A review by jwinchell
Like Home by Louisa Onomé

4.0

This is a well-written YA book about loving your neighborhood and dealing with encroaching gentrification, with a sweet dose of romance thrown in. Nelo loves her neighborhood, Ginger East, even though all but her best friend have moved away because of perceptions of danger and crime. Her best friend Kate Tran’s family’s store is central to Nelo’s Ginger East identity, so it’s a big deal when someone bricks the window. Nelo is convinced it’s an outsider and sets out to figure out the crime. Kate becomes distant and weird, just as her childhood friendship with Rafa is rekindled. Nelo comes to grips with encroaching gentrification and lots of changes, most of which she resists at first. There’s so much texting and the centrality of phones is notable— this part felt very authentic to the way youth today use their phones to communicate. A light romance thrown in to a little mystery. A welcome read where protest and social justice are strong interests.