The Places We Sleep

DuBois uses free verse for Abbey's first-person narration, skillfully conveying her protagonist's pained and halting thoughts, occasionally integrating a lone, subtly meaningful rhyme.

Through a series of poems told in the first person, Abbey reveals the inner thoughts she cannot share with others . . . As time progresses, Abbey begins to feel at home, finds the courage to speak up for her friends, and expresses herself through her art.

Gr 5-8--Set against the backdrop of 9/11, this authentic coming-of-age story highlights one girl's journey towards courage and belonging. Twelve-year-old Abbey is tired of moving. Having a father in the military means she is always the new kid. Hopefully this time will be different, especially with a friend like Camille by her side. When Abbey wakes up on September 11, she doesn't expect to get her period. And she really doesn't expect a terrorist attack to rock the country. Before Abbey can ask about "girl supplies," her mom races off to New York City, where her sister has been declared "missing." Left with a dad preparing for active duty, Abbey is forced to navigate anxiety and grief on her own. At school, things aren't much better. Every day she dreads being called "army brat" and seeing the bullies taunt Camille and the other new girl, Jiman. Abbey wonders if she will ever find the courage to stand up for the people and things she believes in. Writing in captivating verse, DuBois brilliantly evokes tension as she chronicles the horrors of 9/11 and Abbey's personal tragedies. With a strong, genuine voice, Abbey conveys her journey from insecurity to belonging. As she shares her challenges, discoveries, and triumphs, readers will encounter themes of xenophobia, war, depression, and the difficulties of menstruation. VERDICT This dynamic tale provides a gutsy glimpse of one girl's experience on the cusp of womanhood, the trauma of loss during 9/11, and the sustaining power of bravery and friendship.--Rebecca Redinger, Lincoln Park Branch, Chicago P.L.

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Abbey's voice is so honest, so spot-on. I absolutely adored this tender story! A much needed addition to middle-grade literature.—Ellie Terry, author of Forget Me Not

This novel-in-verse moves very quickly and realistically depicts the confusion a teenage girl might encounter as she matures. This title is absolutely appropriate for a middle school library but would be enjoyed by older girls as well. It would fit nicely into a lesson that focuses on coming-of-age literature and on the struggle to fit into one's changing community, world, and body.—School Library Connection

A lovely book in verse that juxtaposes an important event in a girl's life and an important event in the United States: September 11, 2001. Abbey's family has just moved again and her body is changing, her mom is worried, and her dad might be headed for active duty, but Abbey has her new friend Camille and is gaining independence. I fell into this story and did not resurface until I was done. Brilliant.—Rebecca Crosswhite, Rediscovered Books (Boise, ID)

A beautiful and gentle novel in verse about a girl in the midst of the fallout of 9/11. DuBois focuses on the aftermath of that day and the repercussions that followed for months and years, including having a father who is deployed following the attack, a friend at school dealing with Islamophobia, and the loss of her aunt in the Twin Towers. Dubois covers everything you could want to cover about the attack, but in a way that makes it super relatable and easy to digest for young readers.—Lauren Nopenz Fairley, Curious Iguana (Frederick, MD)

The Places We Sleep is a beautiful and moving novel in verse about a girl navigating her way towards adolescence in the midst of a national tragedy. Abbey has just moved to Tennessee and is trying to find her way in a new school when the attacks of 9/11 happen. We follow Abbey as she deals with the fallout of 9/11 and the loss of the feeling of security the entire country felt. She grieves for an aunt, worries for her deployed father, and witnesses the xenophobia that reared its ugly head in the wake of that tragedy. If you are an adult, you'll be transported back to that strange, unreal time. If you are younger, it will give you an idea of what it was like during those uncertain times. Either way, you will fall in love with and root for Abbey.—Chelsea Bauer, Union Avenue Books (Knoxville, TN)

Abbey is an Army kid, used to moving from city to city and school to school as her dad's orders change. On a seemingly ordinary fall day, Abbey gets her first period. With no friends to turn to for help and white pants in danger, Abbey almost misses the whispers in the hallways — buildings in New York and Washington have been attacked, are burning, are falling. The date is September 11, 2001. As Abbey's mom drives to New York to search for her sister, who is missing in the rubble of the Twin Towers, Abbey is left to enter womanhood on her own. This coming-of-age story, laid out in spare, heartfelt verse, juxtaposes a very intense personal change with a cataclysmic national change, deftly navigating Abbey's search for belonging amidst her fracturing family. The Places We Sleep is a beautiful, necessary story and was a joy to experience.—Emily Hall Schroen, Main Street Books (St. Charles, MO)