C. H. Armstrong

I so desperately wish that this had had a better edit and been with a bigger publisher to push this further! The story was so very excellent, but there were many moments that felt very prescriptive.

Who knew there was a Rochester, MN? It took me until the last few chapters to realise this was not set in Rochester, NY, a city I happened to travel through last month.

The instalove here was just terrible. Even the insta-friendships were a bit hard to buy, but at least I can support those. But the instalove was just too easy. There were flashbacks that honestly didn't really add much to the story and could quite easily have been cut to make readers feel like they were a bit smarter than presumed. A lot of the high school interactions felt like ones that were dreamed up, instead of ones that I could imagine really happening.

But overall, this was a really strong book that presented a great view of homelessness that I hadn't encountered in a YA novel before. I loved the small nuances that Armstrong included and the details that made Abby a character we wanted to root for. I think I'm just more upset about the issues with this book because it could have been so good and it so narrowly missed the mark. Still a book well worth reading.… (mais)

I felt that Roam by CH Armstrong was a book that had quite a bit of potential but ended up missing the mark. A young adult novel focusing on homelessness should have been a wonderfully eye-opening read. This is an issue that needs to be addressed more often in literature, but is very seldom ever seen. Instead, the book came off as more of a cross between a sugary sweet feel-good story and an unrealistic popularity driven teen romantic drama. While the main character, Abby, does appear worried where her next meal will come from, the family is taken care of at every turn by friendly staff at homeless shelters and soup kitchens, while talk of going without food, clothing, and basic necessities is limited to only a few instances. Also, there are unrealistic scenes where Abby is super talented beyond anything her school has seen, is super popular and makes forever friends within the first few days at a new school without the awkward months of loneliness the rest of us endure, makes a Cinderella like transformation for the school dance, and snags the ultra rich star football player. What I would have loved to have seen was a story that showed how bleak a life of homelessness is for a family, how hard adjusting to a new school can be, and how we can have talents that may not lead to stardom but come from within ourselves and lead to us to making a difference around us even when we are struggling ourselves. To me, this just missed the mark.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Central Avenue Publishing for the advanced copy of the book given in exchange for an honest review.… (mais)

I’m just coming off my season of Hallmark movies and in a way this book read like one- so of course, I loved it. Like most YA books the girl has a secret and doesn’t tell her boyfriend which causes a problem. Abby’s family is recently homeless and on top of that moves from Oklahoma to Minnesota in the Fall in search of jobs. They have trouble finding full-time employment so while Abby begins her senior year of high school they are mostly living in their van. It’s cold, and the four of them (Mom, Step Dad, Abby, and little sister) struggle with the close quarters, lack of food and showers. It’s rough, and this book doesn’t sugar coat it.

I felt like the situations that this family was exposed to were realistic without being dramatized at all. So often we may think someone isn’t “trying” hard enough to get out of a bad situation when in fact we make it incredibly difficult for people to get the help they need.

Abby and her family slowly succeed thanks to some caring people in their new community who go out of their way to help them. I’d hand this to anyone aged twelve and up. Bonus points for the inclusion of a gay friend in a healthy, regular kind of way.… (mais)

After vowing never to marry, Victoria falls in love with Will, a gentle, strong farmer. Together, they make a family, and run a farm in Oklahoma. As the Great Depression and Dust Bowl threaten their livelihood, Will's appendix ruptures, leaving Victoria widowed, with nine children to support. Victoria, determined to provide for her children, makes certain choices, choices that change her forever. In the present day, Victoria tells her grandchildren about these choices, as she lays in her deathbed.

I really enjoyed this book. It felt as if my own grandmother was telling me a story. Well written, the book moved at a slow, but purposeful pace. I felt as if I really knew Victoria, and could feel her pain, anger, and determination throughout the whole story. I would love to read more from this author. Overall, highly recommended.… (mais)