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

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

To me, this one is quite interesting. Having read this for school, there certainly was a warp in my perspective and expectations, going into this book and while reading it. I believe it tells a fairly unique tale of a real life topic that while often discussed in media, is never given the attention it actually deserves. Homeless kids on the street are a worldwide issue and I respect this book for approaching it in the way it did. However I still have somewhat of a split opinion on the actual book itself. First of all I love the main character. Maybe is a very loveable narrator and her development throughout the entire story is striking to the core. I believe she's the main point of intrigue here as her struggle with finding value in a world that rejects her as well as a world that she rejects is certainly something I have never before experienced in this way. Though my issue lies with the rest of the cast. In a lot of cases, the side characters end up being very one note and play their gimmick without any sort of intrigue. I feel like an extended version with more actual info on a lot of the tribe members would have helped them to actually be interesting enough to care about what happens to them. That said, I'm quite fond of the overall story and ending even if their value lies in their simplicity and easily relatable/understandable nature. I also did enjoy the reoccuring characters quite a bit, if not all of them. All in all, I think I can say that this is a good, short read for just about anyone. I think people with higher interest in social subjects compared to me might end up getting more out of this than just a story about a girl that learns to accept her own place in this world. Also I did get a bit emotional at the end. Maybe was a really cool mc after all