I feel like I've gained so much from Dear Haiti, Love Alaine. I absolutely adored this one! Definitely a favourite of 2019.




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. 



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.