Trigger warnings: Gun violence, death, references to drug use and drug dealing
Synopsis: On the corner of American Street and Joy Road, Fabiola Toussaint thought she would finally find une belle vie—a good life.
But after they leave Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Fabiola’s mother is detained by U.S. immigration, leaving Fabiola to navigate her loud American cousins, Chantal, Donna, and Princess; the grittiness of Detroit’s west side; a new school; and a surprising romance, all on her own.
Just as she finds her footing in this strange new world, a dangerous proposition presents itself, and Fabiola soon realizes that freedom comes at a cost. Trapped at the crossroads of an impossible choice, will she pay the price for the American dream?
Review: I read Ibi's books backwards, but American Street definitely solidified her as an autobuy author. We follow Fabiola as she has to navigate moving from Haiti to Detroit without her mother. I enjoyed Fabiola as a character. Her ignorance got on my nerves a tad, but I also understand that it is truly her ignorance as she doesn't know that much about America or American customs. I lived with a guy from Turkey for a year, so I definitely saw parallels between the way he acted and the way Fabiola acted. For the most part, I loved Fabiola. She would do anything for her family and she always looks to her spirituality for guidance. Haitian religion is something I had never read about before, so I enjoyed seeing that aspect of Fabiola's life highlighted in American Street. My favorite character, by far, was Chantal. I related to her very deeply for a couple of reasons. One, she's the most responsible of Fabiola's cousins, but she is also very honest about the fact that she isn't pretty. She owns that and it's something I've felt for a long time, but I can't recall another book that actually put that moment into a story. It was such a small scene, but when she explains to Fabiola that she "feels ugly" and she urges Fabiola to keep "beauty is on the inside" comments to herself, I felt that in a very deep way. The only thing I wish we had a bit more of was Pri's story. Any conversations where gender and gender expectations are greatly appreciated.
The bulk of this story follows Fabiola as she has to learn to live in America. This includes starting a new school, trying to make friends, new living situations and, especially for someone who comes from another country, dealing with people making fun of your speech. Ibi masterfully blends all of these things together to help us see how difficult life is for Fabiola. On top of that, we see how ingrained her family is with the local gangsters and drug dealers. None of the dialogue in American Street felt forced which it sometimes can. We see how these conditions affect Fabiola and her family. We also see how Fabiola makes decisions, some good and some bad, out of her ignorance. As I mentioned before, one of my favorite things was seeing how Fabiola used her religion to guide her life. Having grown up in a very southern-Baptist town, I'm used to seeing similar rituals, but it was interesting to see Fabiola practice her rituals and there was a lot of beauty in seeing the strength of her faith. Along with following Fabiola adjust to her new surroundings, she learns how prominent drugs and drug culture is in her new neighborhood. She also has to come to terms with how these things change her and her family's life.
Beautiful book with fantastic characters and conversations.
5 howls
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