Aniana Del Mar Jumps In

 

My Thoughts:

Ani is a 7th grade swimming prodigy, but Papi is the only one who comes to watch her. Ani would love to see her family in the stands, including Mami and her baby brother, but Mami is haunted by the ocean, so even if Ami is only in the pool, the two of them are keeping a secret from Mami. This secret, though, is literally destroying Ani's life. 

When Ani is debilitated with a mystery illness over the summer, not only is she not allowed to swim, but Mami makes her feel like the lying is her punishment for her illness. Ani wishes that she could speak up for herself and explain how swimming saves her and makes her feel free, but she does not want to hurt her mother, even if it hurting her instead. 

This novel in verse captures the physical and emotional pain Ani is going thorough by playing with poetry forms and concrete imagery. This was a powerful read full of waves of panic and pain, and hope. 

From the Publisher:

Aniana del Mar belongs in the water like a dolphin belongs to the sea. But she and Papi keep her swim practices and meets hidden from Mami, who has never recovered from losing someone she loves to the water years ago. That is, until the day Ani’s stiffness and swollen joints mean she can no longer get out of bed, and Ani is forced to reveal just how important swimming is to her. Mami forbids her from returning to the water but Ani and her doctor believe that swimming along with medication will help Ani manage her disease. What follows is the journey of a girl who must grieve who she once was in order to rise like the tide and become the young woman she is meant to be. Aniana Del Mar Jumps In is a poignant story about chronic illness and disability, the secrets between mothers and daughters, the harm we do to the ones we love the most—and all the triumphs, big and small, that keep us afloat.

Publication Information:

Author: Jasmine Mendez

Publisher: Dial Books (Mar 14, 2023)