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? YA Coming-of-Age: Alone in a new country, Fabiola must find her footing between her Haitian roots and the grittiness of Detroit’s west side, where one impossible choice could cost her everything. - Magical Realism for Teens: Where the streets of Detroit meet the spiritual world, Fabiola’s story is infused with the magic of Haitian Vodou, where lwas guide her and every corner is a crossroad. - Complex Family Drama: Fabiola navigates a new life with her three Americanized cousins—the Brains, the Beauty, and the Brawn—whose bold personalities and dangerous secrets pull her deeper into their world. - A Mother-Daughter Story: With her mother detained by U.S. immigration, Fabiola is driven by one mission: to bring her family back together, no matter the price she has to pay for the American dream. Gr 9 Up—After her mother is detained by immigration officials, Fabiola Toussaint has to finish her move from Port-au-Prince to Detroit alone. The tough-as-nails cousins and exhausted aunt who greet her in Michigan bear little resemblance to the warm family she had dreamed of when she was in Haiti. Left with a mother-size hole in her life, Fabiola begins the unsteady process of assimilation, holding on to her family's spiritual traditions while navigating the disconnectedness and violence of her new home. A sweet romance and her cousins' fierce and complex support ease the teen into a halfway space between worlds, but her eyes remain on the prize of reuniting with her mother. When Fabiola is approached by the police to inform on her cousin's volatile boyfriend in exchange for information about her mother, she must work around the gaps in her understanding to make some explosive decisions. In this bright, sharp debut, Zoboi weaves grittiness, sensitivity, and complexity into every character, but Fabiola's longing, determination, and strength shine especially brightly. VERDICT A breathtaking story about contemporary America that will serve as a mirror to some and a window for others, and it will stay with anyone who reads it. A must-purchase for YA collections.—Beth McIntyre, Madison Public Library, WI “A poignant meditation on one girl’s struggle to find her way in a new world.” - Nicola Yoon, bestselling author of EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING. “Brimming with culture, magic, warmth, and unabashed rawness, “American Street” is ultimately a blistering tale of humanity. This is “Manchild in the Promised Land,” for a new generation, and a remarkable debut from Zoboi, who without question is an inevitable force in storytelling.” - Jason Reynolds, award-winning co-author of ALL AMERICAN BOYS “Ibi Zoboi brings us a Detroit rarely seen: full of wandering spirits, suffused with magic and mystery. At once the story of one determined girl and a family at the crossroads as well as a powerful page-turner, American Street will leave the scent of Papa Legba’s cigar in the air and its mark on your heart.” - Laura Ruby, author of Bone Gap, National Book Award Finalist and Michael L. Printz Award Winner “Zoboi’s nascent storytelling gifts ensnare from page one. To this spellbinding voice of the next generation, I bow.” - Rita Williams-Garcia, New York Times bestselling author and three-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Award “Zoboi urges us to examine the American dream to see if there is room within it to hold the ones we love - Ebony Magazine ★ “A breathtaking story about contemporary America that will serve as a mirror to some and a window for others, and it will stay with anyone who reads it.” - School Library Jou