American Street audiobook

According to my papers, I’m not even supposed to be here. I’m not a citizen. I’m a “resident alien.” The borders don’t care if we’re all human and my heart pumps blood the same as everyone else’s. 4 1/2 stars. The more I think about it, the more I realize just how much I loved American Street. There's the obvious reasons - it's an ownvoices work about Haitian immigrants in Detroit; there's the general reasons like the extremely sympathetic narrator and the wonderful cast of diverse secondary characters, plus the grittiness and emotion throughout; but then there's the fact that this is a really clever, really different story. Zoboi has crafted a unique blend of Haitian Vodou beliefs with a contemporary American setting. It's really quite fantastic.Fabiola Toussaint was born in America but she has spent almost all her life in Haiti with her Haitian mother. When the two attempt to come to Detroit to join Fabiola's Aunt Jo and cousins - Chantal, Princess (Pri) and Primadonna (Donna) - Fabiola is allowed through security but her mother is detained at JFK by U.S. immigration. From the very first chapter, the emotions and stakes are high. Fabiola's wide-eyed uncertainty as she tries to adjust to this new country, her fear for her mother, and her realization that America may not be the paradise she's dreamed of, all serve to make her story an instantly sympathetic one. I was invested immediately.The characters drive this story. Fabiola's cousins have a reputation as girls no one messes with, yet as the reader, it was hard not to love them. Known as the "Three Bs" for Chantal's brains, Donna's beauty and Pri's brawn, they make a formidable trio. I don’t remember who came up with it first, but Chantal is the brains, Donna is the beauty, and me, I’m the brawn. Three Bees. The biggest, baddest bitches from the west side. Nobody, I mean nobody, fucks with us. But, obviously, nothing here is going to be simple. Not only does she have to try and find a way to be reunited with her Manman, but Fabiola also finds herself caught up in her cousins' crazy worlds. Donna's abusive and drug-dealing boyfriend, Dray, becomes a problem for them all, and even more so when Fabiola begins a relationship with his friend Kasim. Most of the book is told from Fabiola's POV, but we also get the occasional short chapter from each of the other characters too. And this feels very important. The author gives them the spotlight for a short time, allowing them to become human beings, more than secondary characters, more than good guys, bad guys, or in Donna's case a "ho". Zoboi portrays all aspects of the immigrant experience from different perspectives, whilst also offering challenges to slut-shaming, a lesbian romance, and a Muslim love interest.The inclusion of Fabiola's Haitian Vodou faith and references to Papa Legba worked surprisingly well. With authentic characters, Creole slang, and a firm stance that family comes before boyfriends, this is such a strong, special YA contemporary.It's gritty, for sure, with references to drug use, ODing, and violent abuse, but life ain't always pretty. And, despite all of that, American Street has a whole lot of heart.Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube

This was great. The authenticity of this story was really the driving force for me. You could tell that the author knew what she was talking about and could very much relate to the MC. I loved the fact that this story didn't have anything fancy going for it, no deus ex machina or anything like that. Just a pure, truthful portrait of the life of an immigrant who moves to America hoping for new life and comes to find that the new life may not be such an improvement from the old one in some ways. I might do a full video review for this, I'm not sure yet. But needless to say, this was an incredibly powerful read.

Audiobook: Wow....Once again I can't say this enough......"a GREAT 'reader' can make all the difference in the world when it comes to audiobooks"!!!"American Street" is read by Robin Miles. ROBIN MILES IS FANTASTIC!!!!!I 'melted' listening to her voice. Her dialect was soooo delicious-in Caribbean Creole. Robin Miles 'more' than made up for some of the book's shortcomings. There are some shortcomings-- but I thoroughly enjoy this audiobook!!!! I felt for this story from the get go. When Fabiola was sitting alone eating out of a paper bag-in her relatives home in Detroit on her first night of arrival -- I wanted to invite her over to my house - for a home cooked meal of Creole cuisine--listen to all she has to say -and love this girl. Fabiola was a very likable character. She was observant - aware of her surroundings - wise and mature beyond her age.Looking at American culture through Fabiola's eyes had me shaking my head --- 'shame-on-us'. Character driven.... Love -life - struggles .....lots of issues to explore- drugs, teenage drinking, violence, moral integrity, being true to oneself, etc. MOSTLY.... THIS IS A VERY ENJOYABLE *AUDIOBOOK*!!!!! Love, love, love the voice-over!!!!

That got so intense.

Assigned reading for MLIS 7421: Multicultural Youth Literature. “We fold our immigrant selves into this veneer of what we think is African American girlhood. The result is more jagged than smooth. This tension between our inherited identities and our newly adopted selves filters into our relationships with other girls and the boys we love, and how we interact with the broken places around us.” I had really high hopes for American Street because it’s an incredibly important topic that I would love to see explored more frequently in YA contemporary, especially from own-voices authors like Ibi Zoboi! That reason was more than enough to justify boosting this up to a 4-star rating, in my opinion, because there were just so many powerful quotes (like the one I chose for the block above). As someone who was born and raised in the US and has the privileges of being a US-born white woman, this story definitely helped me see even more ways that my little bubble of privilege has kept me from recognizing how hard and stressful immigrating to the US must be for anyone, but especially people of color.All of that aside, I didn’t enjoy the actual writing of this book very much, sadly. I didn’t love the narrative voice as a whole and I thought the plot kept losing itself. It would focus on one major plot point for a few chapters, and then another wrench would get thrown in, and it would totally pivot. I think that can work well if it’s done in moderation, but there were just so many topics covered that none of them were given the time or exploration they deserved on their own, in my opinion.

Wow. Just wow. This book should be read far more widely than it is. It should be in every classroom. AMERICAN STREET tackles so many issues in just a few hundred pages -- immigration, choices, drugs, religion, violence, police violence, toxic relationships, family drama, first love, loss . . . So, so many complex issues are touched on in such thoughtful ways. I cannot recommend this book enough.Ibi Zoboi is an incredible writer.

I picked this audiobook up on a whim. I had finished my previous one, mid-dog walk, and picked one of the first titles available to me, on my library app. I wasn't expecting anything from this and knew little of what the book contained.Initially this was an interesting listen that provided me with a perspective I knew little of; that of a Haitian immigrants in Detroit. I appreciated the diversity as well as the insight to a world I had such little knowledge of. But as the book progressed, I found I couldn't separate myself from the story or the characters. There was a subtle magical realism aspect that also had me intrigued but the majority of my interest remained in the lives of the four B's this centred around.Contemporary stories are not usually the first I gravitate towards. However, there are a rare few that completely captivate my attention and broaden my understanding of the world. This was one of them. It combined Haitian beliefs in a contemporary American setting and poignantly delivered a story of immigration, grief, loss, and coping in a world that doesn't seem to belong to you, from the ones most immediately affected by it.

Update! Full review: http://www.bookishrealmreviews.com/20...Ya'll I read this book in a day! haha I'm surprised. I literally started it yesterday morning and finished it yesterday night. It was the type of book that pulled you in and refused to let you go. I loved that! The writing was gritty meaning there was explicit language and also terms that maybe not everyone would be comfortable with, but to be honest this book was written in a way that made you understand the lifestyle of teens in Detroit. There isn't a whole bunch of love and fluffy things that happen in this book. The writer doesn't hold your hand and try to make you feel comfortable. She makes everything real and I could appreciate that. This is like no other YA novel I've ever read to be honest. I've seen a lot of these elements in urban fiction, but definitely not in YA and I like that she pushed the envelope and challenged readers with the content that makes them feel uncomfortable and content that is outside the box. The only thing that I had a problem with is the fact that this book tried to tackle too many issues at one time. If she would have focused on one central issue I think I probably would have enjoyed it more.

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 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?"

I was a bit hesitant going into this after reading reviews that this book wasn't really on immigration as I had hoped, but I had still wanted to give it a try. And I'm so glad I did. This is the story of a girl trying to find her place in Detroit after coming over from Haiti. (Fabiola was born in America & went back to Hiati; her mother & her traveled back to the U.S. to live in Detroit with Fab's aunt & cousins. Her mother is detained while Fab's is allowed to go. I was hoping to see Fabiola try to do more to get back her mother & that whole process & while I admit I do still wish that had happened, I still enjoyed how the story unfolded.)Zoboi creates a fascinating tale of Fabiola's time in Detroit. I loved how her cousins- Donna, Chantal & Pri were done. They felt real; held authentic conversations & were well-developed. Aunt Jo did get on my nerves a lot, but in the end, it makes sense for what her character did. Dray pissed me off; I loved Kasim & was heartbroken with his outcome. Papa Legba was a really interesting character & it was nice to learn about Vodou in Haitian culture, as well as Haitian dialogue. A small point to note but one worth noting all the same: I really appreciated the causal mentioning of Pri's sexuality, but not making it a big deal or focus point. These little things matter & are noticed.While this story is not about trying to find yourself in a new country (as I felt Fab's family wasn't new to her, it was just a new situation), she still finds herself at the crossroads of American & Joy Street. She quickly becomes involved in a case of drugs on the street (she is coaxed to become the snitch, as she is promised her mother can become an American citizen if she finds out who the kingpin is). While thinking it's someone whom she really doesn't care what happens to their outcome, she finds out it's someone a lot closer to home. While being tempted to reveal their identity because she wants her mom back, she is reluctant because she doesn't want to turn on who it really is. Things get messy- as things involving drugs always do- but there is substance here in Fab trying to do the right thing while holding onto her concept of the American Dream. Should she tell the truth & will she ever find herself on Joy Street? Will she ever be able to get her mother back? I know I'm all over the place here & I apologize. I sometimes write reviews several days after finishing to gather my thoughts as well as a measure to see how much I remember/the book made an impact on me. I would like to note Kasim & Fabiola's relationship. It was cute & genuine. One of my biggest complaints in YA is all the instalove romances. I also don't like a lot of the significant others because I feel like they are in the way & don't contribute anything (I know, I'm horrible!!), but Kasim did add to the story & I really enjoyed that. Overall this is a great ride if you're willing to forgive the story not being more about Fab & her mother. I look forward to Zoboi's future releases.

4-4.5/5. This story is heart wrenching and at many times hard to read because of the content. I also found most of the characters to be rather unlike able. I really only liked Fabiola and Imani. I also felt there were a few things i would’ve liked seen resolved on the page at the end that we didn’t get.I struggled with the love interest as well in this one because he is dismissive of how his best friend treats his girlfriend. He also drops everything on a regular basis for that friend to do some implicitly shady things. I felt like he had somewhat of a good head on his shoulders but i wanted to dive further into how fine a line he was walking and we never got there.I also wanted more about Matant Jo. What is going on there? I feel like i was missing something but maybe that was a me problem.I still LOVED this book. I absolutely loved seeing Vodou culture on the page - I’ve never seen it in a book before so i was excited to see some of what I’ve learned portrayed so positively in fiction. I loved the Haitian own voices rep as well. It was another context I’ve never read before. Also, everything felt very real. For as wild as everything goes in this story, nothing felt over the top or unbelievable (except the little bit of magical realism/religious etc parts). But nothing felt too bad to be real or anything like that. Trigger warnings:Abuse - emotional, physical

American Street is a YA novel focused on a girl named Fabiola Toussaint who emigrates with her mother from Haiti to live with her aunt and 3 cousins in Detroit. On the way her mother gets sent to an Immigration Detention facility in New Jersey, so Fabiola goes by herself to Detroit.The teachers know my story. They know our story—the Three Bees. No. The four bees.Chantal is brains.Donna is beauty.Pri is brawn.I am brave. No one has to tell me this. I know it for myself.“Bee” here also stands for another “b” word that the young women all own in their own ways in this book, set in Detroit’s gritty west side, at the corner of American Street and Joy Road. Not having a parent around is kind of a common condition in contemporary YA novels, allowing for the main characters to grow up fast. Fabiola’s cousins get her to dress in ways her mother would not approve of, and hang with boys at parties she would never allow. She is forced to make decisions for herself that have dangerous implications for her future.So Fabiola has some goals in the book; 1) to get her mama out of ICE detention; 2) to rescue Donna from her abusive drug dealer boyfriend Dray, and 3) to find a way to be Haitian in the process of integrating into American society. In the process she also begins to fall in love with Kasim, an “associate” of Dray. She is guided in her various goals and decisions in part by her mythological connection to Vodou through a character she thinks may be Papa Legba. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papa_LegbaWhether this guy is Papa Legba or not is not exactly clear, but I think the character is used pretty effectively as an intermediary between the spirit world and humanity to symbolize the crossroads at which Fabiola exists. I like what I thought were pretty realistic and complex relationships between the girls, with the 3 Bs protecting their new-in-town cuz. The profane language feels real to me. The threat of violence everywhere feels real. The depiction of the urban big city world of poverty, making drugs seem almost necessary for survival, could be a mere cliché, but seems well done to me. I like the magic, the loa that Fabiola calls on for strength.I guess I thought of this as about a 3.5 rating, rounded up to 4 because on first reading, I was surprised by the way the book turned from a well done but fairly predictable immigrant story to something richer and scarier. Now, how one views the (to me, surprising) events of the last pages of the book will determine whether you like this book or not. How these events played out in the story seemed to divide the YA class with which I read the book. Some felt eh, they didn’t quite believe it would all go down like it did, and some people really liked it. I guess I liked it well enough. Was Papa Legba involved? I like the implication that the protection Fabiola was praying for may have actually come true. Let’s just say that in the process, Fabiola’s various goals coincide and conflict in ways she doesn’t anticipate. Though I bought the book, on Elyse’s advice I listened to the book read by Robin Miles, which I turn recommend to you.

I only ever read a short story by the author but it was enough to make me want to read more of her work and I was not disappointed. This a very well written YA contemporary-a complete package for its genre. It's realistic despite the magical-realism element to it. It's very relatable and engaging.The plot is of great social significance. There's enough romance to make it interesting. It's a mix of funny and sad although it's mostly sad. It depicts the harsh realities of black lives whether they were born in the US or migrated from Haiti. Every day is still a struggle. Life is about fighting for breath and freedom even though US is supposed to be a free country.And the ending had poetic justice. I was really sad about the death of this one character although it did make sense. Fabiola had to make a sacrifice for her mom's freedom. I shouldn't have put this on hold for so long.

4.5*This is an incredible story. I read it in one sitting because it is so engrossing. I would easily recommend this book to most readers.

It can be difficult to play by the rules when you don’t know what those rules are. So finding herself in Detroit without her mother and with family she only knows from phone calls is a bit overwhelming for Fabiola. Readers of a certain age will remember when we first met Omar Tyree’s Flyy Girl, Tracy Ellison, over 20 years ago. Fabiola’s Detroit cousins, known as the Three Bs (brains, beauty & brawn), Chantal, Donna and Princess are Tracy meets the Gross sisters from the Proud Family, hardened in ways that Fabiola isn’t. Is it that Fabiola is rooted in Haitian tradition and culture, while her cousins have become Americanized? She’s not preoccupied with trendy clothes and weaves or getting her nails done. Her simple wish is to be reunited with her mother, whatever the cost.I love that even as Fabi begins to adjust to life in Detroit and learns about the family business, she never loses who she is. On the outside, she does dress differently, goes out with friends, and keeps a few secrets, but she still loves her natural hair, she still says her prayers at night, she’s still a bit naive and she can still differentiate between wrong and right. She’s a typical teenager, but has stronger convictions and moral codes than most. Ibi Zoboi never lets her lose that throughout the story.With a foot firmly planted in both the crossroads of Haiti and Detroit and American Street and Joy Road, she faces difficult decisions when it comes to her cousins, her aunt, her mother and her new love. Fabi sees Papa Legba in the homeless man on the corner where others see a bum. It’s her deep faith in Vodou that allows her to see him for who he is and, because of her faith, Zoboi is able to bring a bit of mystical, supernaturalness to the story. It's this faith that keeps Fabi believing that one day she'll be reunited with her mother.Now let's talk about this gorgeous book cover! It caught my eye while I was browsing the publisher catalog and I immediately knew that I wanted to read the story before I even knew what it was about. Publishers have to know that covers mean things and can make all the difference when it comes to a reader picking up a book. Also, it's important to note that though the main character is in high school, this is a great read for all ages. Ibi Zoboi has such a way with words and characters that I’m looking forward to whatever she puts out next.

An Electronic Advance Reader Copy was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss for review. Quotes have been pulled from an e-ARC and may be subject to change.Fabiola moves to the USA from Haiti, but her mother is stuck in New Jersey because her Visa expired. She ends up staying with her Aunt Jo and three cousins. Will she have the courage to take down the drug lords who rule the streets of Detroit so she can get her mother back?I loved reading through Fabiola's viewpoint. She sees the American way through new eyes and I can understand how she was treated differently just because she was foreign. Even to her own family, they wanted her to assimilate so quickly, like it's easy for a person to disrupt their entire livelihood and adjust to American culture. I loved that she stayed true to her faith and used it to help guide her in everything she did, which is what faith does. I loved her boyfriend, he was just the sweetest, honest and hard working guys in the book. Even though the relationship escalated quickly, it was still so nice to read them interacting with each other because they're just too cute.The writing is excellent and even though things start to heat up by the end, I knew what was coming and promptly hated it at the same time. I liked how they are mere passages from the other characters so we can also see how they think and feel. The characters really make the book special and I'm glad I requested this one to read.RATING 4/5QUOTESMy two paths meet at this corner, and it seems like I have to choose one. One street represents a future, the other leads to a different kind of life.My curses are all wrong. My swag, as they call it, is off. But in my head, I sound just like them. I sound American. I am not tired of fighting. I am just starting.How is this the good life when even the air in this place threatens to wrap its fingers around my throat?