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Finding Home
Moody, atmospheric, and just a little bit punk, Finding Home takes contemporary YA to a new level of grit...
When Amy’s mum dies, the last thing she expects is to be kicked off her dad’s music tour all the way to her Aunt Lou in a depressing hole of a seaside town. But it’s okay — Amy learned how to cope with the best, and soon finds a hard-drinking, party-loving crowd to help ease the pain.
The only solace is her music class, but even there she can’t seem to keep it together, sabotaging her grade and her one chance at a meaningful relationship. It takes a hard truth from her only friend before Amy realises that she has to come to terms with her past, before she destroys her future.
When Amy’s mum dies, the last thing she expects is to be kicked off her dad’s music tour all the way to her Aunt Lou in a depressing hole of a seaside town. But it’s okay — Amy learned how to cope with the best, and soon finds a hard-drinking, party-loving crowd to help ease the pain.
The only solace is her music class, but even there she can’t seem to keep it together, sabotaging her grade and her one chance at a meaningful relationship. It takes a hard truth from her only friend before Amy realises that she has to come to terms with her past, before she destroys her future.
156 pages, ebook
First published October 1, 2013
11 people are currently reading
1032 people want to read
About the author
Lauren K. McKellar
37 books391 followersLauren K. McKellar is a writer of contemporary romance reads that make you feel. This hybrid-published USA Today best-selling author loves writing books with stunning local settings, heart-throb heroes, and leading ladies who overcome great hardships in their lives.
In addition to writing, Lauren loves to read, and you can often find her up at all hours of the night with a glass of wine, some chocolate, and a good book. She lives by the beach in New South Wales, Australia, with her husband, infant son, and their two dogs. Most of the time, all four of them are well behaved.
In addition to writing, Lauren loves to read, and you can often find her up at all hours of the night with a glass of wine, some chocolate, and a good book. She lives by the beach in New South Wales, Australia, with her husband, infant son, and their two dogs. Most of the time, all four of them are well behaved.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
December 6, 2013
NOTE: I received an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
It's tough reviewing one of those novels, the ones that barely keep your interest, isn't it? Well, that's exactly what I'm going through right now, as I'm trying to figure out what to write that would justify the existence of Finding Home.
Harsh. I know. But in my opinion, it's the truth.
I had a hard time going forward with this one. Why? It was unrealistic, to say the least. It was a compilation of oxymorons that just didn't click together.
I read somewhere that Finding Home had a real teen voice. I think it's got nothing of the sort. Unless a teen voice means naivete to the point of not being able to see the obvious, innocence to the point of stupidity, and having your own mother offer a complete stranger (an old one too) to kiss you on your sixteenth birthday without a single complaint from you. If that's what a teen voice entails, then please I'd rather not read any teen books again.
Lucky for me, that's not the case.
To say that I was disgusted by the events in this novel, is to put it mildly. Here's why.
The POV heroine, Amy comes from a broken family. Her dad's a famous pop star, her mom died from too much drinking, and she's suddenly moving to live with her aunt. Everything's new to her - life outside a tour bus included. So far so good.
Except, said 'mother' - and I'm putting her in quotes because who in their right mind would make their child drink liquor even before 16 - has wrecked Amy's view of the world. As a result, Amy has no idea how to behave around her peers. She doesn't know how to recognize the cliche player from the nice guy. She doesn't know how to keep her panties on. And she doesn't know how on earth to stay away from her aunt's liquor cabinet.
We're talking a 17 year old girl here. Traveling constantly with musicians. Who have groupies. You know what I mean? How on earth is she supposed to be so naive after all she's seen? And she's seventeen too! I understand she's inexperienced (read a virgin) but does that have to make her act like a stupid girl who hasn't heard/read/seen a single thing about sex? I'm simply not buying it. Not unless she's Amish, which she obviously isn't since the events take place in Australia.
Gosh, Amy disappointed me so much! In her attempt to escape the cliche, she fell into a bigger cliche, with a lot more drama and a whole lot more complications.
Now, don't get me wrong. I understand how the author wanted to address the problems of drinking and having sex before being ready for it. But for some reason the most I got from it was a lesson for parents. Because honestly? If that 'mother' had acted the way a MOTHER ought to, Amy wouldn't have gone through all those incredibly nonspecial things that happened to her.
So I guess the wisdom here is... parents educate your children!
It's tough reviewing one of those novels, the ones that barely keep your interest, isn't it? Well, that's exactly what I'm going through right now, as I'm trying to figure out what to write that would justify the existence of Finding Home.
Harsh. I know. But in my opinion, it's the truth.
I had a hard time going forward with this one. Why? It was unrealistic, to say the least. It was a compilation of oxymorons that just didn't click together.
I read somewhere that Finding Home had a real teen voice. I think it's got nothing of the sort. Unless a teen voice means naivete to the point of not being able to see the obvious, innocence to the point of stupidity, and having your own mother offer a complete stranger (an old one too) to kiss you on your sixteenth birthday without a single complaint from you. If that's what a teen voice entails, then please I'd rather not read any teen books again.
Lucky for me, that's not the case.
To say that I was disgusted by the events in this novel, is to put it mildly. Here's why.
The POV heroine, Amy comes from a broken family. Her dad's a famous pop star, her mom died from too much drinking, and she's suddenly moving to live with her aunt. Everything's new to her - life outside a tour bus included. So far so good.
Except, said 'mother' - and I'm putting her in quotes because who in their right mind would make their child drink liquor even before 16 - has wrecked Amy's view of the world. As a result, Amy has no idea how to behave around her peers. She doesn't know how to recognize the cliche player from the nice guy. She doesn't know how to keep her panties on. And she doesn't know how on earth to stay away from her aunt's liquor cabinet.
We're talking a 17 year old girl here. Traveling constantly with musicians. Who have groupies. You know what I mean? How on earth is she supposed to be so naive after all she's seen? And she's seventeen too! I understand she's inexperienced (read a virgin) but does that have to make her act like a stupid girl who hasn't heard/read/seen a single thing about sex? I'm simply not buying it. Not unless she's Amish, which she obviously isn't since the events take place in Australia.
Gosh, Amy disappointed me so much! In her attempt to escape the cliche, she fell into a bigger cliche, with a lot more drama and a whole lot more complications.
Now, don't get me wrong. I understand how the author wanted to address the problems of drinking and having sex before being ready for it. But for some reason the most I got from it was a lesson for parents. Because honestly? If that 'mother' had acted the way a MOTHER ought to, Amy wouldn't have gone through all those incredibly nonspecial things that happened to her.
So I guess the wisdom here is... parents educate your children!
September 14, 2013
4.5 stars
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read the ARC.
I read this book in a handful of hours and loved it despite contemporary romance not being my usual cup of tea.
Books dealing with music are an instant draw for me, but they also raise my expectations. A pet peeve of mine is reading books about music and finding them riddled with theoretical errors, proof that the author doesn't really know much about music. Finding Home is absolutely musical-error free and that impressed me. As for the story, how refreshing to read a story set down-under.
Amy is a girl I could relate to even though I didn't always like her. At times I wanted to slap some sense into her, sometimes I wanted to commiserate with her and give her a hug. She felt real, believable, a hurting teen who doesn't know how to deal with her emotions and ends up making some very bad choices. Of course, that's all part of growing up and learning from mistakes, which Amy does in spades.
I was a little concerned about the love interest at first and that his good looks and smooth talk would let him get away with being a jerk. Without being too spoilery, suffice it to say, Amy learns to handle him without the story becoming melodramatic or unrealistic. I really appreciated that part of the story and respect the author for dealing with a variety of issues in the way that she did without spiraling into cliche or well-worn plot devices.
I strongly recommend this book to readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories that portray realistic characters in tough situations.
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read the ARC.
I read this book in a handful of hours and loved it despite contemporary romance not being my usual cup of tea.
Books dealing with music are an instant draw for me, but they also raise my expectations. A pet peeve of mine is reading books about music and finding them riddled with theoretical errors, proof that the author doesn't really know much about music. Finding Home is absolutely musical-error free and that impressed me. As for the story, how refreshing to read a story set down-under.
Amy is a girl I could relate to even though I didn't always like her. At times I wanted to slap some sense into her, sometimes I wanted to commiserate with her and give her a hug. She felt real, believable, a hurting teen who doesn't know how to deal with her emotions and ends up making some very bad choices. Of course, that's all part of growing up and learning from mistakes, which Amy does in spades.
I was a little concerned about the love interest at first and that his good looks and smooth talk would let him get away with being a jerk. Without being too spoilery, suffice it to say, Amy learns to handle him without the story becoming melodramatic or unrealistic. I really appreciated that part of the story and respect the author for dealing with a variety of issues in the way that she did without spiraling into cliche or well-worn plot devices.
I strongly recommend this book to readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories that portray realistic characters in tough situations.
August 26, 2015
This book follows a very common formula. New girl in town falls for hot 'jock', ignores other love interest, does stupid stuff, drama, sex, hurt, betrayal, finally realises that she was stupid, happy ending.
If you have read one New/Young Adult school-aged story, you've read them all. And I say New/Young because while this book has been tagged as YA, I think a lot of the themes are a little older, especially since the protagonist it on the verge of being 18. Young adult tends to have slightly younger protagonists and not deal with sex and more adult themes.
The difference Finding Home has, is the realistic way the reader is immersed in the livelihoods of everyone living in Cherrybrook. Even some of the people we didn't want to know about.
I didn't agree with everything our protagonist did or said, and the twists were blatantly obvious, but I was still emotionally invested in the outcome. So, Lauren did something right!
I must also comment on Nick. I liked that he wasn't the traditional 'good-looking' guy. I liked that he had depth of character, that he got tongue-tied and nervous, that he shared real experiences with Amy.
The book also includes some pretty obvious ulterior themes. The risks associated with drinking to excess, underage drinking and unprotected sex were high on the list. It was almost to the point of being too much, but each time it'd fall short of that point.
Ultimately I enjoyed this book despite its faults.
If you have read one New/Young Adult school-aged story, you've read them all. And I say New/Young because while this book has been tagged as YA, I think a lot of the themes are a little older, especially since the protagonist it on the verge of being 18. Young adult tends to have slightly younger protagonists and not deal with sex and more adult themes.
The difference Finding Home has, is the realistic way the reader is immersed in the livelihoods of everyone living in Cherrybrook. Even some of the people we didn't want to know about.
I didn't agree with everything our protagonist did or said, and the twists were blatantly obvious, but I was still emotionally invested in the outcome. So, Lauren did something right!
I must also comment on Nick. I liked that he wasn't the traditional 'good-looking' guy. I liked that he had depth of character, that he got tongue-tied and nervous, that he shared real experiences with Amy.
The book also includes some pretty obvious ulterior themes. The risks associated with drinking to excess, underage drinking and unprotected sex were high on the list. It was almost to the point of being too much, but each time it'd fall short of that point.
Ultimately I enjoyed this book despite its faults.
October 2, 2013
Before reading
Just got this from Netgalley, and I'm so happy!
Aren't you excited when you get to read something written by a debut author? Well, I am! And I'm madly curious about this one.
After reading
There are YA books that are actually written with young adults in mind, and this is one of those. That's not to say that it lacks depth or is not "mature" enough, but that it clearly has an educational mission, and some messages to deliver.
Amy, the MC, is a teenager troubled by what she perceives as parental inadequacy. In typical teenagey fashion, she reacts by putting blame where it doesn't belong, being spiteful with her family, and making rash (and incredibly stupid) decisions.
Amy has a lot of growing-up to do. And, gradually, she does it.
She responsibly handles the consequences of unprotected sex (and that's quite an underhanded to-do list). She gains awareness of the problem of alcohol abuse (first by recognizing it in others, then in herself). She learns to deal with all the emotional turmoil of her relationships.
You won't believe how much this character can mature in so few pages.
I would definitely recommend this to most young readers out there.
Just got this from Netgalley, and I'm so happy!
Aren't you excited when you get to read something written by a debut author? Well, I am! And I'm madly curious about this one.
After reading
There are YA books that are actually written with young adults in mind, and this is one of those. That's not to say that it lacks depth or is not "mature" enough, but that it clearly has an educational mission, and some messages to deliver.
Amy, the MC, is a teenager troubled by what she perceives as parental inadequacy. In typical teenagey fashion, she reacts by putting blame where it doesn't belong, being spiteful with her family, and making rash (and incredibly stupid) decisions.
Amy has a lot of growing-up to do. And, gradually, she does it.
She responsibly handles the consequences of unprotected sex (and that's quite an underhanded to-do list). She gains awareness of the problem of alcohol abuse (first by recognizing it in others, then in herself). She learns to deal with all the emotional turmoil of her relationships.
You won't believe how much this character can mature in so few pages.
I would definitely recommend this to most young readers out there.
October 5, 2013
This isn't a horrible book. The language is good and the writing and insight are great. However, Amy was just too dumb for me. I stopped actually reading a little after the halfway mark because of her dumbness. I can't think of another word to describe it but she was far too gullible and trusting, especially for someone who has never been in a high school before. I skimmed through the rest of the book to the end and while she learned some important things, I just could not handle her reactions. I was really hoping for something better because the premise is a great and relatable but instead we get a main character who is too socially inept for the average person.
December 13, 2013
*Also posted at Oops! I Read A Book Again*
Thank you to Milly of Home of a Book Lover, Escape Publishing and NetGalley for the review copy. This in no way affected my views of the novel. There will be minor spoilers as it wouldn't be much of a review if I can't discuss the themes in this book.
So, I will admit this: I love to drink. Yes, drink as in drink alcohol. I don't think I'm an alcoholic because I don't rely on alcohol. I'm a social drinker. A heavy social drinker at that. I'm known to have a very high alcohol tolerance among my friends. I can outdrink my largest and beefiest guy friends any day. And I'm still usually the most sober. So what's the point of me sharing this? It's because this novel made me look deeper into myself and rethink if I'm truly not an alcoholic or if I'm showing signs of becoming one. (Am I so paranoid? Haha!) This is my first YA novel that realistically tackled drinking as a problem. And no, it didn't tackle drinking indirectly like those novels with alcoholic parents. No, in FINDING HOME, we have a heroine, who is in high school and has a drinking problem. Fresh? I definitely think so.
Moreover, FINDING HOME tackled such a common problem that isn't dealt with usually in a realistic fashion. Not only did it tackle Amy's drinking problem, it also dealt with her relationship with her famous popstar dad, her feelings of abandonment and that she's unwanted and her blaming his father. It also touched upon her grief due to the death of her alcoholic mother. (My dad also loves to drink but isn't an alcoholic so you might see why I became so paranoid while reading this. Hee.) And while it might sound angsty, it wasn't over the top. That's it. FINDING HOME have the right amount and balance of angst, teenage rebellion, teenage foolishness, family matters and of course, romance.
Let's now get to the yummy stuff - the teenage foolishness and the romance. Haha! Right from the get go, I just wanna shake Amy and tell her not to make the mistake of going for the wrong guy. But of course, our heroine must fail in order to learn as we almost always do in real life. So we see her pine and give it up for the loser guy when the ~most definitely better~ guy sits there jealous, confused and OH SO HOT. Why? I really have a thing for guys in a band with tattoos. WHO DOESN'T? And I like my guys lanky than beefy. Soooo, enough of my preferences. Amy gets her heart broken and even shoos away the right guy when all he's ever done is help her, talk to her and not ID her when she ordered a drink. And yes, right guy is older by a year!! Still, even though I was pretty much cringing for Amy because I know payback's a bitch, I appreciated everything the author made her went through because in the end, that's what made her grow. And more than anything, I love it when characters grown. Screw romance, I live for character growth and epiphanies and whatnots.
The resolution at the end was given to the readers nicely. Amy had her share of mistakes and shortcomings but in the end, she worked herself out of the hole she put herself into and changed. But it was not a drastic and unbelievable change aka she stopped drinking at all. She now watches herself and is striving to have a healthy relationship with her father and her aunt. She once closed off on her dad and it was so heartwarming to see her finally realize that her dad has been working his ass off to be her dad even though he's busy touring. I love the resolution to her familial problems. And of course, that she ended up with the right guy. Seriously. Nick is another example that tattooed guys are not necessarily tough and bad.
FINDING HOME hits all the right spots and drives the point home with its realistic telling of a girl's drinking problem and her journey out of it. A sweet contemporary YA novel with a dash of wrong choices and sweet moments and ultimately, ending up with the right guy even though he seemed wrong at the start. A mind-opening yet cute read you should try.
Thank you to Milly of Home of a Book Lover, Escape Publishing and NetGalley for the review copy. This in no way affected my views of the novel. There will be minor spoilers as it wouldn't be much of a review if I can't discuss the themes in this book.
So, I will admit this: I love to drink. Yes, drink as in drink alcohol. I don't think I'm an alcoholic because I don't rely on alcohol. I'm a social drinker. A heavy social drinker at that. I'm known to have a very high alcohol tolerance among my friends. I can outdrink my largest and beefiest guy friends any day. And I'm still usually the most sober. So what's the point of me sharing this? It's because this novel made me look deeper into myself and rethink if I'm truly not an alcoholic or if I'm showing signs of becoming one. (Am I so paranoid? Haha!) This is my first YA novel that realistically tackled drinking as a problem. And no, it didn't tackle drinking indirectly like those novels with alcoholic parents. No, in FINDING HOME, we have a heroine, who is in high school and has a drinking problem. Fresh? I definitely think so.
Moreover, FINDING HOME tackled such a common problem that isn't dealt with usually in a realistic fashion. Not only did it tackle Amy's drinking problem, it also dealt with her relationship with her famous popstar dad, her feelings of abandonment and that she's unwanted and her blaming his father. It also touched upon her grief due to the death of her alcoholic mother. (My dad also loves to drink but isn't an alcoholic so you might see why I became so paranoid while reading this. Hee.) And while it might sound angsty, it wasn't over the top. That's it. FINDING HOME have the right amount and balance of angst, teenage rebellion, teenage foolishness, family matters and of course, romance.
Let's now get to the yummy stuff - the teenage foolishness and the romance. Haha! Right from the get go, I just wanna shake Amy and tell her not to make the mistake of going for the wrong guy. But of course, our heroine must fail in order to learn as we almost always do in real life. So we see her pine and give it up for the loser guy when the ~most definitely better~ guy sits there jealous, confused and OH SO HOT. Why? I really have a thing for guys in a band with tattoos. WHO DOESN'T? And I like my guys lanky than beefy. Soooo, enough of my preferences. Amy gets her heart broken and even shoos away the right guy when all he's ever done is help her, talk to her and not ID her when she ordered a drink. And yes, right guy is older by a year!! Still, even though I was pretty much cringing for Amy because I know payback's a bitch, I appreciated everything the author made her went through because in the end, that's what made her grow. And more than anything, I love it when characters grown. Screw romance, I live for character growth and epiphanies and whatnots.
The resolution at the end was given to the readers nicely. Amy had her share of mistakes and shortcomings but in the end, she worked herself out of the hole she put herself into and changed. But it was not a drastic and unbelievable change aka she stopped drinking at all. She now watches herself and is striving to have a healthy relationship with her father and her aunt. She once closed off on her dad and it was so heartwarming to see her finally realize that her dad has been working his ass off to be her dad even though he's busy touring. I love the resolution to her familial problems. And of course, that she ended up with the right guy. Seriously. Nick is another example that tattooed guys are not necessarily tough and bad.
FINDING HOME hits all the right spots and drives the point home with its realistic telling of a girl's drinking problem and her journey out of it. A sweet contemporary YA novel with a dash of wrong choices and sweet moments and ultimately, ending up with the right guy even though he seemed wrong at the start. A mind-opening yet cute read you should try.
September 16, 2013
Warning: Possible Spoilers…
I’m pretty torn on this one, really hard to say what rating it deserves for several reasons. On one hand, I read it in 5 hours, straight through and liked the main character Amy, for the most part, her best friend Lily and the mysterious Nick. But…for some reason, there were parts of this book I found really unlikeable. That being said, I did enjoy it overall and it was a quick fast read that wasn’t the usually teenage angst story but did portray many elements that make up these sort of novels as of late.
Amy’s trying to cope with losing her mother, being carted off by her rock star father to her aunt’s house in some forgettable small town named Cherrybrook. Not the way Amy envisioned her life at all. Dealing with issues of drinking, sex and betrayal, she certainly makes a fine mess of her life. I found her extremely naïve, probably because she’d been homeschooled for most of her high school career. I really didn’t like Luke and Coral from the start and became highly suspicious of Luke’s motivations with Amy almost immediately. This book takes place in a country where drinking is legal at 18 so some of these problems seem like a non-issue to the main character and some adults for most of the book.
The parental units in this story were the definition of a FAIL. They practically gave the teens in the story a pass to do what they wanted, when they wanted, with whatever means possible. It was disheartening to see one of the parents blatantly allow teens to drink, have sex and have house parties without an inkling of responsibility of an adult in sight. I especially was confused because this parent seemed concerned with Amy when she spoke with her one morning and apparently was lucid too, but her actions later on painted her out as a very irresponsible person who didn’t care what happened to herself or her daughter. In fact, almost all of the parents featured were afraid to intervene on any of these teens lives and were very lenient. I found that very hard to believe.
The characters I liked a lot were Nick and Lily, though I believe neither got enough attention and were discarded frequently by Amy when they were truly the only ones who gave a care in the world for her. This was frustrating for me and had me kind of wanting to shake some sense into Amy. Nick was a gentlemen, though labeled easily by Amy as someone she could do without and too similar to her Rock Star father, who always put his family second to his music. Lily seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, but she didn’t seem to like Amy all that much for most of the book, even though they were labeled as good friends. Amy obviously was a terrible judge in character, frequently seen throughout the story.
Overall an easy, fast read that does kind of suck you in as Amy trudges through tragedy, denial, a broken heart and finally gains her wits back (thank goodness). Though a difficult tale to swallow, it was highly entertaining.
I received this ARC from the Publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.
I’m pretty torn on this one, really hard to say what rating it deserves for several reasons. On one hand, I read it in 5 hours, straight through and liked the main character Amy, for the most part, her best friend Lily and the mysterious Nick. But…for some reason, there were parts of this book I found really unlikeable. That being said, I did enjoy it overall and it was a quick fast read that wasn’t the usually teenage angst story but did portray many elements that make up these sort of novels as of late.
Amy’s trying to cope with losing her mother, being carted off by her rock star father to her aunt’s house in some forgettable small town named Cherrybrook. Not the way Amy envisioned her life at all. Dealing with issues of drinking, sex and betrayal, she certainly makes a fine mess of her life. I found her extremely naïve, probably because she’d been homeschooled for most of her high school career. I really didn’t like Luke and Coral from the start and became highly suspicious of Luke’s motivations with Amy almost immediately. This book takes place in a country where drinking is legal at 18 so some of these problems seem like a non-issue to the main character and some adults for most of the book.
The parental units in this story were the definition of a FAIL. They practically gave the teens in the story a pass to do what they wanted, when they wanted, with whatever means possible. It was disheartening to see one of the parents blatantly allow teens to drink, have sex and have house parties without an inkling of responsibility of an adult in sight. I especially was confused because this parent seemed concerned with Amy when she spoke with her one morning and apparently was lucid too, but her actions later on painted her out as a very irresponsible person who didn’t care what happened to herself or her daughter. In fact, almost all of the parents featured were afraid to intervene on any of these teens lives and were very lenient. I found that very hard to believe.
The characters I liked a lot were Nick and Lily, though I believe neither got enough attention and were discarded frequently by Amy when they were truly the only ones who gave a care in the world for her. This was frustrating for me and had me kind of wanting to shake some sense into Amy. Nick was a gentlemen, though labeled easily by Amy as someone she could do without and too similar to her Rock Star father, who always put his family second to his music. Lily seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, but she didn’t seem to like Amy all that much for most of the book, even though they were labeled as good friends. Amy obviously was a terrible judge in character, frequently seen throughout the story.
Overall an easy, fast read that does kind of suck you in as Amy trudges through tragedy, denial, a broken heart and finally gains her wits back (thank goodness). Though a difficult tale to swallow, it was highly entertaining.
I received this ARC from the Publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2015
Finding Home is a beautiful story of surviving loss, family relationships and first love. Amy is a real teen facing real teen issues; struggling to ‘find her home’. Her journey is one any teen or ex-teen can really relate to. To deal with her mother’s death and her father’s distractions, she finds solace in the bottle. That is until her rock star Dad decides it’s a problem and ships her off to live with her Aunt.
Amy is one of those characters who really jump off the page. McKellar weaves the underlying issues — acceptance, love, peer pressure, alcohol abuse – through the story in a way that takes the reader along for the ride with Amy. Finding Home is so full of emotion that when I read it, I was captivated by the story and I almost forgot everything else.
A great debut book from an up and coming Aussie author.
June 5, 2017
I devoured this in a day. I don't usually read contemporary but Finding Home sucked me in. Amy's experiences with teenage parties and high school life were so authentic, despite her pop star father. She sometimes acts like a brat, but although I wanted to shake her at times, I never felt her actions were unrealistic. And after she hits rock bottom she comes out the other side, a better person who has learned from her experience and does the right thing.
Love it!
Love it!
December 14, 2013
I'm gonna have to call this one a DNF for me. I couldn't, just couldn't, feel anything for the MC. And whenever I thought she'd make a smarter choice, she went and did the opposite.
Too bad, I wanted to like this one!
Too bad, I wanted to like this one!
November 15, 2016
I couldn't stand the main character. She's so self-involved until the very end of the book where she 'supposedly' snaps out of it and she suddenly knows better...? get real.
July 13, 2014
Luke was an obvious asshole. This just wasn't for me.
October 14, 2013
I walked out of the exit and started off down the street towards Lou's house. Home. It really was my home now.
Finding Home is a novel about self-discovery, coming to terms with difficult events from the past and after making mistakes, learning how to set things right and change for the better. I found the book to be quite good in terms of illustrating how teenagers who may seem to have 'gone off the rails' do have the ability to get back on track and it was good to see that Amy did indeed eventually find her way home, in more ways than one.
The story begins with Amy starting year 12 at a new school in a small town: Cherrybrrok High. After being forced to move in with her Aunt Lou after her famous popstar dad becomes worried about her underage drinking habits and behaviour after her mother's death, Amy soon becomes swept up into a whole new setting with a hot guy already vying for her attention and another who seems a little more mysterious. Throughout the novel she makes plenty of mistakes, gets caught up in a huge social mess and eventually tries to put the pieces back together.
In terms of the plot, upon first starting the novel I did think that it would turn out to be another cliche where the girl meets bad-ish boy, insta-love ensues and then everything ends up okay. Although there were some elements to the story that we may have seen before in YA literature, I do think that the way this book was handled made it more intricately done. There are many issues explored that some teenagers may engage in such as underage drinking/alcohol issues, unsafe sex and the perils of loud parties where alcohol drives people to do things that they wouldn't usually participate in and make stupid decisions.
Unfortunately, our protagonist Amy does do all of these things and more, which did make it difficult to warm to her and feel sorry for her. Because of her insecurity over her current situation and death of her mother, she did drink a lot and chased after a guy that she should have seen didn't want her at all. Of course, the reader would have known this was all going to happen eventually, which made for a whole lot of dramatic irony. However, this is not to say that Amy was always this spontaneous and self-destructive. In fact it seems that academically she was quite smart and realised the importance of a good education, yet she still skipped classes and acted in a totally different way when it came to guys and parties. One would think that she would know better.
In the end it was the most unexpected people who did inspire Amy to begin changing her ways. Lily, who on first introductions seems to be just the kind of bad influence that would drive Amy to be even more rebellious, she does turn out to be a good friend in the end. On the other hand, the other secondary characters weren't exactly the best people to hang around with. As it turns out, Luke was no gentleman at all, and I was glad to see that in the end Amy didn't put up with his jerky behaviour.
Another one of my qualms about the novel for the first half was the writing style. Having Amy's every thought echoed after almost everything she said did get a bit irritating, and although I understand that this was meant to allow greater insight into Amy's mind and what she was thinking, perhaps it could have been done in a subtler manner. Also, the parental figures in the book didn't seem to set a good example at all. Lily's mum for example never said a word about her daughter's drinking and got drunk herself even when she found out she was pregnant. Also, Amy's dad didn't make much of an effort to really sit down and have a serious heart-to-heart conversation with his daughter until the very end. That being said, I suppose you could say that it was a case of 'better late than never'.
In conclusion, even with its faults I do think that Finding Home was never really going to be a story that is all smooth edges and perfect characters. It is in itself a good example of a coming-of-age story with characters that you do begin to warm to as they change for the better. I would recommend this to people who like YA contemporary novels without all the 'light and fluffy' elements and who want something that feels more genuine.
I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/review/RT9VJ2CR...
February 23, 2014
I received an e-copy of this from Harlequin Enterprises Australia: Escape Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This however did not influence my opinion of the book or of the author in any way.
Music plus drunkard female character? Sounds fun. I said before in my review for The Spectacular Now that I couldn't get Sutter's drinking habits. But it's different with Amy. I kinda get it because she was problematic. More of a negative thinker actually. She seemed to weigh down the problems around her when clearly, it weren't her burdens to carry. I think for the most part that she was a victim of the circumstances. Though that wouldn't justify her actions and yes, there were times when I want to literally shake her up.
Amy was in that situation wherein you don't really know what to do. Her Mom died which left her to be with her Dad who was on a music tour. Yes, her Dad's a famous singer. If I were her, I'd probably be jumping up and down everyday because I'd get to join a tour. And hello. NO SCHOOL. I mean, she was home-schooled but still. Yet it was the opposite for her. Since her Mom died, all she wanted was to be but in that tour. I guess Amy was just being blinded by a lot of things. On top of that was the fact that her Mom was such a not-careful-one. I hate to speak ill of a character but I'm just stating facts here. Amy's Mom let her drink most of the time during the tour. As much as that makes me happy that her Mom was such a cool one, she didn't know how to stop to the point that she didn't teach Amy her limitations for alcohol. So even when her Mom died, Amy just wanted to drink and drink and drink. She became too dependent on it. Because her Dad was usually having a gig, Amy used to think that her Dad was such a bad one to just leave the two of them. This annoyed me because Amy's Mom used to work but all of a sudden, she quit and her Dad had to pursue that career so they'd have tons of money. AND STILL IT'S NOT ENOUGH. I just don't get it. I don't even understand why her Mom quit. I did have a good guess but it wasn't directly stated. Or was it? As I've said earlier, she was a victim because she didn't know things. That's why she was mad at her Dad. I loved her Dad for that because he was willing to take up the blame.
When Amy was shipped off to her Aunt, I was doubtful that she'd be a goody-goody immediately. Of course, there were moments of failures first before realizations kick in. Her transformation started funny. I kept on laughing because she kept on having these weird attraction toward each guy she encountered. I guess it was a normal one because she didn't have lots of interactions with the male species of her age. She also became this infatuated with a guy and it annoyed the hell out of me because she was becoming delirious about him. Even if he had a girlfriend. And when she met a guy who was totally this cute and good one, she doesn't want him because he's into music too. Amy was so good in assuming things. But what's good with her was that, she acknowledged all of her even the not-so-good-ones. She acknowledged herself when she was bitchy and all. It was a good change because I kept on reading about female main characters who think so highly of themselves and forget that they have flaws too.
I was having a great time from the start because I enjoyed the characterization and the story itself. There were right amounts of friendship, love, sadness and just combined altogether. It was fun to see how a character was very different the moment you know them to the end of the story. It was all right until the moment Amy decided to change and she just really decided to change in an instant. She was on 7th heaven of drinking when a friend of hers told her some things and viola. She was different. I just felt like it happened in just a snap. I would have liked it better if her character changed in a nice transition. The pacing was just fine from the start until she changed and it was fast forward all at once. Yet I enjoyed it and Nick too.
Finding Home is a nice novel about learning how to cope with death in the best ways there are. You'd be sad, irritated, happy and annoyed but you have to feel those in order to feel whole and home again.
Originally posted at The Bookish Confections
Music plus drunkard female character? Sounds fun. I said before in my review for The Spectacular Now that I couldn't get Sutter's drinking habits. But it's different with Amy. I kinda get it because she was problematic. More of a negative thinker actually. She seemed to weigh down the problems around her when clearly, it weren't her burdens to carry. I think for the most part that she was a victim of the circumstances. Though that wouldn't justify her actions and yes, there were times when I want to literally shake her up.
Amy was in that situation wherein you don't really know what to do. Her Mom died which left her to be with her Dad who was on a music tour. Yes, her Dad's a famous singer. If I were her, I'd probably be jumping up and down everyday because I'd get to join a tour. And hello. NO SCHOOL. I mean, she was home-schooled but still. Yet it was the opposite for her. Since her Mom died, all she wanted was to be but in that tour. I guess Amy was just being blinded by a lot of things. On top of that was the fact that her Mom was such a not-careful-one. I hate to speak ill of a character but I'm just stating facts here. Amy's Mom let her drink most of the time during the tour. As much as that makes me happy that her Mom was such a cool one, she didn't know how to stop to the point that she didn't teach Amy her limitations for alcohol. So even when her Mom died, Amy just wanted to drink and drink and drink. She became too dependent on it. Because her Dad was usually having a gig, Amy used to think that her Dad was such a bad one to just leave the two of them. This annoyed me because Amy's Mom used to work but all of a sudden, she quit and her Dad had to pursue that career so they'd have tons of money. AND STILL IT'S NOT ENOUGH. I just don't get it. I don't even understand why her Mom quit. I did have a good guess but it wasn't directly stated. Or was it? As I've said earlier, she was a victim because she didn't know things. That's why she was mad at her Dad. I loved her Dad for that because he was willing to take up the blame.
When Amy was shipped off to her Aunt, I was doubtful that she'd be a goody-goody immediately. Of course, there were moments of failures first before realizations kick in. Her transformation started funny. I kept on laughing because she kept on having these weird attraction toward each guy she encountered. I guess it was a normal one because she didn't have lots of interactions with the male species of her age. She also became this infatuated with a guy and it annoyed the hell out of me because she was becoming delirious about him. Even if he had a girlfriend. And when she met a guy who was totally this cute and good one, she doesn't want him because he's into music too. Amy was so good in assuming things. But what's good with her was that, she acknowledged all of her even the not-so-good-ones. She acknowledged herself when she was bitchy and all. It was a good change because I kept on reading about female main characters who think so highly of themselves and forget that they have flaws too.
I was having a great time from the start because I enjoyed the characterization and the story itself. There were right amounts of friendship, love, sadness and just combined altogether. It was fun to see how a character was very different the moment you know them to the end of the story. It was all right until the moment Amy decided to change and she just really decided to change in an instant. She was on 7th heaven of drinking when a friend of hers told her some things and viola. She was different. I just felt like it happened in just a snap. I would have liked it better if her character changed in a nice transition. The pacing was just fine from the start until she changed and it was fast forward all at once. Yet I enjoyed it and Nick too.
Finding Home is a nice novel about learning how to cope with death in the best ways there are. You'd be sad, irritated, happy and annoyed but you have to feel those in order to feel whole and home again.
Originally posted at The Bookish Confections
November 5, 2013
I always love reading a new Aussie YA debut! Finding Home is a straightforward little tale, barely longer than a novella - not that there's anything wrong with that. If that's how long your story takes to tell, tell it that way. I love me some shortish fiction.
Amy is the daughter of a famous musician and a dead mother. Homeschooled on the road in her Dad's tour bus for the past three years, 17-year-old Amy has her world rocked: her father sends her away to her aunt's house and to a small-town school, Cherrybrook. Amy is not impressed.
On her first day, she is publicly humiliated, she meets a gorgeous guy (Luke), and makes an instant enemy of Luke's girlfriend. It's not the most auspicious start to her final stretch of schooling. However, she finds friends in music class, and things start to look not so awful.
It's no spoiler to say that we as readers are pretty sure that Luke is not a nice guy from the start. Amy can't see that yet, however, so we travel with her on her journey of finding out the hard way. My teens are long behind me now, but her refusal to see how awful he was, and her pain at finding out, resonated strongly with me. I think that many of us have had experiences very much like hers. When I felt like shouting at her "Can you not SEE how awful he is?!", I cast my mind back to my younger days.
What I liked a lot about this book was the incident in which we first realise that Luke's a douche. This is rather realistic and is deftly handled in the narrative, without any heavy-handedness. If reading books with teens, this might be a great place to introduce ideas about recognising the ways in which predatory boys and men test boundaries and break down defences, and the potential usefulness of paying attention to these early warning signs.
Content notes for [mild spoilers]
One star off for heavily repeated "lame"-dropping. I know my campaign against ableist language in YA fiction will likely not gain much traction, but I keep trying. Each "lame" is a punch in the gut. Our marginalised bodies should not be your go-to shorthand for "Things That Suck".
I have only two other criticisms. Firstly, there is the occasional vit of clunky description (chips as "salty potato sticks", for example), but this is a galley of a debut novel, so they didn't particularly bother me. The kissing scene was a touch hackneyed ("sparks flying") - not the hottest one I've ever read. Secondly,
Overally, however: while a quick read and a book dealing with an Issue, this book isn't too preachy or heavy-handed, and it despite the cliche setup (New school! One girl, two cute boys!), it doesn't serve up a cookie-cutter plot. An author to watch.
Amy is the daughter of a famous musician and a dead mother. Homeschooled on the road in her Dad's tour bus for the past three years, 17-year-old Amy has her world rocked: her father sends her away to her aunt's house and to a small-town school, Cherrybrook. Amy is not impressed.
On her first day, she is publicly humiliated, she meets a gorgeous guy (Luke), and makes an instant enemy of Luke's girlfriend. It's not the most auspicious start to her final stretch of schooling. However, she finds friends in music class, and things start to look not so awful.
It's no spoiler to say that we as readers are pretty sure that Luke is not a nice guy from the start. Amy can't see that yet, however, so we travel with her on her journey of finding out the hard way. My teens are long behind me now, but her refusal to see how awful he was, and her pain at finding out, resonated strongly with me. I think that many of us have had experiences very much like hers. When I felt like shouting at her "Can you not SEE how awful he is?!", I cast my mind back to my younger days.
What I liked a lot about this book was the incident in which we first realise that Luke's a douche. This is rather realistic and is deftly handled in the narrative, without any heavy-handedness. If reading books with teens, this might be a great place to introduce ideas about recognising the ways in which predatory boys and men test boundaries and break down defences, and the potential usefulness of paying attention to these early warning signs.
Content notes for [mild spoilers]
One star off for heavily repeated "lame"-dropping. I know my campaign against ableist language in YA fiction will likely not gain much traction, but I keep trying. Each "lame" is a punch in the gut. Our marginalised bodies should not be your go-to shorthand for "Things That Suck".
I have only two other criticisms. Firstly, there is the occasional vit of clunky description (chips as "salty potato sticks", for example), but this is a galley of a debut novel, so they didn't particularly bother me. The kissing scene was a touch hackneyed ("sparks flying") - not the hottest one I've ever read. Secondly,
Overally, however: while a quick read and a book dealing with an Issue, this book isn't too preachy or heavy-handed, and it despite the cliche setup (New school! One girl, two cute boys!), it doesn't serve up a cookie-cutter plot. An author to watch.
September 30, 2013
This review also on The Library Canary
3.5 Stars
This is the first contemporary I’ve read in a long time. Like months. I generally shy away from contemporary, but there’s been a lot of buzz in the blogosphere on the genre so I thought I would give it a whirl. This one sounded like it wouldn’t have too much fluff and when I got approved for it on NetGalley, I decided to give it a go.
Surprisingly, I really enjoyed it. There wasn’t a lot of fluff and the experiences were real and gritty. The main character, Amy’s, mom recently passed away. Her dad is a pop star and travels a lot. Amy was going on the road with him, but he felt her drinking was getting out of control so sent her to live with her Aunt Lou in a tiny seaside town. Amy harbors a lot of anger. She is angry at her father for sending her away and feels like she’s all alone in the world. She drinks a lot to take away the pain of losing her mother. Amy wallows in self-pity throughout this whole book. Normally, this would make me hate a character, but in this case, I could really relate to her.
“No one tells you that you’ll dream about her every night. And that every morning, for a few moments, you’ll think life is normal. It’s only then that your world comes crashing down and the pain starts all over again.” -Amy
She starts high school in this small town where everybody knows everything about everyone. I also went to a small town high school and know just how cruel the rumor mill can be. Amy falls for this guy Luke right away. Of course, he has a girlfriend. But does Amy care? Nope. I’ve been there. When you’re in that juvenile state where you don’t think about how your actions will affect others. We all have, right? The one thing that annoyed me about this book was how quickly Amy “fell in love” with Luke. I mean, to me, it was obvious that she wasn’t in love. But she talks about how Luke is the one and how they have something special together. I was rolling my eyes hardcore. During these moments, Amy felt very naïve to me. Too naïve even for a seventeen year old. This is really why my rating went down from 4 stars to 3.5.
There’s this other guy, Nick who is super swoony. He’s in a band and has tattoos. Also, this book is set in England so he has a British accent. What??? Hot factor increases by like a million. Also, even though Nick kind of gives off a bad guy vibe from his appearance, he is a genuinely sweet person. And I love him.
This one was kind of predictable, but it didn’t bother me that much. I enjoyed watching Amy go from hating the world to accepting responsibility for her own actions and repairing her relationship with her father. Something that kind of bugged me about this one was how the author handled the topic of alcoholism. I personally feel that Amy was an alcoholic and so was her mother before she died. But at the end of the book, Amy just promises to ease up on her drinking. Alcoholism is a serious disease and I felt like it was brushed off as no big deal. But other than these couple things that annoyed me, it was pretty good for my first contemporary in a long time. Happy reading all!
3.5 Stars
This is the first contemporary I’ve read in a long time. Like months. I generally shy away from contemporary, but there’s been a lot of buzz in the blogosphere on the genre so I thought I would give it a whirl. This one sounded like it wouldn’t have too much fluff and when I got approved for it on NetGalley, I decided to give it a go.
Surprisingly, I really enjoyed it. There wasn’t a lot of fluff and the experiences were real and gritty. The main character, Amy’s, mom recently passed away. Her dad is a pop star and travels a lot. Amy was going on the road with him, but he felt her drinking was getting out of control so sent her to live with her Aunt Lou in a tiny seaside town. Amy harbors a lot of anger. She is angry at her father for sending her away and feels like she’s all alone in the world. She drinks a lot to take away the pain of losing her mother. Amy wallows in self-pity throughout this whole book. Normally, this would make me hate a character, but in this case, I could really relate to her.
“No one tells you that you’ll dream about her every night. And that every morning, for a few moments, you’ll think life is normal. It’s only then that your world comes crashing down and the pain starts all over again.” -Amy
She starts high school in this small town where everybody knows everything about everyone. I also went to a small town high school and know just how cruel the rumor mill can be. Amy falls for this guy Luke right away. Of course, he has a girlfriend. But does Amy care? Nope. I’ve been there. When you’re in that juvenile state where you don’t think about how your actions will affect others. We all have, right? The one thing that annoyed me about this book was how quickly Amy “fell in love” with Luke. I mean, to me, it was obvious that she wasn’t in love. But she talks about how Luke is the one and how they have something special together. I was rolling my eyes hardcore. During these moments, Amy felt very naïve to me. Too naïve even for a seventeen year old. This is really why my rating went down from 4 stars to 3.5.
There’s this other guy, Nick who is super swoony. He’s in a band and has tattoos. Also, this book is set in England so he has a British accent. What??? Hot factor increases by like a million. Also, even though Nick kind of gives off a bad guy vibe from his appearance, he is a genuinely sweet person. And I love him.
This one was kind of predictable, but it didn’t bother me that much. I enjoyed watching Amy go from hating the world to accepting responsibility for her own actions and repairing her relationship with her father. Something that kind of bugged me about this one was how the author handled the topic of alcoholism. I personally feel that Amy was an alcoholic and so was her mother before she died. But at the end of the book, Amy just promises to ease up on her drinking. Alcoholism is a serious disease and I felt like it was brushed off as no big deal. But other than these couple things that annoyed me, it was pretty good for my first contemporary in a long time. Happy reading all!
September 12, 2016
Find more reviews on What She Reads
This was a YA meets NA, Amy Detrinella a seventeen year old girl has only lost her mum four months ago, since being on the road with her famous dad, Stevie D, Amy has not known the values of a normal life. After her mum's death she throws all her anger and despair into blaming her father and drinking, with Amy being too much for Stevie D to control he makes an important decision to send Amy to live with her aunt so she can finally live with some normalcy.
~
I was a little excited about getting this story and I wasn't disappointed, it was so realistic that I was able to think back to my teenage years. With this being McKellar's debut novel she really was able to capture the travesty and heartbreak from childhood to adulthood.
Amy was such an intense and naive character, truly showing her age, Amy refused to believe her feelings and thoughts were wrong despite being given plenty of warning. Growing up in such a hectic lifestyle of living on the road Amy has to learn to adapt to the rock star lifestyle her parents are living, more so her mother than her father. It was truly amazing to learn the ins and outs of a mind like Amy, with not really having anyone close to her age growing up she has to learn a lot about teenage boys and their thinking process.
The story was great, and incredibly relatable. Sometimes when I read some of the scenes I cringed a bit but then I had to pause to think that the only really reason why I am cringing over some of the scenarios was because I pretty much lived through situations very similar to Amy's myself and at the time having a very similar mindset. There was an increase in tension when reading this story which I loved, we were kept on edge quite a bit.
There were some twists that at first I wasn't expecting but the more and more i went through the story the less shocked i was over the twists as I felt we were being led up to it. This story does bring to light some extreme cases of comfort, for Amy she seeks comfort from the wrong person and also with alcohol. Being so young she was able to be taken advantage of to which unfortunately she does not think she was. With the help from her friends, which quite frankly feel like the "wrong crowd" she is able to see the bigger picture which just proves no matter who you are or where you live, if you're a good friend sometimes that is all that matters.
The title fits the book perfectly as Amy wasn't just about finding home in an physical sense but also from a body and soul, this was about her finding her way back to being a child and learning to become a woman. This was such a fun and interesting journey for me and i'd like to read more from McKellar.
COVER ART
The cover is very eye catching, i like how we have the scene from when she remembers being young and visiting her aunt in the summers.
This was a YA meets NA, Amy Detrinella a seventeen year old girl has only lost her mum four months ago, since being on the road with her famous dad, Stevie D, Amy has not known the values of a normal life. After her mum's death she throws all her anger and despair into blaming her father and drinking, with Amy being too much for Stevie D to control he makes an important decision to send Amy to live with her aunt so she can finally live with some normalcy.
~
I was a little excited about getting this story and I wasn't disappointed, it was so realistic that I was able to think back to my teenage years. With this being McKellar's debut novel she really was able to capture the travesty and heartbreak from childhood to adulthood.
Amy was such an intense and naive character, truly showing her age, Amy refused to believe her feelings and thoughts were wrong despite being given plenty of warning. Growing up in such a hectic lifestyle of living on the road Amy has to learn to adapt to the rock star lifestyle her parents are living, more so her mother than her father. It was truly amazing to learn the ins and outs of a mind like Amy, with not really having anyone close to her age growing up she has to learn a lot about teenage boys and their thinking process.
The story was great, and incredibly relatable. Sometimes when I read some of the scenes I cringed a bit but then I had to pause to think that the only really reason why I am cringing over some of the scenarios was because I pretty much lived through situations very similar to Amy's myself and at the time having a very similar mindset. There was an increase in tension when reading this story which I loved, we were kept on edge quite a bit.
There were some twists that at first I wasn't expecting but the more and more i went through the story the less shocked i was over the twists as I felt we were being led up to it. This story does bring to light some extreme cases of comfort, for Amy she seeks comfort from the wrong person and also with alcohol. Being so young she was able to be taken advantage of to which unfortunately she does not think she was. With the help from her friends, which quite frankly feel like the "wrong crowd" she is able to see the bigger picture which just proves no matter who you are or where you live, if you're a good friend sometimes that is all that matters.
The title fits the book perfectly as Amy wasn't just about finding home in an physical sense but also from a body and soul, this was about her finding her way back to being a child and learning to become a woman. This was such a fun and interesting journey for me and i'd like to read more from McKellar.
COVER ART
The cover is very eye catching, i like how we have the scene from when she remembers being young and visiting her aunt in the summers.
July 12, 2014
Originally posted here: http://alwayslostinbooks.wordpress.co...
Finding Home got me hooked even though I hated Amy for more or less 90% of the book. I think I’m quite familiar enough with self-destructive and selfish teens that I kind of understand where Amy is coming from. Although I do think that she was being really awful. In fact, she was acting downright stupid. And I hated her for that, but I couldn’t really hate all of her. I wanted to know that she would be okay so I kept on reading.
Most of the book tells how Amy copes with her past by doing horrible and self-centered things. It would take her a lot, and I mean a LOT, of mistakes before she could come to terms with her situation, which I personally found really annoying. But I can’t seem to help but cheer her on, or inwardly shout at her to tell her what to do. Ever since her dad became a pop star, she had been home-schooled and touring with her dad all over the country. But this also means that she’s left unsupervised most of the time that she developed a drinking problem. So her father decided that she needed a more normal life and sent her off to live with her aunt in a small town where she can also attend a normal school.
However, high school is never really that simple, is it? She will learn about the people she should really trust and not judge so easily. She will meet a handful of people who would help her realize her wrongdoings and what it means to be cared for. She will come to understand that she must not easily put blame on others. She will find out what it means to have a home and be loved by the people around her despite of everything she has done with her life.
I don’t think Amy could ever deserve Nick (or any of her loved ones for that matter) for everything she has done, but fortunately, what we deserve can sometimes be disregarded when it comes to love. Nick was just a wonderful person who was passionate about his music. He wore his heart on his sleeve, even though Amy refused to see how much he cared until it was too late. He was the light amidst the darkness, and he was definitely my favorite character.
**************************************************
OVERALL, Finding Home is a book about learning from mistakes and seeing the world in a different perspective once a person stops focusing on one’s self. I think that Amy definitely learned the hard way, and it wasn’t a pleasant ride to be a part of. But this book easily captured my attention and made it really hard to stop reading about where it was all going. I had an inkling of where the story would lead, but I still needed to know what the author had to say. I honestly thought I wouldn’t like this book, but I think it has certain qualities that can consume its reader. It was a love-hate-love book for me.
Finding Home got me hooked even though I hated Amy for more or less 90% of the book. I think I’m quite familiar enough with self-destructive and selfish teens that I kind of understand where Amy is coming from. Although I do think that she was being really awful. In fact, she was acting downright stupid. And I hated her for that, but I couldn’t really hate all of her. I wanted to know that she would be okay so I kept on reading.
Most of the book tells how Amy copes with her past by doing horrible and self-centered things. It would take her a lot, and I mean a LOT, of mistakes before she could come to terms with her situation, which I personally found really annoying. But I can’t seem to help but cheer her on, or inwardly shout at her to tell her what to do. Ever since her dad became a pop star, she had been home-schooled and touring with her dad all over the country. But this also means that she’s left unsupervised most of the time that she developed a drinking problem. So her father decided that she needed a more normal life and sent her off to live with her aunt in a small town where she can also attend a normal school.
However, high school is never really that simple, is it? She will learn about the people she should really trust and not judge so easily. She will meet a handful of people who would help her realize her wrongdoings and what it means to be cared for. She will come to understand that she must not easily put blame on others. She will find out what it means to have a home and be loved by the people around her despite of everything she has done with her life.
I don’t think Amy could ever deserve Nick (or any of her loved ones for that matter) for everything she has done, but fortunately, what we deserve can sometimes be disregarded when it comes to love. Nick was just a wonderful person who was passionate about his music. He wore his heart on his sleeve, even though Amy refused to see how much he cared until it was too late. He was the light amidst the darkness, and he was definitely my favorite character.
**************************************************
OVERALL, Finding Home is a book about learning from mistakes and seeing the world in a different perspective once a person stops focusing on one’s self. I think that Amy definitely learned the hard way, and it wasn’t a pleasant ride to be a part of. But this book easily captured my attention and made it really hard to stop reading about where it was all going. I had an inkling of where the story would lead, but I still needed to know what the author had to say. I honestly thought I wouldn’t like this book, but I think it has certain qualities that can consume its reader. It was a love-hate-love book for me.
August 13, 2016
Originally posted at Stay Bookish
Being on the road with a rockstar dad is hard. But having him send you away is even harder. Amy surely wasn’t a fan of her dad’s decision to let her stay at her aunt’s. Branded as the ‘new girl’ at her new school, she meets some friends- friends who know how to party. Parties are fun but they also get out of control. A book about bad influences, bad decisions and bad experiences, Finding Home is the epitome of what a mess a teenager’s life can be.
Finding Home focused a lot on character development. I really appreciate that in a book- when the author takes time to build her characters- so despite my great apprehension towards the main character, I still liked the book. Amy was a difficult protagonist- I hated her actions a lot but I couldn’t really hate her because she was just another misguided teen. That said, she did a lot of stupid things and I couldn’t help but want to slap her half the time I was reading. I was frustrated by her and her naivety. I do understand that the author intended for us to see and watch a careless young girl who eventually realizes the wrongness of her actions- there was a purpose behind Amy’s character after all.
Every breath took effort; the pain was all‐consuming. It was weird to think that before Mum had died I had thought I was sad. I hadn’t known that sadness could physically hurt you, could ache and sting like someone was attacking you, stabbing you.
The story touched a lot of dark topics, namely, alcoholism, grief and family problems. The author handled each delicately- you could see how good of a writer she was by the way she executed said issues. By the end of the story, I realized that I liked Finding Home despite my previous misgivings. Aside from how it handled sensitive topics, I also liked two characters, specifically Lily and Nick. Oh, Nick. I liked him so much. (He’s such a nice guy I can’t even.)
He loved me. Amy Detrinella, daughter of a famous pop star and ex‐bitch extraordinaire.
Unfortunately for me, the romance in the story was subtle, barely there, because Amy was more than just a little blind. It does leave on a romantic note though and that was pretty cute. Finding Home isn’t fluffy. It deals with a gloomier side of YA and is a lot deeper than what I expected. Although Amy was immature, the story itself was written with a certain maturity. Finding Home, as you ponder about it, grows to be more impressive. It’s a hard story to embrace because the reality of the situation is hard to accept but ultimately, the book was an eye-opener.
Being on the road with a rockstar dad is hard. But having him send you away is even harder. Amy surely wasn’t a fan of her dad’s decision to let her stay at her aunt’s. Branded as the ‘new girl’ at her new school, she meets some friends- friends who know how to party. Parties are fun but they also get out of control. A book about bad influences, bad decisions and bad experiences, Finding Home is the epitome of what a mess a teenager’s life can be.
Finding Home focused a lot on character development. I really appreciate that in a book- when the author takes time to build her characters- so despite my great apprehension towards the main character, I still liked the book. Amy was a difficult protagonist- I hated her actions a lot but I couldn’t really hate her because she was just another misguided teen. That said, she did a lot of stupid things and I couldn’t help but want to slap her half the time I was reading. I was frustrated by her and her naivety. I do understand that the author intended for us to see and watch a careless young girl who eventually realizes the wrongness of her actions- there was a purpose behind Amy’s character after all.
Every breath took effort; the pain was all‐consuming. It was weird to think that before Mum had died I had thought I was sad. I hadn’t known that sadness could physically hurt you, could ache and sting like someone was attacking you, stabbing you.
The story touched a lot of dark topics, namely, alcoholism, grief and family problems. The author handled each delicately- you could see how good of a writer she was by the way she executed said issues. By the end of the story, I realized that I liked Finding Home despite my previous misgivings. Aside from how it handled sensitive topics, I also liked two characters, specifically Lily and Nick. Oh, Nick. I liked him so much. (He’s such a nice guy I can’t even.)
He loved me. Amy Detrinella, daughter of a famous pop star and ex‐bitch extraordinaire.
Unfortunately for me, the romance in the story was subtle, barely there, because Amy was more than just a little blind. It does leave on a romantic note though and that was pretty cute. Finding Home isn’t fluffy. It deals with a gloomier side of YA and is a lot deeper than what I expected. Although Amy was immature, the story itself was written with a certain maturity. Finding Home, as you ponder about it, grows to be more impressive. It’s a hard story to embrace because the reality of the situation is hard to accept but ultimately, the book was an eye-opener.
October 3, 2013
My Review:
Amy is a very hurt girl, feeling like her dad doesn't want her on top of the fresh loss of her mum. An aunt who only wants to be there for her but no clue on how to get it done.
The assortment of fellas in the small town setting isn't shabby but she crushes on the first one who throws her a bone. She gets a quick circle of true friends but is set on her path.
Amy makes rash decisions trying desperately to fill a void that nothing can. Things go from good to great, to falling apart and then down right explosive. A triggered memory when she has a sobering moment brings things back into focus, eventually. But at what cost? And is it ever too late to make it better? When the blurb describes the book as gritty, that was so very true!
It's about mistakes and being young and naïve, when hurt and pain is all you feel. There's such destructive behavior that seems okay some of the time, like no big deal. It was easy for you to not see the grand picture just like Amy. It's funny and relate-able but dark and deep. All the things a great read is made of.
Some would say that it brings light to or encourages, the sort of behavior some of the boys engage in. I think it sheds light on the reality of an upside down, no big deal mind set that actually occurs in the world we live in.
It makes you think, Is my daughter equipped to handle anything life throws her way? And what can I do to make sure she has the tools needed to steer herself out of a mess. That is an accomplishment in and of itself for a novel.
There are some that will stay with you and this is one of those stories.
A great message I think of finding a way back from the depths of despair and finding the great things were there all along. You just have to look outside of yourself and find the strength to see past your pain long enough to notice.
My Thoughts:
This book was really, really great!
I love a read that has the power to yank me in and not spit me out until I've used up tissues and been so angry I could scream. It shocked me and moved me, even drove me to laughter as well as the tears! I loved the grimy delve into Amy's world.
I had my heart ripped from my chest only to have it ripped out at least twice more!
Lauren K McKellar captures a story on these pages that I would recommend for any girl coming of age to read twice. I know my soon to be sixteen year old will. I recommend this book a thousand times over and over again.
It raises Contemporary YA Lit to a new height in my book.
So grab a copy, it won't disappoint.
Amy is a very hurt girl, feeling like her dad doesn't want her on top of the fresh loss of her mum. An aunt who only wants to be there for her but no clue on how to get it done.
The assortment of fellas in the small town setting isn't shabby but she crushes on the first one who throws her a bone. She gets a quick circle of true friends but is set on her path.
Amy makes rash decisions trying desperately to fill a void that nothing can. Things go from good to great, to falling apart and then down right explosive. A triggered memory when she has a sobering moment brings things back into focus, eventually. But at what cost? And is it ever too late to make it better? When the blurb describes the book as gritty, that was so very true!
It's about mistakes and being young and naïve, when hurt and pain is all you feel. There's such destructive behavior that seems okay some of the time, like no big deal. It was easy for you to not see the grand picture just like Amy. It's funny and relate-able but dark and deep. All the things a great read is made of.
Some would say that it brings light to or encourages, the sort of behavior some of the boys engage in. I think it sheds light on the reality of an upside down, no big deal mind set that actually occurs in the world we live in.
It makes you think, Is my daughter equipped to handle anything life throws her way? And what can I do to make sure she has the tools needed to steer herself out of a mess. That is an accomplishment in and of itself for a novel.
There are some that will stay with you and this is one of those stories.
A great message I think of finding a way back from the depths of despair and finding the great things were there all along. You just have to look outside of yourself and find the strength to see past your pain long enough to notice.
My Thoughts:
This book was really, really great!
I love a read that has the power to yank me in and not spit me out until I've used up tissues and been so angry I could scream. It shocked me and moved me, even drove me to laughter as well as the tears! I loved the grimy delve into Amy's world.
I had my heart ripped from my chest only to have it ripped out at least twice more!
Lauren K McKellar captures a story on these pages that I would recommend for any girl coming of age to read twice. I know my soon to be sixteen year old will. I recommend this book a thousand times over and over again.
It raises Contemporary YA Lit to a new height in my book.
So grab a copy, it won't disappoint.
September 4, 2013
http://seh-bookblog.blogspot.com/
I was stoked to find out I was approved of Finding Home on NetGalley! This novel -- has that Teen-movie -- sort of quality, centering on seventeen-year-old Amy and the loss of her mother. How her relationship with her singer father is starting to teeter. Living life carelessly, Amy is shipped off to her Aunt Lou’s, where she meets a gorgeous looking Luke. But matters are not as simple as they seem, because Luke has a girlfriend. And then there is Nick, they have this connection, but Amy is confident that he is not the one for her. In this coming of age novel, readers will trek alongside Amy and her struggles to fitting in and finding home.
I think I might have a thing for Australian authors. Lauren K. McKellar is only one of the many Aussie writers, in which I have fallen for their works. And what’s great about it, is each and every one of them have their own writing styles and different ways to move readers. Surprisingly, the plot of this book was not as predictable as I thought it would be. This goes for the characters as well. Amy is bratty, moody, and childish. I really expected more from her – and Luke – he really disappointed me. But as I was saying, Amy *shakes head* ever witness second-hand embarrassment? Well, you will in this book. I just thought with her life already gloomy because of the death of her mother, she would take away from that and try to pick things up. Instead she chooses to go the opposite direction and make foolish choices. The whole ordeal with Luke was pathetic and honestly all I have for her is pity. She eventually comes around, but of course, only after she was maliciously pushed down.
Nick is all you can ask for. Possible even more. He is so dreamy! *Sighs* Amy what is wrong with you girl?!
Lily -- the best friend anyone would want. She seems cool and out there, but she has a tough personality with an ability to factor what is wrong and what is right. Just what Amy needs. Afar from Nick, she is my favorite character. Her relationship with Kyle is adorable!
Every scene with Amy and her father, really hits you hard. The dialogues between the two were bitter and heart-aching. The misunderstandings lead them apart along with her father’s career – okay, maybe I understand Amy on this situation – she is young and always having to go on tour with her father, I can see why she feels her father is putting his career before her. Nonetheless, you’ll be warmed up by their reunion. Makes you appreciate what you've got.
Finding Home by Lauren K. McKellar, read it.
I was stoked to find out I was approved of Finding Home on NetGalley! This novel -- has that Teen-movie -- sort of quality, centering on seventeen-year-old Amy and the loss of her mother. How her relationship with her singer father is starting to teeter. Living life carelessly, Amy is shipped off to her Aunt Lou’s, where she meets a gorgeous looking Luke. But matters are not as simple as they seem, because Luke has a girlfriend. And then there is Nick, they have this connection, but Amy is confident that he is not the one for her. In this coming of age novel, readers will trek alongside Amy and her struggles to fitting in and finding home.
I think I might have a thing for Australian authors. Lauren K. McKellar is only one of the many Aussie writers, in which I have fallen for their works. And what’s great about it, is each and every one of them have their own writing styles and different ways to move readers. Surprisingly, the plot of this book was not as predictable as I thought it would be. This goes for the characters as well. Amy is bratty, moody, and childish. I really expected more from her – and Luke – he really disappointed me. But as I was saying, Amy *shakes head* ever witness second-hand embarrassment? Well, you will in this book. I just thought with her life already gloomy because of the death of her mother, she would take away from that and try to pick things up. Instead she chooses to go the opposite direction and make foolish choices. The whole ordeal with Luke was pathetic and honestly all I have for her is pity. She eventually comes around, but of course, only after she was maliciously pushed down.
Nick is all you can ask for. Possible even more. He is so dreamy! *Sighs* Amy what is wrong with you girl?!
Lily -- the best friend anyone would want. She seems cool and out there, but she has a tough personality with an ability to factor what is wrong and what is right. Just what Amy needs. Afar from Nick, she is my favorite character. Her relationship with Kyle is adorable!
Every scene with Amy and her father, really hits you hard. The dialogues between the two were bitter and heart-aching. The misunderstandings lead them apart along with her father’s career – okay, maybe I understand Amy on this situation – she is young and always having to go on tour with her father, I can see why she feels her father is putting his career before her. Nonetheless, you’ll be warmed up by their reunion. Makes you appreciate what you've got.
Finding Home by Lauren K. McKellar, read it.
October 24, 2013
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review*
Finding Home was a good, decent read. I felt like this book was really aimed at the teenage market. It had lessons that it wanted young teens and adults to take away. I did like it’s message, that it’s okay to have fun but do so responsibly.
Amy lives in such a world of anger that it didn’t take me by surprise for her dad to ship her off to her Aunt Lou’s. I couldn’t imagine having to deal with someone as wild and angry as Amy. I would love to say that Amy was justified, but really she wasn’t and mostly behaved like a spoiled brat. This book did let us watch Amy grow up though, and while my heart ached for her at times I also felt like her actions justified the consequences.
Amy did many things in Finding Home that I didn’t agree with. The partying, the drinking binges, and everything with Luke. I hate that she made these poor decisions, and I did lose respect for her. However, Amy pulled it together with the help of some amazing people. As the story moved past the midway point I found myself starting to respect her again. Amy took back her life, and began to show people that they couldn’t just push her around.
I would feel remiss if I didn’t even mention Nick, especially because the book blurb doesn’t! Nick was such a huge part of this book, and it’s because while Amy was busy regaining self dignity she had to own that she tore Nick down. Nick was a great guy who really got the short end of the stick with Amy. I’m glad that she apologized to him, and things worked out with them.
I really did enjoy this novel, and I liked the message it sends to the teens and young adults who might read this. I thought that Lauren K. McKellar did a great job showing that progression into a vicious cycle and how to pull yourself back out of it.
I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars because it did suck me in from the beginning. However, I did feel like this was just a little to much like a fable for me, and it also felt incredibly immature. That’s why I would give it a 3 out of 5, but I would definitely recommend this to anyone in the 15-20 year age group.
*This review was first posted to Moonlight Gleam Reviews http://moonlightgleam.com/2013/10/fin...*
Finding Home was a good, decent read. I felt like this book was really aimed at the teenage market. It had lessons that it wanted young teens and adults to take away. I did like it’s message, that it’s okay to have fun but do so responsibly.
Amy lives in such a world of anger that it didn’t take me by surprise for her dad to ship her off to her Aunt Lou’s. I couldn’t imagine having to deal with someone as wild and angry as Amy. I would love to say that Amy was justified, but really she wasn’t and mostly behaved like a spoiled brat. This book did let us watch Amy grow up though, and while my heart ached for her at times I also felt like her actions justified the consequences.
Amy did many things in Finding Home that I didn’t agree with. The partying, the drinking binges, and everything with Luke. I hate that she made these poor decisions, and I did lose respect for her. However, Amy pulled it together with the help of some amazing people. As the story moved past the midway point I found myself starting to respect her again. Amy took back her life, and began to show people that they couldn’t just push her around.
I would feel remiss if I didn’t even mention Nick, especially because the book blurb doesn’t! Nick was such a huge part of this book, and it’s because while Amy was busy regaining self dignity she had to own that she tore Nick down. Nick was a great guy who really got the short end of the stick with Amy. I’m glad that she apologized to him, and things worked out with them.
I really did enjoy this novel, and I liked the message it sends to the teens and young adults who might read this. I thought that Lauren K. McKellar did a great job showing that progression into a vicious cycle and how to pull yourself back out of it.
I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars because it did suck me in from the beginning. However, I did feel like this was just a little to much like a fable for me, and it also felt incredibly immature. That’s why I would give it a 3 out of 5, but I would definitely recommend this to anyone in the 15-20 year age group.
*This review was first posted to Moonlight Gleam Reviews http://moonlightgleam.com/2013/10/fin...*
November 25, 2016
4.5 stars out of 5.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Escape Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
My blog is one stop on Lauren K. McKellar's book tour for her debut novel, Finding Home.
I read Finding Home over a 6 hour period with a couple of breaks for food. The opening few paragraphs were great and they really got me hooked early. And then as it turned out, I just could not stop reading!
Amy is a 17 year old with a few issues. Her mother has passed away and she feels as though she is being shunned by her pop star father, sent to live with her Aunt Lou under the guise of having a normal life. She hasn't attended a proper school in years, and on her first day meets Luke - who has a girlfriend - and Nick, both of whom complicate things further. Amy lives recklessly and without thinking of the consequences to her or others in her life - will she self destruct? Or will she come to her senses and...well...find home?
I liked Amy. While I am no longer a teen, my younger self connected to her. She's a bit of a brat, she doesn't think things through and she is angry at the world (and her father). Ah teen angst. There's nothing quite like it.
Finding Home tackles themes of underage drinking, teen sex and contraception (or lack thereof) as well as relationships between teens and their parents (or again, lack thereof). I really like it when authors are realistic about issues like this. It was refreshing to not have things glossed over and thrown aside.
The best thing about this novel is Amy and her growth over the book. She really blossoms throughout, and others change with her as her perceptions and ideals shift. Her relationship with her father is really a mess, and while I did wonder why he wasn't actively trying to sort her out, the way that things worked out kind of answered that for me.
All the characters and plotlines were realistic, Amy exasperated me on more than one occasion, but I think that's what good characters can do. I was very pleased with the way things wrapped up and the novel itself was very well written.
Finding Home was a great, quick read. If you like your contemporary young adult novels to contain realism and excellent character growth, I would definitely recommend it!
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Escape Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
My blog is one stop on Lauren K. McKellar's book tour for her debut novel, Finding Home.
I read Finding Home over a 6 hour period with a couple of breaks for food. The opening few paragraphs were great and they really got me hooked early. And then as it turned out, I just could not stop reading!
Amy is a 17 year old with a few issues. Her mother has passed away and she feels as though she is being shunned by her pop star father, sent to live with her Aunt Lou under the guise of having a normal life. She hasn't attended a proper school in years, and on her first day meets Luke - who has a girlfriend - and Nick, both of whom complicate things further. Amy lives recklessly and without thinking of the consequences to her or others in her life - will she self destruct? Or will she come to her senses and...well...find home?
I liked Amy. While I am no longer a teen, my younger self connected to her. She's a bit of a brat, she doesn't think things through and she is angry at the world (and her father). Ah teen angst. There's nothing quite like it.
Finding Home tackles themes of underage drinking, teen sex and contraception (or lack thereof) as well as relationships between teens and their parents (or again, lack thereof). I really like it when authors are realistic about issues like this. It was refreshing to not have things glossed over and thrown aside.
The best thing about this novel is Amy and her growth over the book. She really blossoms throughout, and others change with her as her perceptions and ideals shift. Her relationship with her father is really a mess, and while I did wonder why he wasn't actively trying to sort her out, the way that things worked out kind of answered that for me.
All the characters and plotlines were realistic, Amy exasperated me on more than one occasion, but I think that's what good characters can do. I was very pleased with the way things wrapped up and the novel itself was very well written.
Finding Home was a great, quick read. If you like your contemporary young adult novels to contain realism and excellent character growth, I would definitely recommend it!
November 25, 2013
3.5 stars.
Find the full review on i solemnly swear
For those of you who know my reading tastes, you know I have a very hard time getting into contemporary reads. I can dig romance (because I'm a sap), but regular old contemporary novels are usually not for me - with the exception of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, which I'm enjoying very much. I didn't think I would like this one very much, but I was interested in the description and was able to get a review copy through Netgalley, so I thought I'd give it a shot.
I didn't necessarily love this book, but I enjoyed it for being something out of my comfort zone. It was a pretty dark novel - Amy was falling into alcoholism after her mother's death several months before. There was some sex, which usually I am okay with in YA novels because I like books that can portray true young adult relationships, but the descriptions took it a little far for me. Trust me, I've read wayyyy worse (e.g., Fifty Shades), but I wouldn't exactly be giving this one over to a young teen, say 13 or 14.
I liked Amy a lot (except for when she was being boy-obsessed, ugh) and I think watching her downward spiral then eventual rise above her circumstances was fascinating and inspiring. I also enjoyed Nick though he didn't get a lot of time, considering how obsessed she was with another boy throughout the better half of the book. Unfortunately, I didn't really like any of the other characters. Amy's best friend was a snot, her other "friends" were not very nice to her, her aunt and dad were barely even in the book. The book was extremely short, and had it been lengthened, it would've been nice to have a little more development in the other characters. Don't get me wrong, I like that the characters had their imperfections and the novel was a darker one on the YA spectrum, but I didn't like that some of the bad decisions the characters made were never acknowledged, rectified, apologized for... they were sucky people and everyone was just okay with it.
I enjoyed reading Finding Home, getting a taste for a darker YA novel and watching Amy overcome some very huge, very real obstacles teens face today. I wish the supporting character development and writing had been a little better but overall a pretty good contemporary read.
Find the full review on i solemnly swear
For those of you who know my reading tastes, you know I have a very hard time getting into contemporary reads. I can dig romance (because I'm a sap), but regular old contemporary novels are usually not for me - with the exception of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, which I'm enjoying very much. I didn't think I would like this one very much, but I was interested in the description and was able to get a review copy through Netgalley, so I thought I'd give it a shot.
I didn't necessarily love this book, but I enjoyed it for being something out of my comfort zone. It was a pretty dark novel - Amy was falling into alcoholism after her mother's death several months before. There was some sex, which usually I am okay with in YA novels because I like books that can portray true young adult relationships, but the descriptions took it a little far for me. Trust me, I've read wayyyy worse (e.g., Fifty Shades), but I wouldn't exactly be giving this one over to a young teen, say 13 or 14.
I liked Amy a lot (except for when she was being boy-obsessed, ugh) and I think watching her downward spiral then eventual rise above her circumstances was fascinating and inspiring. I also enjoyed Nick though he didn't get a lot of time, considering how obsessed she was with another boy throughout the better half of the book. Unfortunately, I didn't really like any of the other characters. Amy's best friend was a snot, her other "friends" were not very nice to her, her aunt and dad were barely even in the book. The book was extremely short, and had it been lengthened, it would've been nice to have a little more development in the other characters. Don't get me wrong, I like that the characters had their imperfections and the novel was a darker one on the YA spectrum, but I didn't like that some of the bad decisions the characters made were never acknowledged, rectified, apologized for... they were sucky people and everyone was just okay with it.
I enjoyed reading Finding Home, getting a taste for a darker YA novel and watching Amy overcome some very huge, very real obstacles teens face today. I wish the supporting character development and writing had been a little better but overall a pretty good contemporary read.
September 29, 2013
***ARC received by NetGallery in exchange for an honest review***
When Amy’s mum dies, the last thing she expects is to be kicked off her dad’s music tour all the way to her Aunt Lou in a depressing hole of a seaside town. But it’s okay — Amy learned how to cope with the best, and soon finds a hard-drinking, party-loving crowd to help ease the pain.
The only solace is her music class, but even there she can’t seem to keep it together, sabotaging her grade and her one chance at a meaningful relationship. It takes a hard truth from her only friend before Amy realises that she has to come to terms with her past, before she destroys her future.
A great debut novel!!!
I read a lot of young adult and I will say that this is very young, young adult. The MCs are a little all over the place, but not in a badly written way! They are teenagers that all have their own problems, some worse then others, however all trying to make to most of what they have been given. I felt truly bad for Amy! No teenager should have to go through what she has, however I found her a little hard to connect with at first!
The parents in this book! Wow, just WOW!! Where were they?!? And more to the point where were their backbones ?!? No one wanted to say anything, for fears of upsetting them! I found this the hardest part of the book to follow, to believe, so I wanted to get that out of the way first!
Finding Home was extremely well written, I read it straight through, although it was childish at times, I don't believe that it took away from the book as a whole. I was intrigued by the budding relationship between all characters and even though there were ones I didn't approve of, I was still turning those pages as fast as I could just to see where they were headed!!
I am truly glad I picked this up, and I can't wait for more from this brilliant author!
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November 28, 2015
After her mother dies, Amy is sent to live with her father on his tour bus as he travels the country as a rock star. But when her average daily drink turns into an habit, her father forces her off his tour and makes her live with her aunt Lou.
Finding Home by Lauren K. McKellar is an outstanding story focusing on Amy who is struggling with her mother’s death and constantly drinks alcohol to make herself feel better. This stuns her relationship with her father, a popular rock idol, and he sends her to live with her aunt Lou in a small town. At first she hates living in the small town where everything is in walking distances, but when she meets Luke everything starts to change, and become much better.
I’m not going to lie, when I first starting reading this novel it started out pretty rough, but by the third chapter things started to pick up making me interested in the plot all the way till the end. There’s only one thing most young adult novels lack and that’s heart. You sometimes find it hard to relate to characters because they come off boring or half developed. You won’t get that with Finding Home. There’s emotion throughout the entire novel with some flashback sprinkled in at moments they feel best.
All of the characters are interesting. Most young adult novels you pick up, the character come off as feeling shabby, but reading this novel you won’t find too many character’s that come off as downright annoying. Or simply a character you just have no feeling towards.
The novel’s pace is pretty average and the book itself isn’t that long and I wasn’t able to finish reading it in one day putting forth only around 3 hours. The only thing that would’ve made this novel any better is if the plot was expanded and it was made into a longer novel. Lauren K. McKellar is a great Australian novelist, and I can’t wait to see how she furthers spreads her name in the literary world.
I recommend Finding Home to any who loves young adult romance and is looking for a quick easy read. But if you aren’t interested in romance. This one isn’t for you.
Finding Home by Lauren K. McKellar is an outstanding story focusing on Amy who is struggling with her mother’s death and constantly drinks alcohol to make herself feel better. This stuns her relationship with her father, a popular rock idol, and he sends her to live with her aunt Lou in a small town. At first she hates living in the small town where everything is in walking distances, but when she meets Luke everything starts to change, and become much better.
I’m not going to lie, when I first starting reading this novel it started out pretty rough, but by the third chapter things started to pick up making me interested in the plot all the way till the end. There’s only one thing most young adult novels lack and that’s heart. You sometimes find it hard to relate to characters because they come off boring or half developed. You won’t get that with Finding Home. There’s emotion throughout the entire novel with some flashback sprinkled in at moments they feel best.
All of the characters are interesting. Most young adult novels you pick up, the character come off as feeling shabby, but reading this novel you won’t find too many character’s that come off as downright annoying. Or simply a character you just have no feeling towards.
The novel’s pace is pretty average and the book itself isn’t that long and I wasn’t able to finish reading it in one day putting forth only around 3 hours. The only thing that would’ve made this novel any better is if the plot was expanded and it was made into a longer novel. Lauren K. McKellar is a great Australian novelist, and I can’t wait to see how she furthers spreads her name in the literary world.
I recommend Finding Home to any who loves young adult romance and is looking for a quick easy read. But if you aren’t interested in romance. This one isn’t for you.
January 3, 2014
Finding Home tackles some really tough subjects such as alcohol abuse and sexual assault. This book was okay but I really had a problem with the main character.
Let’s discuss.
Amy, the main character, annoyed me. She’s very naive, selfish, self-destructive and she doesn’t listen. First of all, I have no problem with characters who drinks but this girl, she knows no boundaries. I get it that she’s grieving a lot for her mother and also for her father, for abandoning her for the sake of his career but that’s not the right way to cope and handle things. If life has been rough on you then beat it, don’t let it get on you. Don’t let a problem ruin your life, there are hundred ways to solve the fuck of it. There’s this part of the book that I almost wanted to ditch it because Amy let herself drown to alcohol because the whole school already knows her secret, that her father is famous singer. WTF. Seriously. Also, her character came really desperate for Luke’s attention. Even though Luke already has a girlfriend. I don’t know if I should feel bad for what happened to her and Luke. She wanted it, there she goes, she loss her virginity to some asshole. The only character I liked in this book is Lily, Amy’s friend. She brought some sense into Amy’s thick head. Nick, the other love interest, he’s likable but I do wish I got to know him more. For me, his exposure felt short. Although, I’m glad that he’s not a total asshole like Luke.
I was definitely sure that I’d give this book a one or two rating star.
HOWEVER..
When Amy finally came to her senses. It was really touching. She finally accepted the truth about her mother’s death and she fixed her relationship with her father and aunt and also to those around her, like Nick and Lily.
Amy’s character development is awe-inspiring. I’m happy for her, I’m happy that she truly found her home with the people she loves.
Finding Home is about self-discovery and acceptance. All in all, it was a good, decent read.
*I received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
The Moody Reader
Let’s discuss.
Amy, the main character, annoyed me. She’s very naive, selfish, self-destructive and she doesn’t listen. First of all, I have no problem with characters who drinks but this girl, she knows no boundaries. I get it that she’s grieving a lot for her mother and also for her father, for abandoning her for the sake of his career but that’s not the right way to cope and handle things. If life has been rough on you then beat it, don’t let it get on you. Don’t let a problem ruin your life, there are hundred ways to solve the fuck of it. There’s this part of the book that I almost wanted to ditch it because Amy let herself drown to alcohol because the whole school already knows her secret, that her father is famous singer. WTF. Seriously. Also, her character came really desperate for Luke’s attention. Even though Luke already has a girlfriend. I don’t know if I should feel bad for what happened to her and Luke. She wanted it, there she goes, she loss her virginity to some asshole. The only character I liked in this book is Lily, Amy’s friend. She brought some sense into Amy’s thick head. Nick, the other love interest, he’s likable but I do wish I got to know him more. For me, his exposure felt short. Although, I’m glad that he’s not a total asshole like Luke.
I was definitely sure that I’d give this book a one or two rating star.
HOWEVER..
When Amy finally came to her senses. It was really touching. She finally accepted the truth about her mother’s death and she fixed her relationship with her father and aunt and also to those around her, like Nick and Lily.
Amy’s character development is awe-inspiring. I’m happy for her, I’m happy that she truly found her home with the people she loves.
Finding Home is about self-discovery and acceptance. All in all, it was a good, decent read.
*I received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
The Moody Reader
October 11, 2013
I got a copy in exchange for an honest review
I read Finding Home in one sitting, which is realy uncommon these days. I really enjoyed Finding Home, it is the story of s truggling teenager looking for a place to belong and having someone care about her and she makes quite her share of really stupid chooses on the way, but at the end she grows stronger.
Finding Home had that keep-reading-feel, the beginning felt a bit slow, but after that it really picked up pace. There where some flashbacks, but it was really nicely done with italics so it was obvious which where the flashbacks and these flashbacks gave some insight in her past without disrupting the pace of the story.
I wasn't sure whether I liked Amy or not at the beginning, I certainly felt bad for her how she got dumped at her aunt's in a new town. Amy also made her fair of bad choiches and mistakes, but at the end she makes some great descisions too and I liked her at the end. Finding Home reminds me of my own troubled teenage years and all the drama and insecurities at that age. I really wanted to warn Amy a few times, because for the reader it was obvious that something was going wrong.
I liked the beach setting, although it didn't play such a big part as I hoped. Also after reading this I believe even more that the cover really fits the story. Finding Home was enjoyable, but I woukd've liked seeing some more of Amy her interactions with for example her aunt, also I had some difficulties getting a good idea of the side characters and I kept forgetting how each of them looked like. The story really focusses on Amy and her problems. I really liked the ending and while it wrapped up things nicely, I still would've liked reading what happened next.
To conclude: I really enjoyed Finding Home, I read it one sitting, because I just wanted to read what would happen next. Amy is a troubled teen who makes her fair share of mistakes. I did like her at the end and the ending wrapped things up nicely, but I still would've liked reading what happened next.
I read Finding Home in one sitting, which is realy uncommon these days. I really enjoyed Finding Home, it is the story of s truggling teenager looking for a place to belong and having someone care about her and she makes quite her share of really stupid chooses on the way, but at the end she grows stronger.
Finding Home had that keep-reading-feel, the beginning felt a bit slow, but after that it really picked up pace. There where some flashbacks, but it was really nicely done with italics so it was obvious which where the flashbacks and these flashbacks gave some insight in her past without disrupting the pace of the story.
I wasn't sure whether I liked Amy or not at the beginning, I certainly felt bad for her how she got dumped at her aunt's in a new town. Amy also made her fair of bad choiches and mistakes, but at the end she makes some great descisions too and I liked her at the end. Finding Home reminds me of my own troubled teenage years and all the drama and insecurities at that age. I really wanted to warn Amy a few times, because for the reader it was obvious that something was going wrong.
I liked the beach setting, although it didn't play such a big part as I hoped. Also after reading this I believe even more that the cover really fits the story. Finding Home was enjoyable, but I woukd've liked seeing some more of Amy her interactions with for example her aunt, also I had some difficulties getting a good idea of the side characters and I kept forgetting how each of them looked like. The story really focusses on Amy and her problems. I really liked the ending and while it wrapped up things nicely, I still would've liked reading what happened next.
To conclude: I really enjoyed Finding Home, I read it one sitting, because I just wanted to read what would happen next. Amy is a troubled teen who makes her fair share of mistakes. I did like her at the end and the ending wrapped things up nicely, but I still would've liked reading what happened next.
January 2, 2014
Review: So I started off this book with high hopes. I love contemporaries, and Finding Home sounded like a really good book. But I ended up kind of disappointed. I think my main problem with this book was that there were too many "blurred lines." The people in this novel didn't seem to know the difference between two contrasting points, and that really bothered me.
Characters: Alas, I did not like the characters. Our main character Amy, I found her really shallow and vain. She seemed really oblivious to me. Amy mixed up love and lust, even when she did end up with the right guy. Another major issues for me was her drinking problem. How she still had a liver left completely eluded me. In the book, it said that Amy drank straight for about 3 days. What I don't know is how she wasn't dead by then.
Other characters I had problems with was pretty much all the major characters in Amy's life. Luke was an asshole, and should have been locked up, Nick was stupid and let Amy drink when he knew it was wrong, and Amy's aunt Lou disgusted me. She was an ADULT and she let Amy do whatever she wanted and drink whenever she wanted.
I'd like to mention something before I get on with the rest of my review: This book takes place in the UK, where the legal drinking age is 18. Amy was almost to the legal age, but this doesn't excuse her addiction AT ALL.
Storyline/Plot: I have to hand it to the author. Finding Home was entertaining in some ways, and really easy to read. But only because there was no depth in it. At the end, none of the characters really end up changing, so there really was no point to the entire story.
Writing: Concerning writing, I was able to connect with Amy's feelings, but I couldn't echo her emotions. I understood how she felt, but that didn't change my opinion of her. However, the scenes did flow easily, and it made for an easy to read and entertaining, if not enlightening, story.
Conclusion: Although not stellar, Finding Home was like a rainy day with small bursts of sunshine that I was able to appreciate and respect all the same.
Characters: Alas, I did not like the characters. Our main character Amy, I found her really shallow and vain. She seemed really oblivious to me. Amy mixed up love and lust, even when she did end up with the right guy. Another major issues for me was her drinking problem. How she still had a liver left completely eluded me. In the book, it said that Amy drank straight for about 3 days. What I don't know is how she wasn't dead by then.
Other characters I had problems with was pretty much all the major characters in Amy's life. Luke was an asshole, and should have been locked up, Nick was stupid and let Amy drink when he knew it was wrong, and Amy's aunt Lou disgusted me. She was an ADULT and she let Amy do whatever she wanted and drink whenever she wanted.
I'd like to mention something before I get on with the rest of my review: This book takes place in the UK, where the legal drinking age is 18. Amy was almost to the legal age, but this doesn't excuse her addiction AT ALL.
Storyline/Plot: I have to hand it to the author. Finding Home was entertaining in some ways, and really easy to read. But only because there was no depth in it. At the end, none of the characters really end up changing, so there really was no point to the entire story.
Writing: Concerning writing, I was able to connect with Amy's feelings, but I couldn't echo her emotions. I understood how she felt, but that didn't change my opinion of her. However, the scenes did flow easily, and it made for an easy to read and entertaining, if not enlightening, story.
Conclusion: Although not stellar, Finding Home was like a rainy day with small bursts of sunshine that I was able to appreciate and respect all the same.
October 30, 2013
Kat's Review
This novel tackles some tough subjects, such as drug abuse, the loss of a parent, sexual assault, and more, all through the eyes of a teenage girl trying to start over in her Aunt's house, while her famous father is on tour. Amy manages to begin pulling herself out of her depression with the help of some misfit friends, and finds herself falling for a boy in her music class, the only place she feels she really fits in. When Amy regresses back to her self-destructive behaviour, she's certain that she'll never return to the happy girl she once was. I applaud this author for tackling some really tough subjects in such an unflinching way. There's no holding back of emotions, or tiptoeing around serious issues such as drug abuse.
As the book progresses, we learn about what happened to Amy's mom through a series of flashbacks. As Amy relives her childhood in her memories, she begins to see things through the lens of greater experience, questioning what she once believed to be true about her parents. She begins to question whether her anger and hatred toward her dad are justified after all. The one issue that bugged me a little in this book was Amy's naiveté when it came to the boy she has a crush on. Her neediness is understandable in light of her past and abandonment issues, but sometimes I felt as though her willful blindness was a bit of a stretch. Otherwise I found this book to be a good read.
Kat's Rating: Worth a Look Despite the mature subject matter, the story itself isn't overly graphic in any area. The author does touch upon serious issues, but they are not described in detail just for the shock value. This is a story about finding yourself, finding forgiveness, and finding a place to call home. I received a complimentary copy of this title from NetGalley & the publisher in return for an honest review. - See more at: http://www.katsbookbuzz.net/2013/10/r...
This novel tackles some tough subjects, such as drug abuse, the loss of a parent, sexual assault, and more, all through the eyes of a teenage girl trying to start over in her Aunt's house, while her famous father is on tour. Amy manages to begin pulling herself out of her depression with the help of some misfit friends, and finds herself falling for a boy in her music class, the only place she feels she really fits in. When Amy regresses back to her self-destructive behaviour, she's certain that she'll never return to the happy girl she once was. I applaud this author for tackling some really tough subjects in such an unflinching way. There's no holding back of emotions, or tiptoeing around serious issues such as drug abuse.
As the book progresses, we learn about what happened to Amy's mom through a series of flashbacks. As Amy relives her childhood in her memories, she begins to see things through the lens of greater experience, questioning what she once believed to be true about her parents. She begins to question whether her anger and hatred toward her dad are justified after all. The one issue that bugged me a little in this book was Amy's naiveté when it came to the boy she has a crush on. Her neediness is understandable in light of her past and abandonment issues, but sometimes I felt as though her willful blindness was a bit of a stretch. Otherwise I found this book to be a good read.
Kat's Rating: Worth a Look Despite the mature subject matter, the story itself isn't overly graphic in any area. The author does touch upon serious issues, but they are not described in detail just for the shock value. This is a story about finding yourself, finding forgiveness, and finding a place to call home. I received a complimentary copy of this title from NetGalley & the publisher in return for an honest review. - See more at: http://www.katsbookbuzz.net/2013/10/r...
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