Narrated by: Elizabeth Acevedo and Melania-Luisa Marte
Genre: Contemporary
Age: YA
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Format: Audiobook
Release Date: May 5th, 2020
Rating: 5/5 Stars
This book is beautiful, a novel-in-verse that was absolutely great to listen to as an audiobook. The two narrators here bounce off each other really well, and the characters of Camino and Yahaira shine through brilliantly.
Camino lives in the Dominican Republic, determined to make her way to the United States to study medicine. Yahaira lives in New York, carrying a secret she dares not mention. They have never met, but when their father is killed in a plane crash, they’re drawn together by curiosity, grief, and love.
Both girls have slightly complicated relationships with their father, but as each realises why he isn’t with them year-round, they grapple with difficult feelings that will never be resolved, and deal with their own curiosity about each other.
Their lives are contrasted with one another, but what runs through each side is how much their father loved them, despite his lies and secrets. There’s a huge sense in here of what family is, and how growing up means our views of our parents change. Both girls experience a huge change in their lives, dealing with these revelations while also grieving. Although the focus is on Camino and Yahaira, we do see the friends, family and community around them, too, communities that are also impacted by the crash itself.
LikeThe Poet X, this is a novel-in-verse, and the writing is beautiful, engaging, and raw. It really does feel like two teenage girls struggling through things most adults wouldn’t be able to cope with, and their voices come through wonderfully.
This is a really good, strong YA novel, and an excellent audiobook, and comes highly recommended from me.
Unwrapping Words 