After having read most of Elizabeth Acevedos books I wanted to recommend her as an author and highlight her work. All of Elizabeth Acevedos books talk about important and current topics. Her characters feel real, have to deal with daily struggles but also grander things such as teen pregnancies, family stuggles and the goal to find yourself as a young adult. The home life and family dynamics that are depicted in her stories are so raw and honest. There are never any obnoxious characters that hinder the storyline or are only there as a plot device.
Acevedos writing style is very melodic and poetic. It feels like her choice of words and the pacing of her books add a very unique feeling to the stories that she creates. To me, her books always have a certain flow that carries you through the story. While real life and hard-hitting topics are an essential part of her stories, they always leave you hopeful at the end. These stories make you feel like you are understood and not alone in the world. I would really recommend Elizabeth Acevedo not only for YA readers but fans of contemporary and poetic books across all age groups. I’m very excited for her next releases.
This story is told in verse and follows the life of a young girl named Xiomara who discovers her love for poetry and they way it connects her to her mother, the relationship with herself and those around her. This book is so powerful and loud – I enjoyed every second of it.
With the Fire on High is about a young mother named Emoni and her struggles of balancing a kid, going to school and trying to find her passion in life. Her schools culinary art class offers a new opportunity for her and Emoni starts to dream about things she never thought were possible for her and her daughter.
This book follows two characters – Camino in the Dominican Republic and Yahaira in New York. After a tragic plan crash kills their father, Yahaira finds out that she has a sister she never knew about. Both young girls try to figure out who their father really was and why he kept them a secret from each other.
