American Street

A National Book Award Finalist with five starred reviews and multiple awards!

A New York Times Notable Book * A Time Magazine Best YA Book of All Time * A Parade Best Young Adult Book of All Time * A Kirkus Best Book of the Century * Publishers Weekly Flying Start * Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year * ALA Booklist Editors' Choice of 2017 (Top of the List Winner) * School Library Journal Best Book of the Year * Kirkus Best Book of the Year * BookPage Best YA Book of the Year

An evocative and powerful coming-of-age story perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and Jason Reynolds

In this stunning debut novel, Pushcart-nominated author Ibi Zoboi draws on her own experience as a young Haitian immigrant, infusing this lyrical exploration of America with magical realism and vodou culture.

On the corner of American Street and Joy Road, Fabiola Toussaint thought she would finally find une belle vie—a good life.

But after they leave Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Fabiola’s mother is detained by U.S. immigration, leaving Fabiola to navigate her loud American cousins, Chantal, Donna, and Princess; the grittiness of Detroit’s west side; a new school; and a surprising romance, all on her own.

Just as she finds her footing in this strange new world, a dangerous proposition presents itself, and Fabiola soon realizes that freedom comes at a cost. Trapped at the crossroads of an impossible choice, will she pay the price for the American dream?

• A Gritty Detroit Setting: Fabiola navigates the tough streets of the city's west side, a world away from Port-au-Prince, where loyalty and danger collide on the corner of American Street and Joy Road.
• Haitian Vodou Culture: As Fabiola seeks help from the lwas—the spirits of Haitian Vodou—she discovers that magic operates differently in America, and that the man on the corner might be more than he seems.
• Complex Family Dynamics: Living with her cousins Chantal, Donna, and Princess, Fabiola uncovers the dangerous business that keeps her family afloat and threatens to pull her under.
• High-Stakes Moral Choices: When an offer is made that could free her mother but betray her family, Fabiola must decide what the American dream is truly worth.