My first thought about Clap When You Land has to be WOW! What a book! This was my first time reading a piece of work by Elizabeth Acevedo and I must admit, I was blown away by everything. This book, you could say was like a work of art and I for one, was captivated by the beauty of it. I do love a novel written in verse and from all those I have read, I must say that this was probably my favourite yet. Acevedo has such a poetic talent for writing in verse and it’s simply stunning.

The story itself was really easy to follow and throughout the book you get taken on a journey of self discovery through the eyes of both Camino and Yahaira, and this dynamic certainly helps you to get to know both characters equally and on a personal level, which can be hard to do in some fiction. Also, the voices of both girls were totally unique to one another and I found it really easy to differentiate them when I was reading. Acevedo really has a way of bringing out the voices of her characters in such beautiful ways and I was all for that. Plot wise, I found myself utterly absorbed in the story and the way it flowed was astonishing. You didn’t feel the need to backtrack to remind yourself of what happened previously or find yourself confused. Every single thing within the book was needed and that made for an easy read. I also want to mention the locations within this book, especially that of the Dominican Republic. Having never been to that location, I found it to be a real eyeopener of the culture and what life is like there. It really did astound me as to how different life is there, and I felt like I learnt a lot about the country through Clap When You Land.

Many different topics are tackled throughout Clap When You Land, some being death, grief, sexual harassment and stalking. As stated in previous reviews these topics need to be spoken about more and featured in YA, so I really do admire Acevedo for putting issues such as these into her work. None of the stated issues are glamourised and bring to light the seriousness of each of them. I also feel that they could really help some teens who are going through some of these issues, to know they are not alone.

Clap When You Land was such a heartfelt, beautifully written story about loss and ultimately the coming together of family. I was instantly pulled in by the poetic writing style and found myself captivated within minutes. Overall it’s a gorgeous story about finding the light within darkness.

4.5 stars

CLAP WHEN YOU LAND is a compelling and poignant story of loss, deceit, finding lost relationships and coming of age. This book hit me in the feels almost straight away and kept me emotionally connected to the characters and story all the way through.

This captivating story is told from the POV of two teens Camiro and Yahaira who were 16, going on 17. They lived in New York and the Dominican Republic respectively and their lives were a complete contrast both financially but also in terms of freedom, access and prejudice. The story was told in normal narrative with elements of beautiful poetic prose. These aspects weren’t choppy, they wove beautifully into the unfurling story.

"I am beautiful like a dark-skinned girl that is right here.
I’ve always preferred playing black on the chess board.
Always advancing, conquering my offending other side."

I really was gripped by life in the Dominican Republic and how Camino conducted herself, her life and her relationships. I admired her as a character so much. When Camino and Yahaira finally connected, it was a lot, brimming over on the page.

This is one of those books that you just have to read. You will lose yourself and emerge the other side affected. This is a book I will remember and as an already fan of Elizabeth Acevedo, I can confirm that this is my favourite of her books yet.

Thank you to Hot Key Books for the early review copy.

What a gem.

This book was BEAUTIFULLY written. From the start I was so taken aback by the poetic form of the prose, it was so refreshing and calming to read.

The story was powerful and Acevedo touched upon a number of current issues, race, sexuality and abuse to name a few. The issues were covered in a realistic manner and I liked that they weren’t the main focus of the plot. I think the fact that the sisters were experiencing such issues, particularly abuse, while going through the traumatic experience of losing their father almost made those even more powerful because they were already going through so much, but had that to deal with as well.

More than anything, this was a story about the power of love and loss. That the love and the loss of one person can link so many people together. Despite the negativity surrounding how the sisters came to know of each other. I think one of my favourite parts of this story is that it did show the ugly parts of that. It showed the betrayal the sisters felt and it showed them fighting with their inner selves to be happy that they found each other. I loved that the sisters didn’t meet and immediately have a happy ending and walk off into the sunset. It showed their trials and tribulations and their hesitations too.

I really enjoyed this and I’ll definitely be reading more of Acevedo’s work!

This was my first time reading a novel written in verse, however Elizabeth Acevedo’s writing did not let me down. In a stunning novel featuring two sisters struck by tragedy, as they find out about their fathers death, they also learn of each other. Following on from the aftermath of a horrific plane crash we follow the sisters as they count the days and try to process what has happened, whilst learning their father was not the man they thought he was. Camino live in the Dominican Republic, her father comes to visit her every summer, she loves the water and wants nothing more than to be able to join her father in the US and study to become a doctor. Yaheria lives in New York and adores her father and will do anything to please him, well she used to until she started carrying around the secret of his other wife.

The novel beautifully captures grief, heartache, and family bonds. Showing that even from two seemingly different worlds two people can have shared experiences and truly understand one another.
I loved the representation throughout this novel, with race, religion, and sexuality. I loved the mention of Yaheria’s sexuality and that it did not seem forced or a massive deal throughout the novel, it just was simply something that was part of the character. I appreciated some of the thoughts that she had throughout the novel and thought the overall representation was done really well.

I also loved Acevado’s use of the duel perspective it allowed us a wonderful glimpse into both girls lives and we were able to see their similarities and differences throughout the novel. We were able to see how both girls dealt with grief and how both girls felt about the existence of the other.

I thought the ending of this novel was heart-warming and I overall adored this novel. However, I would give a trigger warning for sexual assault.
I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Elizabeth Acevedo is fast becoming one of my favourite young adult authors. Her poetry novels are beautiful and this one is no exception. The character's are each given a distinctive voice in this dual perspective narrative and their relationship is raw, honest and I believe to be fairly accurate on what would happen in this situation. The fact that sexuality was not used as a plot-point but just simply was, was one of the things I loved the most about this book - it just wasn't a big deal. This really is a beautiful story about a complicated family coming together in a time of need as well as tackling some really important issues surrounding immigration and the media. Incredible.


Full review will be posted on my blog on Friday 24th April 2020.

Following two teenage girls - Camino in the Dominican Republic, and Yahaira in New York City - who discover they have something unexpected in common after a devastating plane crash. Written in verse, which initially took some getting used to, this is a gripping read that deals with challenging and difficult themes in a way which teen readers will particularly engage with.

I can only imagine that the worst possible thing that could happen to a child is to lose a parent. But imagine losing a parent and with that death learning that they had a whole secret life and that indeed you have another sibling that you knew nothing about. This is the case for Camino and Yahaira. Both learn of each other’s existence when their father dies in a plane crash.

In Elizabeth Acevedo’s new poetry based novel Clap When You Land we look at the bourgeoning relationship between the two sisters as they came to terms with their grief and with each other’s existence. Beside this, Acevedo gives us an insight into the two different worlds: New York - privileged America versus the more dangerous Dominican Republic.

Acevedo really works hard to show this disparity between these two worlds and in the lives of these two girls but also manages to show the reader that even in difficult situations that blood is thicker than water.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo is available now.

For more information regarding Elizabeth Acevedo (@Acevedowrites) please visit www.acevedowrites.com.

For more information regarding Bonnier Zaffre (@bonnierbooks_uk) please visit www.bonnierbooks.co.uk.

For more information regarding Hot Key Books (@HotKeyBooksYA) please visit www.hotkeybooks.com.

Firstly, I want to say thank you to Netgalley and Hot Key Books for allowing me to have an EARC of Clap When You Land, I am so grateful for the opportunity. 

I recently read my first book that was written in verse and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. When I found out that Clap When You Land is written in the same style I knew that I needed to get my hands on it and give it a go. 

It is unquestionable that the writing in this book is beautiful. I felt the warmth and hope from the very beginning until the end of the book. I was memorised from start to finish. I read this at night on my kindle and I found that I struggled to put the book down and go to sleep because I just wanted to read more and more. I was hooked and entranced by the wonderful style.

The characters in this book were so raw. Such an awful chain of events leave them to be in a position that they did not believe would ever happen. Watching each girl cope with the event in different ways was really raw and beautiful to watch. I was so fascinated by their different lives, their cultures and general beings. I found myself wanting more and more from them. 

The one complaint I do have about this book is that the characters are a bit too similar. I get that they are sisters, the discover each other and they are bound to be similar. But at times I really struggled to identify who was who and from what point of view I was reading from. I found myself trying to identify secondary characters like Tia and Dre just so I knew which sister we were talking about. 

I loved the ending of this book and the happily ever after. It made me feel really warm inside. Special mention to Dre, her little gesture at the end was absolutely beautiful and bought a tear to my eye. 

I am interested in reading more by this author and would recommend this book.

Trigger warnings: sexual assault, loss of a parent

Clap When You Land is an emotive, powerful and arresting novel which follows two young women coming to terms with their fathers death and the secrets he held during his lifetime. As well as telling the story of two different and equally interesting, complex and loveable characters in Camino and Yahaira, the story touches upon family, culture, sexual harassment and assault as well as betrayal and the secrets people keep. This is (shamefully) my first time reading any of Elizabeth Acevedo’s writing but it definitely won’t be the last.

I also want to note that this book examines which stories are told and which stories are deemed to deserve more or less attention in the media. In the authors note, Acevedo explains the tragedy that befell the passengers and people on the ground, after flight AA587 crashed on it’s way from New York to the Dominican Republic, in the November of 2001. Acevedo also touches upon how incredibly difficult and confusing this loss was for the loved ones of those affected as well as the wider Dominican community as a whole. From reading the novel it is clear just how deeply and passionately Acevedo feels about telling the stories of her community and this made me appreciate the novel even more.

The novel is split in a dual narrative and perspective, with Camino and Yahaira respectively. This works so incredibly well due to the nature of the story and also because both characters are given time to really shine and have distinct voices. I never had a problem distinguishing between who was speaking – it’s also helped that the relevant name is highlighted at the beginning of each chapter, but even without this, I feel like a reader would be able to tell due to the distinct character work.

I liked that we got to check in between both girls, whose upbringings and experiences are worlds apart in so many ways. While both girls are no strangers to the dangers of living where they do, Camino in the Dominican Republic and Yahaira in New York City, the disparities between their experiences is evident. Acevedo skilfully explores social inequality, privilege, sexual assault and identity in a way which leaves a deep and lasting impression. While their separate sections were great, I loved when the two eventually meet and manage to make sense of their shared loss and are able to form a meaningful and healing sisterhood. It’s especially heartwarming to see them grow to trust and appreciate one another, after the initial wariness.

I also really loved the secondary characters, who are vital to the story and add so much. Yahaira’s best friend and girlfriend, Andrea aka Dre is so great and wholesome, their relationship and interactions are written so gorgeously. I thought Yahaira’s mother, Zoila was such an interesting and important character, understandably her relationship with her husband is complex and fractured due to his dual life, and it is such a key moment when she voices that as good a father as he was, he was not as good and committed a husband. I also have such a soft spot for Tía Solana who is such a warm and unwavering presence in Camino’s life, and is the literal embodiment of unconditional and selfless love. I think we could all use a Tía Solana in our lives.

While the novel is very much about Camino and Yahaira and their very real voices and lives, it is also about their father who has essentially led a double life for many years. I think this was done in such a real and genuine way. Their father isn’t demonised but is clearly flawed and complex, just like any individual in reality. It shows how he could be a deeply loving and present father but also secretive and make mistakes. Reading the difficulties both Camino and Yahaira face reconciling the father they thought they knew with who he really was and coming to see some uncomfortable truths was profound and sensitively done. I feel like many readers may be able to relate to this idea of coming to terms with who your parents are and these expectations and notions being forced to change and shift, in big and small ways.

Overall, I would really recommend to readers who have enjoyed Acevedo’s other work as well as readers in search of compelling contemporary / Y/A fiction. This book is so moving and I feel it will really resonate with readers and importantly, it also highlights the tragedy which befell the passengers and others involved on the AA587 flight, which I sadly hadn’t heard about prior to reading this book. I am glad that I know now, and I will always remember.

* Review to be posted on Blog closer to release date*

The second novel in verse from Elizabeth Acevedo, Clap When You Land takes everything from The Poet X, and then builds and blooms that style into something that brings you emotion, depth and true power throughout every word.


Though I feel the story does build slowly, when the things begin to happen the pacing is perfectly done and just pulls you in and just can't stop reading - I had this book on my laptop to read and there is no way I could do anything else when this book got started. The characters flourish throughout the book and their inner monologue allows you to see every facet of their personalities, they are written so well throughout this book.

The Poet X was a very fast book to read, this one is not the case but I don't think that's a bad thing. The poetry flows beautifully throughout the book and how the author describes everything from the linoleum on an airport floor to the oceans around the Dominican Republic is done so beautifully. How the writing changes to reflect the mood and emotions of the characters is so well done throughout from fear to sadness to relief, and it is rarely done so well.

A small but brilliant cast of women, they are all written powerfully throughout this book and lend the story so much as they round out a character that doesn't appear for long in their father. It's just a beautifully written book that I felt was slow to start but fast to finish, and I'm glad I finished it.

<i>"I blow her a kiss/across the linoleum, &/whisper blessings under my breath,//divide a piece of God from my heart for her to carry"</i>

Clap When You Land is a novel written in verse by bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo - commonly knows for The Poet X, which by the way is quite fantastic too - that follows two protagonists Camino and Yahaira.

When tragedy hits for each of the two girls, where they lose their fathers in an airplane crash, their lives are changed forever.

Elizabeth Acevedo is a masterful storyteller. She builds a very diverse cast of characters, and they're very unique and personal. What I particularly enjoy about her characters is that they are the center of topics like POC, but they're never treated as a checklist. If a character is a POC character, there is a reason why they think and behave the way they do, and that for me is inclusivity done right.

The book alternates between the voices of Camino and Yahaira, respectively. They live two completely different lives, in different areas of the worlds, but their experiences are quite similar. The way the author portrays hurt, pain, and mourning is absolutely beautiful. Each of the characters react in different ways, oftentimes frustrating, because pain makes us behave in unexpected ways.

I expected that Camino and Yahaira's voices to be quite similar, but I was quite wrong. Each of them had distinct voices even though they were united in unexpected ways. I think that this coming of age novel is quite important, because it teaches us a lot about compassion, life, secrets, and the power of family.

I almost loved everything about this book, but one thing that wasn't my favorite is that I couldn't immediately connect to the characters. However, that was beautifully weaves and brought together in a short amount of time.

I think that Acevedo is an author to look out for. Her books have so much heart in them. To me, Acevedo writes relevant stories that everyone can relate to. I know I'll be reading all her books.

If I were to compare her to another author, I think that Acevedo is high up on the bar with Jason Reynolds, both of whom write amazing books in verse.

This book is set to publish on May 5th, which is my birthday. Thank you Netgalley for this beautiful early gift. I can't wait to get a physical copy.

4.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an ARC of this novel in return for an honest review.
when you touch down on this soil, you must clap when you land.


Clap When You Land follows the story of Camino and Yahaira as they deal with losing their father in a plane crash. Except, neither of them know the other exists, that they have a sister who is grieving in the same way.

I absolutely loved Clap When You Land. The language was stunning, engaging, and heartbreaking all at once. Acevado has a way with words that just makes you want to keep reading more and more. I loved the developing relationship between Yahaira and Camino, the exploration of messy and imperfect families, especially contrasted with the endless love given by characters such as Tia Solana. This was my first novel in verse, and what a beautiful first novel it was.
This story was beautifully moving and showed that even in tragedy, happiness can be found and there is a silver lining.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Clap When You Land is my first Elizabeth Acevedo book and one of very few stories written in verse I've ever read. After reading it I know I need to redeem both.

It's a beautiful and heart-breaking story about family, grief and how a tragedy can bring people together. It follows two sisters who don't know about each other's existence until a plane crash claims the life of their father.
Camino finds out at the airport, waiting to pick him up. She lives with her aunt in the Dominican Republic and he visits every summer around her birthday.
Yahaira is in school when she's called into the office and told what happened. Her dad lived with her and her mother in America and left "for business" at the same time every year.

I loved reading from both girls' perspectives. They are both different and had a very different relationship with their father - though both loved him dearly, but they were united in grief a long time before they found out about each other and met.
I don't read many contemporaries, but I especially enjoy the ones that focus on family dynamics and this one has so much of it, from the two different father-daughter relationships we see, through how different Yahaira is with her mother compared to how Camino views her aunt who raised her, and so many more. It also explores identity and the hardships of being raised poor. It talks about dreams and opportunities, and how one event can change the course of your whole life.
The writing is absolutely beautiful and harrowing, and the narration style makes the story very unique.

I loved this book and I recommend everyone to read it.

Elizabeth Acevedo is one of my favourite authors of all time. Having read With The Fire on High last summer I knew I had to pick up Clap When You Land straight away. This book is fantastic. It is a story of two unknown sisters who are brought together through a tragedy of their fathers death (no spoilers as it is in the synopsis). This is a whirlwind of sadness, happiness and adventure. I devoured this in one sitting. The descriptions are fresh and vibrant and you can actually see yourself in their positions. A must read for contemporary reading.

My first Elizabeth Acevedo!!

After hearing so much about the author, I went into this book with such high expectations and I’m glad to say it didn’t disappoint.

I loved so much about this story: the diversity, the queerness, the realness of the characters but what set it apart from anything else I ever read was the fact that is set in the Dominican Republic and it was really interesting to witness how Yaya and Camino’s cultures and feelings clash and how the place in which you are born can define your entire life in ways you are not even aware of. I also really liked reading a book set in South America in which other creeds other than Christian were observed and treated with respect by the author, instead of amused distance.

The story is told in verse so this is ideal if you want to have all you feel attacked but don’t feel like spending several days around the same book. The writing is of course absolutely beautiful but those that don’t have a basic understanding of Spanish or are not familiar with the culture might need to google more than a few terms.

Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss+, Hot Key Books and Quill Tree Books for these DRCs.

A heartfelt novel-in-prose that brings two strangers together in a tale of tragedy, loss and newfound sisterhood after a plane crash takes the life of a father.

Highly recommended for those who enjoy emotional tales and alternative writing styles.

Thank for to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Clap When You Land is an emotional story with a lot of heart, and lyrical writing which flies off the page. This was such a delight to read. It's a perfect, bittersweet summer story that will have you longing for the beach and desperate to book a flight to the Dominican Republic. Acevedo brings her locations vividly to life, so that I felt like I was in a Dominican Republic summer rather than an English Spring.

Characterisation is extremely strong. Camino and Yahaira have distinctive voices and I loved the way their stories intertwined. I was never disappointed when the viewpoint switched as they were both so brilliant and great to read about. Clap When You Land is a story about family, in all its complexities and different guises. Camino and Yahaira's Papi is a complicated character, who fills the book even though the plot hinges on his absence. He loves both of his daughters dearly, and they him. It is through losing him that they find each other.

I've always found there's something incredibly accessible about verse novels, which helps them appeal to a huge range of readers. Even the most reluctant of teens will be sucked into this story and Acevedo's beautiful writing. The verse heightens the emotional impact of the novel, and this is a truly moving and wonderful story. I would recommend Clap When You Land to teenage readers without hesitation.

Perhaps what I love most about Clap When You Land, besides the author's obvious talent for writing moving free verse, is that it brings attention to something that so many of us forgot about or never heard about. Tragedies happen all the time. Some are noticed, when they are newsworthy and drenched in politics-- terrorism, school shootings, for example --but some are left to be grieved only by those directly affected. The rest of the world goes on as normal, not seeing the pain inflicted on the community in question.

In November 2001, flight AA587 crashed to the ground on its way to Santo Domingo, killing 265 people on a flight where 90% of the passengers were Dominican or of Dominican descent. Noting that it was not another terrorist attack, the media largely ignored it, but it was a terrible blow to the New York Dominican community.

Clap When You Land is the story of two girls - Camino and Yahaira - one in the Dominican Republic and one in New York City. They have never met, never spoken, never known about each other's existence, but when their father is killed in a plane crash on his way to visit Camino, they find each other in the midst of their grief.

Both girls have their own struggles, but Camino is especially threatened without her father to protect her. Now the local pimp, a man called El Cero, is hanging around, following her. All she wants is to escape, study premed, have a chance at something better. Then along comes Yahaira and turns her life upside down, changes everything she thought she knew about her father.

This is another part of the book and I thought it was done really well. Part of the girls' discovery of each other is also the discovery that maybe their father wasn't quite the man they thought he was. That he was more complex, had many flaws. That even though he was a good father, he might not have been a good husband. In this, the book is something of a bildungsroman. Both girls are matured by the intensity of the loss and the discoveries made after.

It is a beautiful story that finds a lot of warmth and hope in the darkness of loss. My only complaint is that Camino and Yahaira's voices were a little too similar. I found it especially hard to distinguish the two in the beginning and had to look for other markers to remember whose chapters we were on. But it's a small complaint.

Highly recommended for those who enjoyed The Poet X and other novels in verse.

A tragic event brings forth a secret, a death that inevitably brings together two completely different lives. What is it like when what you think you know is wrong? What you know is not the truth or at least the whole truth?

Written in verse, that somehow makes the story more powerful, more gut-wrenching, more in your face, more in touch with the feelings it churns up. In verse but never too heavy to absorb, more conversational, with each POV a doorways to one of the girl's inner thoughts.

The overpowering loneliness of loss, of mourning, of losing a parent can be felt. Do not worry, this is not a book wallowing in self pity. In antithesis it exhibits strength, hope even in the middle of despair.

I love the play of words, the different formats, the sometimes poetic flourishes for all kinds of images, in beautiful ways. Also how the relationship of the sisters who did not know about each other plays out, from heartbreak and anger to inevitable respect and... I don't want to spoil it.

With a beautiful ending to a beautiful story, I wanted to hug my reader for a while. Then I realized I finished this book in one day! Watch out because it might happen to you too

I have previously read Elizabeth Acevado’s book ‘Poet X’, so I knew what to expect diving into this one.

I love how different reading a story in verse is, it flows in a unpredictable way. Each part of the story has its own rhythm. I thought it might be difficult to determine the POV in this way, and yes at the beginning I did struggle, but I quickly caught on.

I am usually a very fussy person when it comes to poetry, so I am always apprehensive when picking it up. I even struggled getting into ‘Poet X’ at first, but then grew to really admire everything about what Acevedo does. And while I enjoyed Poet X, I enjoyed Clap When You Land so much more.

It’s a sorrowful and hopeful story about family, culture, secrets and more. And I mostly just love how powerful each woman was. It’s a brilliant read and very moving.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

4 Stars. ⭐️