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paigereitz's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. Ellen Hopkins has done it again. It's been a minute since I have plowed through a book in a weekend, and I so miss being 12 and, like Cal, reading 3 books a week. This book is amazing. The emotions are real - the exploration of grief and loss, of belonging and family dynamics, of trauma and healing and hope is all so well done. A must for anyone working with traumatized youth who want to step into their skin for a bit, see the world through their eyes - and a must for other kids who may encounter those traumatized youth. Ellen ended her author's note, in part, with "I hope this book will plant seeds of empathy for kids with behavioral problems they can't always control. [....] They want to fit in, even when it's difficult for them to tamp down their emotions. They deserve a deeper look and another chance. And another. And another." That is the heart and soul of this book. Even though it only took me about three hours to plow through, I'll surely be thinking about it for a while, and I felt the full gamut of emotions as I devoured it.
casey887's review against another edition
4.0
4.5⭐️
As a massive EH fan, I am dedicated to reading everything and anything she writes. This middle grade YA book was no exception and I’m so very happy I did pick it up. This is such a loving, heartfelt and understanding story. There is so much hurt and difficulty in the world of young adults that continuously gets overlooked but I’m so happy to read such a powerful story on issues that these young people are facing and sometimes enduring completely on their own.
As a massive EH fan, I am dedicated to reading everything and anything she writes. This middle grade YA book was no exception and I’m so very happy I did pick it up. This is such a loving, heartfelt and understanding story. There is so much hurt and difficulty in the world of young adults that continuously gets overlooked but I’m so happy to read such a powerful story on issues that these young people are facing and sometimes enduring completely on their own.
nicolelynnreads's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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Initial thoughts: this story explored a lot of experiences and emotions through the eyes of two MG-aged characters. Cal & Hannah’s voices were created so well & I think representative of the age group they are in. This story took me on a roller coaster of emotions, but it was definitely an experience that needs to be told more often. I really do believe this story can inspire empathy, especially empathy for children like Cal who have gone through a lot and might seem “different” but are really just trying to deal with emotions & experiences & heal as best they can. I liked seeing Hannah & Cal’s relationship develop and how they began to understand each other a little bit better by the end of the novel. I loved how this story showcased that not all families are perfect and that at the end of the day everyone is just trying to do the best they can and that love is such an important part of that. Anyway, a longer review to come!
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Initial thoughts: this story explored a lot of experiences and emotions through the eyes of two MG-aged characters. Cal & Hannah’s voices were created so well & I think representative of the age group they are in. This story took me on a roller coaster of emotions, but it was definitely an experience that needs to be told more often. I really do believe this story can inspire empathy, especially empathy for children like Cal who have gone through a lot and might seem “different” but are really just trying to deal with emotions & experiences & heal as best they can. I liked seeing Hannah & Cal’s relationship develop and how they began to understand each other a little bit better by the end of the novel. I loved how this story showcased that not all families are perfect and that at the end of the day everyone is just trying to do the best they can and that love is such an important part of that. Anyway, a longer review to come!
lauriehnatiuk's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to Edelweiss+ and G.P. Putman’s Son’s for a digital eARC of this book.
As a first time reader of author Ellen Hopkins, I truly hope that she will continue to share stories for middle grade readers, her MG debut is gut-wrenchingly powerful. A story told in verse, we meet Cal and Hannah who are cousins who have their worlds turned upside down when Cal comes to live with Hannah’s family. Hannah’s mom and Cal’s mom were identical twins and with the death of Cal’s mom due to cancer and his father being in prison, he has come to live with Hannah’s family.
Hannah and Cal could not be more different personally - Hannah has a stable predictable life as an only child and is a high achiever in particular with her gymnastics, while Cal is a prankster and a reader with a wild imagination allowing him to intermix his real life with his fascinating ideas to cover for the life of turmoil he has led.
Hopkins allows the reader to see the personalities of the characters by setting up all of Cal’s sections of the book with a Fact or Fiction topic heading followed by the answer from Cal and his creative details that follow the answer.l This is juxtaposed to Hannah’s section using the logical headings of Definitions to explain and provide the details as defined by Hannah.
Through these two perspectives we see real life dynamics and tension of learning to live together as a new blended family which is compounded by the fact that Cal has been diagnosed with PTSD. Hopkins slowly unravels the true guts of what Cal has had to live through and when family truths are revealed at Thanksgiving, it no longer can be ignored. The growth of both characters as they gain new knowledge and insight about so many topics that so many middle grade readers are living themselves (blended families, privilege, addiction, incarceration, mental health, and death) is tackled with empathy while staying real and not sugar-coating or talking down to the reader. This would work well as a read aloud and provide lots of opportunities to open dialogues on some tough but real topics. Although some may say a bit long (over 400 pages) - it does not and will not read this length. This is a book that once is in the hands of one reader will be passed along to the next. HIGHLY RECOMMEND
As a first time reader of author Ellen Hopkins, I truly hope that she will continue to share stories for middle grade readers, her MG debut is gut-wrenchingly powerful. A story told in verse, we meet Cal and Hannah who are cousins who have their worlds turned upside down when Cal comes to live with Hannah’s family. Hannah’s mom and Cal’s mom were identical twins and with the death of Cal’s mom due to cancer and his father being in prison, he has come to live with Hannah’s family.
Hannah and Cal could not be more different personally - Hannah has a stable predictable life as an only child and is a high achiever in particular with her gymnastics, while Cal is a prankster and a reader with a wild imagination allowing him to intermix his real life with his fascinating ideas to cover for the life of turmoil he has led.
Hopkins allows the reader to see the personalities of the characters by setting up all of Cal’s sections of the book with a Fact or Fiction topic heading followed by the answer from Cal and his creative details that follow the answer.l This is juxtaposed to Hannah’s section using the logical headings of Definitions to explain and provide the details as defined by Hannah.
Through these two perspectives we see real life dynamics and tension of learning to live together as a new blended family which is compounded by the fact that Cal has been diagnosed with PTSD. Hopkins slowly unravels the true guts of what Cal has had to live through and when family truths are revealed at Thanksgiving, it no longer can be ignored. The growth of both characters as they gain new knowledge and insight about so many topics that so many middle grade readers are living themselves (blended families, privilege, addiction, incarceration, mental health, and death) is tackled with empathy while staying real and not sugar-coating or talking down to the reader. This would work well as a read aloud and provide lots of opportunities to open dialogues on some tough but real topics. Although some may say a bit long (over 400 pages) - it does not and will not read this length. This is a book that once is in the hands of one reader will be passed along to the next. HIGHLY RECOMMEND
snchard's review against another edition
3.0
It's always difficult for me to keep my brain in the middle grade fiction space when the audiobook narrators are so obviously adults. This is the first Ellen Hopkins I've actually read (though not the first in my TBR list) and it was beautifully written. Very tough topics for kids--death of a parent, abuse, family tension, meltdowns--were all handled delicately and in ways I could definitely see kids understanding.
readingnookreviews's review against another edition
4.0
Closer to Nowhere discusses a lot of serious topics but in a way that feels more appropriate for younger readers. I’ve read a lot of Ellen Hopkin's other books and I always love the way she addresses topics since it’s both educational and realistic! I saw another review say they liked the way the author showed the inner thoughts of kids from troubled families and also showed “how their classmates can perceive them and learn to understand them” and I completely agree. I really liked seeing both POVs for Hannah and Cal since they were so different in every way. Although the novel is written in verse, it reads like a normal book rather than poetry.
thomasmannia's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I liked the idea of the book, but not so much the execution. Hannah seemed sort of stereotypical at times, and neither her parents nor her initial hatred of Cal were fleshed out enough. The "surprise" ending was too predictable and rushed, and its results were annoyingly convenient for the protagonists. The dialogue was often awkward, particularly Hannah's. The only good parts of the book were Cal's, as he seemed to be the most realistic character. His developments shine even more compared to Hannah's, whose character arc seemed to be from "hating Cal for no real reason" to "liking and appreciating Cal". Could she not also have matured in ways less related to Cal?
Overall, I would rate this book 3 stars.
Overall, I would rate this book 3 stars.
akellyreads's review against another edition
5.0
The most recent novel in verse that I’ve read, and this one was so poignant and moving. A perspective into family with drug and alcohol problems, homelessness, incarceration, and many more. And when you read the author’s bio, it becomes even more powerful. Will definitely be reading more by Ellen Hopkins.
bookishbiggie's review against another edition
4.0
*Received an E-ARC through Netgalley for an honest review*
This is Ellen Hopkins first middle grade book, and I was beyond excited to read it. This book didn't disappoint. Another well written novel in verse that addresses hard-hitting issues that kids deal with frequently in life. The story is told in alternating points of view between two cousins, Hannah and Cal. The two middle school cousins are learning to deal with their worlds being upheaved and learning to adjust while dealing with the angst of middle school years. Cal struggles to deal with his mother's death and father's incarceration while living in Hannah's family home. There's so much packed in this middle grade novel and Hopkins is able to deal with it well without making it feel overly heavy for a middle grade reader.
This is Ellen Hopkins first middle grade book, and I was beyond excited to read it. This book didn't disappoint. Another well written novel in verse that addresses hard-hitting issues that kids deal with frequently in life. The story is told in alternating points of view between two cousins, Hannah and Cal. The two middle school cousins are learning to deal with their worlds being upheaved and learning to adjust while dealing with the angst of middle school years. Cal struggles to deal with his mother's death and father's incarceration while living in Hannah's family home. There's so much packed in this middle grade novel and Hopkins is able to deal with it well without making it feel overly heavy for a middle grade reader.