I have enjoyed of Elizabeth Acevedo's books and Clap When You Land was no exception. With the two different narratives of both characters and Acevedo's poetry and prose, it is not hard to full in love with the story and follow as there lives interwine, I can't wait to read more from her in the future.

A fantastic book coming from someone who doesnt read any books written in verse - I really enjoyed it, it was heartbreaking and raw, told from two POVs from two different teenagers and how they live but how they're connected in their grief. I'd like to listen to the audiobook as I think it would be incredible.

Camino and Yahaira are half sisters, not that they know it yet. Their father has been splitting his time between the Dominican Republic with Camino and New York with Yahaira, that is until the plane he's on comes down and he's killed.

This book was written beautifully, I believe it's considered a novel in verse. There are a lot of Spanish phrases which obviously I don't understand but it doesn't particularly take away from the reading experience.

The pacing of this novel could have been better, for two thirds not a lot actually happens which is especially shocking when you consider that all in all that covers a period of almost two months. It took way too long to get the sisters together and then the book ends very abruptly. I wanted to see more of their new life together, what was the adjustment period like? It just ends which I found very disappointing and almost dropped the rating to 2 stars.

A beautifully written book about how betrayal and grief can cause friendship and love to flourish.
Following the death of their father, two sisters come together. Two sisters who didn't know the other existed. Two sisters from different worlds. Two sisters forced together by a tragic event.
I loved the way that Acevedo death with the themes of grief, betrayal, race and identity. By allowing both girls to showcase their perspectives, it allows readers to empathise with both. The complexity of the subject is further highlighted by the beautiful verse writing. Through the verse, you feel raw emotion and vulnerability that emulates from both girls. Their stream of consciousness is there on the page for all to see.
I love Acevedo's writing and can't wait for more.

This is a novel written in verse. It’s about family, secrets and grief.
I enjoyed reading about the culture in Dominican Republic.
This was my first book written in verse and I really enjoyed. The writing in this book was so good. I had expected this book to have a bigger impact on me than it did.

Camino Rios only gets to see her father every summer when he comes to the Dominican Republic.
Yahaira Rios lives in New York City and hasn't talked to her father properly since she discovered that he was hiding another marriage.
When their father dies in a plane crash, both girls learn that their father had lived two lives and had two daughters.
Can they work through their grief and accept each other?

Elizabeth Acevedo's previous books have been a mixed bag for me - I really enjoyed Poet X but I wasn't a big fan of With The Fire On High. However, I liked the sound of Clap When You Land and decided to give it a go.
Camino and Yahaira were both likeable and relatable protagonists. They had grown up differently and had different experiences. It was interesting to read how they reacted to the news that they had a sister and to read as they interacted.
The dual settings of the Dominican Republic and New York were interesting and very different to each other.
The plot was good overall but it did feel like it took a little while to get going and nothing that happened surprised me. My interest did wane at one point and I don't feel that I connected to either Camino or Yahaira very much. I definitely didn't feel emotional about what was happening despite the sad (and what should have been moving) themes and moments.
The writing style was easy to follow and I liked the way the author wrote in verse, but my one gripe is that I felt there could have been a bit more description at times.
I am a little disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

This book cements Elizabeth Acevedo as one of the strongest YA verse writers around.

Following two girls, Camino and Yahaira, as they discover that their father recently deceased had been hiding a secret family from them, this is a beautiful portrayal of grief and the way that loss impacts not just the individual but also the community around them.

The dual narrative brings so much to the novel, as we see how both girls react to the discovery that their father was not what they thought he was. We also get to see the stark contrast between New York and the Dominican Republic, and the difference between the two locations is written impeccably.

I loved The Poet X and didn’t think that I’d enjoy Clap When You Land as much because I always struggle to love verse novels, but if anything I enjoyed this book much, much more. I can’t wait to see where Elizabeth Acevedo goes from here.

Excellent! I am loving free verse at the moment and this didn’t disappoint. Such a brilliant, empathetic and heartfealt book!

Amazing. Elizabeth Acevedo is a fabulous voice in the YA market - her verse books do not disappoint and in this one she deals with the discovery of a half sister in another country

I was really intrigued by the premise of this book. Ultimately I didn't feel as connected to the story or the characters. The fact that the book is written in verse really negatively impacted my reading experience. I was under the impression that this was a full length novel when I first heard about it and I think it would have been a lot more successful that way. I could hardly distinguish between the sisters at the beginning of the novel and all throughout the book never felt an emotional connection with any of them. I did, however, love the fact that this book broadened my horizon and showed me experiences that I have never come across. I learnt a lot by reading this book but I wish there had been more of everything. The setting, the characters and their situation needed a lot more exploration for me to be able to feel anything. I think Acevedo is a brilliant wordsmith and I am excited to read some of her other work.

I know I am on my own with this review as everyone under the sun seems to love this book but it's just not for me.
I found the plot of the story to be very slow moving and not at all emotional considering it was supposed to be about grief and dealing with huge life changes. It also doesn't sit with me well that they made such a focus on the loss of money so soon after his death, made me very uncomfortable!
My biggest issue with this book was the fact that the characters had little to no differentiation, I kept forgetting which girl I was reading about as they had no personalities and were very boring characters.
The book did handle some serious issues such as sexual assault which are very important for awareness but that was my only plus to this story.
Overall I unfortunately did not enjoy this and personally don't understand the hype.

Clap When You Land was full to bursting with beautiful, evocative writing. This is my second Acevedo book - I read and enjoyed With the Fire on High last year, but it wasn’t a favourite, but there’s just something about Acevedo’s verse that really elevates her writing and emotion. It’s so unique to her and beautiful.

I listened to the audiobook for this one, which is in part narrated by Acevedo herself and it was such a wonderful experience. This production allows the reader to experience every word as the author intended it, packed with emotion and intention.

It was incredibly insightful to read such differing experiences from two girls from the same family growing up in the US and Dominican Republic separately. It was so informative and eye opening for the reader, but also such a personally touching story - especially for me as a UK reader who has not seen tensions such as those presented here first hand. I don’t want to speak to any representation as this is not for me to do, but the tensions and class divides between these characters brought together by the same grief was so powerful and emotive.

Just be aware that this book was hard to read at times - TWs for death, sexual assault, grief (please look into this further if you think this could be a problem for you) but it was so so beautiful. This is not a story I will forget any time soon.

3 out of 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

A book written in verse following grief and family and the bittersweet moments in life. Now this book was beautiful the words used showing the emotions of the girls was beautiful.

To me I didn't feel a connection to the characters. Maybe it's the format I'm not sure. Some topics I felt like weren't dived into enough. I wasn't expecting the timeline in the pacing that is was in.

I believe that this is a quick and impactful read and my enjoyment level was just a personal preferance. I do have another book by Elizabether that isn't written in verse and I'm excited to dive into that one.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for books written in verse or books that look at grief

Another incredible book from Elizabeth Acevedo in narrative verse. So much is said in so few words. Told from the points of view of two half sisters in alternate chapters in New York and the Dominican Republic; the death of their father in a plane crash bringing the two narratives together. This real life plane crash disaster is brought to the reader through the siblings stories, highlighting the devastation the crash brought to the community that was largely forgotten in wider society. The girl's have led very different lives but have a shared love of their father and the grief at his loss. Neither sister had been aware of each other up to this point and the narrative cleverley weaves their stories together. Both also experience men's abuse of power that is used to highlight the strength and power of the feminine at its heart. I cannot do justice to this book in my words so I urge you to read it for yourselves. An empathetic, empowering read.

A beautifully pitched, immersive and emotional book. Acevado's writing draws the reader into a world rich in detail and depth of feeling.

A beautifully written, lyrical exploration of the meeting of two girls who didn't know they were sisters, after the death of their father. This fascinating tale of how the two girls find out about each others existence and how that impacts their sense of identity is a great read for confident readers aged 13 plus.

Loved The Poet X and was worried this wouldn't be as good - fears are gone! This was incredible. Went by so fast, so impactful and all the feelings.

Clap When You Land pulled me in from page one. Told in verse, it's the story of two sisters who only learn about each other after the death of their father in a plane crash, it's about grief, love and family

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

Rating: 4 stars
Rep: Sapphic MC, Black MCs.
Trigger warnings: grief, sexual assault, plane crash.

I have been wanting to read something by Elizabeth Acevedo for a while now and after reading "Clap When You Land" I'll definitely be picking up more very soon!

This is a beautifully written novel told in verse, which I adore, about two girls connected by secrets and family, who find each other after the tragic death of their father. The writing style was absolutely gorgeous and breathtaking and the storyline was heartbreaking.

While I loved that this was dual perspective, I know for sure that if I read this just physically as opposed to following along with the audiobook, I would've been a bit confused in places about who was speaking when.

Overall, I highly recommend this novel if you love lyrical writing, diverse characters and a heartbreaking story about sisters.

Clap When You Land is another beautiful & insightful novel by Elizabeth Acevedo.

The stories are intertwined so beautifully and it's so heart-wrenching in parts. I absolutely flew through the pages and couldn't put it down. I could picture New York & the Dominican Republic so very clearly & felt like I was living through the pages with Yahaira & Camino. Can't wait to read what Elizabeth Acevedo writes next!