I am not typically a fan of novels in verse, but I loved the way Aniana fought for what she wanted and worked hard to make her dreams come true.

This delightful novel in verse tackles disabilities not seen with the eye but felt but the soul. Aniana wants nothing more to swim, but her mother has a deep fear of water and won't hear of it. After a victorious swim meet, Ani wakes with swollen joints and a fever. As her family searches for a diagnosis, Ani just wants to be back in her beloved water. Highly recommend.

Ani is a seventh grader who loves to swim and is quite good at it. While her father supports her passion for the sport, her mother does not. Ani swims in secret since her mother has a fear of water, stemming from a traumatic event in her past. When Ani becomes ill with a mystery illness and her mother discovers she has been hiding her participation on the swim team, her mother makes her feel that her illness is punishment for her deceit about swimming. Ani must struggle with not only learning to manage a debilitating condition with reconciling her desire to swim with her mother’s fear of losing her to the water. This novel in verse beautifully expresses how Ani comes to terms with her diagnosis and learns to advocate for herself in the face of her challenges.

I almost gave up on this because I thought it would be like so many books I've read lately that seem actively anti-Christian. I'm not looking for "Christian books"; I admit that the Christian church has been guilty of many actions that don't fit with Jesus and the good news of God's kingdom. But I do want to find books where all faiths are treated with respect. Because her mom's beliefs and her involvement in a very conservative church lead her to not always understand Ariana, I wasn't sure this book would be one I'd recommend, but by the end, I felt like the presentation of Christianity was more nuanced. I may not agree with all of the theology presented, but I like that belief in God and attending church as a family was part of Aniana's growth in dealing with her arthritis. Mendez is a good writer; I did enjoy reading her. Not a book for every library but one that will be good for certain readers.

Though this story will likely do a lot for children looking for the multiple levels of representation provided in the main character's journey, I was unprepared for the writing to be for a younger than middle grade audience and am not currently interested in finishing this title due to the writing style being geared towards an age group who needs short to the point sentences.

Aniana Del Mar Jumps In is a tender, moving middle grade verse novel about disability, sports, family trauma, and standing up for your dreams. This verse novel is excellently written and painfully honest about the challenges of bridging the culture and communication gap when a parent has unresolved emotional trauma. Ani does a fantastic job of standing up for her goals, and the ending is very satisfying.

Heartfelt novel in verse- mom's traumatic history with water causes her to prevent Aniana from her love of swimming. Aniana is a spirited Dominican American girl who fights against juvenile arthritis and for her right to swim. Verse is a fabulous choice that captures the characters' emotions well.

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)

This novel-in-verse tackles the intricacies of family conflict and the challenges that past traumas can bring into the future. It also delicately expresses the challenges that come when a child’s desires conflict with their parent(s) wishes. The power of swimming and the ocean are addressed beautifully. Likewise, the discovery of the juvenile arthritis condition and what it means to Aniana and her family is written in a very special way. All around interesting and meaningful book with lots to ponder.

Aniana de Mar Jumps In is a beautifully written novel in verse about a girl finding her voice. Ani loves to swim. In the ocean, in the pool, wherever she can be in the water. There's just one problem: her mom can't know about her swimming. Ani's dad takes her to swim team practice and meets, and to the ocean, but they can't tell her mom. Ani's mom lost her brother in a flood long ago and is terrified of something happening to the people she loves. When Ani is diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, her world is turned upside down. Her Mami becomes even more overprotective and her dad has to leave for a month with the Coast Guard. This book gives a great picture of what it is like for a young girl to be diagnosed with a disease that changes her life. She has good days and bad days, but Ani finds her voice and learns to stand up for herself and what she wants.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.