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An unforgettable, torrential, and hopeful debut young adult novel-in-verse that redefines what it means to "make it,” for readers of Nicholasa Mohr and Elizabeth Acevedo.
Sarai is a first-generation Puerto Rican question asker who can see with clarity the truth, pain, and beauty of the world both inside and outside her Bushwick apartment. Together with her older sister, Estrella, she navigates the strain of family traumas and the systemic pressures of toxic masculinity and housing insecurity in a rapidly gentrifying Brooklyn. Sarai questions the society around her, her Boricua identity, and the life she lives with determination and an open heart, learning to celebrate herself in a way that she has long been denied.
When We Make It is a love letter to anyone who was taught to believe that they would not make it. To those who feel their emotions before they can name them. To those who still may not have all the language but they have their story. Velasquez’ debut novel is sure to leave an indelible mark on all who read it.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
September 21, 2021 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780593455937
- File size: 119584 KB
- Duration: 04:09:07
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- Lexile® Measure: 830
- Text Difficulty: 4-5
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Reviews
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Elisabet Velasquez narrates her debut novel-in-verse with vividness, honesty, and poignancy born of her life experience and performance expertise. Like her heroine, Sarai, Puerto Rican-American Velasquez grew up in Bushwick and knows what it's like to be poor in the midst of increasing gentrification. Sensitive 14-year-old Sarai is working hard to discover her identity despite the mental illness of her single mother, an educational misunderstanding, the male toxicity of her neighborhood, housing and food insecurities, and a sexual assault. Repeated titles and lines of this story serve as haunting refrains. Spanish weaves lyrically in and out of the verses to balance the heartrending realities and show Sarai's resilience. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
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