Clap When You Land

Bookseller recommendation

“Its category as a young adult novel shouldn't keep grownups from listening to "Clap When You Land." The parallel first-person stories of two teenage girls who lose their fathers in the same plane crash from NY to the Dominican Republic -- and the revelation that their fathers were the same man, who had led a double life -- is tender and wise. Elizabeth Acevedo's poetic prose, and her narration, convey the grief and love of the families. Camino and Yahaira will live in your heart forever.”

— Cheryl • Market Block Books

Bookseller recommendation

“This gorgeous book is written in verse following the stories of Camina and Yahaira after a plane traveling between NYC and DR crashes, killing their fathers. ⁣The poetry gives melodic voice to the emotions each girl feels, and the tensions each experience as their respective worlds break open. I was struck by the nuance, the prescience, and the candor with which Acevedo writes. Elizabeth Acevedo & Melania-Luisa Marte narrate beautifully.”

— Holly • WORD Bookstores

Bookseller recommendation

“When a plane bound for the Dominican Republic crashes shortly after takeoff, two girls grieve the loss of their father. Camino lives in the Dominican Republic with her aunt and dreams of studying in New York City, where her father lives. Yahaira, a skilled chess player, lives in New York with her parents. Unbeknownst to them, they share a father who maintained two separate families. Camino and Yahaira struggle to understand the complicated man they knew as their father while beginning to develop a familial bond of their own. Elizabeth Acevedo returns to poetry as she takes a close look at grief, betrayal, and family.”

— Ann • Blue Willow Bookshop

Bookseller recommendation

“This was my first Acevedo, and I'm kicking myself for not having read her sooner. Her spare language is fantastic, especially in the audio version. ”

— Leah • Scrawl Books

Bookseller recommendation

“Put this book at the top of your listening list! Clap When You Land is a beautifully written and compellingly narrated story of two half-sisters who are unaware of each other's existence until their father dies in a plane crash. Elizabeth Acevedo not only writes with an exquisite voice, but she and Melania-Luisa Marte alternate narrating with voices that carry into the readers heart and soul. One of the best audio books I have listened to in a very long time.”

— Mary • Anderson's Bookshop

Bookseller recommendation

“Through Acevedo’s transcendent poetry, the tragic crash of AA587 becomes a song to family in all of its complexities and a tribute to the power of Latinas. Camino and Yahaira Rios are sisters unaware of each other’s existence until their beloved Papi dies in a plane crash. His death ushers in new realities for both girls, Camino in the Dominican Republic and Yahaira in New York City, and each must struggle with the meaning of family. Truth? This book is incredible and makes me yearn to gather my sisters around me, grab a machete, and destroy the ugliness in this world. Acevedo is one of the brilliant, bright lights in literature and listening to her read it on Libro.fm is soul nourishing. ”

— Linda • Cellar Door Books

Bookseller recommendation

“Lyrically written with precise clarity and beautiful turn of phrase, National Book Award-winner Elizabeth Acevedo shares a poignant story of loss, identity, and family. I highly recommend the audio version because of the poetic cadence that begs to be read aloud and the voice of two women (including the author) who narrate the two points of view in the book, adding an extra dimension to the story.”

— Tina • Leaves Book and Tea Shop

Bookseller recommendation

“Beautiful novel in verse about loss and grief, told from perspective of two half sisters who learn of each other upon their father's death. Excellent on audio! ”

— Jessica • Main Street Books Davidson

Bookseller recommendation

“Clap When You Land is a story of sisterhood unlike any I've experienced before, with characters as multi-faceted as the places they come from. The free verse is rhythmic and pounding in all the right places, soft and lyrical in all the others. And for a story so rife with grief and struggle and anxiety and (the list goes on)... it's hopeful, but not without being real. Acevedo proves that tragedy can bring strangers together and make them family in ways both literal and metaphorical, and gives voice to the survivors whose pain outlasts the media coverage every time. This is one to be savored, and enjoyed by readers of all ages.”

— Britt • Second Star to the Right