Clap When You Land is a book I devoured in one setting. It’s a verse novel that demands to be read. Incredibly emotional, Clap When You Land is a story about grief, family, and sacrifice. Keep reading this book review to find out all the reasons you have to pick up Clap When You Land!
Summary
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 mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.
Separated by distance—and Papi’s secrets—the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered.
And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from Edelweiss. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
TW: sexual assault
Having loved The Poet X and With the Fire on High I had such high expectations for Clap When You Land. And my expectations were only exceeded. I knew I would love Clap When You Land from the very beginning. Acevedo’s words are entrancing and they fly off the pages into your heart. It’s a book about hopes and dreams, grief and resentment. Clap When You Land is about desperation and ambition, but also about secrets and resentment. When the people we love are not who we think they are.
It is tender and emotional and did I mention one of the MC’s has a sapphic relationship which is totally precious? Clap When You Land is multifaceted and shining. The dual POV style allows readers to connect with both Yahaira and Camino, the ways they process grief differently, their different family structures. When we have to process both the grief in our heart and the new role we have been thrown into. It is heart wrenching and moving. Clap When You Land is also about ambition. How certain people have to sacrifice more for a chance at freedom. How we can feel trapped by the success we have had and look for a sliver of a life from before.
Overall,
There’s distance between characters even when they’re right next to each other. Clap When You Land just illustrates to me why I love Acevedo’s writing so much. There’s a beauty in the little moments, power in the grand scheme, and lyricism in the words. On a whole other level, Clap When You Land asks us about the aftermath of tragedy – who continues to have a voice? What happens to those in the midst of disaster, for the people on the ground? When we discover secrets that destabilize the foundations of our world.
Find Clap When You Land on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound & The Book Depository.