The Beggars' Ride

by Theresa Nelson

Twelve-year-old Clare flees an unhappy home life and tries to survive on the streets of Atlantic City with a small gang of homeless kids, each of whom has his own secret reason for distrusting society

Genres: Young Adult, Childrens

Paperback

First published September 1, 1992

Reviews

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to be blunt. This book broke my heart every time I read it. Why? Because it sucks to have a secret and not feel like you have anyone to trust. It's a young adult book, simply put, but it's real, even in some of it's oddness. The characters emotions and fears are real. At least to every child that has ever been abused or raped. What I loved most about the book is that it only covers a short amount of the time Clare spent in the abusive atmosphere, instead of sticking around in the misery, the character delves into a separate world and proves that she can survive on her own, with a little help from people who actually care. It's inspiring. It makes anyone who has ever experienced that kind of trauma feel as if they stand a chance, especially a young person who has been through it. It gives off the sense of "Yes this happened, but I'm not letting it get me down" and that is what a good book is about, it's what life should be about.

[courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never read or hear much about this book from anyone else, but when I read it, it became a long-held favorite. I loved this book, and as a pre-teen convinced she would never fit it in, more than anything else it inspired me as a teenager to FIND people I had to fit in with. Like Dave Egger's "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius", it made me feel better about being alive. Yes, if you've ever been curious why I fucked up my hair or fantasized about running away from home, blame the library because that's where I found this gem that changed my life. I believe it is out of print now, but worth finding - a great gift for a younger person, a great read for an oldie like myself.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Street kid gangs mystify yet fascinate me.

[Erin Arsenault · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very interesting. I found that it was easy to follow and that it was different to see some of the twists that were taken. I really liked the ending because it took a different twist. In the end when Cowboy gets stabbed and the gang gets split up was very upsetting. I also like in the beginning when Clare ran away to go to Atlantic City I thought that that was a very important part of the story. Another important part of the story that I thought was important was when the gang has Clare create a mission so that she could be an actual member of their gang.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This YA book has been floating around on my bookshelves since childhood, and I reread it again because it is set in Atlantic City, NJ - one of the campuses of the community college I just got a full-time faculty position at!

PopSugar Reading Challenge 2021: A book set somewhere you'd like to visit in 2021

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the books that I liked enough to want to read again when I was a kid.

[Karleigh Edwards · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not interesting to me at all
Would not recommend

[Piepie | The Napping Bibliophile]

I read this book a long time ago when I was a kid and recently revisited it. It's unique and heartbreaking but at the same time full of hope and resilience.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for holding up since I first read it in grade school.