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A review by nicolemhewitt
Closer to Nowhere by Ellen Hopkins
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This is a powerful story of how trauma can affect a person and a family. The book is told from two perspectives: Hannah and her cousin Cal, who throws her life into chaos in many ways when he comes to live with her after his mother dies and his father is imprisoned on drug and abuse charges. Because we get both sides to the story, it is easy to relate to both of these characters. We sympathize with Hannah, who tries so hard to understand her cousin but can't help but be frustrated when he complicates her life. And we truly feel for Cal, who is trying to process a world that feels impossible and who feels guilt over problems in the family that he sees as his fault. I think this book will help build empathy in anyone who reads it. Seeing through the eyes of someone who is "troubled" can be a powerful way to help kids understand each other in real life. Wouldn't the world be a better place if we could all take a step back and realize that often people (especially kids) who are acting out are doing so out of pain? This book doesn't try to give easy answers, but it does help build bridges of understanding.
This is a powerful story of how trauma can affect a person and a family. The book is told from two perspectives: Hannah and her cousin Cal, who throws her life into chaos in many ways when he comes to live with her after his mother dies and his father is imprisoned on drug and abuse charges. Because we get both sides to the story, it is easy to relate to both of these characters. We sympathize with Hannah, who tries so hard to understand her cousin but can't help but be frustrated when he complicates her life. And we truly feel for Cal, who is trying to process a world that feels impossible and who feels guilt over problems in the family that he sees as his fault. I think this book will help build empathy in anyone who reads it. Seeing through the eyes of someone who is "troubled" can be a powerful way to help kids understand each other in real life. Wouldn't the world be a better place if we could all take a step back and realize that often people (especially kids) who are acting out are doing so out of pain? This book doesn't try to give easy answers, but it does help build bridges of understanding.