A review by williamsdebbied
Can't Get There from Here by Todd Strasser

5.0

A group of homeless teens band together to help each other survive on the streets of New York. The narrator, Maybe, left her abusive mother and feels that the street--dirty , cold, and brutal as it is--is the only place for a girl like her, a girl no one loves.

Maggot says that living on the streets is the only way to maintain your freedom. Country Club is the first of the group to leave. He dies of liver failure at 22. OG has a constant, hacking cough, but refuses to seek medical attention. He adopts an abandoned dog (Pest)after Country Club's death. 2Moro is beautiful and HIV-positive. Prostitution helps her survive, but for how long? Jewel is a male prostitute who dresses up as a woman and goes clubbing with 2Moro. Rainbow, Maybe's closest friend, does drugs to keep herself numb. Tears is only 12 and is the newest member of the group.

As bad as life on the streets can be, they all agree that it is better than the lives they left behind. As Maybe watches her friends disappear one by one, she wonders if there might be another life for her.

A powerful and realistic glimpse into street life.