Book Review of American Street by Ibi Zoboi

I knew I had to read American Street by Ibi Zoboi the moment I heard its premise. A teenage girl emigrates from Haiti with her mother, who is detained by immigration officials upon their arrival in America? "Um, yes please," I thought. "I need to know more about that story!" And then, I saw the gorgeous cover. Even if I'd had no idea what the book was about before laying eyes on that wonderful piece of artwork, I would've looked inside to find out more. But, knowing that Fabiola's story was a blend of her experiences in Haiti and America, I could see both cultural elements at play in this modern take on a cameo silhouette, which is a powerful statement about the story, and about the character herself.

One of the most beautiful elements of American Street (and, there are many) is that it blends the things that are wonderful about Haitian culture with those that are good about American culture, and sheds light on the dark sides of life, especially among the marginalized people, in both countries. Many stories of immigrants coming to the U.S. either glorify America and vilify their country of origin, or vice-versa. American Street does an amazing job of showing that, just like the aspects of Fabiola's personality, the more unique influences someone has from a variety of sources, the more well-equipped a person may be to deal with the challenges she faces. American Street is also very honest about the challenges immigrants who come to this country may face.

Another wonderful aspect of American Street is that it provides us with cameos of three distinct types of young women. It is almost as if Zoboi herself wanted to ensure that any girl reading the book would be able to see herself within its pages. And, for those who do not feel a kinship with description of "beauty," "brains," OR "brawn," Fabiola's story becomes all the more urgent, because they read on, hoping to answer the question, "Can a girl who doesn't fit in find a place for herself? What strength could she have to offer?" The answer couldn't be more satisfying.

American Street also does the reverse of something I look for in books, and it does it better than I thought possible. Usually, in my reading experience, I'm hankering for a book to take me somewhere I've never been. I want it to transport me to a time or a place where I could never otherwise go. But Zoboi did something equally artful--she plunked me down in a setting where I've been a hundred times and forced me to view it through an entirely new perspective. She did it with prose that sounds as if it was written by a poet. She infused a very gritty and realistic story with refreshing sips of magical realism, the two balancing each other out like opposite sides of the same coin. As a child growing up in the ghetto, it was always a huge treat for me when my Mom would take me to the drive-thru and we'd come away with a burger. (Usually, we brought our own chips in lieu of more expensive fries, and we came with our own canned drinks from the discount grocery store.) I still recall how she would ask me if I really needed cheese on my burger, citing the upcharge for its addition. So, hearing Fabiola's take on American fast food, which was basically disappointment and surprise, and viewing it as second-rate to a home cooked meal, was a shock for me. I enjoyed the new perspective.

American Street is a gorgeous book that more than reaches everything it tries to do. It makes no promises to the reader that Zoboi does not fulfill. It is, in part, a timely and heartbreaking tale of how not all people are equal in the eyes of the law, a love letter to Haitian culture, mythology, and spiritualism, a cold look at the reality of what things are like for teenage girls of many different personalities in hoods all across America, a profound portrait of the immigrant experience, and the sad reality of how immigration laws can divide families (just as they are doing so right now, with many families today). When I hold American Street in my hands, I am holding an entire, beautiful world. And, if you haven't yet had this experience, I highly recommend it.