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A review by margaretann84
Closer to Nowhere by Ellen Hopkins
2.0
I liked the way the narrators were written, and I felt like I could understand both of them and their worries. I've always felt that characters and voice are Hopkins' forte.
Plot-wise, I feel like Closer to Nowhere was trying to do too much in a short span. I feel like some of the subplots could have been either explained differently or omitted entirely, which would have strengthened the main message (living with PTSD) of the book. I know that in real life people often have many, many different things going on that shape them to be and behave in particular ways, but in novels--especially middle-grade novels--too many issues at once overwhelms the reader. In a prose novel, where each of these sub-themes (alcoholism, bullying, family relations) could be explored with more depth, then I could see maybe having them. In this novel-in-verse, however, it felt like most of the themes were shoehorned in. Adding in "pop-culture" references like Harry Potter and all that made the book already seem dated (especially given the recent controversy and the massive stereotyping issues surrounding that series).
Not the worst book I've come across by far, but definitely disappointing.
Plot-wise, I feel like Closer to Nowhere was trying to do too much in a short span. I feel like some of the subplots could have been either explained differently or omitted entirely, which would have strengthened the main message (living with PTSD) of the book. I know that in real life people often have many, many different things going on that shape them to be and behave in particular ways, but in novels--especially middle-grade novels--too many issues at once overwhelms the reader. In a prose novel, where each of these sub-themes (alcoholism, bullying, family relations) could be explored with more depth, then I could see maybe having them. In this novel-in-verse, however, it felt like most of the themes were shoehorned in. Adding in "pop-culture" references like Harry Potter and all that made the book already seem dated (especially given the recent controversy and the massive stereotyping issues surrounding that series).
Not the worst book I've come across by far, but definitely disappointing.