Closer to Nowhere
by Ellen Hopkins (Author)
#1 New York Times bestselling author Ellen Hopkins's poignant middle grade novel in verse about coming to terms with indelible truths of family and belonging.
For the most part, Hannah's life is just how she wants it. She has two supportive parents, she's popular at school, and she's been killing it at gymnastics. But when her cousin Cal moves in with her family, everything changes. Cal tells half-truths and tall tales, pranks Hannah constantly, and seems to be the reason her parents are fighting more and more. Nothing is how it used to be. She knows that Cal went through a lot after his mom died and she is trying to be patient, but most days Hannah just wishes Cal never moved in.
For his part, Cal is trying his hardest to fit in, but not everyone is as appreciative of his unique sense of humor and storytelling gifts as he is. Humor and stories might be his defense mechanism, but if Cal doesn't let his walls down soon, he might push away the very people who are trying their best to love him.
Told in verse from the alternating perspectives of Hannah and Cal, this is a story of two cousins who are more alike than they realize and the family they both want to save.
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Publishers Weekly
In this two-voicer written in prose poems, Hopkins (People Kill People) tells the story of cousins Hannah Lincoln and Calvin Pace, both sixth graders. Following his mother's death three years prior and subsequent difficulties with his father, who struggles with drug addiction, Cal is living with Hannah's family. He likes it there, but he's been through a lot and doesn't feel completely safe, and he knows that popular gymnast Hannah isn't crazy about having a housemate who melts down at school and whose tall tales and disappearances bring chaos into her home life. She admits that things haven't been great for a while, but it's hard not to blame Cal when her parents' marriage seems to be fraying, in part because they disagree about how to handle him. Cal's an aspiring writer, and his chapters question their own accuracy ("FACT OR FICTION: / Owls Are Bad Luck"); Hannah's sections are framed as definitions, as she tries to pin down what's what. While the headers can feel forced, Hopkins creates realistic portrayals of two kids trying to do their best even when it's not easy. Ages 10-up. Agent: Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary. (Oct.)
Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.School Library Journal
Gr 5-8--This novel in verse centers cousins Hannah and Cal. Cal is a troubled sixth grader who has been living with Hannah and her family for over a year. Cal's mother died of leukemia three years ago, sending him to live with his father (who is abusive and experiences drug addiction) until his father's imprisonment. Cal and Hannah share a mean alcoholic grandmother, but Hannah has had a completely different upbringing from Cal. She has thrived from a stable family, gymnastics, and dance--she isn't thrilled when volatile Cal is thrust into her life. Told through the two tweens' alternating voices, readers soon understand Cal's frustration and inability to accept help, often running away in his attempts to cool down. Hannah's jealousy of Cal receiving extra attention from her family is understandable, and readers see that even stable families have major ups and downs. The short chapters reveal each character's personality. Cal is an aspiring writer and his chapters begin with "Fact or Fiction," where he reveals much of what he's thinking or experiencing. Hannah's chapters begin with "Definition," as she is attempting to understand Cal's hardships and become more sympathetic to him and her own family. Hannah and Cal bond over their shared difficulties with their grandmother, and their witnessing of Hannah's parents' marital problems. Hopkins ends her book with a poignant note explaining how she based Cal on her own grandson, who came to live with her family after his mom (Hopkins's daughter, who also experienced substance abuse) abandoned him, leaving him with severe PTSD. While he still has breakdowns like Cal, he has many strengths and a big heart, just as Cal does. VERDICT Readers will root for these realistic characters, and will cheer for the growth they experience. Highly recommended.--Michele Shaw, formerly at Quail Run Elem. Sch., San Ramon, CA
Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
JUV057000 - Juvenile Fiction | Stories in Verse (see also Poetry)
JUV013080 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Blended Families
Family life
Novels in verse
Cousins
Emotional problems of teenagers
Emotional problems
