A review by livlosiewicz
You'd Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow

emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Pros: 
·This was a really engaging book. I was immediately drawn into Emmy and her world, and felt her love and pain for Joey. Emmy and Joey are both imperfect and lovable characters, and I was rooting for them the whole time. I also liked watching the growth of the supporting characters, like Emmy’s dad. 
·The topic is so important, and I appreciated the book challenging the public perception of what addiction looks like, who gets addicted. 
·And a bonus, of course, for the power of theater!! :) 
 
Cons: 
·I wish that more time had been given to some of the plots- like the things going on at school. I guess the point was that despite how awful the school rumors should have been, they were nothing compared to the hurt that Emmy felt about Joey 
·
The ending being Emmy’s essay that evaded her true assignment and reflected on her life bummed me out a bit. It seems unrealistic that someone would write those personal things to a teacher. Like why turn in the essay at all? Could she not have just mused about those things to us on her own? It felt a little cliche and disappointing to me.
 
Recommendation: I recommend if you’re looking for a fast-paced, meaningful book and are okay with some heavy topics. Content warnings for substance use/addiction- make sure you’re in an okay place to read that. This is a YA book technically, but one of those that to me transcends the genre and tells an important story about life and love. 
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