Sadly, I went on too many requesting sprees when first starting out on NetGalley and it has tanked my ratio. Now that I’m taking my role as a reviewer more seriously, I’m being more intentional with the books I request and clearing out my shelves of books that I’m no longer interested in.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book. When I finally read it, I will come back and write a review.

Such 👏a👏beautiful 👏book!👏 Honestly, this is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. Raising questions of what it means to be Hawaiian, what it means to fight, what it means to be family, what it means to just be. Such a phenomenal story! And while I respect and appreciate the author’s style choice, I *do* wish there had been a dictionary in the back or footnotes or something to give us haoles more context into some of the Hawaiian terms and words. Sometimes there just wasn’t sufficient context to deduce their meaning. But, that’s what Google’s for, right. Also, slowest book I think I’ve ever read. But, the payoff was well worth the time. I will think about this book for a long, long time.

Hula has not received nearly the hype it deserves. This was a five star read for me that I was able to tandem read, both as an e-book and as an audio book. This is a novel told through two women, Laka and Hi'i, as well as from the collective "we" of Hawaiian voices. It interweaves the stories of Laka and Hi'i, Hawaiian history, and the story of Hula. It felt epic and sweeping in nature, and should be required reading for any American who wants to visit Hawaii.

As someone who has been to Hilo and the Island of Hawai'i, I wish I had read this in advance. The United States has colonized the island and has wreaked havoc on the native people's lands, forcing them into poverty and erasing their history. This novel is so beautifully crafted that it humanizes this tragic past while educating.

I will be thinking of this novel for a long while and have already pressed it in the hands of others!

Beautiful story that ties into Hawaiian culture and family dynamics. Generational issues and how to find yourself in all of that! Beautiful cover too!

Take this review with a grain of salt because I did not read the blurb before reading the book. I was really expecting a light summery read for this one and it ended up being much heavier than I anticipated, and I also felt like the plot was awfully slow and anti-climactic.

I will say that I enjoyed reading and learning about the Hawaiian culture and the emotions that went along with an entire culture faced with losing their land and their identity. This is not something I knew much about before reading (and honestly still don't), and it was interesting while also very upsetting to learn about.

I think if I would have know what the book was about before reading it (totally on me, not the author!) I would have enjoyed it more and/or would have decided it wasn't really the type of book I was looking for at that point in time.

I do like that there were Hawaiian words woven throughout the story, which serves as a baby step to help preserve some of the language and culture. The descriptions of the island was also phenomenal, and should absolutely be given credit for such vivid and beautiful imagery.

3 stars for now, this may be a book I come back to later and re-read to see if my opinion changes.

I really wanted to love this book because my family is from Hawaii. However, I had a hard time connecting with the characters. The story also moved at a very slow pace. Thus, I struggled with this novel. Hula had potential, but it just fell flat for me. Nevertheless, I recommend this for fans of multi-generational sagas and those who are interested in Hawaiian culture!

I feel like it's really important this book exists, and it's even a good book, but I didn't find it all that easy to connect to. I'm so glad it got published, and I'd recommend it.

Sweeping multi-generational tale of family, history of Hawai'i and Hawaiian culture. Cultural identity and belonging are major themes.

Set in Hilo, Hawai'i, I loved the descriptions of places! Very informative about the history of Hawai'i and it's people.
I recommend listening on audio as some Hawaiian words are hard to pronounce and would benefit from hearing a native speaker.

Highly recommend if you love Hawai'i and would be a perfect vacation book!

Hula by Jasmin Iolani Hakes was a sprawling multi-generational family story that intertwined elements of Hawaiian history and the struggles that Native Hawaiians have faced throughout the years as well as elements of Native Hawaiian culture, particularly the importance of hula.

This book is at times difficult to read as each member of the Naupaka family deals with different traumas. Hi'i also deals with trying to fit into a community that she doesn't feel like she fully belongs to, and I appreciated her struggle.

While I was drawn in by the story of Hi'i and the Naupaka family at first, I found some portions of the story to read like a history book. Though I very much appreciate that the author clearly researched the history of Hawaii extensively, I wish some of the historical facts were integrated more fluidly into the story and its characters.

For the most part, I loved this multi-generational story of Hawaiian women and the history and culture that was incorporated into it. Some of it, though, was a bit heavy-handed and preachy and I thought it was a little too long. The parts that took place on Maui were confused, geographically, but for the most part, a nice debut. I’d pick up her next book.

I wanted to like this book so much, but alas, I could not finish it. Between having to go between my Kindle and a library version to understand a lot of the Hawaiian words, to just getting through 150 pages and not really caring about any of the characters, I had to walk away. I did appreciate learning more about the history of Hawai'i and deep diving into the culture, I just couldn't get into the storylines. Just not the book for me at the moment, although I could see a history buff really enjoying this.

Much thanks to Netgalley for expanding my library with this ARC.

Jasmin Iolani Hakes' Hula is an eye-opening look at Hawaiian history, tradition, myth, folklore, and family. Through the eyes of three generations of women, readers learn about the devastating effects of American colonialism on the Big Island, about the cultural significance of the hula and its commercialization, and even about the struggle faced by some modern-day Hawaiians fighting to find their place in traditional life when regarded as too white to be true Hawaiians.

The number of Hawaiian words incorporated in the dialogue caused me some trouble, but I was able to understand some from context and look up many others. A glossary would greatly help non-Hawaiian readers.

Nonetheless, Hakes captured my interest and made me realize how little I knew about my country’s 50th state.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for an advance reader copy and to Jasmin Iolani Hakes for helping to overcome my ignorance.

Shared on GoodReads and Barnes & Noble

Review will be posted on 8/10/23

Laka returns home to Hilo, Hawaii with a new daughter in tow and it makes her mother, Hulali, question the baby's parentage. The baby is too "white" in her family's eyes to be Hawaiian. Hulali is part of the native Hawaiian movement and she takes this seriously, especially after all Hawaii has been through and the USA's role in this. As Hi'i, Laka's daughter, grows up she realizes she doesn't quite fit in and has never been fully accepted in her community. She has grown up with rumors following her every move and by now, she is used to it. Hi'i shows an interest in learning hula as he mother and grandmother were important figures in the community for continuing the Hawaiian tradition of Hula; in fact, her mother was Miss Aloha Hula. As she learns Hula and expresses the rich Hawaiian history through its storytelling, it becomes even more obvious to her that she never really felt a part of all this. She has so many questions. What happened when her mother left Hilo and why is there a rift between her mother and her grandmother? As her grandmother pressures Laka to share Hi'i's birth certificate to prove her lineage, more secrets unfold. Hula by Jasmin Iolani Hakes is an important historical novel that not only covers Hawaii's tumultuous history but also captures the heart of its people.


Hi'i's story is heartwrenching in Hula. I was immediately hooked and was rooting for her from the start. What she went through and the women before her will really tug on your heartstrings. Hula also really highlighted the question of where do I belong. What makes up a family? I think many people, not just Hawaiians, can relate to this question that faces many members of society today.


What I enjoyed most about Hula was the fact that the story also included a collective voice that highlighted Hawaii's struggles and history. I found this to be very helpful as well as eye-opening. I knew some of it as I have been to Hawaii many times and learned as much as I could while I was there, but this book dives into so much more about how Hawaii was basically stolen and the USA's attempts to make it right were really disappointing. It broke my heart.


If you are looking for a meaningful historical beach read, look no further. Hula is one powerful debut that not only captures the beauty of Hawaii but the struggles of its people, too. Have you read Hula? Is it on your TBR list? Let me know in the comments below.

I was thrilled to receive Jasmin Iolani Hakes’ début novel, “Hula,” for review. This book, which follows three generations of a native Hawaiian family, opened my eyes, angered, and inspired me. And I loved it.

As the novel opens, readers are introduced to a young girl called Hi’i. She is beautiful but light skinned. Too light skinned, some say, to be a native Hawaiian. All Hi’i wants is to prove that she has as much right to that identity as the people around her. So, against her mother’s wishes, she begins to practice Hula. This artistic form of dance, which is intrinsically connected to native Hawaiian culture, inspires and challenges Hi’i. And she hopes that if she can perform the dances well enough, her grandmother, who had not been involved her life, will finally love her the way she deserves. And though her mother has always defended her against naysayers, she holds a secret about Hi’i’s origins

Readers, when presented with Hi’i’s early section of the novel, will have a lot of questions. But Hakes is nothing if not fair to her characters, and we get to hear from her mother, Laka’s, perspective as well. Along the way, Hakes spins a unique and compulsively readable novel about secrets, love, family, history, colonialism, native Hawaiian identity and more. As Hakes explores Laka’s relationship with her own mother, readers learn that it too is fraught.

Hi’i leaves the island not to return for many years, and Hakes’ concerns become increasingly political. Laka and her mother continue to disagree over how Hawaii should respond to the United States Government in its disputes (which I will not go into here) while Hi’i raises two children and grieves the loss of her husband. And yet, as Hakes shows us in this beautiful text, redemption may still be possible.

While some of Hakes’ message about native Hawaiian identity was a little heavy-handed, “Hula” is still the Hawaiian novel I did not know I needed. Since finishing it several days ago, certain scenes have continued to play out in my mind. And this deeply touching text is sure to strike a chord with many readers. I can only hope that it gets the recognition it deserves.

This review was originally printed in The Free Lance-Star in Fredericksburg, VA.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Via for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This story follow Naupaka dynasty in Hilo. The story centers around Hi'i, the daughter of Laka who won the Miss Aloha Hula at Merry Monarch and was revered by her city. Hi'i feels the pressure of becoming the next Miss Aloha Hula event though Laka has disappeared and Hi'i is raised. Hi'i has a very strong sense of culture and hula is the way she expresses it as it is a part of who she is. Yet, she is carrying so much for her family and people and the secrets they are all keeping is starting to crack. When the biggest secret is revealed, it affect Hi'i's future. The story of the family is interesting but I loved the perspective of a Hawaiian writer telling the story of a Hawaiian family and providing their thoughts on the history of the islands, all the wrongs that were done to them by the US and how they continue to persevere and fight for the rights of their people and the beauty of their island. The book felt like a love letter to the islands and hula.

I am so glad this book exist.

The writing is beautiful and the content is both intriguing and necessary. I think as someone who is not Hawaiian there are times where I feel a bit lost, but that is on me, and I hope other non-Hawaiian readers will recognize that as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this novel, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I had a really hard time getting into this story. I had a hard time with this because there was a little more family drama than I really wanted at the moment. I like intergenerational stories and I know there is drama and trauma there, but this one had more drama than I was expecting/ than made sense. I was really interested in Hawaiian history and the discussions around colonization. It made me want to learn more. I just wish that I had enjoyed and connected more to this particular novel.

This was a fantastic novel of Hawaii. I really liked the multiple timelines and stories. I loved how everything fit together and could not stop reading

This was a beautiful and lovely story. I enjoyed the multi-generational saga which gave me much insight into Hawaiian history and culture. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 (because it was also educational)

Perfect!! If I could give this 10 stars, I would!! I live on Maui and couldn’t wait to read this and it did not disappoint. I’ve been recommending it to everyone I know!! One of the most real accounts of the struggle of the Hawaiian people as well as the Hawaiian renaissance that began in the 1970s. Sprinkled with accurate Hawaiian History that isn’t white-washed for the reader. This does contain local colloquialisms and much of the dialogue is in Hawaiian Pidgin, which only lends to the authenticity of the story (and respects local culture). The historical events represented in this story are part of the shameful history of the United States that is often overlooked, or even downright suppressed. Hopefully readers who are unfamiliar with this history will be inspired to research and learn more. Jasmine ‘Iolani Haakes is a gem and I look forward to reading more from her. I hope she continues to write about Hawaii. This book is right up there with Sharks in the Time of Saviors for me. Highly, highly recommend to every reader!