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Almost Home
Why would anyone choose to live on the streets? There is Eeyore, just twelve years old when she runs away from her priveleged home, harboring a secret she's too ashamed to tell anyone. Rusty is a sensitive gay teen who winds up alone when his older boyfriend ditches him in Hollywood. Squid has gone through too many foster homes to count. There's Scabius, a delusional punk from Utah who takes the "me against the world" motto to dangerous extremes. And Critter is a heroin dealer with movie star looks and a vulnerable heart. Laura should be home studying, but she can't face another one of her mom's boyfriends. And then there's Tracy, the damaged thread that ties them all together, irrevocably changing each person's life she touches. This unlikely band of characters form their own dysfunctional family, complete with love and belonging, abuse and betrayal. Each will make their way home, wherever it may be.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published October 23, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
January 28, 2008
This is one of those books that caught my interest from the first page due to its subject matter. I work with at risk teenagers, so anything relating to their lives draws me in immediately. "Almost Home" is the story of seven teenagers in Los Angeles, who call the streets their home.
The story is told through the eyes of seven very different teens, with one thing in common. Each of them has opted to leave their abusive (or in one case, boring) home life and try to make a life for themselves on the streets of LA. Their lives consist of panhandling for change, avoiding cops, dumpster diving for their next meal, seeking out safe places to sleep and their relationships with each other, a necessity for some to survive.
The story is written for young adults, and I honestly plan to leave the book at work where the kids can read it if they'd like. It's a story of survival. Rather than romanticizing what life on the street may be like, it is honest, raw and brutal. It's a true account of the day to day problems and dramas that homeless teenagers face, once they take that step and run away from home. Stories of drugs, violence, rape and the things a person is forced to do to survive, not knowing where the next meal may come from.
"Almost Home" is gritty and edgy. Better yet, its REAL. It's a great read, and I'd recommend it to anyone who has any interest in the teenage mind.
The story is told through the eyes of seven very different teens, with one thing in common. Each of them has opted to leave their abusive (or in one case, boring) home life and try to make a life for themselves on the streets of LA. Their lives consist of panhandling for change, avoiding cops, dumpster diving for their next meal, seeking out safe places to sleep and their relationships with each other, a necessity for some to survive.
The story is written for young adults, and I honestly plan to leave the book at work where the kids can read it if they'd like. It's a story of survival. Rather than romanticizing what life on the street may be like, it is honest, raw and brutal. It's a true account of the day to day problems and dramas that homeless teenagers face, once they take that step and run away from home. Stories of drugs, violence, rape and the things a person is forced to do to survive, not knowing where the next meal may come from.
"Almost Home" is gritty and edgy. Better yet, its REAL. It's a great read, and I'd recommend it to anyone who has any interest in the teenage mind.
September 19, 2009
This was an interesting book to read for the most part. Jessica Blank has a very unique writing style that gets you thinking. The characters were also very different from any that I have read. But, this book wasn't as good in the end as it was in the beginning. Eeyore was alright, but I didn't much care for her in the long run; Scabius was fascinating but, like Eeyore, I didn't much care for him; Critter was rather messed up and I didn't quite understand how he had "a vulnerable heart"; Laura was just sort of there and there was no real point to her appearance in the book and she left just as suddenly as she had appeared; but Tracy was the worst if you ask me. It said that she was the "charismatic, damaged thread that would tie them all together" or something along those lines, but she didn't BRING them together, she tore them APART!
However, I most definitely give props for Rusty and Squid. They were very believeable and I loved reading their parts so much so I went back a couple of times and just read their parts alone. But the rest, I'm afraid, wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be.
However, I most definitely give props for Rusty and Squid. They were very believeable and I loved reading their parts so much so I went back a couple of times and just read their parts alone. But the rest, I'm afraid, wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2009
The Characters in the book were named Tracy, Eeyore (Elinor), Rusty, Laura, Squid, Scabius, and Critter. Eeyore was always picked on by the popular girls at school because of the way she looked and the way she dressed. After being humiliated at school, Tracy rescued her. Together, they slept in alleys and stole from convenience stores. After Tracy and Eeyore are separated, Eeyore immediately finds a group she can hang out with. That group was Critter and Squid. Critter was the guy with the looks and Quid was the guy with no real home. He went from foster home to foster home, but settled on the streets. After Eeyore is with them for a couple of days, Rusty rolls in. Rusty fell in love with his music teacher, Jim, who promised him they could be together if he met him in California. However, Jim never showed up. So he joined the growing group. When Critter leaves for a couple of days, he comes back with Scabius. He has known Critter for a while, but now he was in the group too. Scabius was the tough guy of the group. He had red dreadlocks and always had a mean look on his face. Then theirs Tracy. Critter and Tracy fell in love. However, Scabius hates Tracy. She’s a mean, nasty, rat-looking girl. When she starts having troub;e with Critter, she meets Laura. Laura didn’t have a real reason for running away. She just left one day. Her and Tracy meet when they stay in the same bunk area. They immediately become best friends.
Almost Home took place in Los Angeles, California. All of the characters sleep on the streets and dig through garbage for food. A lot of the time they’ll hang out by the 7-11 to get some cheap food. When Rusty left for a few days, he went to Hollywood down to the beach, where he met up with Tracy. The beach was comfortable to sleep on and very beautiful. At night, the stars were lighting up the sky. For the most part, that is where this book took place.
This book is about seven teenagers who are trying to survive on the streets of Los Angeles. Eeyore ran away from abusive classmates and a step brother who raped her every night. Rusty ran away to be with the man he loved, only to find that he was not going to show up. Squid ran away with his girlfriend, Annabelle so that they could get away from her abusive father and his foster home. After about two weeks, she moved on to another boyfriend. Devastated, Squid found refuge with Critter. Critter has fallen head over heels for Tracy, who could care less. All Tracy really cares about is herself. She doesn’t think twice about anyone’s feelings. After she leaves the group because Scabius raped her, she gets into a huge fight with Critter. That’s when Laura comes in. Laura latches onto Tracy because she doesn’t have anyone. She ran away for no apparent reason. The others think she is a goody-goody because she has clothes from Wal-Mart and not dirty wife beaters and dyed hair. Tracy really pulled everyone together. Without her, none of them really would have met one another.
I gave this book five out of five stars because I really loved the way it was written. Another reason why I liked it was because it was very intense and real. Normally when you hear about California, you think of very rich, and glamorous people. But this book shows the other side. You really see how hard life can be for teenagers who run way from home. There really is no mercy. Those are just a couple reasons why I would give this book five stars.
Almost Home took place in Los Angeles, California. All of the characters sleep on the streets and dig through garbage for food. A lot of the time they’ll hang out by the 7-11 to get some cheap food. When Rusty left for a few days, he went to Hollywood down to the beach, where he met up with Tracy. The beach was comfortable to sleep on and very beautiful. At night, the stars were lighting up the sky. For the most part, that is where this book took place.
This book is about seven teenagers who are trying to survive on the streets of Los Angeles. Eeyore ran away from abusive classmates and a step brother who raped her every night. Rusty ran away to be with the man he loved, only to find that he was not going to show up. Squid ran away with his girlfriend, Annabelle so that they could get away from her abusive father and his foster home. After about two weeks, she moved on to another boyfriend. Devastated, Squid found refuge with Critter. Critter has fallen head over heels for Tracy, who could care less. All Tracy really cares about is herself. She doesn’t think twice about anyone’s feelings. After she leaves the group because Scabius raped her, she gets into a huge fight with Critter. That’s when Laura comes in. Laura latches onto Tracy because she doesn’t have anyone. She ran away for no apparent reason. The others think she is a goody-goody because she has clothes from Wal-Mart and not dirty wife beaters and dyed hair. Tracy really pulled everyone together. Without her, none of them really would have met one another.
I gave this book five out of five stars because I really loved the way it was written. Another reason why I liked it was because it was very intense and real. Normally when you hear about California, you think of very rich, and glamorous people. But this book shows the other side. You really see how hard life can be for teenagers who run way from home. There really is no mercy. Those are just a couple reasons why I would give this book five stars.
January 8, 2010
This book had 7 perspectives. Not cool. You can either have 3 or maybe 4 perspectives and keep switching between characters, or you can have a 600 pg book. This book had neither. I kept waiting to see what was goin on with Eeyore or Rusty, who's perspectives were shared at the beginning of the book, but I never found out. This made me mad!
Also, crappy ending. Never learned what happened to any of the characters, really.
Also, crappy ending. Never learned what happened to any of the characters, really.
March 31, 2017
Personal Response:
I would give this book three out of five stars because the book had random parts in random places. I liked how each chapter were different characters and talked about what they saw in the streets and how they dealt with it. I also liked how the characters knew each other and were friends, instead of it all being so different.
Plot:
A little girl named Eleanor hated her life. She did not have any friends at school, everyone bullied her, and she especially hated her step-mom. She was at school one day when she missed the bus because some girls beat Eleanor behind the school parking lot. A girl named Tracy saw everything going down and helps Eleanor out. Tracy took Eleanor out to the city and bought her a soda and tacos. Tracy wanted to call Eleanor by a nickname, she decided on Eeyore. Tracy and Eeyore ended up staying behind a Whole Foods store for a couple nights until Tracy ran off one morning and left Eeyore by herself. Eeyore did not want to go back home and decided to be homeless. Eeyore met a couple people while living in the streets. She met two boys, Critter and Scabius. They always ended up getting drunk every night and Eeyore started smoking cigarettes. Scabius always stole from the gas station and Eeyore would try to hook up with Critter even though he did not want to. One night when Critter was away, Scabius tried to get with Eeyore and force her to do stuff she did not want to do. Eeyore always stayed distant from everyone after that. One day Critter and Eeyore snuck into her house so they could get food and money and take showers. Eeyore’s step-mom caught them and tried to talk to her into staying but it ended up turning into a huge fight and Eeyore told her step-mom what her step-brother, Brian, was doing to her. Eeyore was thrown out of the house. Eeyore and Critter left with the supplies they needed and headed back to where Scabius was. One night Eeyore was cuddling with Critter and tried to do stuff to him but he ended up getting mad at her and told her that no one wants her and she should leave and go home. Eeyore ran off crying and Critter went back to sit with Scabius. A couple days later, Tracy found Scabius and Critter and she became friends with them. Tracy and Critter became a thing and started dating. One day when Tracy was out buying food she met a girl named Laura, who was around her age. Tracy said Laura could stay with her and her friends. Tracy and Critter dated for a couple months until Laura and Tracy ran off to find a job. Tracy found them a job, but Laura did not take it because they would have to be prostitutes. Laura then decided it was time to go back home and said goodbye to Tracy and told her good luck with her job. Tracy was always paid with drugs and sometimes cash. One day Tracy walked into work and saw Eeyore in the corner clutching onto her backpack and looking nervous. Tracy refused to do anything with Eeyore and started asking her a whole bunch of questions. Eeyore told Tracy what happened with Scabius and Tracy took off looking mad. Later that night, Tracy found Scabius and Critter sleeping in an alley. Tracy then went up to Scabius and kicked him in the stomach. Critter and Scabius both woke up and asked what was going on. Tracy was still beating up Scabius and yelling at him, she finally stopped and explained what was going on and Critter was shocked at the news Tracy told them. Scabius denied everything and called Tracy crazy. Tracy just ignored him and went back to Eeyore. She found Eeyore sleeping in the corner and woke her up, she then took Eeyore by the hand and they ran for miles and miles. They ended up on a hill facing Eeyore’s house. Tracy then convinced Eeyore that she does not belong in the streets and needs to go back home and tell her dad everything that happened, including her step-brother. Eeyore finally agreed and walked down the road to her house with Tracy by her side.
Characters:
Eeyore was a 12 year old girl with blonde hair and brown eyes. She came from a rich family and hates it. Her step-mom tried to act like her mom and her step-brother raped her. Eeyore did not have friends at school and usually gets picked on. Tracy was one of Eeyore’s friends. She was about 16 or 17 years old. She has light brown hair and green eyes. She has been homeless since she was 13, because she ran away from her abusive father. She was super skinny and tall. She acts tough, but deep down she wants to cry and let everything out. Scabius is a guy Eeyore met in the streets. He is 16 years old and ran away a couple months before Eeyore did. He ran to Los Angeles with his girlfriend but she left him for some rich guy. He also tried to rape Eeyore. Critter is another guy Eeyore met in the streets. He was 16 or 17 years old and Eeyore has a thing for him, but he does not have a thing for Eeyore. He ran away because his mother left him and his father turned into an alcoholic and drug addict. Critter and Tracy had been going out for months until Tracy left the group to find work. Laura was a girl Tracy met while searching for food. Laura is 16 years old and was kicked out of her house. Tracy and Laura became great friends, but then Laura decided to go back home.
Setting:
The setting takes place in 21st century Los Angeles, California. The story begins at the beginning of the school year in the fall. I think the book took place in California because it has the highest numbers for homelessness.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to high school boys and girls because it has a lot of harsh language and really detailed parts. It is a little to inappropriate for middle schoolers. The book talks about drugs, alcohol, intercourse, and abuse.
I would give this book three out of five stars because the book had random parts in random places. I liked how each chapter were different characters and talked about what they saw in the streets and how they dealt with it. I also liked how the characters knew each other and were friends, instead of it all being so different.
Plot:
A little girl named Eleanor hated her life. She did not have any friends at school, everyone bullied her, and she especially hated her step-mom. She was at school one day when she missed the bus because some girls beat Eleanor behind the school parking lot. A girl named Tracy saw everything going down and helps Eleanor out. Tracy took Eleanor out to the city and bought her a soda and tacos. Tracy wanted to call Eleanor by a nickname, she decided on Eeyore. Tracy and Eeyore ended up staying behind a Whole Foods store for a couple nights until Tracy ran off one morning and left Eeyore by herself. Eeyore did not want to go back home and decided to be homeless. Eeyore met a couple people while living in the streets. She met two boys, Critter and Scabius. They always ended up getting drunk every night and Eeyore started smoking cigarettes. Scabius always stole from the gas station and Eeyore would try to hook up with Critter even though he did not want to. One night when Critter was away, Scabius tried to get with Eeyore and force her to do stuff she did not want to do. Eeyore always stayed distant from everyone after that. One day Critter and Eeyore snuck into her house so they could get food and money and take showers. Eeyore’s step-mom caught them and tried to talk to her into staying but it ended up turning into a huge fight and Eeyore told her step-mom what her step-brother, Brian, was doing to her. Eeyore was thrown out of the house. Eeyore and Critter left with the supplies they needed and headed back to where Scabius was. One night Eeyore was cuddling with Critter and tried to do stuff to him but he ended up getting mad at her and told her that no one wants her and she should leave and go home. Eeyore ran off crying and Critter went back to sit with Scabius. A couple days later, Tracy found Scabius and Critter and she became friends with them. Tracy and Critter became a thing and started dating. One day when Tracy was out buying food she met a girl named Laura, who was around her age. Tracy said Laura could stay with her and her friends. Tracy and Critter dated for a couple months until Laura and Tracy ran off to find a job. Tracy found them a job, but Laura did not take it because they would have to be prostitutes. Laura then decided it was time to go back home and said goodbye to Tracy and told her good luck with her job. Tracy was always paid with drugs and sometimes cash. One day Tracy walked into work and saw Eeyore in the corner clutching onto her backpack and looking nervous. Tracy refused to do anything with Eeyore and started asking her a whole bunch of questions. Eeyore told Tracy what happened with Scabius and Tracy took off looking mad. Later that night, Tracy found Scabius and Critter sleeping in an alley. Tracy then went up to Scabius and kicked him in the stomach. Critter and Scabius both woke up and asked what was going on. Tracy was still beating up Scabius and yelling at him, she finally stopped and explained what was going on and Critter was shocked at the news Tracy told them. Scabius denied everything and called Tracy crazy. Tracy just ignored him and went back to Eeyore. She found Eeyore sleeping in the corner and woke her up, she then took Eeyore by the hand and they ran for miles and miles. They ended up on a hill facing Eeyore’s house. Tracy then convinced Eeyore that she does not belong in the streets and needs to go back home and tell her dad everything that happened, including her step-brother. Eeyore finally agreed and walked down the road to her house with Tracy by her side.
Characters:
Eeyore was a 12 year old girl with blonde hair and brown eyes. She came from a rich family and hates it. Her step-mom tried to act like her mom and her step-brother raped her. Eeyore did not have friends at school and usually gets picked on. Tracy was one of Eeyore’s friends. She was about 16 or 17 years old. She has light brown hair and green eyes. She has been homeless since she was 13, because she ran away from her abusive father. She was super skinny and tall. She acts tough, but deep down she wants to cry and let everything out. Scabius is a guy Eeyore met in the streets. He is 16 years old and ran away a couple months before Eeyore did. He ran to Los Angeles with his girlfriend but she left him for some rich guy. He also tried to rape Eeyore. Critter is another guy Eeyore met in the streets. He was 16 or 17 years old and Eeyore has a thing for him, but he does not have a thing for Eeyore. He ran away because his mother left him and his father turned into an alcoholic and drug addict. Critter and Tracy had been going out for months until Tracy left the group to find work. Laura was a girl Tracy met while searching for food. Laura is 16 years old and was kicked out of her house. Tracy and Laura became great friends, but then Laura decided to go back home.
Setting:
The setting takes place in 21st century Los Angeles, California. The story begins at the beginning of the school year in the fall. I think the book took place in California because it has the highest numbers for homelessness.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to high school boys and girls because it has a lot of harsh language and really detailed parts. It is a little to inappropriate for middle schoolers. The book talks about drugs, alcohol, intercourse, and abuse.
July 26, 2012
While sitting in the picturesque Smokey Mountains by a clear stream, I read the heartbreaking, gritty book “Almost Home” by Jessica Blank. This book tells the story of a group of teen runaways in Los Angeles. As a teacher and someone who cares a great deal about the teenagers in her life, this book was hard to read. I had to put it down on several occasions and do something else because the story just got too intense for me.
The story in “Almost Home” is told by seven runaways, all living in the same area in L.A. Eeyore has run away from sexual abuse at home and bullying at school. Rusty has run to L.A. in order to be with his teacher/lover who never shows up. Squid ran from a drug-abusing mother and a physically abusive father. Scabius took off when his father hit him (again) and then went to get his gun. Critter ran from L.A. to Reno after some girl who then dumped him and left him without a place to go. He eventually made it back to L.A., but not to his home – the drugs had too strong a hold on him by then. Laura ran because… well… she’d done and seen everything her little town had to offer. Her mother was going no where fast, living on hopes, dreams, and new boyfriends. Laura wanted to see what else the world had to offer. Finally, Tracy. Tracy ran from a sexually abusive father. And she is what binds all of the characters in the story together.
The plot of “Almost Home” is wonderful, in a sad way. I guess I should say it is wonderfully constructed. Jessica Blank did an outstanding job of carefully weaving each of these separate characters’ lives together. Eeyore meets Tracy, who takes her to live on the street. When Tracy takes off, Eeyore meets up with Critter, Rusty and Squid. Rusty meets Tracy while “taking a vacation” on Venice Beach. Later, Critter meets Tracy and brings her back with him to the group’s area in L.A. Scabius is a runaway Critter first met in Reno. Laura happens to be staying at a youth hostel that Tracy and Critter crash at. Each individual ends up, somehow, a part of this street “family” in L.A. Another cool aspect of the plot is its progression. With each new chapter, the plot of the story takes three steps forward, but at the beginning of the next chapter, it takes one step back. We see the story unfold from one character’s point-of-view to then see the end of it retold from the next character’s point-of-view and then continue on, to be partially re-told again by the next character. Three steps forward, one step back. It’s a very unique way to tell the story.
The one part of the book that I question is the authenticity of the runaways’ experiences/life on the streets. While I have no reason to question the experiences the characters have in the book and everything feels like it could be real, I wonder how the author knows about life on the street. In the “Acknowledgements” section of the book, the author thanks editors, readers, publishers, friends and family. I can find nowhere that she thanks someone who works with runaways or was a runaway themselves. Also, the author lives in Brooklyn, NY, but the book is set in Los Angeles, CA. All of this just makes me wonder how true-to-life the people and events in the book are.
Regardless, “Almost Home” by Jessica Blank is a book that will touch your heart and make you think. I desperately wanted to call my mom after finishing the book and thank her for all she gave me growing up – and I would have called, except it was after 11:00 p.m. when I got done. This book is definitely for “mature audiences” (i.e. high schoolers), but it is a book that I think both boys and girls could read and enjoy… if “enjoy” is the right word.
The story in “Almost Home” is told by seven runaways, all living in the same area in L.A. Eeyore has run away from sexual abuse at home and bullying at school. Rusty has run to L.A. in order to be with his teacher/lover who never shows up. Squid ran from a drug-abusing mother and a physically abusive father. Scabius took off when his father hit him (again) and then went to get his gun. Critter ran from L.A. to Reno after some girl who then dumped him and left him without a place to go. He eventually made it back to L.A., but not to his home – the drugs had too strong a hold on him by then. Laura ran because… well… she’d done and seen everything her little town had to offer. Her mother was going no where fast, living on hopes, dreams, and new boyfriends. Laura wanted to see what else the world had to offer. Finally, Tracy. Tracy ran from a sexually abusive father. And she is what binds all of the characters in the story together.
The plot of “Almost Home” is wonderful, in a sad way. I guess I should say it is wonderfully constructed. Jessica Blank did an outstanding job of carefully weaving each of these separate characters’ lives together. Eeyore meets Tracy, who takes her to live on the street. When Tracy takes off, Eeyore meets up with Critter, Rusty and Squid. Rusty meets Tracy while “taking a vacation” on Venice Beach. Later, Critter meets Tracy and brings her back with him to the group’s area in L.A. Scabius is a runaway Critter first met in Reno. Laura happens to be staying at a youth hostel that Tracy and Critter crash at. Each individual ends up, somehow, a part of this street “family” in L.A. Another cool aspect of the plot is its progression. With each new chapter, the plot of the story takes three steps forward, but at the beginning of the next chapter, it takes one step back. We see the story unfold from one character’s point-of-view to then see the end of it retold from the next character’s point-of-view and then continue on, to be partially re-told again by the next character. Three steps forward, one step back. It’s a very unique way to tell the story.
The one part of the book that I question is the authenticity of the runaways’ experiences/life on the streets. While I have no reason to question the experiences the characters have in the book and everything feels like it could be real, I wonder how the author knows about life on the street. In the “Acknowledgements” section of the book, the author thanks editors, readers, publishers, friends and family. I can find nowhere that she thanks someone who works with runaways or was a runaway themselves. Also, the author lives in Brooklyn, NY, but the book is set in Los Angeles, CA. All of this just makes me wonder how true-to-life the people and events in the book are.
Regardless, “Almost Home” by Jessica Blank is a book that will touch your heart and make you think. I desperately wanted to call my mom after finishing the book and thank her for all she gave me growing up – and I would have called, except it was after 11:00 p.m. when I got done. This book is definitely for “mature audiences” (i.e. high schoolers), but it is a book that I think both boys and girls could read and enjoy… if “enjoy” is the right word.
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April 3, 2008Reference information:
Title: “Almost Home”
Author: Jessica Blank
Publisher: Hyperion Year: 2007
# of pages: 250 Genre: YA Fiction
Reading level Interest level: 12 years old-up
Potential hot lava: Very strong issues relating to teens
General response/reaction:
When reading this book, I honestly had no idea what it was going to be about until reading the back. It has issues that needed to be addressed with some teens and that would get teens interested in reading. I was shocked at what some of these teens had to endure and go through at such a young age, I cannot even imagine if that would have been me. What the teens did to go through everyday life and make it through took real courage.
Subjects, Themes, and Big Ideas:
- secrets
- gay
- drugs
- sex
- abuse
- neglect
Characters:
Eeyore- a 12 year old girl who runs away from home
Rusty- gay teen, left alone after his boyfriend left him for Hollywood
Squid- a veteran of the Foster Care system
Scabius- dangerous troubled teen from Utah
Critter- drug dealer
Laura- tired of her Mom bringing home boyfriend after boyfriend
Tracy- the tie that binds the group together
Plot summary:
This narrative leads off telling the story of seven teens suffering the mishaps of life and banding together as a family after they are all taking up residence on the streets of Los Angeles. Each of the seven characters has their own life story and has a chapter devoted to what brought them out to the streets, but they do not like to talk about their pasts, they try and think of the future. From being molested to abuse in this story, each character has had a rough life. The streets are tough and they meet the nastiest of people. They have to endure hunger, drug dealers and their biggest enemies; each other. After a few fights, they decide to stick together and make it through. As the book is called, each character is ‘Almost Home’. Each character comes up with a plan to either go home of make their own somewhere else.
Strengths (including reviews and awards):
This book does not give a naive illustration of living on the streets but the rough times each character goes through to make it out alive. We learn what makes each character who they are.
Drawbacks or other cautions:
Strong imagery of the characters past depicts the chapters of this book. Themes in this story include; prostitution, drugs, sex and abuse.
Teaching ideas:
Before Reading
- Predictions of what students will think will happen in this story
- Show a movie clip from a movie that involves same theme or if book is a movie
During Reading
- Have students develop a theme web
- Discussions after each chapter
- Quiz to make sure students are reading
- Role play the characters
- Journal Entries
After Reading
- Making a movie trailer of what students think are the important parts of this book
- Essay questions (i.e. writing a different ending)
- Depicting what each characters perfect home would look like
Title: “Almost Home”
Author: Jessica Blank
Publisher: Hyperion Year: 2007
# of pages: 250 Genre: YA Fiction
Reading level Interest level: 12 years old-up
Potential hot lava: Very strong issues relating to teens
General response/reaction:
When reading this book, I honestly had no idea what it was going to be about until reading the back. It has issues that needed to be addressed with some teens and that would get teens interested in reading. I was shocked at what some of these teens had to endure and go through at such a young age, I cannot even imagine if that would have been me. What the teens did to go through everyday life and make it through took real courage.
Subjects, Themes, and Big Ideas:
- secrets
- gay
- drugs
- sex
- abuse
- neglect
Characters:
Eeyore- a 12 year old girl who runs away from home
Rusty- gay teen, left alone after his boyfriend left him for Hollywood
Squid- a veteran of the Foster Care system
Scabius- dangerous troubled teen from Utah
Critter- drug dealer
Laura- tired of her Mom bringing home boyfriend after boyfriend
Tracy- the tie that binds the group together
Plot summary:
This narrative leads off telling the story of seven teens suffering the mishaps of life and banding together as a family after they are all taking up residence on the streets of Los Angeles. Each of the seven characters has their own life story and has a chapter devoted to what brought them out to the streets, but they do not like to talk about their pasts, they try and think of the future. From being molested to abuse in this story, each character has had a rough life. The streets are tough and they meet the nastiest of people. They have to endure hunger, drug dealers and their biggest enemies; each other. After a few fights, they decide to stick together and make it through. As the book is called, each character is ‘Almost Home’. Each character comes up with a plan to either go home of make their own somewhere else.
Strengths (including reviews and awards):
This book does not give a naive illustration of living on the streets but the rough times each character goes through to make it out alive. We learn what makes each character who they are.
Drawbacks or other cautions:
Strong imagery of the characters past depicts the chapters of this book. Themes in this story include; prostitution, drugs, sex and abuse.
Teaching ideas:
Before Reading
- Predictions of what students will think will happen in this story
- Show a movie clip from a movie that involves same theme or if book is a movie
During Reading
- Have students develop a theme web
- Discussions after each chapter
- Quiz to make sure students are reading
- Role play the characters
- Journal Entries
After Reading
- Making a movie trailer of what students think are the important parts of this book
- Essay questions (i.e. writing a different ending)
- Depicting what each characters perfect home would look like
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2010
Almost Home is an underrated book. This isn't your typical young adult novel about teen angst. It's shockingly raw and realistic. Following a group of homeless teenagers Blank really brought these characters to life. Blank gives such great insight into their lives I found myself so wrapped up in their emotions and thoughts that I could have sworn it was based on real people. Highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in discovering what life is like on the streets or simply for a GREAT read.
July 6, 2022
I am at the middle of reading this book and I want to write the review early as I can see that I'll forget it. So this is a story from a whole group of people from different backgrounds and a different look on life and how they each deal with it. But as I see it, there is a bond that ties them all together, which for me is maybe Tracy or the longing for connection and comfort that they all could've received from home but didn't and now they're on a venture to find that piece of themselves that they never had on the streets.
What a great look on the life and mind of young adults and the scary but fascinating survival out in the streets.
What a great look on the life and mind of young adults and the scary but fascinating survival out in the streets.
January 19, 2014
Bland. That's the best way to describe this book. Despite it's wildly unique subject matter (homeless teens), it was so dull that I couldn't help abandoning it 120 pages in. I feel like Blank was going for something more ambitious than her capabilities, and while she didn't screw it up as badly as someone else might've, the result wasn't particularly riveting.
Really, the book would've been far better if Blank hadn't tackled this subject matter, and she hadn't used this format. This book has seven different protagonists, all of whom narrate in first-person. I can tell that it was overwhelming for Blank to develop a distinct voice and personality for each one, and as a result, the characterization feels more like variation on a theme than different people. She seems to be starting with the same base: a character who's determined at heart and feels fundamentally shut out from the world and who wants to avoid being whinny. They all have something else from there - Eeyore wants to be seen as older, Rusty is delusional, ect. - but ultimately, they all read the same. Tracy could've been different, but I didn't make it to her POV chapter. If Blank had only chosen one character to serve as protagonist, things would've been much better. That one character would've been well-developed and human. But here, the wider array of characters, rather than giving the reader lots of different perspectives on the mentality of a homeless teen, just feel monotonous.
The same thing happens to the voices of the characters. It's all built from the same base: something casual that uses a bit of teenspeak, but not enough to be painful, and something that goes into stream-of-consciousnesses quite a bit. That would've been great on its own. On a sentence level, it was very effective and smooth. But it was given to each character with only minor variations, which simply isn't realistic. The variations were definitely there (Eeyore uses run-on sentences a lot, Scabraid curses a lot), but on the whole, the characters don't talk differently enough for them to feel separate. Flipping to a random page of a book, I'd have to look back at the start of the chapter to tell who's speaking. As with before, things would've worked perfectly well if there was only one character narrating - Blank is perfectly capable of that. But she bit off more than she could chew, and the result just didn't work.
This also applies to the book's subject matter. The book is about homeless teens. Now, I've never been homeless, and I can't speak for anyone unfortunate enough to find themselves in that situation, but I feel almost certain that it would involve a lot of emotional pain, a lot of times when you really don't know if you're going to scrape by or not, a lot of hopelessness. Blank does a horrible job of capturing that. The characters definitely know they're in a horrible situation, but I never really felt it. Honestly, they came across as pretty happy throughout a lot of the book, and even the emotional scenes didn't really damper it. The bad emotion felt obligatory, to be honest, surfacing not casually, but only in climatic confrontations. I felt like Blank was going for something raw and gritty, but it just didn't work.
In terms of story, things worked alright, I guess. The book was more about the characters, who weren't very interesting, but Blank managed to do a pretty good job of keeping things moving along. I do wish things had been a bit more linear - I often had a hard time keeping up with how much time passed between events - but it wasn't too big of a problem. The story just doesn't stand out in my mind, I guess. It wasn't bad, just not noteworthy. Very few authors can pull off just exploring a situation without much story to it; Blank didn't do a good job of exploring the situation, but at least she wrote the story in a way that would've allowed her to.
My final problem is a small one, but an annoying one. The word 'retarded' was used as an insult. I don't have any inherent hatred of that word used in books - there are situations where it's okay. But if you're going to include it, you'd better have a good reason for it. In An Abundance of Katherines, for example, Lindsay uses the word in her first appearance, instantly characterizing her - she's not very smart, in stark contrast to the super-intelligent Collin. But there's no good purpose for Eeyore's use of the word here. Just because real teenagers use it isn't good enough - real teenagers masturbate, but nobody wants to read about that. The word is very offensive, and I will absolutely take issue with it when it's not used for a good reason.
Overall, this isn't a very good exploration of homelessness. Normally, when I reject a book that deals with an issue like this, I try to offer an alternative, but I haven't actually read one. Because of that, I admire Blank for attempting to take on such an issue, but she still fundamentally failed, in my eyes.
Really, the book would've been far better if Blank hadn't tackled this subject matter, and she hadn't used this format. This book has seven different protagonists, all of whom narrate in first-person. I can tell that it was overwhelming for Blank to develop a distinct voice and personality for each one, and as a result, the characterization feels more like variation on a theme than different people. She seems to be starting with the same base: a character who's determined at heart and feels fundamentally shut out from the world and who wants to avoid being whinny. They all have something else from there - Eeyore wants to be seen as older, Rusty is delusional, ect. - but ultimately, they all read the same. Tracy could've been different, but I didn't make it to her POV chapter. If Blank had only chosen one character to serve as protagonist, things would've been much better. That one character would've been well-developed and human. But here, the wider array of characters, rather than giving the reader lots of different perspectives on the mentality of a homeless teen, just feel monotonous.
The same thing happens to the voices of the characters. It's all built from the same base: something casual that uses a bit of teenspeak, but not enough to be painful, and something that goes into stream-of-consciousnesses quite a bit. That would've been great on its own. On a sentence level, it was very effective and smooth. But it was given to each character with only minor variations, which simply isn't realistic. The variations were definitely there (Eeyore uses run-on sentences a lot, Scabraid curses a lot), but on the whole, the characters don't talk differently enough for them to feel separate. Flipping to a random page of a book, I'd have to look back at the start of the chapter to tell who's speaking. As with before, things would've worked perfectly well if there was only one character narrating - Blank is perfectly capable of that. But she bit off more than she could chew, and the result just didn't work.
This also applies to the book's subject matter. The book is about homeless teens. Now, I've never been homeless, and I can't speak for anyone unfortunate enough to find themselves in that situation, but I feel almost certain that it would involve a lot of emotional pain, a lot of times when you really don't know if you're going to scrape by or not, a lot of hopelessness. Blank does a horrible job of capturing that. The characters definitely know they're in a horrible situation, but I never really felt it. Honestly, they came across as pretty happy throughout a lot of the book, and even the emotional scenes didn't really damper it. The bad emotion felt obligatory, to be honest, surfacing not casually, but only in climatic confrontations. I felt like Blank was going for something raw and gritty, but it just didn't work.
In terms of story, things worked alright, I guess. The book was more about the characters, who weren't very interesting, but Blank managed to do a pretty good job of keeping things moving along. I do wish things had been a bit more linear - I often had a hard time keeping up with how much time passed between events - but it wasn't too big of a problem. The story just doesn't stand out in my mind, I guess. It wasn't bad, just not noteworthy. Very few authors can pull off just exploring a situation without much story to it; Blank didn't do a good job of exploring the situation, but at least she wrote the story in a way that would've allowed her to.
My final problem is a small one, but an annoying one. The word 'retarded' was used as an insult. I don't have any inherent hatred of that word used in books - there are situations where it's okay. But if you're going to include it, you'd better have a good reason for it. In An Abundance of Katherines, for example, Lindsay uses the word in her first appearance, instantly characterizing her - she's not very smart, in stark contrast to the super-intelligent Collin. But there's no good purpose for Eeyore's use of the word here. Just because real teenagers use it isn't good enough - real teenagers masturbate, but nobody wants to read about that. The word is very offensive, and I will absolutely take issue with it when it's not used for a good reason.
Overall, this isn't a very good exploration of homelessness. Normally, when I reject a book that deals with an issue like this, I try to offer an alternative, but I haven't actually read one. Because of that, I admire Blank for attempting to take on such an issue, but she still fundamentally failed, in my eyes.
October 12, 2017
I liked it but 7 perspectives is a little too much.
August 8, 2025
truly heartbreaking, unfortunately stories like this are real out there.
September 5, 2013
Almost Home is perfect for fans of:
1) Misleading cover blurbs
2) Characters that make you well up with anger
3) Characters that are only there for filler
4) Tacos. And donuts, too.
...
I find the fact that Jessica Blank's first young adult novel is published by Disney-Hyperion extremely ironic. This book is raw, gritty, and disturbing, definitely not what one would expect to be endorsed by the same company that release movies about fairy princesses and true love.
The novel tells the story of a group of homeless kids living in and around LA, centering on this chick named Tracy and the young, new runaway Eeyore.
Barely any loose ends were tied up by the end of the book, which didn't really bother me. Why?
a) The characters, with the exception of Eeyore, were completely forgettable. I trudged through the entire body of the book with the hopes that at least her story would be resolved.
b) I didn't expectt for anything to be resolved because the book is about homeless teenagers, and in real life, we usually never get to know what happened to them. I find that a convenient excuse for Blank to not have to finish up their points of view.
Elaborating on the taco-donut thing, everything that these characters do somehow revolves around the two essential food groups for homeless kids.
Almost Home does get 3 stars (2.5 if we could use half-star ratings) because of the prose. Blank sure knows how to craft a good tale. Her beautiful writing makes up for the boring plot and surprisingly makes this an enjoyable book to quote but a bland book to read.
The beginning was great, as well as the ending, but sadly the ~150 pages in between just fell flat for me. I bet if I just skipped to the end after the first chapter, I would feel just as satisfied as I do now.
1) Misleading cover blurbs
2) Characters that make you well up with anger
3) Characters that are only there for filler
4) Tacos. And donuts, too.
...
I find the fact that Jessica Blank's first young adult novel is published by Disney-Hyperion extremely ironic. This book is raw, gritty, and disturbing, definitely not what one would expect to be endorsed by the same company that release movies about fairy princesses and true love.
The novel tells the story of a group of homeless kids living in and around LA, centering on this chick named Tracy and the young, new runaway Eeyore.
Barely any loose ends were tied up by the end of the book, which didn't really bother me. Why?
a) The characters, with the exception of Eeyore, were completely forgettable. I trudged through the entire body of the book with the hopes that at least her story would be resolved.
b) I didn't expectt for anything to be resolved because the book is about homeless teenagers, and in real life, we usually never get to know what happened to them. I find that a convenient excuse for Blank to not have to finish up their points of view.
Elaborating on the taco-donut thing, everything that these characters do somehow revolves around the two essential food groups for homeless kids.
Almost Home does get 3 stars (2.5 if we could use half-star ratings) because of the prose. Blank sure knows how to craft a good tale. Her beautiful writing makes up for the boring plot and surprisingly makes this an enjoyable book to quote but a bland book to read.
The beginning was great, as well as the ending, but sadly the ~150 pages in between just fell flat for me. I bet if I just skipped to the end after the first chapter, I would feel just as satisfied as I do now.
July 3, 2008
reivew written for www.teensreadtoo.com
ALMOST HOME by Jessica Blank
Category: Contemporary
Age Recommendation: Grade 9+
Release Date: October 23, 2007
Publisher: Hyperion
Reviewed by: Jaglvr
Rating: 5 Stars
Jessica Blank writes a gritty, raw novel of life on the street for a mismatched group of young kids. Often times graphic and bleak, she crafts a story that reads like a documentary of life on streets in LA. Seven different lives are interwoven with each other, showing that you can touch more lives than you realize.
Eeyore, aka Elly, is the youngest of the bunch. After an embarrassing encounter at school, street smart Tracy takes her under her wing, and Elly runs away from home. Eeyore is not only running from the humiliation from school, but from a horrible home secret that no one would believe.
Rusty is in love with his male teacher, Jim. They were found out and Jim told Rusty to go to Hollywood and he would meet him there once he ties up all the loose ends at home. But it’s been over a month and Jim isn’t returning his calls and he’s running out of money and options fast.
Critter is a drug dealer that has taken Eeyore under his wing. She adores him and follows him around like a baby bird. Critter tries to protect her from the seedier side of life on the street – drugs and pimps.
Tracy is the weak thread that intertwines through all their lives has an unknown quality that captivates everyone. With stringy hair, bad teeth, and empty eyes, Tracy has seen far too much for her young age.
Along with these 4 and 3 others, the rough harsh life of runaways and throwaways is written in a bleak style. Told through the eyes of each of the characters, the reader is left with a new awareness of the realities that can cause young adults to run from home. Many are hoping for a better life from the one they knew, only to find that there are different problems that they will face, such as homelessness, hunger, and poverty.
ALMOST HOME by Jessica Blank
Category: Contemporary
Age Recommendation: Grade 9+
Release Date: October 23, 2007
Publisher: Hyperion
Reviewed by: Jaglvr
Rating: 5 Stars
Jessica Blank writes a gritty, raw novel of life on the street for a mismatched group of young kids. Often times graphic and bleak, she crafts a story that reads like a documentary of life on streets in LA. Seven different lives are interwoven with each other, showing that you can touch more lives than you realize.
Eeyore, aka Elly, is the youngest of the bunch. After an embarrassing encounter at school, street smart Tracy takes her under her wing, and Elly runs away from home. Eeyore is not only running from the humiliation from school, but from a horrible home secret that no one would believe.
Rusty is in love with his male teacher, Jim. They were found out and Jim told Rusty to go to Hollywood and he would meet him there once he ties up all the loose ends at home. But it’s been over a month and Jim isn’t returning his calls and he’s running out of money and options fast.
Critter is a drug dealer that has taken Eeyore under his wing. She adores him and follows him around like a baby bird. Critter tries to protect her from the seedier side of life on the street – drugs and pimps.
Tracy is the weak thread that intertwines through all their lives has an unknown quality that captivates everyone. With stringy hair, bad teeth, and empty eyes, Tracy has seen far too much for her young age.
Along with these 4 and 3 others, the rough harsh life of runaways and throwaways is written in a bleak style. Told through the eyes of each of the characters, the reader is left with a new awareness of the realities that can cause young adults to run from home. Many are hoping for a better life from the one they knew, only to find that there are different problems that they will face, such as homelessness, hunger, and poverty.
November 6, 2012
Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com
Jessica Blank writes a gritty, raw novel of life on the street for a mismatched group of young kids. Oftentimes graphic and bleak, she crafts a story that reads like a documentary of life on the streets in L.A. Seven individual paths are interwoven with each other, showing that you can touch more lives than you realize.
Eeyore, aka Elly, is the youngest of the bunch. After an embarrassing encounter at school, street smart Tracy takes her under her wing, and Elly runs away from home. Eeyore is not only running from the humiliation of school, but from a horrible home secret that no one would believe.
Rusty is in love with his male teacher, Jim. They were found out and Jim told Rusty to go to Hollywood and he would meet him there once he ties up all the loose ends at home. But it's been over a month and Jim isn't returning his calls and he's running out of money and options fast.
Critter is a drug dealer who has also taken Eeyore under his wing. She adores him and follows him around like a baby bird. Critter tries to protect her from the seedier side of life on the street - drugs and pimps.
Tracy is the weak thread that intertwines through all their lives yet has an unknown quality that captivates everyone. With stringy hair, bad teeth, and empty eyes, Tracy has seen far too much for her young age.
Along with these four and three others, the rough, harsh life of runaways and throwaways is written in a bleak style in ALMOST HOME. Told through the eyes of each of the characters, the reader is left with a new awareness of the realities that can cause young adults to run away from home and family. Many are hoping for a better life from the one they knew, only to find that there are different problems that they will face, such as homelessness, hunger, and poverty.
Jessica Blank writes a gritty, raw novel of life on the street for a mismatched group of young kids. Oftentimes graphic and bleak, she crafts a story that reads like a documentary of life on the streets in L.A. Seven individual paths are interwoven with each other, showing that you can touch more lives than you realize.
Eeyore, aka Elly, is the youngest of the bunch. After an embarrassing encounter at school, street smart Tracy takes her under her wing, and Elly runs away from home. Eeyore is not only running from the humiliation of school, but from a horrible home secret that no one would believe.
Rusty is in love with his male teacher, Jim. They were found out and Jim told Rusty to go to Hollywood and he would meet him there once he ties up all the loose ends at home. But it's been over a month and Jim isn't returning his calls and he's running out of money and options fast.
Critter is a drug dealer who has also taken Eeyore under his wing. She adores him and follows him around like a baby bird. Critter tries to protect her from the seedier side of life on the street - drugs and pimps.
Tracy is the weak thread that intertwines through all their lives yet has an unknown quality that captivates everyone. With stringy hair, bad teeth, and empty eyes, Tracy has seen far too much for her young age.
Along with these four and three others, the rough, harsh life of runaways and throwaways is written in a bleak style in ALMOST HOME. Told through the eyes of each of the characters, the reader is left with a new awareness of the realities that can cause young adults to run away from home and family. Many are hoping for a better life from the one they knew, only to find that there are different problems that they will face, such as homelessness, hunger, and poverty.
March 15, 2013
Eeyore is a privileged kid with a caring father, a not-so-bad step-mother and step-brother, and an amazing mansion in L.A. but she has a deep secret that she keeps hidden and eventually takes with her to the streets. Rusty is gay and in love with his teacher in Bakersfield but when Jim, his teacher, convinces him to run away to L.A.,where Jim will meet him, he ends up losing all faith in Jim when he never shows up which leads him to the streets. Squid, from Arizona, who's been through a dozen or more foster homes is tried and wants to create a family of his own, one on the streets. Critter, from Reno, is a handsome drug dealer who only wants love and finds it on the streets. Scabius, form Reno, is a follower of Critter and wants Critter to notice him. Laura, from Burbank, is tired of her mom's countless boyfriends and wants to be somewhere bigger than her small city but ends up on the streets. Tracy, who's been everywhere and back, is the one that ties them all together but she's the one that's hurting the most. Somehow, everyone ends up on the streets of L.A. together and they face countless challenges just to be almost home, wherever home is.
I picked this book because we had a presentation about homeless people and I decided to read a book about it. I finished this book because I wanted to know what happens to Eeyore and I wanted to see how it would end since this book is like real life.
I recommend this book to Simon, my brother, because he always takes things for granted and this book shows you that not everyone in the world has the same privileges like us.
Almost Home is an incredible book and it's as realistic as it gets. It shows you that there are people in the world that are suffering, that this world is not a perfect place to live in. An amazing book written by an amazing writer.
I picked this book because we had a presentation about homeless people and I decided to read a book about it. I finished this book because I wanted to know what happens to Eeyore and I wanted to see how it would end since this book is like real life.
I recommend this book to Simon, my brother, because he always takes things for granted and this book shows you that not everyone in the world has the same privileges like us.
Almost Home is an incredible book and it's as realistic as it gets. It shows you that there are people in the world that are suffering, that this world is not a perfect place to live in. An amazing book written by an amazing writer.
September 29, 2015
This book was stressful. In the beginning I really wasn't sure how I felt about it. And then we got Rustys point of view. And I was in love. And then it ended. AND THEN WE GOT SQUID'S POINT OF VIEW. AND IT WAS SO GREAT AND I WANTED TO READ IT ALL DAY AND THen it ended. And I lost interest in the book. Until Tracey can around and although it was tough deciding how I felt about her because she was very confusing I think I realized that when I didnt like her it was because of how the narrator saw her, except with Rusty. So in all, she was pretty awesome.
Eeyore was cute and although I started to dislike her towards the middle, she came back around towards the end, so I love her. I just wish we got more of her POV.
RUSTY WAS MY ACTUAL FAVORITE AND I JUST WANTED TO TAKE HIM IN MY ARMS AND KEEP HIM FROM GETTING HURT BY THE WORLD.
SQUID WAS JUST AS GREAT AND HE WAS LOVELY AND A LIL CINNAMON ROLL AND I JUST WANT HSJCJSJX HES SO PRECIOUS
Scabius was just the worst
Critter was absolutely angering. I wanted to like him but he was too much like Scabius and a real creep. When he hit her I lost all respect for him.
Laura wasn't too bad.
And Tracey... shE ANGERED ME. She came off as very much of a jerk in the beginning and then in the chapter with Rusty she reminded me of Mandy Milkovich and then I lost all like for her in the Scabius chapter and wanted to walk into the story and punch her in the face. Except towards the end when I realized it was just Scabius that I wanted to punch in the face. Except in the dount part, none of that scene made sense to me tbh.
I enjoyed it. And I like the characters, but not being in their heads. Except Rusty and Squid, and towards the end Eeyore. I was insanely disappointed that is didnt get more of their stories. I just want a book of Tracey, Eeyore, Laura, Rusty, and Squid. In Squids POV.
Eeyore was cute and although I started to dislike her towards the middle, she came back around towards the end, so I love her. I just wish we got more of her POV.
RUSTY WAS MY ACTUAL FAVORITE AND I JUST WANTED TO TAKE HIM IN MY ARMS AND KEEP HIM FROM GETTING HURT BY THE WORLD.
SQUID WAS JUST AS GREAT AND HE WAS LOVELY AND A LIL CINNAMON ROLL AND I JUST WANT HSJCJSJX HES SO PRECIOUS
Scabius was just the worst
Critter was absolutely angering. I wanted to like him but he was too much like Scabius and a real creep. When he hit her I lost all respect for him.
Laura wasn't too bad.
And Tracey... shE ANGERED ME. She came off as very much of a jerk in the beginning and then in the chapter with Rusty she reminded me of Mandy Milkovich and then I lost all like for her in the Scabius chapter and wanted to walk into the story and punch her in the face. Except towards the end when I realized it was just Scabius that I wanted to punch in the face. Except in the dount part, none of that scene made sense to me tbh.
I enjoyed it. And I like the characters, but not being in their heads. Except Rusty and Squid, and towards the end Eeyore. I was insanely disappointed that is didnt get more of their stories. I just want a book of Tracey, Eeyore, Laura, Rusty, and Squid. In Squids POV.
March 2, 2009
Almost Home is a quick pick. This book is a mixed bag of feelings and actions. It is written in a very different approach. The chapters are named after characters. The characters each tell their stories. Most of the characters with the exception of Scabius are tied together through their friendship with a run-a-way named Tracy. It tells the very personal story of how each one of these kids ends up on the streets prostituting themselves,eating three day old donuts out of the dumpster, and doing anything to survive. It is very much worth reading because the reader feels very connected to the characters. It helps the reader develop sympathy for kids out on the streets. It is difficult, at first, to get beyond the nasty language that is the norm throughout the book. It would be the language one would hear on the streets. It really shows how other people have such a great impact on our lives. Meeting one person can change someone's life forever. The characters in the book do grow slowly. The characters don't have many of the positive attributes one needs to grow up successfully these days. They may have had someone good to them along the way. But many don't have anyone who really cares about them. Can they learn to care about themselves and eachother to make life better for themselves against all odds? At the end of the book there are phone numbers and contact information for run-a-ways. This was a great idea. VOYA quality a 4. Popularity a 4. Some would have a problem with the language, prostitution and drugs.
October 26, 2008
If your looking for a Cinderella fairy tale with a happy ending this isn’t the book for you. But if you're interested in something real and meaningful, this is right down your alley.
Almost Home tells the story of seven young people living on the streets of Hollywood. They are all there for different reasons, but most of them have fled abusive homes. There are seven parts or chapters to the book. Each chapter is told in one of their perspectives.
Their stories are so real and raw. There is rough language and gritty details of sex and drug use. What disturbed me the most was Eeyore’s story. She was only twelve years old when she fled her home because she was being sexually abused by her step brother and tormented by the kids at school. Her home is so close, yet she would rather live on the streets and go days without food then enable herself to live in the world she left.
It was eye-opening story for me, when I think of someone homeless a teenage runaway doesn’t pop into my head. Yet this is an issue that affects more than 1.5 million teens. Amongst all the books I’ve read of the elite and fortunate it was refreshing and at the same time deeply disturbing to read about the other end of the spectrum.
I truly admire Jessica’s compassion for this subject and even more so for bringing this topic to attention. This is one of those books that will make an impact on the way you think of the world. I hope to see more from Jessica Blank in the future.
Almost Home tells the story of seven young people living on the streets of Hollywood. They are all there for different reasons, but most of them have fled abusive homes. There are seven parts or chapters to the book. Each chapter is told in one of their perspectives.
Their stories are so real and raw. There is rough language and gritty details of sex and drug use. What disturbed me the most was Eeyore’s story. She was only twelve years old when she fled her home because she was being sexually abused by her step brother and tormented by the kids at school. Her home is so close, yet she would rather live on the streets and go days without food then enable herself to live in the world she left.
It was eye-opening story for me, when I think of someone homeless a teenage runaway doesn’t pop into my head. Yet this is an issue that affects more than 1.5 million teens. Amongst all the books I’ve read of the elite and fortunate it was refreshing and at the same time deeply disturbing to read about the other end of the spectrum.
I truly admire Jessica’s compassion for this subject and even more so for bringing this topic to attention. This is one of those books that will make an impact on the way you think of the world. I hope to see more from Jessica Blank in the future.
September 8, 2011
3.5 stars...
I’ve heard good things about Almost Home for years now, but I just never got around to reading it, but I have to say that I was a little disappointed. It’s not that it was bad, but I think I was expecting more.
The story is told in seven chapters, each in the point of view of a young runaway who, for the most part, has fled an abusive home. Each one does what he or she has to do to survive. Their life consists of dumpster-diving to eat, panhandling for change, trying to avoid the cops, selling drugs and it some cases, selling their bodies. It is always sad to read stories about children that have it so bad at home (or lack of home) that they would rather live on the streets. I think the main issue that I had with this boos was that I didn’t know enough about the characters. I wanted to know more about what their life was like before they decided to run away. Except for Eeyore, the 12 year old girl who runs away to escape from her stepbrother, I didn’t feel like I knew enough about the characters.
I guess I am just being overly critical. I was just expecting more background information on the characters. The story is such a sad one, and it is horrible to think that this is a reality for so many kids today. I’m glad that Blank brought attention to this horrible situation. Many people don’t realize how much of a problem this is and I hope that this book opens up people’s minds to this sad reality that so many children face everyday.
I’ve heard good things about Almost Home for years now, but I just never got around to reading it, but I have to say that I was a little disappointed. It’s not that it was bad, but I think I was expecting more.
The story is told in seven chapters, each in the point of view of a young runaway who, for the most part, has fled an abusive home. Each one does what he or she has to do to survive. Their life consists of dumpster-diving to eat, panhandling for change, trying to avoid the cops, selling drugs and it some cases, selling their bodies. It is always sad to read stories about children that have it so bad at home (or lack of home) that they would rather live on the streets. I think the main issue that I had with this boos was that I didn’t know enough about the characters. I wanted to know more about what their life was like before they decided to run away. Except for Eeyore, the 12 year old girl who runs away to escape from her stepbrother, I didn’t feel like I knew enough about the characters.
I guess I am just being overly critical. I was just expecting more background information on the characters. The story is such a sad one, and it is horrible to think that this is a reality for so many kids today. I’m glad that Blank brought attention to this horrible situation. Many people don’t realize how much of a problem this is and I hope that this book opens up people’s minds to this sad reality that so many children face everyday.
November 12, 2011
I really liked this book. I noticed that I rate books higher if they make me feel strong emotions...and this is what this book did.
This book is about a group of homeless teens. We get to hear from each of them about how they are feeling, what they are going through, where they came from, how they are coping, etc. All the teenagers in the story know each other and some are in their own group or "family", while some come and go...
All of the teens come from bad homes and they all left because they felt they couldn't stay there anymore...These teens may seem tough, but underneath you learn who they really are. To live on the streets you have to be tough...and to read about what some of these teens have to do for money just so that they can eat...and when they don't have any money they dig through dumpsters to find some food.
I really felt something for the teens (characters) in this book. I had tears in my eyes and at some points I had to put the book down and just absorb what I just read.
It is so sad to really know what homeless teens (or any homeless) go through on a day to day basis. I know that homeless exist (who doesn't) but I never encounter any so I don't really "see".
At the end of this book there are are resources for people who want to help and for teens that may be headed in this situation or who are already there. I am so happy when I see resources listed in the back of a book. Especially ones with such heavy subjects as this one.
This book is about a group of homeless teens. We get to hear from each of them about how they are feeling, what they are going through, where they came from, how they are coping, etc. All the teenagers in the story know each other and some are in their own group or "family", while some come and go...
All of the teens come from bad homes and they all left because they felt they couldn't stay there anymore...These teens may seem tough, but underneath you learn who they really are. To live on the streets you have to be tough...and to read about what some of these teens have to do for money just so that they can eat...and when they don't have any money they dig through dumpsters to find some food.
I really felt something for the teens (characters) in this book. I had tears in my eyes and at some points I had to put the book down and just absorb what I just read.
It is so sad to really know what homeless teens (or any homeless) go through on a day to day basis. I know that homeless exist (who doesn't) but I never encounter any so I don't really "see".
At the end of this book there are are resources for people who want to help and for teens that may be headed in this situation or who are already there. I am so happy when I see resources listed in the back of a book. Especially ones with such heavy subjects as this one.
October 25, 2010
This is one of those books that caught my interest from the first page due to its subject matter. I work with at risk teenagers, so anything relating to their lives draws me in immediately. "Almost Home" is the story of seven teenagers in Los Angeles, who call the streets their home.
The story is told through the eyes of seven very different teens, with one thing in common. Each of them has opted to leave their abusive (or in one case, boring) home life and try to make a life for themselves on the streets of LA. Their lives consist of panhandling for change, avoiding cops, dumpster diving for their next meal, seeking out safe places to sleep and their relationships with each other, a necessity for some to survive.
The story is written for young adults, and I honestly plan to leave the book at work where the kids can read it if they'd like. It's a story of survival. Rather than romanticizing what life on the street may be like, it is honest, raw and brutal. It's a true account of the day to day problems and dramas that homeless teenagers face, once they take that step and run away from home. Stories of drugs, violence, rape and the things a person is forced to do to survive, not knowing where the next meal may come from.
"Almost Home" is gritty and edgy. Better yet, its REAL. It's a great read, and I'd recommend it to anyone who has any interest in the teenage mind.
The story is told through the eyes of seven very different teens, with one thing in common. Each of them has opted to leave their abusive (or in one case, boring) home life and try to make a life for themselves on the streets of LA. Their lives consist of panhandling for change, avoiding cops, dumpster diving for their next meal, seeking out safe places to sleep and their relationships with each other, a necessity for some to survive.
The story is written for young adults, and I honestly plan to leave the book at work where the kids can read it if they'd like. It's a story of survival. Rather than romanticizing what life on the street may be like, it is honest, raw and brutal. It's a true account of the day to day problems and dramas that homeless teenagers face, once they take that step and run away from home. Stories of drugs, violence, rape and the things a person is forced to do to survive, not knowing where the next meal may come from.
"Almost Home" is gritty and edgy. Better yet, its REAL. It's a great read, and I'd recommend it to anyone who has any interest in the teenage mind.
September 10, 2016
Full review/potential spoilers alert: http://bookgirl.co.vu/post/7338009088...
In Jessica Blank’s debut novel, Almost Home, she weaves together seven individual lives and proves that you can sometimes find a family, not based on blood or location, in even the most unexpected places. In this case, seven teenagers find each other as they abandon their life for one tragic tale or another and find themselves living on the streets of L.A.
You will often feel pity for these characters as their lives are explained. There will be heart breaking moments that feel like someone has kicked you in the stomach, and there will be moments in which you find yourself cringing at the tragedy of each individuals stories of the past or present on the street. If one thing, this novel is brutally honest in the way Blank carves each characters story as they try to figure things out for themselves in a way that many teenagers will never have to.
It's got all the makings of a perfect novel targeted at young adults and certainly is on my recommendations.
In Jessica Blank’s debut novel, Almost Home, she weaves together seven individual lives and proves that you can sometimes find a family, not based on blood or location, in even the most unexpected places. In this case, seven teenagers find each other as they abandon their life for one tragic tale or another and find themselves living on the streets of L.A.
You will often feel pity for these characters as their lives are explained. There will be heart breaking moments that feel like someone has kicked you in the stomach, and there will be moments in which you find yourself cringing at the tragedy of each individuals stories of the past or present on the street. If one thing, this novel is brutally honest in the way Blank carves each characters story as they try to figure things out for themselves in a way that many teenagers will never have to.
It's got all the makings of a perfect novel targeted at young adults and certainly is on my recommendations.
January 14, 2012
This book really opened up my eyes to the horrible plight of homeless teens out there. I did know that they existed, but I don't think I've ever seen a story quite like this one that really brings it to life and brings the point across so well. Told through 7 different narratives, but all part of one big story, this is one amazing novel. Each character has their own distinct voice when they step up to the plate and tell their perspective on everything going on. Their stories are all unique, and given some twists. This novel should be read by everybody. Two disclaimers I'd make is that it does have some mature themes in it, so be sure you're ready for them, and also if you're one who likes a balance between dialogue and description, this may not be the book for you. Dialogue is very sparse throughout the novel, and relies more on each character's thoughts and backstory than anything else.
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December 6, 2012The title of this book is Almost Home, written by Jessica Blank. It is about a young girl who is raped by her step brother, humiliated at school, and runs away in hope of finding others that understand. The intended audience would be young adults.
She gets made fun of daily at school. She has no friends what so ever. Her dad never has time for her because he work all the time and her step mom doesn't care at all. And lastly her step brother, he comes in her room every night and molests her, and rapes her. She feels as if she has nowhere to go.
So, she runs away. She meets a lot of new strange people she now calls her family. Stealing is their only option to survive.
This book also takes you into the prior lives of her new family from their point of view and why they are now living on the streets. Each one is very different but somehow they all come together.
I do recommend this book. It's very hard to put down. It's also a tear jerker. One of the best books I've read.
She gets made fun of daily at school. She has no friends what so ever. Her dad never has time for her because he work all the time and her step mom doesn't care at all. And lastly her step brother, he comes in her room every night and molests her, and rapes her. She feels as if she has nowhere to go.
So, she runs away. She meets a lot of new strange people she now calls her family. Stealing is their only option to survive.
This book also takes you into the prior lives of her new family from their point of view and why they are now living on the streets. Each one is very different but somehow they all come together.
I do recommend this book. It's very hard to put down. It's also a tear jerker. One of the best books I've read.
March 30, 2009
Gritty fiction about seven teenage runaways living on the streets of L.A. They come from all over the place, and for different reasons, but all of them are connected through Tracy, a hard-bitten, skinny junkie street kid, who appears and disapppears from their lives without warning. Each chapter is written in the voice of one of the teens, with the action overlapping slightly so the reader gets different perspectives on the same events. The characterizations are very strong, so much so that you can empathize even with characters who do some shitty things. Strong language, graphic sex and violence = not a cozy read. In fact, I'm inclined to say that this is the grittiest teen book I've ever read. Nothing about it is gratuitous, however -- this is an honest and unflinching portrait of life on the streets that I think both mature teens and adults will find riveting.
April 18, 2009
This was a very readable story of a group of loosely attached streetkids in LA. I take issue with the sexified cover - it's fishents and combat boots while many times in the book everyone's clothing is described as dingy, dirty, jeans and wifebeaters. Oh well. Definitely great for kids or adults living this life or interested in hard knock stories.
Content is pretty intense - there are rape scenes, incest, dudes hitting girls, lots of drug use and cursing; that said, there are some young teens whom I would recommend this book to -- ones that are worldly and/or already going through some of the stuff the book covers.
I'm thinking of doing a blog post re: homeless awareness - maybe this book, "Wendy and Lucy" "Great Speeches From a Dying World" (though there hasn't been a DVD release of that, yet) and some other books or movie. Any suggestions?
Content is pretty intense - there are rape scenes, incest, dudes hitting girls, lots of drug use and cursing; that said, there are some young teens whom I would recommend this book to -- ones that are worldly and/or already going through some of the stuff the book covers.
I'm thinking of doing a blog post re: homeless awareness - maybe this book, "Wendy and Lucy" "Great Speeches From a Dying World" (though there hasn't been a DVD release of that, yet) and some other books or movie. Any suggestions?
November 16, 2012
Reading this to preview for my English 12 in-class book clubs and I have enjoyed the story telling. The characters have unique voices (mostly) and are reasonably well developed. While the writing itself is not a challenge, the situations faced by these children are mature and require a safe place for the reader to discuss the sad realities of these runaways. Rape, molestation, porn, and street drug use are just some of the vices and realities these children are involved with. You want to know so much more than is given and I think many great conversations can come out of this book for teens. Be prepared for swearing, sex and discomfort, and feel free to read along with them. We all know that there are kids on the street, and many who aren't but deal with really adult situations, this book will give a vioce to that in your classroom and open up some really important conversations.
April 21, 2008
Almost Home was a tale of a bunch of teens livng on the streets of Hollywood, that form this family together. They all tell their stories of how they ended up on the streets and why thats where they feel the happiest or why they miss being home. This book takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. Their is betryal, love, hate, jealousy, and forgetfullness. These teens do some outrageous things to get food or money. You would be surprised to see how many people just don't even see the reality of their situation and that this book is a reality for some people. It really opened my eyes to whta is really out there in the world and now I see that homless person does have a family and a story and there is kid out there just like me that don't have a home and that are struggling.
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