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bookph1le's review against another edition
2.0
What ruined this book for me was how it dealt with violence against women. Some spoilers ahead.
I could not get behind Kasim as a love interest, and I want to say up front that one of the things that annoys me about YA novels, to the extent that I have mostly stopped reading them, is that there always has to be a romance shoehorned into them. The romance with Kasim raises the stakes for the main character, but I found it totally unnecessary because the stakes are already high for her. She's already caught between her desire to help her mother and her desire not to betray her aunts and cousins. Why does a boy need to be added to that mix?
I also just plain did not like Kasim as a character because he had one giant flaw: he was complicit in his friend Dray's abuse of his girlfriend, Donna--and Donna happens to be Fabiola's, the main character, cousin. Whenever Fabiola brings up how Dray treats Donna, Kasim takes the line of "that's just how they do things", and though Fabiola doesn't much like it, she just goes with it. No. Plus, Kasim not only looks the other way, he actually enables and abets Dray by doing things like telling Donna that Dray just wants to talk to her when Donna has every right in the universe to not want Dray anywhere near her. He shows up at a basketball game with Dray on purpose, because they know Fabiola and Donna will be there. This was just not okay with me. Were it not for this huge, glaring, deal-breaking flaw, I would have liked Kasim as a character. He's interesting and his story is complicated, and he seems like a good guy at heart, but I just could not handle someone who's essentially a domestic abuse apologist being portrayed as an appealing love interest.
Honestly, I think I was also just not into the direction the book took. It felt like two separate stories to me, one about Fabiola's fight to get her mother back and one about her cousins' and aunt's struggles. Fabiola's mother being taken from her is set up as the central conflict of the book, but it takes a back seat to things like establishing Fabiola's romance with Kasim. There is nothing wrong with this as a plot choice, it's just not a plot choice I personally care for. I would have preferred to see more about Fabiola's adjustment, and definitely more about her mother and what her mother was going through.
In the end, this book just didn't speak to me, but I get how it speaks to a lot of other readers, and I'm one hundred percent behind expanding the field of publishing so that everyone can find themselves in a story and its characters.
I could not get behind Kasim as a love interest, and I want to say up front that one of the things that annoys me about YA novels, to the extent that I have mostly stopped reading them, is that there always has to be a romance shoehorned into them. The romance with Kasim raises the stakes for the main character, but I found it totally unnecessary because the stakes are already high for her. She's already caught between her desire to help her mother and her desire not to betray her aunts and cousins. Why does a boy need to be added to that mix?
I also just plain did not like Kasim as a character because he had one giant flaw: he was complicit in his friend Dray's abuse of his girlfriend, Donna--and Donna happens to be Fabiola's, the main character, cousin. Whenever Fabiola brings up how Dray treats Donna, Kasim takes the line of "that's just how they do things", and though Fabiola doesn't much like it, she just goes with it. No. Plus, Kasim not only looks the other way, he actually enables and abets Dray by doing things like telling Donna that Dray just wants to talk to her when Donna has every right in the universe to not want Dray anywhere near her. He shows up at a basketball game with Dray on purpose, because they know Fabiola and Donna will be there. This was just not okay with me. Were it not for this huge, glaring, deal-breaking flaw, I would have liked Kasim as a character. He's interesting and his story is complicated, and he seems like a good guy at heart, but I just could not handle someone who's essentially a domestic abuse apologist being portrayed as an appealing love interest.
Honestly, I think I was also just not into the direction the book took. It felt like two separate stories to me, one about Fabiola's fight to get her mother back and one about her cousins' and aunt's struggles. Fabiola's mother being taken from her is set up as the central conflict of the book, but it takes a back seat to things like establishing Fabiola's romance with Kasim. There is nothing wrong with this as a plot choice, it's just not a plot choice I personally care for. I would have preferred to see more about Fabiola's adjustment, and definitely more about her mother and what her mother was going through.
In the end, this book just didn't speak to me, but I get how it speaks to a lot of other readers, and I'm one hundred percent behind expanding the field of publishing so that everyone can find themselves in a story and its characters.
jennrocca's review
1.0
Ugh. I so wanted to like this but it didn’t happen. The premise is promising but the characters are so unlikable. They are flawed characters but do not have enough back story to allow me to sympathize with them. The plot is... ok... but the writing was not strong enough to create a world that I could understand or connect with. There are no surprises. I would not recommend this book to anyone. But I did finish it... that’s about the best I can say.
mimimilaa's review against another edition
5.0
I haven't enjoyed myself (while reading a book) as much as I did when reading American Street in a very long time.
lynecia's review against another edition
2.0
It started off really strong, and then the plot just took a turn that got on my nerves. I'll flesh out my thoughts later...
abbyl819's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this book more than I honestly thought that I would. The plot did not focus on her mother being held and unable to enter the country and them being separated early as much as I thought it would. I liked how Fabiola brought pieces of her life and religion from Haiti and wove them into her new life. There definitely parts if the story that I felt were unnecessary and some characters got a bit annoying, but overall this was a good book.
I enjoyed this book more than I honestly thought that I would. The plot did not focus on her mother being held and unable to enter the country and them being separated early as much as I thought it would. I liked how Fabiola brought pieces of her life and religion from Haiti and wove them into her new life. There definitely parts if the story that I felt were unnecessary and some characters got a bit annoying, but overall this was a good book.
marbury's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
krisjenner's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
shanhautman's review against another edition
3.0
Such buildup to the tragic climax in Fabiola's story...and then, it all ends without completely resolving her feelings for several key characters. I was very disappointed in the ending.
seymone's review against another edition
5.0
Haiti; Coming to America; Voodoo; Drugs; Violence; Black Lives Matter; Family; and Love
This novel. Wow. So many textures and sounds. That is what comes to mind.
A young girl from Haiti comes to America, specifically Detroit, and she must fight to survive and save the people she loves. Picking up this novel, I never fathom it would go in the direction that it went. American Street starts with tragedy and ends with tragedy, but there is so much in between. I definitely recommend.
This novel. Wow. So many textures and sounds. That is what comes to mind.
A young girl from Haiti comes to America, specifically Detroit, and she must fight to survive and save the people she loves. Picking up this novel, I never fathom it would go in the direction that it went. American Street starts with tragedy and ends with tragedy, but there is so much in between. I definitely recommend.
tokagelizard's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow. This is one of those books that grips you and doesn't let go. The writing is amazing, the characters very real. Deserving of the awards it has won.
Sad and an emotional trip, but keeps you on the edge of your seat. I loved the representation of vodou and the magical realism aspects.
Sad and an emotional trip, but keeps you on the edge of your seat. I loved the representation of vodou and the magical realism aspects.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Cursing, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Deportation, Death of parent, and Police brutality