Home Girl

South Crongton Quartet #4

by Alex Wheatle

When Naomi, a fourteen-year-old white girl, is placed with a black foster care family, her life takes some dramatic twists and turns.

Part of our Black Sheep imprint for young readers.

This isn’t my home. Haven’t had a proper home since . . . This is just somewhere I’ll be resting my bones for a week and maybe a bit. This time next year you’ll forget who I am. I haven’t got a diddly where I’ll be by then. But I’m used to it.

New from the best-selling black British author Alex Wheatle, Home Girl is the story of Naomi, a teenage girl growing up fast in the foster care system. It is a wholly modern story which sheds a much-needed light on what can be an unsettling life—and the consequences that follow when children are treated like pawns on a family chessboard.

Home Girl is fast-paced and funny, tender, tragic, and full of courage—just like Naomi. This is Alex Wheatle’s most moving and personal novel to date.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Audiobook, British Literature, Young Adult Contemporary

280 pages, Paperback

First published April 4, 2019

About the author

Alex Alphonso Wheatle was a British novelist, who was sentenced to a term of imprisonment after the 1981 Brixton riot in London.

Reviews

[catherine ♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book, about a fourteen-year-old white girl who is placed with a black foster family, had a blurb that caught my attention right off the bat, and I was really excited to read about race relations, about the failure of the system, etc.

But I'm sad to say that I didn't connect with this book at all. The first thing that I really didn't click with is just Naomi herself. She used a lot of unusual slang and a lot of her dialogue was just roundabout and random — it was annoying and didn't seem to feel realistic for her age. I kept thinking she was ten, rather than fourteen, with the maturity of her comments.

Other than that, there really doesn't feel like there's much of an overarching plot here. It's more of slice-of-life type of story; I don't have anything against that in itself, but that style combined with the lack of a relatable character with good growth didn't work out too well for me, and it also meant that any social commentary wasn't delivered effectively.

[Yna from Books and Boybands]

May 24 2019:
Extremely excited to read a book with the premise: Home Girl is fast-paced and funny, tender, tragic, and full of courage—just like Naomi. It is Alex Wheatle’s most moving and personal novel to date.

Thank you, Edelweiss, Black Sheep & Consortium for sending me an advance copy!

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a former foster parent, this is an interesting YA novel about an English white teenage girl who bounces from foster home to foster home. She finally finds peace of mind with a Black family, which breaks one of the myths people have about child placement. Foster kids just need to know someone values them, it's not about the color of your skin.

[Eve L-A Witherington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Naomi has grown up in foster care since her mum committed suicide and her dad became an alcoholic leaving Naomi to care for him before the council took her into care.



Since being in care she has tried many placements and tried to find permanent care in a new family but instead has had tons of homes until Tony and Colleen come along with their other two foster children.



She also has to attend a school for expelled kids where her friends from care unit still catch up with her the girls there, her friends, are also a lesbian couple, Kim and Natts.



The book highlights all the issues with mental health and safety and awareness of others wellbeing. She tries to put up a hard facade but can break easily with change as we see when Louise her case worker only wanted the best for her and then decides to leave while she felt she had no one but good food, coke and dance all dependable things that can't change on her. It was a super moving and realistic read about teenage life in care that shows how it effects people in the care system.



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good emotional rollercoaster of a read, felt a bit repetitive and slow at times but overall I enjoyed this and would recommend the book.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Home Girl is a young adult novel about being in the care system and chasing stability. Naomi is a fourteen year old girl about to move in with new emergency foster parents. She likes horror films, drinking Coke, and dancing, and she used to care for her alcoholic father before going into care. The novel follows her try new foster carers, hang out with her friends in her Pupil Referral Unit, and look for something stable, even somewhere she might be able to call home.

This is a powerful novel, with a funny yet sad main character who speaks her mind and is clearly vulnerable. Naomi is vibrant and memorable, and the narrative moves with pace to show how quickly her life seems to move from thing to thing. Less sensationalist than other books in many ways, it focuses a lot on the small details of what makes Naomi and what makes her life, both past and present.

[Amanto Moura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mais um livro que leio seguidamente e fala sobre adoção. História bacana cheia de altos e baixos com potencial continuação.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

My three-word description of Home Girl by Alex Wheatle is raw, tender and amusing.

Book Synopsis:
'This isn't my home. Haven't had a proper home since...This is just somewhere I'll be resting my bones for a week and maybe a bit. This time next year you'll forget who I am. I haven't got a diddly where I'll be by then. But I'm used to it'

New from the winner of the Guardian Children's Book Award: Home Girl is the story of Naomi, a teenage girl growing up fast in the care system. It is a wholly modern story which sheds a much needed light on what can be an unsettling life - and the consequences that can follow when children are treated like pawns on a family chessboard.

Home Girl is fast-paced and funny, tender, tragic and full of courage - just like Naomi. It is award-winning author Alex Wheatle's most moving and personal novel to date.

My Musings:
I found this a compelling and hugely entertaining story. Home Girl is a young adult novel about being in care and yearning for stability. Naomi Brisset, 14, is about to move in with new emergency foster parents, the Goldings. She enjoys drinking Coke, horror films, and dancing, and she used to care for her alcoholic father, following the suicide of her mother. The novel tracks her experiences with the new foster carers, hanging out with her friends in the Pupil Referral Unit (a school for those who are continually getting expelled) and looking for some continuity in her so far, unstable life, possibly even somewhere she could call home.

Alex Wheatle delivers a strong character in Naomi: she is fiery, vibrant, and isn't afraid to stand up for herself, though she is also very vulnerable. This is a powerful novel with a large helping of humour to counteract some of the sadder moments.

This authentic, gritty novel explores the complexities of fostering from both sides of the relationship. I found myself really rooting for Naomi, but it was hard to visualise a happy ending for her, and I could feel Naomi’s frustration at the situation that she was in. This book showcases what it means for children in the care system, and it certainly gave me food for thought...is it an infinite downward spiral or is there hope at the end?

Verdict:
Overall, I had no issues with Home Girl but it didn't bedazzle me.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Little, Brown Book Group UK/ Atom at my request, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read the synopsis of this on Netgalley I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting myself into, I knew it sounded interesting but I wasn’t expecting to be “hit in the feels” as much as I was.

"This isn’t my home. Haven’t had a proper home since…This is just somewhere I’ll be resting my bones for a week and maybe a bit. This time next year you’ll forget who I am. I haven’t got a diddly where I’ll be by then. But I’m used to it"

This novel truly had it all, there were times when I wanted to laugh because Naomi has such a character and fiery personality.
Yet then there were times that I really felt for her- having never been in the care system I could never understand what it is like but I could almost feel Naomi’s frustration at the situation that she was in.

Naomi is definitely a young woman who in some ways has had to grow up quickly but is still very naive, she will believe anything that Kim tells her as Nats and Kim are her only friends in the system and of so she believes that Kim is just looking out for her.
Bounced from Foster family to Foster family I can see why Naomi would believe anything Nats and Kim would say- they were her only constant.
Spoiler alert- Kim isn’t looking out for Naomi at all, she is a very manipulative young woman who was praying on someone “weak”.

I absolutely loved Naomi’s bonding with The Goldings, especially Sharyna and Pablo, she definitely had a soft spot for them.
It was interesting to see the bond develop between Naomi and Colleen and Tony as the parental figures- as soon as she arrived they were treating her as one of their own.

I like the way Alex tackled the issue of racism and cultural appropriation.

The choice to leave the ending open is quite interesting, I would like to believe that Naomi went on to stay with the Goldings permanently (and maybe got adopted by them) but who knows, maybe there could be a sequel in the future.

If you want something that is a definite emotional rollercoaster then I would give this a shot.

[Sonja Charters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is actually part of the Crongton series and I hadn't realised this when I grabbed it to read.
In fact, I didn't know about the series until I'm just now writing this review, so that shows how well this book works as a standalone read.

Told purely from Naomi's pov, it took me a minute to get used to the language used here - but honestly, literally only a minute - before I was enjoying the brilliant street talk and all its foibles.

We meet Naomi, stuck in the care system, as she exits yet another placement.
Louise, her social worker is at her breaking point trying to find a suitable foster family and ends up placing her with emergency carers, The Goldings.

This story highlights so many of the issues within the care system and it was really interesting to see things from the different sides - the child, the carers and the social worker.

Poor Naomi had already lived through so much with her family and various placements.
I really felt for her and it was tough to hear her worries and emotions throughout the story.

There was so much going on in terms of plot but what struck me was the way that different events and conversations really made an impact on this young and impressionable mind.
The way that Naomi trusted her friend, Kim, taking everything she said as the truth - and this affected the way that Naomi saw people and situations through life.

I loved that the Golding family took Naomi in and treated her so well, showing her that there was some good in the world and giving her hope of finding a loving and caring foster family one day.

This actually didn't finish the way I was expecting and there's definitely more to this story.
I'd love to learn more about some of the other characters and definitely need to see how things developed for Naomi and The Golding family too.

Something quite different to my normal reads, but I really enjoyed it and really grew to love Naomi.

[Cynthia Parkhill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Naomi, a teenage girl in the UK foster-care system, is placed with a temporary family, the Goldings. When she arrives at the Goldings' home, Naomi is wary at first, especially of Tony, the father, because past experience has led Naomi to suspect men of wanting to sexually abuse her.

As her stay progresses, Naomi gradually comes to trust this new family; observing her become able to let down some of her barriers is one of the most moving aspects of this book.

Outside the household, on multiple fronts, this arrangement is bombarded with criticism. The reason is that Naomi is white and the Goldings are black ... and therefore any long-term stay would be "against official policy." Tony's father views the placement as "robbing" a black child of a stable home, and after foster-mother Colleen spends hours painstakingly braiding Naomi's hair, another girl physically attacks Naomi because she decides that Naomi has appropriated a black hairstyle.

Altogether, Home Girl is a very moving book, which Young Adult readers might relate to. The author, Alex Wheatle, is known for inventing his own slang for use by his characters; his book Crongton Knights was a recipient of the Guardian Children's Book Award.

I received a copy of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers

[Rach (pagesofpiper) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Naomi is stuck in the care system, not many people want to adopt a teenager. Everyone has a story in the care system and Naomi's is tragic, she had to grow up too fast to look after her alcoholic father. Carrying her meercat toy from foster home to foster home she struggles to find happiness. She attends the Pupil Referral Unit, a school for people who continually get expelled, with two girls she knows. Life gets a little bit better for Naomi when she ends up being fostered by a black family. Even though interracial fostering isn't favoured in councils and her social worker works hard to place her elsewhere, this is the time Naomi finds herself fitting well in a family.

This book shines a light on what it means for children in the care system, is it an endless spiral or is there hope at the end? Naomi has a distinct voice, a person who you can't help but care for, and I really did, so much so I cried for her at the end. However, that ending felt rushed.
I wanted to know why the meercat and what happened to her father. I wanted her to get her happy ending with Tony and Colleen. Instead her social worker ends up resigning and Naomi goes to a children's home. I didn't like the ending, but I kind of understand that's the whole point of the book.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Naomi is fourteen, she longs for a real home but chances are not likely. I liked her a lot. Her mother was and her father an alcoholic, Naomi took care of her dad but she had a lot of growing up to do, no real childhood and no concrete plans for future. But first she need love and guidance and real friends, not the girls she called but they were the wrong crowd, getting into trouble often and not ones to
trust. Her latest chance for a foster family seemed like great choice to me. Naomi enjoyed being with the two foster children and it did not take long for to like her to like the honest and open foster mother, because of her past experiences, it took more time for her to trust the foster dad.

This is a very fast and compelling read, I had some trouble understanding the British street slang but definitely enjoy to sequel to this story. It brought up some adoption issues that I had not thought about in depth and would like to learn more. Besides young adults, I think it would be an excellent book for adoptive parents to read.

I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book as a win from LibraryThing from the publishers in exchange for a fair book review. My thoughts and feelings in this review are totally my own.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A white girl named Naomi has baggage from a suicide by her mother where she became the caretaker for her alcoholic father before being put into the foster care system. In the opening pages, she's being removed from her last foster placement because the dad was a creep and she is now going to be temporarily placed in a foster home with a black couple. She's excited but nervous and understandably offput by any show of actual emotion because she's closed herself off from it.

The book showcases the foster care system that is neither positive nor negative-- more like "this is what it could be and/or is" for some. It's how Naomi begins to deal with the new family and learns to fight off the demons that are still creeping up based on the situation that got her into the system as a teenager through both her experiences and those of friends in the system as well.

American teens will have a harder time understanding Naomi's English because the book is set in England and she has a hard edge to boot. If they have the patience, they'll be rewarded tenfold because it's a phenomenally deep dive into the roller coaster that is the institution of foster care.

[Confexxi_history · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was recommanded to me as a great read about children in foster care. I'm grateful for the recommandation. It takes place in England but it could have happened in other places.

Naomi is a 14yo white british girl who was parentified , due to an alcoholic father, ends up in foster care. She lost her mother to depression years prior. She goes through many foster care places, never seemingly fitting until she ends up in emergency housing among a black family who are foster parent.

We get to meet other children in the same situation as her, or who were in foster care too, all with different stories and subsequent issues.

I read it in one go. Words flow easily, it's a page-turner. The book uses british slang a lot and it's not for all age.

Naomi and the other children in the unit, her nan, Emily, Louise, Pablo, Tony, Colleen, Sharyna all own my heart.

I really like the ending. It's a heavy book and I think this is the ending that worked better with it, while still keeping happy.

This book will stay with me for a while.

[Alison Sims · Rating 1 out of 5]

Home girl is about a teenager, who until just recently has been a young carer for her Alcoholic parent.
She is now in the care system and entering an emergency Foster care setting. The idea of this book from the synopsis, made me think that I would be reading a book that was fast paced, hard hitting, informative and would get you fighting for all the Naomi's out there. Instead I was disappointed by a book that spent a lot of time character building one person, which seemed like a it only gave is a snapshot of Naomi than letting the reader feel absorbed in Naomi's life.
The writer also tried too hard to capture the voice of a modern teenager which left the dialogue often feeling woody and les me to distraction.
With this synopsis the story could have been alot better and I fail to understand how it was the author was chosen for the Gaurdian children's book award.

[Tabrizia · Rating 4 out of 5]

So raw and emotional with parts f humor entwined in. Alex Wheatle was able to bring such a difficult subject into the light, which made it more realistic and compelling for any reader. I thought I would be deterred by the use of language Wheatle used, but I found it more interesting and allowed me to be more engaged in the story. Naomi had some annoying and ignorant but seeing her life through her eyes doesn't excuse her actions but makes it more understandable. For a 14 year old she had to grow up really fast and she has seen things that no young teenager should have to deal with. The question of what is normal and what isn't is a strong theme in this story and I think a lot of readers would find a connection with that. Such an interesting look into the foster care system.

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a powerful story about a vunerable teenager in the care system desperately wanting stability but undertandably angry and defensive about her situation. Naomi is a colourful and complex character but unfortunately I just didn't connect with her.

I also found the plot lacking, this was more of a slice of life rather than going in any direction. That along with a lot of repetition (the bouncing down the stairs in particular) ultimately led me to not enjoy this book.

It just wasn't for me ....

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher / author for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review.

[Jayne Bauling · Rating 4 out of 5]

More excellent YA fiction from Alex Wheatle.
Mouthy Naomi is funny and sad, talking tough but actually acutely vulnerable. She is in the care system, with too many placements that haven’t worked out behind her. However, her relationship with her new foster family looks promising, but there are no easy answers. Naomi’s social worker and foster parents are concerned about the influence of the troubled and aggressive Kim, who mixes fact with misinformation, but as Naomi reflects: If I lose her as a sistren, who else have I got?
Honest, original, heartbreaking, and a little bit hopeful.

[Cenedra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admit that I'd never heard of this author before but the synopsis for this book really intrigued me.
I've never read a story quite like this one, it goes into depth on what life for a teenager like the main character Naomi is like to go from foster home to foster home.
This was a super fast paced read which I enjoyed and although I didn't always like and connect with every single character I did really love the story and I was rooting for Naomi throughout. I found some of the dialogue a bit hard to understand at some points but that was my only real issue.
I would definitely consider reading more from this author in the future.

[Isla-Grace Davies · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved the idea behind the message of this book. But I was instantly put off by the uber-colloquial, irritating phrases our protagonist uses constantly. I’m not sure whether the author was trying to convey a character or whether he believes this is how teenagers talk, but it was unbearable. Any heartwarming moments were thrown out of the window with the chaotic hodgepodge of a conclusion. Some of the plot points were so convoluted that I felt like I was watching a soap opera. I've heard a lot about Wheatle but I don't think his style is for me.

[Amanda Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to learn some British slang, this book will help. It reminded me of the movie "To Sir With Love" because it involves a middle class black adult dealing with inner city problem teens. The main character, Naomi, is temporarily placed with a black family in foster care. She is white and her case worker hopes to find a white family for her. Naomi becomes attached to her foster family and then has opportunities to leave. She has to decide what is best for her and learn who is really on her side.

[Isha Narang · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book told the story of a young teen who thinks she's mature enough to face the world. It tells about how she learns that a family is the best place for her, even if it's not the one she was expecting. I enjoyed the book. I think the author overused some of the language and I wish more of Naomi's thoughts were included in between the narration. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy realistic fiction. Overall, it was a good book with only a few faults. I also wish the setting had been expanded upon.

[Georgie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. However, Naomi's constant use of 'monkey in a....' metaphors reflecting her situation/feelings was weird and grating. If she'd used 'meerkat in a...' instead, that would link to the cuddly meerkat she carries around. Or if her real mum/dad had nicknamed her 'monkey' before everything went wrong for them all, that would make sense. But nope. It was overused and felt weird to me. Still, a very good book. I really cared about Naomi and wanted to know what was going to happen to her. The ending felt very abrupt too.

[Donie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this audio book. It had humor and the character development was good. Though usually don’t like endings like this, guess I can think up my own ending or epilogue. Naomi goes to the new unit and regular school and thrives. She finds sisters in her dance friends and school. She also keeps good relations with the Golding family, her dance teacher and Louise. She goes to therapy to help her process events that lead her to foster care. She grows up to be loving, thriving, productive citizen.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

The narrative voice obviously was not that of a generation z teenager - because that would lose relevance within 2 years. It was distinctively A TEENAGER, and was done consistently and well, using phrases that weren't standard English but ridiculous enough to imagine that a teenager came up with them. This voice fit the novel, as it's set in a fictitious world.

Not 5 stars because the ending felt rushed and incomplete.

[Alma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Naomi was street wise, knowing the only one who could take care of anything at home was herself. Though only 14 years old, she’d been in charge of her drunkard father for years after her mother committed suicide, cooking and paying bills. She’d seen a lot in her young life, and resented being put into the foster care system after he disappeared. Read the rest of the review on my blog: https://shouldireaditornot.wordpress....

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the plotline is not exactly an everyday occurrence, it has been better done in other books. The characters are often stereotypical and cardboardish and the dialogue sounded like the author sat at some coffee shop where teenagers hung out and wrote down the words and snippets of dialogue he heard there.

While neither this book nor the author’s writing appealed to me, I’m sure there are those who will love it.

My thanks to Black Sheep and Edelweiss for an eARC.

[abir · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute read, with great character building. It falls a tad boring at points but that doesn't distract from the good story and characters that come along with it. Hoping there's a sequel so we get a more tied up ending, but for what it's worth, this was a good one.

Recommend this for some nice holiday reading.

[Ansate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Naomi. [return][return]and I enjoyed the book as a whole. The main thing I was worried about that didn't happen was that any character would be "too perfect". But nope, the whole mess of em are flawed and interact believably. [return][return]It's at that tipping point of YA where it's still pretty heavy for younger readers - I'm not in a hurry to hand it to a 12 year old.