Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Synopsis:
Yahaira and Camino grew up in very different worlds, but with one thing in common: their father. When he dies in a plane crash on his way from Yahaira in New York to Camino in the Dominican Republic, the girls learn of each other for the first time and are left to uncover the truth behind their father’s two lives while trying to remember the man he was. For one daughter, the future is wide open, but for the other, uncertainty and danger block the path that her father tried to forge for her. And unless the girls can learn to trust one another and be sisters, both of their lives might be put in jeopardy.
Review:
The coolest thing about Clap When You Land is that it is written in verse. It spans 60 days after the plane crash and jumps between each girl’s point of view. Because of the style, the reader is immediately thrust into the emotions and thoughts of each girl as they try to piece together what happened and where their lives are supposed to go next.
Some of the poems were written the same, but from each perspective. I thought this was such a powerful way of presenting the story and weaving the similar, yet very different, grieving processes the girls went through.
Of the two characters, I found Camino more likable and realistic. She was far more humble and caring about others than Yahaira was, and ultimately had more to lose. Even when she was mourning and struggling in her personal life, she tended to those in her community and assisted her Tia. Camino’s poems utilized imagery which really brought her home in the Dominican Republic and the importance of the ocean to life and provided a sense of calm amid chaos.
One thing I had an issue with were the political intrusions and comments (current political and racial talking points for example) that didn’t really enhance or progress the story in any way. They felt more like comments to be made just to be made and then were moved on from.
Overall Clap When You Land is an interesting read and one I can see students enjoying on account of the verse and quick chapters.
Teacher Recommendation:
There are some really beautiful poems (especially the opening poem about mud) that I would use in my classroom. One could easily extract stanzas or poems to teach lessons on imagery, voice, narration, and diction.
Potential Parental Concerns: Yahaira was a lesbian and had a girlfriend who lived next door. There were a couple kisses and at one point she spent the night, but there was nothing more than a kiss and no graphic descriptions.
There was also a scene in Yahaira’s chapters where she described being on a subway train and being molested by a man, but never told an adult about it. This was very troubling to me and wasn’t resolved in the end.
In Camino’s story, there is a man named El Cero who likes to take young girls and pimp them out. He is particularly interested in Camino once her father dies. He attempts to take her in the end, but continually stalks her throughout the book.
Happy Reading!