Name: Dear Haiti, Love Alaine
ISBN: 9781335777096

Maritza Moulite

This exceptional debut novel captures a sparkling new voice and irrepressible heroine in a celebration of storytelling sure to thrill fans of Nicola Yoon, Ibi Zoboi and Jenna Evans Welch! When a school presentation goes very wrong, Alaine Beauparlant finds herself suspended, shipped off to Haiti and writing the report of a lifetime... You might ask the obvious question: What do I, a seventeen-year-old Haitian American from Miami with way too little life experience, have to say about anything? Actually, a lot. Thanks to "the incident" (don't ask), I'm spending the next two months doing what my school is calling a "spring volunteer immersion project." It's definitely no vacation. I'm toiling away under the ever-watchful eyes of Tati Estelle at her new nonprofit. And my lean-in queen of a mother is even here to make sure I do things right. Or she might just be lying low to dodge the media sharks after a much more public incident of her own...and to hide a rather devastating secret. All things considered, there are some pretty nice perks...like flirting with Tati's distractingly cute intern, getting actual face time with my mom and experiencing Haiti for the first time. I'm even exploring my family's history--which happens to be loaded with betrayals, superstitions and possibly even a family curse. You know, typical drama. But it's nothing I can't handle.

Dear Haiti, Love Alaine

Amelia C 

Lovely YA novel that packed in a lot of information about Ayiti (Haiti) and her vibrant culture. It tackled pretty serious topics like (early onset) Alzheimer’s, abuse voodoo but did it with humor and reverence! I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it!

Briar's Reviews

I love exploring new cultures, so having the opportunity to pick up Dear Haiti, Love Alaine was absolutely thrilling for me!

This novel follows the lovely Alaine as she gets sent to Haiti to fulfill a school project. Along the way she helps out her Tati's PATRON PAL app/company, meets a cute guy, learns who her real friends are, and deals with some large, life altering issues. Oh, and did I mention this book felt so darn real?!

It was a true gift to receive the opportunity to read this book. The authors make Alaine feel like a real person and present this book in a really unique matter. Emails, letters, postcards, diaries, text messages and so many different mediums of communication are present in this novel! All of these mediums make it so easy to jump in and out of the book and I felt like I lost nothing! It truly was a marvelous feat and it makes me want more from these lovely sisters and their writing abilities.

The big standout for this novel is Haiti. Obviously, it's in the title, but Maika and Maritza make it feel like you're there. The cultures and traditions are presented so beautifully and naturally. I didn't feel like anything was forced, it felt so REAL. It's hard sometimes - being a Canadian who has only visited the U.S.A and Canada because I don't know what other places are like. Sometimes reading a book like this, you get caught up and wonder if the authors actually knew what they were talking about. But this book? It read so wonderfully and you could tell the authors weren't just making up what they thought Haiti was like. I LOVE it when that happens.

The other lovely standouts of this book are:
1. Alaine's sassiness is legit how I felt as a teenager. She did have some worrisome moments (like the reason she was sent to Haiti to begin with), but she had the teenage angst we all had back in the day. Other words you might use to describe her are: feisty, fierce, and fabulous! She's such a strong lead and she has flaws which makes her more lovable. She's no Mary Jane/Mary Sue! 
2. Jason, Estelle, Roseline and our large assortment of characters didn't feel like background characters. They were used effectively and written in a way that made them have a point to being there.
3. Alzheimer's. Medical issues SUCK, but having a book that shows the good and the bad sides of these diseases is PERFECTION. This book wasn't just 'boo hoo Alzheimer's', it also showed the hope people can have.
4. The relationship between Alaine and her parents made me feel really connected to her. I had a parent that worked more than I wanted too and I am sad to say I lost a lot of time with them. Seeing that exact feeling put into a book (but have a more happy ending) made me have butterflies and feel really affectionate towards this novel. Maika and Martiza connected with teenage me SO HARD with this plot thread.
5. PATRON PAL. I'm always down for a plot line that brings up actual, real-life issues and presents them in a manner that makes sense. How can we help people? Make an app! Donate! Help people who need help! This book also presents helping poorer countries/nations in a really smart way - we want to provide them a sustainable way to pull themselves back up and take care of themselves, not just give them money forever and wish them luck. I'm glad they pointed that out in this book because it's a REALLY important lesson for people to learn. 

I would love to hear the thoughts of reviewers who are Haitian, Haitian-American or have lived in Haiti. I think this book is pretty darn swell, but my background isn't of this culture. One thing that I hope comes out with this book is more people want to read about other cultures. Books like these make me want to know and learn more!

Do I have any negatives? Yes. I would have liked a couple of more chapters to see what happened after the project, but the book wasn't set up that way. I really grew to love these characters and I wanted a little more time with them. Other than that, my negatives are non-existent. I think this book is unique, beautiful, and full of stories that need to be heard. I truly respect these authors and love that there are books like this out there. We need more authors and books like this.

Also, the cover? Oh-my-gosh it is stunning! Having a physical copy of this book in my house is a real gem for me! It's eye popping and gets your attention but at the same time it's really fabulous and subtle. I LOVE IT!

Five out of five stars.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

Shona Tiger

Maika Moulite

“I couldn’t put Dear Haiti, Love Alaine down!” —New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory “An enchanting and engrossing novel full of wit and laughter.” —Edwidge Danticat, author of Breath, Eyes, Memory “Remarkable, funny, and whip-smart.” —Ibi Zoboi, author of American Street, National Book Award finalist “Maika and Maritza Moulite have created quite the masterpiece.” —NPR.org “Alaine’s sarcastic quips...are worth the price of admission alone.” —HYPEBAE “A beautiful story from start to finish.” —Buzzfeed Alaine Beauparlant has heard about Haiti all her life... But the stories were always passed down from her dad—and her mom, when she wasn’t too busy with her high-profile newscaster gig. But when Alaine’s life goes a bit sideways, it’s time to finally visit Haiti herself. What she learns about Haiti’s proud history as the world’s first black republic (with its even prouder people) is one thing, but what she learns about her own family is another. Suddenly, the secrets Alaine’s mom has been keeping, including a family curse that has spanned generations, can no longer be avoided. It’s a lot to handle, without even mentioning that Alaine is also working for her aunt’s nonprofit, which sends underprivileged kids to school and boasts one annoyingly charming intern. But if anyone can do it all...it’s Alaine. “Delightful.” —Essence magazine “Alaine Beauparlant is YA’s new favorite heroine.” —Author Nina Moreno for Bustle “Seamlessly blending story lines and allusions to Haiti’s history and culture, the authors create an indelible, believable character in Alaine—naive, dynamic, and brutally honest—who stretches and grows as her remarkable, affectingly rendered family relationships do.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Sisters Maika and Maritza Moulite deliver a phenomenal coming-of-age story with this stunning novel.” —Booklist (starred review) “Enchanting.” —Kirkus Reviews Winner of a Parent’s Choice Award!

Shareca

Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika and Maritza Moulite is a fantastic book overall, the main character, Alaine, is strong-willed and courageous. The supporting characters have enough book time to get emotional results, minus one, what more could you want? Overall, on paper, the book has IT. The black main character of the story, like myself, is going to the motherland of Haiti and she's sassy? Count me in. The fact that this was written by two authors shocked me, I didn't realize it whatsoever. It was seamless in the way that it was written. The style was unique to the book itself, but I didn't particularly enjoy it. It caused me to become distracted or become uninterested. I get the concept of the style, but it didn't work for me as having both the current style and prose included. The voice was marvelous, especially for the main character and her father. 

I loved the voice so much. One character that I didn't think got enough screen time was the mother. From the start, I didn’t care much about her. Within the span of 100 pages, we get every plot point that the book should have spread out. Nonetheless, that didn’t stop me from loving the book and the story taking place. However, I got burnt out after the first 150 pages. Setting up the scene throughout might have been better in a 400-page book. It then results in asking yourself, “well what can happen in the next 300 pages?” Like I stated before, the voice, the narrative, the characters are all fantastically written. If I had a dollar for every time I said “Yas!” when Alaine said something, I would be rich. I had so much fun reading her voice. It was so me. I would say this book did what it intended. It not only gave a black character a voice but a black family. Haiti. Black supporting characters. It set the scene well from the start. 

While not every aspect is perfect, it did what it intended and excelled at it. I purposely did not talk about any plot points that I enjoyed leaving this as a non-spoiler review. If you want to know what happens, read this book. It's one to pick up, and while the unique letters, emails, and diary narrative don't always work for me, it could work very well for you! :)

Clara Moore

I really loved Alaine as a character. She is sassy and strong and fiercely loyal. She'd do anything for the ones she loves and it forces her to learn some difficult lessons along the way. I also loved hearing the descriptions of Haiti and learning a little more about the class discrepancies within the country.

Nicki

There’s something about books about the Caribbean that really just stick with me. I really enjoyed this one because it was so close to home. I was able to see the similarities between our cultures and the differences. Haiti is a beautiful country and I wish it prosperity. 

PS- Let’s talk about how STUNNING the cover is.

Lulu Bonning

Loved some aspects, but others needed work. Haiti was thriving and definitely stole the stage and I loved it. Lots of culture and nuanced throughout! However, there wasn’t much plot - and not a whole lot happens. Which is fine, but I would have liked more of a character arc from Alaine in that case. She’s feisty and fun but I’m not sure how much she learns , about herself, her mother’s deteriorating health, or Haiti. Fun reading experience though, and I enjoyed the multimedia !

Teresa Schultz

3.5 stars (rounded down because it really wasn't as good as my other 4 stars books.) Overall I liked this book, especially the main character, her relationship with her mom, and learning about the beautiful and complicated past of Haiti. The epistolary style did not always work, but when it did, it worked really well. Had mixed feelings in the Patron Pal/aunt storyline, and the romance took such a back seat that I wish they had left it out all together, but otherwise it was a good read.

Jessica 

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Review can be found here at Booked J. 


  As always, a copy of this book was provided by the publisher or author in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way. 




Dear Haiti, Love Alaine is truly one of the best YA releases of 2019. It's no secret that I love a good novel told in epistolary style and this is definitely the best in recent memory. It is as entertaining and humorous as it is honest, emotional and full of Haitian culture; soaring in its entirety and attaching itself to my heart. If you're looking for an unforgettable OWN VOICES book, make Dear Haiti, Love Alaine next in line on your TBR. 

Reading Dear Haiti, Love Alaine was a fast experience partly due to its format. Everything flows in a way that is intimate, to the point and quick. Readers will notice this feeling, right away, that they want to read it slowly and quickly all at once. But, it's also a quick read because it's just so dang good. You learn so much in such a small frame of time. You long to breeze through it, but also want to make it last. 

We all know that a good book lets you into the mind of its main character and their world. What the Moulite sisters accomplish with Dear Haiti, Love Alaine is so very rare and beautiful and I cannot sing their praises enough. Never once did I feel out of place with the format, never once did I feel as though I'd been reading something fictional and these characters came to life before our eyes. 

Filled with reality, angst, humor and a whole lot of determination, Dear Haiti, Love Alaine has the promise of being a longtime favourite. I feel incredibly fortunate to have read this novel and look forward to everything else that the Moulite sisters will offer us in the future. I have a feeling we will be hearing a lot more from Maika and Maritza Moulite in the future--and I can't wait. 

Ultimately, there are many lessons to be taught within Dear Haiti, Love Alaine and walking away from this book felt like many things. There's this moment, after closing the novel, I felt like I'd said goodbye to a friend. What was gained from Dear Haiti, Love Alaine reminded me that there's so much more to life. This was a very important read that tackled so many real issues and portrayed life in all its complexities beautifully--it is one of this years essentials.