{"product_id":"when-we-make-it-9780593324509","title":"When We Make It","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe energy. The clarity. The beauty. Elisabet Velasquez brings it all. . . . Her voice is FIRE!—\u003ci\u003eNYT\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling and award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eAn 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.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSarai 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eWhen We Make It\u003c\/i\u003e is a love letter to anyone who was taught to believe that they would not make it. To those who \u003ci\u003efeel \u003c\/i\u003etheir 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eYALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eIndies Introduce and Next List selection\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Kirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e Best Books\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e Best Books\u003cbr\u003e Chicago Public Library Best Teen Fiction\u003cbr\u003eAméricas Award Commended Title\u003cbr\u003eALA Rise: A Feminist Book Project selection\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eIn the Margins Book Award Top Ten selection\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eNCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe News \u0026amp; Observer\u003c\/i\u003e Best Books for Kids\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eGotham Book Prize finalist\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e *“A gem for pleasure reading as well as classroom use. . . . Raw, breathtaking, and brilliant.”—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003cb\u003estarred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e *“Exquisite poetry portrays not only anger and fear, but also hope . . . Gripping and soulful, this dynamic debut novel-in-verse is a must for every collection.”—\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal,\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cb\u003estarred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e *“The candid, clear-eyed poetry contains powerful inquiries about [Sarai’s] diasporic Nuyorican identity and canny observations about the endemic social and racial inequities that surround her. . . . Together, these vignettes capture Sarai’s multilayered, heartbreaking, and hopeful coming of age.”—\u003ci\u003eHorn Book,\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cb\u003estarred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “A beautiful story whose deep messages will have lasting effects.”—\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"With verses that are unapologetically fierce and honest, Elisabet Velasquez captures the Brooklyn city streets with a Nuyorican vibe that can’t be duplicated. \u003ci\u003eWhen We Make it\u003c\/i\u003e is the perfect coming-of-age tale with rhythmic poetry that is certain to cement Velazquez as an exciting new young adult voice to celebrate.\"—\u003cb\u003eLilliam Rivera\u003c\/b\u003e, Pura Belpré Honor-Winning Author of \u003ci\u003eNever Look Back\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"The energy. The clarity. The beauty. Elisabet Velasquez brings it all. And takes me home — to Bushwick in the most resonate and evocative of ways. The writing is clear-eyed, moving and funny. Her voice is FIRE!\"—\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling and award-winning author \u003cb\u003eJacqueline Woodson\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “This is the kind of book that makes you feel seen, the kind you read around the kitchen table to your sisters and friends. It will make you laugh and cry and remind you that you aren’t alone. Elisabet’s book will touch so many people’s lives. It has already touched mine.”—\u003cb\u003eAngie Cruz\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eDominicana\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “Velasquez renders the heart in conflict with itself, the swag and bilingual sonic charge of Bushwick, an uncompromising love, and the reality of being a young Puerto Rican woman, using poetry to make sense of conflict and chaos in her relentless search for truth. \u003ci\u003eWhen We Make It\u003c\/i\u003e is an unforgettable debut.”—\u003cb\u003eWillie Perdomo\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Crazy Bunch\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"Penguin Putnam Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49525785919831,"sku":"9780593324509","price":12.01,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780593324509.jpg?v=1731861779","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/when-we-make-it-9780593324509","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}