Clap When You Land

 

Acevedo, E. (2020). Clap when you land. NY: Quill Tree Books.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo is about two sixteen-year-old Dominican girls. One lives in New York City and the other lives in the Dominican Republic. Both girls have something in common--a routinely absent father. One day there is news about a plane crash that left no survivors and changes both girls' lives. As each one grapples with grief and an attempt to continue life without a father, the two girls learn the truth about family secrets and eventually find their way to each other. 

Clap When You Land portrays themes of grief, sexual assault, sisterhood, betrayal, cultural identity, and family. It is written in alternating points of view that allow readers into the characters' inner lives. It is written in verse and is heartfelt to the end. It is a book that is hard to put down and keeps you reading late into the night.

Elizabeth Acevedo has recently become one of my favorite YA authors.