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A review by kba76
No Fixed Address by Susin Nielsen
4.0
With echoes of Slumdog Millionaire, this is a heartwarming story that looks at an increasing problem in modern times.
Felix and his mother are having an adventure, she says. Having been asked to leave their apartment, they are going to live in a van. That is not an adventure, it’s desperate. Astrid, Felix’s mother, makes him promise not to let anyone know their circumstances.
Astrid has some mental health issues. She irritated me at times because her behaviour was so selfish. She didn’t seem to consider the impact her choices were having on Felix at all. Perhaps this seemed the case because we see everything through Felix’s eyes, but it rankled. That may sound harsh but not ever really seeing her thoughts meant it was hard to tell how much of their situation was caused by Astrid’s state of mind.
We know that rising living costs and many other factors can leave someone in a precarious situation. There was no sense of judgment here, and there were some genuinely lovely characters within the book who you just wish could be bottled.
The details of Felix’s life in the van are told with grim humour but this did mean we focus on the character rather than simply honing in on his living circumstances.
Ultimately I was cross by how many people guessed at there being a problem but who did nothing. While we act like this, little can change.
Thank you NetGalley for granting me access to this before publication in October.
Felix and his mother are having an adventure, she says. Having been asked to leave their apartment, they are going to live in a van. That is not an adventure, it’s desperate. Astrid, Felix’s mother, makes him promise not to let anyone know their circumstances.
Astrid has some mental health issues. She irritated me at times because her behaviour was so selfish. She didn’t seem to consider the impact her choices were having on Felix at all. Perhaps this seemed the case because we see everything through Felix’s eyes, but it rankled. That may sound harsh but not ever really seeing her thoughts meant it was hard to tell how much of their situation was caused by Astrid’s state of mind.
We know that rising living costs and many other factors can leave someone in a precarious situation. There was no sense of judgment here, and there were some genuinely lovely characters within the book who you just wish could be bottled.
The details of Felix’s life in the van are told with grim humour but this did mean we focus on the character rather than simply honing in on his living circumstances.
Ultimately I was cross by how many people guessed at there being a problem but who did nothing. While we act like this, little can change.
Thank you NetGalley for granting me access to this before publication in October.