Camino, two teenage girls, both lost their father in the disappearance of a plane which crash-landed as it flew from New York to the Dominican Republic. What neither girl knows, prior to this book, is that their father is the same person, a man with two families, two lives, whose death will place them on an inevitable collision course.
Two very different girls, one living in DR and one living as a child of immigrants in New York, both dealing with trauma and grief as they adjust to their new normal after the loss of their father. The jarring disconnect between Camino's life in DR, and the poverty around her, compared to Yahaira's relatively comfortable life in New York, perfectly highlights the juxtaposition inherent in economic migrants.
The novel is written in free verse, each page a new and fluid section. It can lead to some feelings of disjointedness as each point is kept relatively short. That said, though, the lyrical gorgeousness of Acevedo's writing shines through in every poem. There are wonderful thoughts and musings on family, identity, flawed parents, and embracing who you are. There is so much love pouring through every page from the writer towards New York, DR, and the Dominican-American community, and the writing style here is beautiful.
The two sisters sometimes have overlapping styles of writing, which I think is intentional, as it highlights the parallels between these two girls, although it can be a tad confusing if you forget whose chapters you're in. That's probably my fault for not paying enough attention though. The other thing I found slightly difficult in the book was the frequent sprinkling of Spanish words. I realise that this is because the book isn't written for me, although of course I enjoyed reading it, so I don't necessarily think this is a weakness of the book itself, but it did make it more difficult for me. I spent a fair amount of time googling Spanish translations.
Overall, though, I thoroughly enjoyed this gorgeous verse novel, and will likely hunt out some of her earlier books as well, as Acevedo's writing is really very beautiful.

Yahaira is a chess player who made her dad proud winning tournament's and is a proud lesbian with her supportive girlfriend Dre always by her side.



When a man dies, to each of them he's their father, they come to terms with the huge change in their separate lives as everything alters.



Then they discover each other, the biggest shock of all through their father's papers and will and connect online as their father's body gets flown back to Dominican Republic for burial.



This was a great story from the start each girl has a strong character from feisty to bold and each their father's daughter who adored their time with him. I liked how they connected online and accept each other as well as helping too especially when a dangerous situation arose too for Camino. An original idea sparked from a real event the tragedy brings the girls together and it was handled very well. Another fabulous verse book from Elizabeth.



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Carnegie winner Elizabeth Acevedo next novel has also been written in verse. Two girls, one Father, but the blurb announces they do not know of one another’s existence which is a shame as this would have been good to find out in the novel. However, it is still a shock to read the devastation experienced by both girls when they do discover their Father’s double life.
Camino lives in the Dominican Republic and sees her Father for just three months of the year when he spends the Summer on the island. He is her hero and has supported her financially throughout her life. She knows she is lucky to be educated and to be able to plan a university education when most girls her age on the island are married and/or pregnant. She would like to go to the US where her Father spends the rest of her time and attend college there, but for some reason her Father has not helped her in this ambition. But all of that is in danger without his support.
Yahaira lives in New York with her Mother, and although her Father is off on regular business trips, she too has felt grateful for her Father’s financial support, although taking much of this for granted. However, the previous Summer, having discovered a secret her Father had kept hidden she had not attempted to talk to her Father or do the activities she knew pleased him. Neither had she challenged him on what she knows, so doesn’t know or understand the full story.
The discovery of half sisters alters the possible future of both girls. It is how they react and change in response to this news and subsequent fall out that provokes thought.
Love, grief, forgiveness are themes throughout, and none of them straightforward. But this is what makes this novel another potential award winner.

I'm not particularly used to reading in verse and it did take me a while to get into this one, but there's no denying how eloquently Acevedo writes, whether in prose or in poetry. This is a well written novel about grief and forgiveness, painting an intimate portrait of two women trying to process brand new emotions.

A truly beautiful novel, which tells the story uniquely from two perspectives. It's delves intimately in to the power of love, loss and forgiveness. It looks at each emotion and how we all deal with them differently and how choices made by others can affect us.