krod97's review against another edition
5.0
At the beginning, I was not a huge fan. I figured by about 20% of the way through, this book would be a 3 ⭐️, but within 50 pages or so of the end, it was a 4.5 and then finally made it all the way to 5! Wow! What a book. As a teacher who has students with trauma, this book is so relatable. I had a few students in mind when reading this book, and my heart breaks for them.
aniseekim's review against another edition
3.0
I used to not understand the concept of rating books anything lower than 3 stars… which is why I’m downgrading this one now.
sc104906's review against another edition
3.0
I received this through Edelweiss.
Cal is a character that reflects real readers, however there are few out there like him. He experiences difficult issues with the loss of his mom and the abuse of his father. As the drama continues to mount, the novel becomes less and less believable. It felt as though the author was given one chance at writing a middle grade novel, so she was going to include everything that she possibly could.
Cal is a character that reflects real readers, however there are few out there like him. He experiences difficult issues with the loss of his mom and the abuse of his father. As the drama continues to mount, the novel becomes less and less believable. It felt as though the author was given one chance at writing a middle grade novel, so she was going to include everything that she possibly could.
kfirstbrook's review against another edition
5.0
Closer to Nowhere tackles so many difficult topics, and handles them all with honesty and bravery. 12 year old Cal has lost his mother and moves in with his Aunt and family while his father is incarcerated. Cal suffers from PTSD and his description of the buzzing in his head, his explosive anger and inability to connect will resonate with so many students. And for those students who don't struggle in the same ways as Cal, they will have the opportunity to grow in their empathy right along with Cal's cousin Hannah.
This story oozes with honesty . . . it's not an easy story and the characters are complicated. But this mirrors real life. I'm so thankful for a story where students can either see themselves or learn to see others through more thoughtful and compassionate eyes.
This story oozes with honesty . . . it's not an easy story and the characters are complicated. But this mirrors real life. I'm so thankful for a story where students can either see themselves or learn to see others through more thoughtful and compassionate eyes.
kaydowning's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to the audio of this book. It was a solid read. I enjoy more of Hopkins edgier and grittier teen books, but this tackled some serious issues too. The death of a parent. Parent in prison. Divorce. Having someone join your family(being new to a family) the alternating narrator added depth to the characters.
msseviereads's review against another edition
5.0
Used as a read aloud with seventh grade --
It was just so wonderful and I thought it was a perfect mix of difficult topics and family relationships.
It was just so wonderful and I thought it was a perfect mix of difficult topics and family relationships.
karina_dreamsinwords's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
This middle grade novel in verse discusses a multitude of topics including addiction, complex familial relationships, grief, bullying, attempted violence in a school setting, and ultimately love.
A hard-hitting story that readers of all ages can enjoy and learn from the themes within.
A hard-hitting story that readers of all ages can enjoy and learn from the themes within.
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Violence, Domestic abuse, and Gun violence