A review by katherineharnisch
Home Home by Lisa Allen-Agostini
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I did like the main character, and loved her Aunts Julie and Jillian. I also loved her friends (Akilah and Josh both) and fully understood the complications of her relationship with her mom. I wish this book had been published and I had been able to read it in middle/high school! Looking back on that time period of my life, I don’t remember many books on depression/anxiety where the main character is going through the healing process during the timeframe of the book.
Sometimes this book did feel a bit like the author was trying to make a point a little too overtly (I felt this way when Josh was talking about his mom, his dialogue seemed a bit forced/fake to me for his age). But that didn’t severely detract from the story.
The only other thing I will say is, I don’t think we ever knew the full first name of the main character until the LAST PAGE. Did we know her name was Kayla? Because when I read that sentence I was like, wait who is kayla?? Seems like a major misstep on the author’s part. Nicknames are fine and using the full name can be a powerful tool in showing character growth and development but not when we literally do not know her name.
I’d still recommend! Especially for people wanting to read about depression/anxiety/diaspora in teenagers.
Sometimes this book did feel a bit like the author was trying to make a point a little too overtly (I felt this way when Josh was talking about his mom, his dialogue seemed a bit forced/fake to me for his age). But that didn’t severely detract from the story.
The only other thing I will say is, I don’t think we ever knew the full first name of the main character until the LAST PAGE. Did we know her name was Kayla? Because when I read that sentence I was like, wait who is kayla?? Seems like a major misstep on the author’s part. Nicknames are fine and using the full name can be a powerful tool in showing character growth and development but not when we literally do not know her name.
I’d still recommend! Especially for people wanting to read about depression/anxiety/diaspora in teenagers.