From the Bookshelf of Diversity in All Forms!…

American Street

Ibi Zoboi

Start date: April 1, 2018

Finish date: April 30, 2018

Discussion: Monthly Group Reads

Why we're reading this: The diversity topic/theme we will be covering in April is Immigration Status.
American Street by Ibi Zoboi
[close] The diversity topic/theme we will be covering in April is Immigration Status.
American Street by Ibi Zoboi

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What Members Thought

Oct 05, 2018 Mariah Roze rated it it was amazing

Shelves: diversity-in-all-forms-book-club

I read this book for the Goodreads' Book Club Diversity in All Forms! If you would like to participate in the discussion here is the link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I love this book! Not only was it written very well. It covered a topic that I personally can't think of any other book covers, for YA. That topic is immigrating from Haiti to the USA, specifically Detroit.

"On the corner of American Street and Joy Road, Fabiola Toussaint thought she would finally find une belle vie—a g ...more

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Jan 30, 2019 Diana rated it did not like it

Shelves: dnfed

I am beginning to think that this author is not for me. I tried readig "pride" and I just couldn't keep on reading, and the same thing happened with this one.
The three cousins irritate me constantly, the main character I can't understand, in the same way I don't get why no one seems to care about her once at the home, and how they all seem to roll with indeference, not even cooking for her or getting her school suplies or a bed. And all the drama and screams... too much man. ...more

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Feb 26, 2018 Susan Bazzett-Griffith rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya-kid-stuff-i-love, great-fiction-and-not-great-fiction, favorites

I am truly starting to believe that the best and most poignant, rawest, most real fiction being written today is often in the format of "YA" literature. No disrespect to my favorite memoirists and crearive nonfiction writers who sometimes also write phenomenal fiction, but damn! Between books like The Hate U Give and Dear Martin and Boy Toy and now this absolutely beautiful book-- American Street-- I'm having a hard time finding fiction geared towards my own age group that I enjoy half as much o I am truly starting to believe that the best and most poignant, rawest, most real fiction being written today is often in the format of "YA" literature. No disrespect to my favorite memoirists and crearive nonfiction writers who sometimes also write phenomenal fiction, but damn! Between books like The Hate U Give and Dear Martin and Boy Toy and now this absolutely beautiful book-- American Street-- I'm having a hard time finding fiction geared towards my own age group that I enjoy half as much or that feels even minimally as important. Similarly to Thomas' book, Ibi Zoboi"s American Street was appropriate for older teens, has r-rated language, violence, and is one hell of a beautiful coming of age story.

That is, delightfully, where the similarities end for the most part and we get to dive into the world of Fabiola and her cousins, the "3 Bs". Fabiola, raised in Haiti. but born in Detroit, was brought back to America by her mother, where the two planned to live in Detroit, Michigan with her mom's sister and her three teenage daughters. But things become complicated when Fabiola's mom is detained at their airport during the first leg of their flight. Her mother had all of thr paperwork in order and Fabiola is a citizen, but because the last time she'd been in the country, when Fabiola was born, she had overstayed her visa, and now is not being allowed to continue to Detroit with her daughter. Fabiola is frightened, not truly understanding, her English good, but still not practiced, her knowledge of immigration rules negligible, and the help she asks for from the semi-hostile people at the airport non-existent. And all of this in just the first two chapters. Zoboi conveys all of this confusion and fear perfectly. I LOVED this book.

Without spoiling, the novel unfolds as readers are immediately sucked into Fabiola's new world. Her culture shock, her natural intelligence, her vodou faith, her naivete about the dangers of to her new home and the complicated, filled with struggles, but fiercely loyal love of her extended family. Each of the 3 sisters- Chantal, Donna and Pri are exquisitely drawn supporting characters. Her geographical accuracy in the descriptions of the city of Detroit paired with it's effects of recent gentrification (and the nearby Grosse Point Park) impressed me (a resident of the metro-Detroit area), and the story of Fabiola finding her way, facing tough decisions and figuring out what is most important to her kept me fully engrossed and unable to put the book down until Id read the last page. I can't say more without ruining the book for others, but I will say I loved this book totally, and I think it will be a classic of bith American and Comparative literature in the years to come as more people read and discover ita greatness- similar to a modern day Outsiders but with a diversity and trauma unique to 2017's America. Five stars. Ten stars. All the stars. ❤

...more

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Aug 30, 2018 Megan rated it really liked it

Heartbreaking yet hopeful. Feeling it too much to write a proper review yet. Very relevant.

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Feb 16, 2020 Tiffani Richardson rated it it was amazing

Read it in one sitting. And I still can’t stop thinking about it the next day. Definitely going to be one I reread a few times!

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Shelves: fiction, contemporary, national-book-award-finalist, american, ya, award-winning, audible-books, authors-of-color, lincoln-award, magical-realism