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izzys_internet_bookshelf's review against another edition
5.0
5/5
I’m crying actually crying. Someone virtually hand me a tissue please! AGH this book was so good and it pulled on my heart so much. I loved how the characters backstories were told over the chorus of the book and how everything in the end closed. The main character went through so many emotions and fears as the book progresses but the speech at the end has/had me in tears.
I’m crying actually crying. Someone virtually hand me a tissue please! AGH this book was so good and it pulled on my heart so much. I loved how the characters backstories were told over the chorus of the book and how everything in the end closed. The main character went through so many emotions and fears as the book progresses but the speech at the end has/had me in tears.
kleonard's review against another edition
1.0
This novel about a homeless high school student and her family is, unfortunately, badly uninformed, under-researched, oozing with unsubtle pro-Christian propaganda, and so full of brand names the author could have just put ads right into the pages. One of the most egregious thing the book does is paint the Salvation Army in a positive light, when the SA is a homophobic and abusive organization; having a single gay character in the book doesn't even begin to make up for the pro-SA message. From a literary POV, the characters are one-dimensional stereotypes, and the author's use and understanding of To Kill a Mockingbird is sophomoric and problematic.
sunshine169's review against another edition
3.0
The overall messages of this book are important ones... don't judge, don't bully, treat others how you would want to be treated, and envision life from other peoples perspectives. We all go through tough periods in our lives and Abby and family are no exception.
Due to circumstances beyond her control Abby's loses all of her friends after a scandal is uncovered surrounding her mother. This led to a downward spiral culminating to the family moving to snowy Minnesota to live in a van. At her new school Abby finds immediate acceptance from a group of students and the attention of a handsome boy. She struggles with hiding her embarrassment of homelessness and trying to live a normal teenage life.
This is a good book that needs to be read. I am knocking two stars down because aspects of the story felt rushed or possibly unrealistic.
All of Abby's friends reject her when they find out about the school scandal. Not a single one stood by her side.
At the new school she makes instant friends and a boyfriend within 3 short days who all seem too good to be true!
None of her friends question her on a phone or where she lives even after months... not even her boyfriend.
The end felt rushed and a lot of it was conveniently wrapped up but I suppose that was necessary due to the book's subject matter to have a feel good ending.
*An e-arc was provided by Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Due to circumstances beyond her control Abby's loses all of her friends after a scandal is uncovered surrounding her mother. This led to a downward spiral culminating to the family moving to snowy Minnesota to live in a van. At her new school Abby finds immediate acceptance from a group of students and the attention of a handsome boy. She struggles with hiding her embarrassment of homelessness and trying to live a normal teenage life.
This is a good book that needs to be read. I am knocking two stars down because aspects of the story felt rushed or possibly unrealistic.
All of Abby's friends reject her when they find out about the school scandal. Not a single one stood by her side.
At the new school she makes instant friends and a boyfriend within 3 short days who all seem too good to be true!
None of her friends question her on a phone or where she lives even after months... not even her boyfriend.
The end felt rushed and a lot of it was conveniently wrapped up but I suppose that was necessary due to the book's subject matter to have a feel good ending.
*An e-arc was provided by Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
laniedays's review against another edition
4.0
What a heart-wrenching but beautifully told story!
I found myself really rooting for the characters & I had such a sense of dread for what would come next. Though not something I’ve dealt with personally this felt like a really realistic portrayal.
Full review can be found at https://neverandadaily.wordpress.com/2019/03/13/roam-book-review/
*Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this! All opinions are my own!*
I found myself really rooting for the characters & I had such a sense of dread for what would come next. Though not something I’ve dealt with personally this felt like a really realistic portrayal.
Full review can be found at https://neverandadaily.wordpress.com/2019/03/13/roam-book-review/
*Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this! All opinions are my own!*
bookishtiff's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book. It was such an inspiring tale about a girl who is homeless and turns her life around with the help of her school counselor and music teacher. Abby is a such a strong girl. I honestly couldn't imagine what it would be like to be homeless and not knowing when your next meal was going to be or if you could survive the upcoming winter living in a van. I know this book isn't super realistic but I personally think it's a good way to introduce the topic to younger readers. When your young you never think these kinds of things could ever happen to you, but this book shows you that it can happen to everyone and you should be more accepting to others because you never know what they are going through.
I loved all the characters except the mother. For once we have a book where the main character and the step parent are close to each other. I believe that Nick is a way better parent and is much more understanding than her mother. I believe the author wrote him to be a lot like Atticus from To Kill a Mockingbird. That book is mentioned a lot through out this book. All the other characters are amazing. They all accepted Abby fairly quickly and I understand why she chose to keep the fact that she was homeless from everyone else.
One thing that I didn't like was how quickly Abby gets into a relationship with the guy popular guy at school. I didn't like how it was sorta cliche with the whole new girl becomes popular and starts dating the popular girls ex boyfriend. That's one troupe I can live without. I also wish we got to know more about Nick being homeless before. For the most part I liked everything in this book but some of the cliches that didn't really wow me which is why I'm giving this book 4 stars instead of 5.
I loved all the characters except the mother. For once we have a book where the main character and the step parent are close to each other. I believe that Nick is a way better parent and is much more understanding than her mother. I believe the author wrote him to be a lot like Atticus from To Kill a Mockingbird. That book is mentioned a lot through out this book. All the other characters are amazing. They all accepted Abby fairly quickly and I understand why she chose to keep the fact that she was homeless from everyone else.
One thing that I didn't like was how quickly Abby gets into a relationship with the guy popular guy at school. I didn't like how it was sorta cliche with the whole new girl becomes popular and starts dating the popular girls ex boyfriend. That's one troupe I can live without. I also wish we got to know more about Nick being homeless before. For the most part I liked everything in this book but some of the cliches that didn't really wow me which is why I'm giving this book 4 stars instead of 5.
someonetookit's review against another edition
5.0
To put it plainly, Roam is an emotional rollercoaster of a novel that I never knew I needed. Full of heavy references such as homelessness, bullying, substance abuse and relationship breakdown. When it hits, it hits hard, leaving the reader emotionally broken and feeling drained.
The MC Abby is determined and strong, resolute on helping her family to escape the poverty into which they have recently fallen. Her mother and stepfather rely upon her help look after her younger sister while they look for jobs in their new neighbourhood of Rochester. She puts on a brave face when she goes to school, never letting on to her peers from affluent homes that she currently relies on charity and Walmart bathrooms to get by.
I found myself drawn to this contemporary masterpiece, unable to put it down until the final page. At the beginning there was hope and an internal belief that nothing could thaw my cold icy heart. By the end, my face was red and streaked with tears, i had far too much caffeine on board and it was suddenly 2am local time.
To anyone who is thinking of reading this novel, I strongly suggest you get on it as soon as possible. For those who are not planning on reading Roam, I strongly suggest you change your mind because if need be, I will come and bludgeon you with it until you do.
I received a copy of this work from the Central Avenue Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Any opinions contained within are that of the author and have in no way been influenced by the publisher or its affiliates.
The MC Abby is determined and strong, resolute on helping her family to escape the poverty into which they have recently fallen. Her mother and stepfather rely upon her help look after her younger sister while they look for jobs in their new neighbourhood of Rochester. She puts on a brave face when she goes to school, never letting on to her peers from affluent homes that she currently relies on charity and Walmart bathrooms to get by.
I found myself drawn to this contemporary masterpiece, unable to put it down until the final page. At the beginning there was hope and an internal belief that nothing could thaw my cold icy heart. By the end, my face was red and streaked with tears, i had far too much caffeine on board and it was suddenly 2am local time.
To anyone who is thinking of reading this novel, I strongly suggest you get on it as soon as possible. For those who are not planning on reading Roam, I strongly suggest you change your mind because if need be, I will come and bludgeon you with it until you do.
I received a copy of this work from the Central Avenue Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Any opinions contained within are that of the author and have in no way been influenced by the publisher or its affiliates.
bookslifeandeverythingnice's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley, Central Avenue Publishing, and C.H. Armstrong for an ARC ebook copy to review. As always, an honest review from me.
My rating is actually 4.5 stars, but since there aren't half stars I always round up.
Like:
- The family relationships: meaningful, realistic, but tense at times
- Abby is a great character: kind, relatable, hard working
Love:
- Highlights the resources available to people struggling with lack of housing, food, money, clothing, etc.
- The overall concept: a homeless teenager navigating life, high school, family, friends and her future as normally as possible
- Great representation of an underrepresented population
- Abby’s relationship with her friends and boyfriend
- The teachers and other adults looking out for her in a non judgmental, discrete manner #TeacherGoals
- A realistic look at the day in the life of a person dealing with the struggles of being homeless
Dislike:
- The character of Trish: mean girl/bully to many people
Wish that:
- The premise of them becoming homeless made more sense. It’s sort of explained at the end, but there were still a few loose ends.
- The ending was done better- wrapped up the story a little too quickly and neatly
Overall, an absolutely captivating read about an under discussed topic. A book that should be in the curriculum of many high school English and humanity classes.
My rating is actually 4.5 stars, but since there aren't half stars I always round up.
Like:
- The family relationships: meaningful, realistic, but tense at times
- Abby is a great character: kind, relatable, hard working
Love:
- Highlights the resources available to people struggling with lack of housing, food, money, clothing, etc.
- The overall concept: a homeless teenager navigating life, high school, family, friends and her future as normally as possible
- Great representation of an underrepresented population
- Abby’s relationship with her friends and boyfriend
- The teachers and other adults looking out for her in a non judgmental, discrete manner #TeacherGoals
- A realistic look at the day in the life of a person dealing with the struggles of being homeless
Dislike:
- The character of Trish: mean girl/bully to many people
Wish that:
- The premise of them becoming homeless made more sense. It’s sort of explained at the end, but there were still a few loose ends.
- The ending was done better- wrapped up the story a little too quickly and neatly
Overall, an absolutely captivating read about an under discussed topic. A book that should be in the curriculum of many high school English and humanity classes.
emrache's review against another edition
3.0
The topic of teen homelessness is important, and this book had moments that were heart-wrenching and moving. The Lunde Family's experience demonstrates how easy it can be to slip from getting by to living out of a car.
From a story-telling perspective, though, I had a hard time getting past the shallow, physical descriptions of the characters. It felt like there could have been a little more showing and less telling. That being said, though, I probably wouldn't have noticed this if I were actually reading this book as a YA. And I'm sure that my YA self would have loved it.
Thanks to NetGalley for a free ARC.
From a story-telling perspective, though, I had a hard time getting past the shallow, physical descriptions of the characters. It felt like there could have been a little more showing and less telling. That being said, though, I probably wouldn't have noticed this if I were actually reading this book as a YA. And I'm sure that my YA self would have loved it.
Thanks to NetGalley for a free ARC.
toria_nash's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
fiddleysticks's review against another edition
4.0
I got this book from Netgalley.co.uk and it will be published on the 5th February 2019. You should get it.
It is a YA novel about a homeless teenager. I don't have the experience to say whether or not it's a realistic portrayal, but it felt like it could be. It managed to balance the realities of the situation without being overwhelmingly depressing, which obviously makes the book much more readable. It's certainly easy to imagine a book on this topic being very hard going. Which is not to say that this book isn't hard in places, it is, and it should be.
I'm constantly surprised and impressed by YA authors taking on issues like this in their novels, and then I'm surprised by the young adults themselves for reading them. It can only be a good thing. It is definitely a book to help you imagine someone else's world and how difficult other people's lives can be. And yet, it doesn't take much imagination to think about ways Abby and her family's situation could have been better or worse.
The characters are likeable, except where they're not meant to be - and then by and large they were sympathetically dealt with.
I really liked this book. I found it readable and just enough on the comfortable side to be appropriate for someone just starting to think about an issue like homelessness and what it really means, but without being too serious to maintain attention. Seriously think about getting it.
It is a YA novel about a homeless teenager. I don't have the experience to say whether or not it's a realistic portrayal, but it felt like it could be. It managed to balance the realities of the situation without being overwhelmingly depressing, which obviously makes the book much more readable. It's certainly easy to imagine a book on this topic being very hard going. Which is not to say that this book isn't hard in places, it is, and it should be.
I'm constantly surprised and impressed by YA authors taking on issues like this in their novels, and then I'm surprised by the young adults themselves for reading them. It can only be a good thing. It is definitely a book to help you imagine someone else's world and how difficult other people's lives can be. And yet, it doesn't take much imagination to think about ways Abby and her family's situation could have been better or worse.
The characters are likeable, except where they're not meant to be - and then by and large they were sympathetically dealt with.
I really liked this book. I found it readable and just enough on the comfortable side to be appropriate for someone just starting to think about an issue like homelessness and what it really means, but without being too serious to maintain attention. Seriously think about getting it.