American Street

American Street
Ibi Zoboi
Balzer + Bray, 2017 336 pages
Grades 9-Up
Realistic Fiction

Fabiola arrives with her mother from Haiti to America, only Mom is not allowed in the country. She continues alone to the home of her aunt and three cousins in a sketchy neighborhood in Detroit on the corner of Joy and American Streets. Fabiola is beside herself between missing her mother, the distant behavior of her aunt, and adjusting to life in America. High School is much rougher and confusing than she thought it would be. Luckily, she has her three street-smart cousins Chantal, Donna, and Princess, known collectively as the "Three B's", to protect her from the realities of inner-city Detroit. Fabiola is convinced that a homeless man who hangs out on the corner is really a Haitian deity and listens to his songs to find direction. Direction is needed as she is helpless to free her mother from the detention center where she is being kept, witnesses the constant abuse of Donna by her drug-dealing boyfriend, and falls in love for the first time. When approached by a police office to get information about Donna's bad boyfriend in exchange for the release of her mother, Fabiola is tempted. Is this the answer sent from the Gods? Life in America is far from the idolized dream that Fabiola visioned for herself and her mother. Can she make sense of this new land and find peace and happiness for her family?

First time author, Zoboi, offers a timely novel inspired by her own Haitian immigration experience. Beautifully written and character driven, Zoboi tells Fabiola's story lyrically and richly, allowing the reader to experience firsthand what life must be like for her and seeing the immigration experience through her eyes. Filled with confusion and uncertainty about this new land and her place within it, Fabioloa eventually finds the courage and confidence to do what she feels that she has to in order to free her mother and protect those she loves. Some themes in the book are similar to The Hate U Give, specifically the Black Lives Matter movement and the harsh reality of urban life, yet American Street is a bit grittier and is told through the point of view of an immigrant, giving the book an extra layer. A well-deserving National Book Award finalist, this story has a lot to say, while still retaining its readability and appeal to young people. The plot is great and will keep readers turning pages. By the conclusion of the story, things really heat up. The ending was surprising and satisfying, offering a bit of a twist. Not everything ends happily and there are deaths of key players, but the book does end hopefully with all of the remaining characters embarking on a fresh beginning. Adding a touch of magical realism, Haitian style, American Street is a rich and meaty novel and one of the best I have read this year.