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The People We Keep
The People We Keep is about a young songwriter longing to find a home in the world.
Little River, New York, 1994: April Sawicki is living in a motorless motorhome that her father won in a poker game. Failing out of school, picking up shifts at Margo’s diner, she’s left fending for herself in a town where she’s never quite felt at home. When she “borrows” her neighbor’s car to perform at an open mic night, she realizes her life could be much bigger than where she came from. After a fight with her dad, April packs her stuff and leaves for good, setting off on a journey to find a life that’s all hers.
As April moves through the world, meeting people who feel like home, she chronicles her life in the songs she writes and discovers that where she came from doesn’t dictate who she has to be.
This lyrical, unflinching tale is for anyone who has ever yearned for the fierce power of found family or to grasp the profound beauty of choosing to belong.
Little River, New York, 1994: April Sawicki is living in a motorless motorhome that her father won in a poker game. Failing out of school, picking up shifts at Margo’s diner, she’s left fending for herself in a town where she’s never quite felt at home. When she “borrows” her neighbor’s car to perform at an open mic night, she realizes her life could be much bigger than where she came from. After a fight with her dad, April packs her stuff and leaves for good, setting off on a journey to find a life that’s all hers.
As April moves through the world, meeting people who feel like home, she chronicles her life in the songs she writes and discovers that where she came from doesn’t dictate who she has to be.
This lyrical, unflinching tale is for anyone who has ever yearned for the fierce power of found family or to grasp the profound beauty of choosing to belong.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published August 3, 2021
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February 17, 2021
This is my new book, written under my full name. It's been something I've been working on for a long time and I put my whole heart into it. I hope you enjoy!
October 14, 2025
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!
Oh, April, she is living her sweet sixteen in the worst way possible, trapped in motorless motorhome which was won on poker game, abandoned by her mother at young age and now her father leaves him alone to become part of another family with a woman who is a few year older than her. She is dropped from high school because she has more important things to solve mathematical equations: she has to chase the open mic nights by stealing neighbor’s car, working her ass of for extra shifts at Margo’s diner and applying for special singing gigs at the bars!
Her boyfriend Matty’s family thinks she’s not good enough for their boy. And Matty plans to stay in this small town, marrying with her. But after singing in front of the crowd, April feels the power of spotlight. She’s too young to be rotten in this town. After her father’s decision to marry with Irene who is carrying his baby and his abusive, neglecting manners around her: she says enough is enough: stealing the car his father bought for Irene, packing everything she has, leaving her only valuable possession behind: her guitar because his father broke it to teach her a lesson. She hits the road without thinking any intention to return back!
She finds herself in Ithaca to start over: where new life and her bumpy journey starts here.
She starves, sleeping in her car, taking shower at the campsite till her body freezes, changing plates of her car not to be caught by officers, sharpening her skills to make fake ID, homeless, trying to find a job, a place to settle, forming friendships. She wants to become someone people care, someone not expendable, someone not neglected! But firstly she wants to learn how to trust people!
But unfortunately her long journey is just starting. She gotta learn a lot… she has to rediscover her true self, learning to be brave, reading more about people. She meets with amazing people. But she also meets with cunning, selfish, untrustworthy ones, too!
She falls in love, she writes amazing songs about small lives of people, regular lives with big words, she cries at the shower, she gives up, she f*ck up so bad, she leaves, she is left behind, she gives up, she starts again, she hurts, she suffers, she stumbles, she falls but eventually she gets up on her feet and she keeps driving till she finds out home is not the place she chose to live, it’s the place where family she chose lives. And now she slowly creates her own family by touching other people’s lives who contributed her adventurous somewhat tragic somewhat tough and testing journey!
I think I could read this book for days. Each chapter was written so genuinely. I felt like I’m so close to April and I easily connected with her friends she’s made throughout this long road trips. It was so engrossing, realistic. I felt like I read true life passages of our daily lives.
I loved this journey a lot. I loved April, Margot, Carly, Ethan, Adam so much. I think instead of immature, self oriented douchebag Justin and April’s neglectful father, I loved each of the characters( even Matt, Irene)
I think I don’t have enough vocabulary to express how much I loved this book. Don’t miss this out! Don’t just add to your tbr! It’s too good to skip or to be forgotten on reading list! Just read it! Read it and reread it! One of the best fiction books of the year!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
Oh, April, she is living her sweet sixteen in the worst way possible, trapped in motorless motorhome which was won on poker game, abandoned by her mother at young age and now her father leaves him alone to become part of another family with a woman who is a few year older than her. She is dropped from high school because she has more important things to solve mathematical equations: she has to chase the open mic nights by stealing neighbor’s car, working her ass of for extra shifts at Margo’s diner and applying for special singing gigs at the bars!
Her boyfriend Matty’s family thinks she’s not good enough for their boy. And Matty plans to stay in this small town, marrying with her. But after singing in front of the crowd, April feels the power of spotlight. She’s too young to be rotten in this town. After her father’s decision to marry with Irene who is carrying his baby and his abusive, neglecting manners around her: she says enough is enough: stealing the car his father bought for Irene, packing everything she has, leaving her only valuable possession behind: her guitar because his father broke it to teach her a lesson. She hits the road without thinking any intention to return back!
She finds herself in Ithaca to start over: where new life and her bumpy journey starts here.
She starves, sleeping in her car, taking shower at the campsite till her body freezes, changing plates of her car not to be caught by officers, sharpening her skills to make fake ID, homeless, trying to find a job, a place to settle, forming friendships. She wants to become someone people care, someone not expendable, someone not neglected! But firstly she wants to learn how to trust people!
But unfortunately her long journey is just starting. She gotta learn a lot… she has to rediscover her true self, learning to be brave, reading more about people. She meets with amazing people. But she also meets with cunning, selfish, untrustworthy ones, too!
She falls in love, she writes amazing songs about small lives of people, regular lives with big words, she cries at the shower, she gives up, she f*ck up so bad, she leaves, she is left behind, she gives up, she starts again, she hurts, she suffers, she stumbles, she falls but eventually she gets up on her feet and she keeps driving till she finds out home is not the place she chose to live, it’s the place where family she chose lives. And now she slowly creates her own family by touching other people’s lives who contributed her adventurous somewhat tragic somewhat tough and testing journey!
I think I could read this book for days. Each chapter was written so genuinely. I felt like I’m so close to April and I easily connected with her friends she’s made throughout this long road trips. It was so engrossing, realistic. I felt like I read true life passages of our daily lives.
I loved this journey a lot. I loved April, Margot, Carly, Ethan, Adam so much. I think instead of immature, self oriented douchebag Justin and April’s neglectful father, I loved each of the characters( even Matt, Irene)
I think I don’t have enough vocabulary to express how much I loved this book. Don’t miss this out! Don’t just add to your tbr! It’s too good to skip or to be forgotten on reading list! Just read it! Read it and reread it! One of the best fiction books of the year!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
August 3, 2021
This book will tug at your heart strings! ❤️🩹
But, I loved it!
It reminded me of that wonderful poem that reminds us that we have three types of friends in life:
Those for a Reason-Those for a Season-and Those for a Lifetime.
and, how you can’t always tell which category a person will end up in.
April Sawicki’s mother was the first to leave her.
Now, at 16 years old, she is living in a motorless motorhome that her father won in a Poker game, while he lives with his new girlfriend and her son.
He drops by on occasion.
So April has never been taught to STAY when things get tough-only how to LEAVE.
After a fight with her Dad, April says goodbye to the only constant in her life-Margot-her father’s ex girlfriend and the owner of the local diner, where April feels most at home.
She moves from town to town, sleeping in the car she stole from her Dad, until she finally gets a job in a Coffee Shop in Ithaca.
BROKEN people can recognize other BROKEN people, and she will meet her share of those willing to help-but she doesn’t always know how to accept it.
Your heart will break for her, as just when you think she may have found a place to call home, she takes off, running scared again…choosing a life of playing gigs at Open Mic nights, leaving behind people she has started to care about, and who may have genuinely started to care about her.
Will she ever recognize the people who want to be there for a lifetime?
This book is labeled as New Adult, and while it is about a teen having to become self reliant way too soon-don’t let the label stop you from reading this!
If you do, you will be missing out on a book which does more to reaffirm our faith in humanity than it does to take it away….and can’t we all use a little of that right about now?!
Another buddy read with DeAnn! Be sure to check out her wonderful review as well!
NOW Available from Gallery Books
Thank you to the Publisher for providing a gifted copy through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
But, I loved it!
It reminded me of that wonderful poem that reminds us that we have three types of friends in life:
Those for a Reason-Those for a Season-and Those for a Lifetime.
and, how you can’t always tell which category a person will end up in.
April Sawicki’s mother was the first to leave her.
Now, at 16 years old, she is living in a motorless motorhome that her father won in a Poker game, while he lives with his new girlfriend and her son.
He drops by on occasion.
So April has never been taught to STAY when things get tough-only how to LEAVE.
After a fight with her Dad, April says goodbye to the only constant in her life-Margot-her father’s ex girlfriend and the owner of the local diner, where April feels most at home.
She moves from town to town, sleeping in the car she stole from her Dad, until she finally gets a job in a Coffee Shop in Ithaca.
BROKEN people can recognize other BROKEN people, and she will meet her share of those willing to help-but she doesn’t always know how to accept it.
Your heart will break for her, as just when you think she may have found a place to call home, she takes off, running scared again…choosing a life of playing gigs at Open Mic nights, leaving behind people she has started to care about, and who may have genuinely started to care about her.
Will she ever recognize the people who want to be there for a lifetime?
This book is labeled as New Adult, and while it is about a teen having to become self reliant way too soon-don’t let the label stop you from reading this!
If you do, you will be missing out on a book which does more to reaffirm our faith in humanity than it does to take it away….and can’t we all use a little of that right about now?!
Another buddy read with DeAnn! Be sure to check out her wonderful review as well!
NOW Available from Gallery Books
Thank you to the Publisher for providing a gifted copy through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
January 5, 2022
April is a 16-year old living in a small town in New York in 1994. Her mother left her, and she lives in a motorhome with her father. However, he prefers to stay with his current girlfriend and her child, essentially leaving April on her own.
April is a singer-songwriter, and has dreams of making it big. Feeling like she has nothing left to give in her current predicament, she steals a car and leaves town. Through the people she meets and the songs she writes, she hopes to discover a sense of self worth.
This is a sometimes touching, sometimes problematic (to me) story. I didn’t find April very likable for the first half of the book, so it was hard to feel sympathy towards her even though us readers are supposed to. She did eventually grow on me, but it took awhile. This book also discusses a sexual relationship between a 16-year old and 27-year old, and I found it more cringey and inappropriate instead of tender and heartwarming. I’m also curious why it takes place in 1994. Besides a few musical references of the early 90s, I thought I was reading a book about the 1970s.
As stated before, April really grew on me during the second half, and I felt for her and her situation. She meets some truly wonderful folks, and it’s endearing to read. I eventually found myself rooting for her. While I felt that everything wrapped up a little too perfectly in the end, I have to admit I did enjoy the journey overall. The writing is wonderful too.
3.5 stars (we really need that ½ star option on GR!!)
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
April is a singer-songwriter, and has dreams of making it big. Feeling like she has nothing left to give in her current predicament, she steals a car and leaves town. Through the people she meets and the songs she writes, she hopes to discover a sense of self worth.
This is a sometimes touching, sometimes problematic (to me) story. I didn’t find April very likable for the first half of the book, so it was hard to feel sympathy towards her even though us readers are supposed to. She did eventually grow on me, but it took awhile. This book also discusses a sexual relationship between a 16-year old and 27-year old, and I found it more cringey and inappropriate instead of tender and heartwarming. I’m also curious why it takes place in 1994. Besides a few musical references of the early 90s, I thought I was reading a book about the 1970s.
As stated before, April really grew on me during the second half, and I felt for her and her situation. She meets some truly wonderful folks, and it’s endearing to read. I eventually found myself rooting for her. While I felt that everything wrapped up a little too perfectly in the end, I have to admit I did enjoy the journey overall. The writing is wonderful too.
3.5 stars (we really need that ½ star option on GR!!)
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
September 2, 2021
I really liked part 1 of this book. After that it lost me for sure, the story felt boring and repetitive, and April really lost all characterization and redeeming qualities.
- I cannot stand the romanticization of a 27 year old dating a teenager. I don’t care if he “doesn’t know.” I’m 21 and I can spot a 16 year old from a mile away. I could pick them out of a crowd by their Air Force 1st and violently flat ironed hair. At 27 you have nothing in common with a 16 year old, and if you do then maybe you should reflect on what that says about you. Cannot forgive how that was just overlooked. Hit em with the statutory charge thx.
- April was an incredibly unlikable character who only got worse as the story went on. She has daddy (and mommy) issues, I get it. But she uses sex with strangers to cope, puts herself in horribly unsafe situations repeatedly (is shock when go bad oh no!) and treats people like trash. This life she’s build is depressing. It’s not something to aspire to. She’s not a free bird, she has nothing to live for. She’s unreliable and flaky and I can’t keep defending it, no matter how bad she was hurt. She treats people who love her as if they’re disposable, similarly to how her father treated her. Break the cycle. She didn’t deserve that ending tbh. She didn’t deserve anyone’s forgiveness.
- The writing itself was formulaic and boring. Meet person, get in situation, decide it is not a vibe, discard people, run away. The irony of the title is too much. Bitch you didn’t keep a single one. They kept you, if anything.
- Pregnancy as a grand twist. The redemptive power of motherhood. Enough said, I’m over it.
- I cannot stand the romanticization of a 27 year old dating a teenager. I don’t care if he “doesn’t know.” I’m 21 and I can spot a 16 year old from a mile away. I could pick them out of a crowd by their Air Force 1st and violently flat ironed hair. At 27 you have nothing in common with a 16 year old, and if you do then maybe you should reflect on what that says about you. Cannot forgive how that was just overlooked. Hit em with the statutory charge thx.
- April was an incredibly unlikable character who only got worse as the story went on. She has daddy (and mommy) issues, I get it. But she uses sex with strangers to cope, puts herself in horribly unsafe situations repeatedly (is shock when go bad oh no!) and treats people like trash. This life she’s build is depressing. It’s not something to aspire to. She’s not a free bird, she has nothing to live for. She’s unreliable and flaky and I can’t keep defending it, no matter how bad she was hurt. She treats people who love her as if they’re disposable, similarly to how her father treated her. Break the cycle. She didn’t deserve that ending tbh. She didn’t deserve anyone’s forgiveness.
- The writing itself was formulaic and boring. Meet person, get in situation, decide it is not a vibe, discard people, run away. The irony of the title is too much. Bitch you didn’t keep a single one. They kept you, if anything.
- Pregnancy as a grand twist. The redemptive power of motherhood. Enough said, I’m over it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2021
The People We Keep is the type of book that has a lot of scenes where “new adults” have mid-makeout discussions about stopping and getting (or not getting) a condom. And that’s…
…just not really my thing. Even if “condom” is the most gratuitous c-word used, there are so many other subjects and situations I find more interesting. Especially when one of the new adults is really a young adult aged 16, having relationships with several man-boys including a 27-year-old.
It’s 1994 and budding singer/songwriter April has an absent mother and an ass-bite dad. She takes off to make it on her own and flies through a series of towns, friends, and bed mates. While I do think author Allison Larkin has written a realistic portrait of a girl her age in her situation, I just wasn’t the right reader for April’s story.
Many of my trusted Goodreads friends have loved this book and praised its heartwarming elements though. I hope Larkin continues to expand her audience, even if I’m not a part of it.
My thanks to Gallery Books for the advance print copy to review. The People We Keep is now available.
Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
…just not really my thing. Even if “condom” is the most gratuitous c-word used, there are so many other subjects and situations I find more interesting. Especially when one of the new adults is really a young adult aged 16, having relationships with several man-boys including a 27-year-old.
It’s 1994 and budding singer/songwriter April has an absent mother and an ass-bite dad. She takes off to make it on her own and flies through a series of towns, friends, and bed mates. While I do think author Allison Larkin has written a realistic portrait of a girl her age in her situation, I just wasn’t the right reader for April’s story.
Many of my trusted Goodreads friends have loved this book and praised its heartwarming elements though. I hope Larkin continues to expand her audience, even if I’m not a part of it.
My thanks to Gallery Books for the advance print copy to review. The People We Keep is now available.
Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
May 10, 2025
Whew. Buckle up. Let’s get into this emotional harmonica of a ride.
Plot Summary (aka "April's Wild Ride")
April is a struggling runaway teen with dreams of being a musician and the life experience of a paper bag in the wind. She roams from bar to bar strumming her guitar, chasing her dreams, and dodging accountability like it's her full-time job. That’s it. That’s the plot. 🫠
It’s your classic coming-of-age tale, except by “coming-of-age,” I mean “running away repeatedly while making progressively worse decisions like it’s a competitive sport.” April’s coping mechanism? Sprint. From everything. Family? Sprint. Emotions? Sprint. Growth? Lol, what’s that?
By the end of the book I sat there blinking like… sooo we just did all that… for nothing? Like girl, you really went on tour with your trauma for YEARS and the big takeaway was… what? Struggle, strangers, and sketchy situations? 😵💫
Romance (aka “Why Tho??”)
Let’s talk about these "romances" because I have questions. Like... FBI-level questions.
So April is 16 pretending to be 19, and somehow ends up playing house with a 35-year-old man. 🙃 Sir??? You're pushing middle-age and you're out here dating a homeless teen with a guitar and no toothbrush? 🚩
Then we get a second love interest, also clearly older, and this time she’s finally legal but it still felt like... no. Just no. April's tragic backstory made every “romantic” moment feel more like emotional exploitation with a Spotify playlist. She wasn’t finding love, she was finding whatever man looked at her longer than 5 seconds.
Look, I know the "age gap" trope has fans. This book is not the one. Not even close. This was less forbidden romance and more questionable life choices: the musical.
Character Support System (or Lack Thereof)
April? She was done dirty. Repeatedly. Like she was a social services ping pong ball and everyone around her just shrugged. The only real one? Carley. MVP. Margo gets half-credit for effort but ultimately dropped the ball like a bad babysitter.
Honestly, the biggest antagonist in this book was the system. And also maybe April’s judgment. And maybe the author, a little. 😬
Setting: Supposedly the 90s?
The book claims to be set in the 90s, but outside of payphones and music references, it could’ve been 2013 or last week. Missed opportunity! Where were the butterfly clips, Walkmans, Blockbuster runs? Give me vintage drama, not just vague nostalgia!
Writing & Pacing: A Literary Tilt-a-Whirl
The writing? Choppy. The pacing? Chaotic good. Some moments had me engaged, others had me rereading the same line wondering if I blacked out. But I’m not an author, just a girl with feelings and a Notes app.
Final Thoughts
I’ll give the book this: it got me thinking. About people. About who we hold onto and who drifts away like a lo-fi breakup song. I think that’s what the book was going for… but it definitely missed the emotional freeway exit.
I started a playlist for this book… then gave up halfway like April in most of her situations. So, in the spirit of the story:
🎵 “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan – because truly, April was just rollin’, tumblin’, and kinda… not learning. Ever.
Plot Summary (aka "April's Wild Ride")
April is a struggling runaway teen with dreams of being a musician and the life experience of a paper bag in the wind. She roams from bar to bar strumming her guitar, chasing her dreams, and dodging accountability like it's her full-time job. That’s it. That’s the plot. 🫠
It’s your classic coming-of-age tale, except by “coming-of-age,” I mean “running away repeatedly while making progressively worse decisions like it’s a competitive sport.” April’s coping mechanism? Sprint. From everything. Family? Sprint. Emotions? Sprint. Growth? Lol, what’s that?
By the end of the book I sat there blinking like… sooo we just did all that… for nothing? Like girl, you really went on tour with your trauma for YEARS and the big takeaway was… what? Struggle, strangers, and sketchy situations? 😵💫
Romance (aka “Why Tho??”)
Let’s talk about these "romances" because I have questions. Like... FBI-level questions.
So April is 16 pretending to be 19, and somehow ends up playing house with a 35-year-old man. 🙃 Sir??? You're pushing middle-age and you're out here dating a homeless teen with a guitar and no toothbrush? 🚩
Then we get a second love interest, also clearly older, and this time she’s finally legal but it still felt like... no. Just no. April's tragic backstory made every “romantic” moment feel more like emotional exploitation with a Spotify playlist. She wasn’t finding love, she was finding whatever man looked at her longer than 5 seconds.
Look, I know the "age gap" trope has fans. This book is not the one. Not even close. This was less forbidden romance and more questionable life choices: the musical.
Character Support System (or Lack Thereof)
April? She was done dirty. Repeatedly. Like she was a social services ping pong ball and everyone around her just shrugged. The only real one? Carley. MVP. Margo gets half-credit for effort but ultimately dropped the ball like a bad babysitter.
Honestly, the biggest antagonist in this book was the system. And also maybe April’s judgment. And maybe the author, a little. 😬
Setting: Supposedly the 90s?
The book claims to be set in the 90s, but outside of payphones and music references, it could’ve been 2013 or last week. Missed opportunity! Where were the butterfly clips, Walkmans, Blockbuster runs? Give me vintage drama, not just vague nostalgia!
Writing & Pacing: A Literary Tilt-a-Whirl
The writing? Choppy. The pacing? Chaotic good. Some moments had me engaged, others had me rereading the same line wondering if I blacked out. But I’m not an author, just a girl with feelings and a Notes app.
Final Thoughts
I’ll give the book this: it got me thinking. About people. About who we hold onto and who drifts away like a lo-fi breakup song. I think that’s what the book was going for… but it definitely missed the emotional freeway exit.
I started a playlist for this book… then gave up halfway like April in most of her situations. So, in the spirit of the story:
🎵 “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan – because truly, April was just rollin’, tumblin’, and kinda… not learning. Ever.
September 26, 2021
Allison Larkin's upcoming novel,
The People We Keep
, is a beautiful, emotional, hopeful look at the impact people have on our lives even for a short time, and the impact we can have on theirs.
I’ve learned that when my friend Lindsay raves about a book on my TBR, I need to drop everything and read it. That certainly was the case with this book, which broke me and put me back together, left me with smiles and with tears.
“I say that it’s amazing how much you can miss people you only got to be with for one tiny little perfect bit of time; how a place where you barely got to live can be the closest thing you’ve ever had to home.”
April is 16 years old and living alone in a dilapidated motor home in upstate New York, since her father moved in with a woman and her young son. She finds joy in playing the guitar, singing, and writing songs, and when she sneaks into a club to perform one night, she is hooked.
After a bad fight with her father, she leaves town, taking his car and driving with no destination in mind. She winds up in Ithaca, lonely and desperate to find a connection, when she stumbles upon a cafe. It is there she makes friends who change her, but she never fully allows herself to enjoy what her life has transformed into, so she leaves before they can hurt her.
The book follows April’s journey over three years, traveling the East Coast, making connections but always leaving just before they stick, in an effort to protect herself (so she thinks) and those around her. But a few major events show her just what an impact she’s had on people, and makes her realize she needs to trust in those who care about her.
Although it started a little slowly, The People We Keep hooked me completely and wouldn’t let me go until I finished. It’s a powerful and poignant book that made me think of those who have drifted in and out of my life through the years, and what an impact they’ve left. I really loved this.
The People We Keep publishes 8/3!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
I’ve learned that when my friend Lindsay raves about a book on my TBR, I need to drop everything and read it. That certainly was the case with this book, which broke me and put me back together, left me with smiles and with tears.
“I say that it’s amazing how much you can miss people you only got to be with for one tiny little perfect bit of time; how a place where you barely got to live can be the closest thing you’ve ever had to home.”
April is 16 years old and living alone in a dilapidated motor home in upstate New York, since her father moved in with a woman and her young son. She finds joy in playing the guitar, singing, and writing songs, and when she sneaks into a club to perform one night, she is hooked.
After a bad fight with her father, she leaves town, taking his car and driving with no destination in mind. She winds up in Ithaca, lonely and desperate to find a connection, when she stumbles upon a cafe. It is there she makes friends who change her, but she never fully allows herself to enjoy what her life has transformed into, so she leaves before they can hurt her.
The book follows April’s journey over three years, traveling the East Coast, making connections but always leaving just before they stick, in an effort to protect herself (so she thinks) and those around her. But a few major events show her just what an impact she’s had on people, and makes her realize she needs to trust in those who care about her.
Although it started a little slowly, The People We Keep hooked me completely and wouldn’t let me go until I finished. It’s a powerful and poignant book that made me think of those who have drifted in and out of my life through the years, and what an impact they’ve left. I really loved this.
The People We Keep publishes 8/3!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
August 6, 2021
She’s abandoned at age six by her mother and left most of the time to fend for herself in a beat up motor home without a motor, by her father who is making a life for himself without her . Sixteen year old April Sawicki is desperately searching for something better than the life she has, desperately wanting to matter to someone. She takes to the road alone with her voice and songs with a few trash bags of things in a stolen car. I feared for her and hoped for her as she journeys from place to place. When she settles in Ithaca, NY for a while she finds friendship and experiences what it’s like to love and be loved, but she can’t stay.
Three years later, she is still on the road, alone, playing a gig and then leaving for another, sometimes returning, but never staying. This is an emotional story. Sometimes a story gives me that lump in my throat and sometimes a story can immediately bring tears. It was the latter for me at times and especially in the last chapters because sometimes a character makes you want so much for them to be happy. One can only hope that any teenage runaway will have a Margo in their lives or be fortunate enough to find true friends like Carly and Ethan, people who they matter to. Readers can only hope for characters like these who matter to them.
I received a copy of this book from Simon & Schuster through Edelweiss.
Three years later, she is still on the road, alone, playing a gig and then leaving for another, sometimes returning, but never staying. This is an emotional story. Sometimes a story gives me that lump in my throat and sometimes a story can immediately bring tears. It was the latter for me at times and especially in the last chapters because sometimes a character makes you want so much for them to be happy. One can only hope that any teenage runaway will have a Margo in their lives or be fortunate enough to find true friends like Carly and Ethan, people who they matter to. Readers can only hope for characters like these who matter to them.
I received a copy of this book from Simon & Schuster through Edelweiss.
April 10, 2022
Give me all the books set in the 90s! Give me all the books with this much heart! I finally read The People We Keep. I think I was hesitant because I heard it was sad. I previously read Larkin’s Swimming for Sunlight (highly recommend, especially for dog lovers) and knew I would enjoy this but had no idea just how much. April’s story spoke to me from the very first pages.
Living in a motorhome, on her own, abandoned by her mother and neglected by her father, April has her whole life ahead of her. She gets out into the world, and I worried for her at every step. First, she lands in Ithaca, small town home to two colleges. It reminded me of my own college town, Chapel Hill, and that drew me to the story even more. It’s in Ithaca that April makes her first real friend. Something happens, and she has to leave, though. Then, several years pass where she keeps leaving, traveling the country singing and never allowing herself to plant roots.
April’s story circles around at the end, when she winds up back in her beginning, in a way. It’s her story of what makes a family and friends as family. It made me want to be a better friend and long for those younger days of fierce and loyal friendships. I loved the pop culture references and 90s feel. Most of all, I just loved the goodness of these unforgettable characters. Everyone needs a Margo, Carly, and Ethan in their lives, and while we are at it, a Robert and/or Adam wouldn’t hurt either! Absolutely full of heart, bold, and authentic. Five stars.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Living in a motorhome, on her own, abandoned by her mother and neglected by her father, April has her whole life ahead of her. She gets out into the world, and I worried for her at every step. First, she lands in Ithaca, small town home to two colleges. It reminded me of my own college town, Chapel Hill, and that drew me to the story even more. It’s in Ithaca that April makes her first real friend. Something happens, and she has to leave, though. Then, several years pass where she keeps leaving, traveling the country singing and never allowing herself to plant roots.
April’s story circles around at the end, when she winds up back in her beginning, in a way. It’s her story of what makes a family and friends as family. It made me want to be a better friend and long for those younger days of fierce and loyal friendships. I loved the pop culture references and 90s feel. Most of all, I just loved the goodness of these unforgettable characters. Everyone needs a Margo, Carly, and Ethan in their lives, and while we are at it, a Robert and/or Adam wouldn’t hurt either! Absolutely full of heart, bold, and authentic. Five stars.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
September 17, 2021
So boring.
August 12, 2021
Audiobook…. narrated by Julia Whelan
…..11 hours and 8 minutes
Julia Whelan was made to read this book —she ‘enhanced’ this irresistible novel. It was hard to resist.
I was drawn into this offbeat world —
Allison Larkin, chronicles protagonist, April Sawick’s colorful ‘coming-of-age’ travails, from her disjointed tender adolescents years - her disjointed family and beyond.
Along the way, April discovers absurdities, self-acceptance, and authentic relationship connections.
“The People We Keep” was appealingly idiosyncratic … filled with humor, wisdom, a little swooning, the pitfalls of relationships, closeness….
and the truth and power of love and belonging.
Heartfelt, messy, totally endearing!
K I S S I N G….🎶
First comes love
Then comes marriage
Then comes baby
In the baby carriage. 🎶
…..11 hours and 8 minutes
Julia Whelan was made to read this book —she ‘enhanced’ this irresistible novel. It was hard to resist.
I was drawn into this offbeat world —
Allison Larkin, chronicles protagonist, April Sawick’s colorful ‘coming-of-age’ travails, from her disjointed tender adolescents years - her disjointed family and beyond.
Along the way, April discovers absurdities, self-acceptance, and authentic relationship connections.
“The People We Keep” was appealingly idiosyncratic … filled with humor, wisdom, a little swooning, the pitfalls of relationships, closeness….
and the truth and power of love and belonging.
Heartfelt, messy, totally endearing!
K I S S I N G….🎶
First comes love
Then comes marriage
Then comes baby
In the baby carriage. 🎶
April 25, 2022
I loved this one!! I chose this as one of my BOTM picks a few months back because it sounded good and I’m glad I did! The storyline was great, sucked you right in from the beginning and kept you hooked the whole time. A beautiful coming of age book that I would highly recommend! This book definitely gives you all the emotions while reading but leaves you with a smile on your face.
August 8, 2021
I don't mean to be rude, but I found this story somehow both boring and exhausting
February 24, 2021
I loved everything about The People We Keep, beginning with the narrator, April Sawicki, who is both wise beyond her years and unbelievably naive, to the fact it’s 1994 and no one has a cell phone. Allison Larkin has given us a heroine who is raw and real, a young person capable of breaking your heart one moment and lifting it up the next.
July 23, 2022
Started off as a 5, devolved to a 3.5. I was completed fascinated by this book in the beginning - a 16-year-old high school dropout guitar player whose mother abandoned her and a father who neglects her - picks up her shallow roots and moves to Ithaca, NY where she meets a veritable motley of quirky, fun characters. I felt like I was vicariously living April's carefree life and just having fun, where I felt like I, too, fit in somewhere. Used to being homeless, though, April is incredibly commitment shy, but she slowly settles in and finds her place in the world where she can be her true self - that is, until she gets into a relationship with a guy and is scared stiff that he will find out she is only 16. So she runs away.
And this, then, becomes the pattern of the book. She barely lives gig to guitar gig, never staying in one place too long, but just long enough to build some close relationships until something goes wrong. She gets scared and runs to the next place. And the next place. And the next place.
I couldn't help but imagine all the carnage of broken hearts that she left behind her, and that pained me so much. I wanted to feel for April, and at times I did because hurting people hurt people, but I also got very frustrated and angry that the people she left would have been really suffering, and there was no reconciliation for them.
At the end, the author ties everything up in a nice little bow with everyone that matters to April together in the same place, and hugs and kisses abound. I suppose I should be happy that it all worked out, but I am still miffed that it did, because those other poor souls were left abandoned by the author and by April, and they, I imagine, are left scarred. (I know they are fictional, but still!)
All in all, I still could not put this book down, and if April had stayed in Ithaca, I think it would have made for a much less frustrating, albeit not as predictable, story as The People We Keep.
And this, then, becomes the pattern of the book. She barely lives gig to guitar gig, never staying in one place too long, but just long enough to build some close relationships until something goes wrong. She gets scared and runs to the next place. And the next place. And the next place.
I couldn't help but imagine all the carnage of broken hearts that she left behind her, and that pained me so much. I wanted to feel for April, and at times I did because hurting people hurt people, but I also got very frustrated and angry that the people she left would have been really suffering, and there was no reconciliation for them.
At the end, the author ties everything up in a nice little bow with everyone that matters to April together in the same place, and hugs and kisses abound. I suppose I should be happy that it all worked out, but I am still miffed that it did, because those other poor souls were left abandoned by the author and by April, and they, I imagine, are left scarred. (I know they are fictional, but still!)
All in all, I still could not put this book down, and if April had stayed in Ithaca, I think it would have made for a much less frustrating, albeit not as predictable, story as The People We Keep.
August 3, 2021
5 heartwarming stars
This book was a wonderful surprise! I really connected with the main character, April Sawicki, and my heart broke for her several times throughout the book. I rooted for her to finally find her “family” and stay put and find the people to keep.
April really had some tough cards dealt to her, abandoned at an early age by her mother and later by her father, she’s essentially living on her own at 16 in a ramshackle motorhome. Her closest friend is the owner of Margo’s Diner, one of her dad’s old girlfriends. She does have her music and she’s an amazing songwriter.
Fed up with her father and the small town of Little River, New York, she hits the road in a “borrowed” car. She lands in Ithaca and finds a coffeeshop job and begins to make friends and play some gigs. She really settles in, but then life throws her another curve ball, and she decides to skip town again, leaving all her new friends behind.
April has a vagabond lifestyle, knowing which coffee shops and bars will host her for an evening or two and then she moves on again, never really setting down roots. Her music really takes off though and she’s able to make a living. She is still searching for her people, but restless enough to keep moving.
This one does have a heartwarming ending that mostly healed my broken heart! It was fun to read the lyrics to her songs in the book and imagine the soundtrack.
It made for a fantastic buddy read and I’m so glad that Jayme suggested it!
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the early copy of this one to read.
This book was a wonderful surprise! I really connected with the main character, April Sawicki, and my heart broke for her several times throughout the book. I rooted for her to finally find her “family” and stay put and find the people to keep.
April really had some tough cards dealt to her, abandoned at an early age by her mother and later by her father, she’s essentially living on her own at 16 in a ramshackle motorhome. Her closest friend is the owner of Margo’s Diner, one of her dad’s old girlfriends. She does have her music and she’s an amazing songwriter.
Fed up with her father and the small town of Little River, New York, she hits the road in a “borrowed” car. She lands in Ithaca and finds a coffeeshop job and begins to make friends and play some gigs. She really settles in, but then life throws her another curve ball, and she decides to skip town again, leaving all her new friends behind.
April has a vagabond lifestyle, knowing which coffee shops and bars will host her for an evening or two and then she moves on again, never really setting down roots. Her music really takes off though and she’s able to make a living. She is still searching for her people, but restless enough to keep moving.
This one does have a heartwarming ending that mostly healed my broken heart! It was fun to read the lyrics to her songs in the book and imagine the soundtrack.
It made for a fantastic buddy read and I’m so glad that Jayme suggested it!
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the early copy of this one to read.
July 11, 2021
4.5 Stars ⭐️
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
August 23, 2021
Review to be posted to blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
5 Resounding Stars for this beautifully written, heartfelt novel.
A coming of age, character-driven novel with a whole lot of soul, “The People We Keep” by Allison Larkin is a novel that resonated deep within my heart. The premise is one that I know and know well: Struggle, survival, trials, and tribulations. Making lemonade out of lemons and of course, my very favorite, the idea that sometimes family isn’t the one you’re born with, but the one you choose for yourself.
April is a girl who drew the short straw and then some. Her mom left and her dad has all but abandoned her. She could have given up a million times, yet that isn’t in her nature. Instead, she packs her bags in search of a place to call home. In doing so, she finds so much more.
Full of friendship, love, and life lessons, this novel teaches you that when life gets tough, not only can you survive, you can thrive, and you can find your tribe along the way.
An incredibly heart-wrenching read that will definitely go on my Goodreads-Best-of-List for 2021.
If this isn't on your radar... it should be. That is all.
A huge thank you goes out to Gallery Books via NetGalley for the arc.
5 Resounding Stars for this beautifully written, heartfelt novel.
A coming of age, character-driven novel with a whole lot of soul, “The People We Keep” by Allison Larkin is a novel that resonated deep within my heart. The premise is one that I know and know well: Struggle, survival, trials, and tribulations. Making lemonade out of lemons and of course, my very favorite, the idea that sometimes family isn’t the one you’re born with, but the one you choose for yourself.
April is a girl who drew the short straw and then some. Her mom left and her dad has all but abandoned her. She could have given up a million times, yet that isn’t in her nature. Instead, she packs her bags in search of a place to call home. In doing so, she finds so much more.
Full of friendship, love, and life lessons, this novel teaches you that when life gets tough, not only can you survive, you can thrive, and you can find your tribe along the way.
An incredibly heart-wrenching read that will definitely go on my Goodreads-Best-of-List for 2021.
If this isn't on your radar... it should be. That is all.
A huge thank you goes out to Gallery Books via NetGalley for the arc.
January 8, 2024
5 stars!
A girl, far from a child and not yet an adult, abandoned by both parents and searching for her sense of self.
April, the 16-year-old main character, stole my heart on the first page and kept tugging at my heartstrings until the very last page.
This is a coming-of-age story. A girl whose mother abandoned her as a toddler and whose father doesn’t know how to take care of himself let alone a child. April is left to fend for herself for most of her childhood and ends up living alone in the motorless motorhome her dad won in a gambling bet. April’s love of music is the only happiness and company she has on many days. This novel follows her personal journey after she chooses to leave the only life she has ever known to find her way in the world.
The writing was gorgeous. I found myself pausing several times while reading to appreciate the beautiful words that seemed to jump off the page and into my heart. So many sentences and paragraphs were highlight worthy - extremely touching and impactful. I was fully connected and engaged. This was a slow burn, character driven story and although the pace was on the slower side, I was hanging on every word, rooting for April, never wanting the book to end.
This isn’t a happy story. April faces a plethora of life’s struggles alone and without adequate financial means. There were several points where I wished I could jump into the story to help her get through her struggles whether it be financially or from a maternal aspect. She was vulnerable yet tough. She meets several people throughout these pages that each leave an impact on her personal journey.
The theme of family is strong in this novel. Yet family doesn’t always have to be people related by blood. Family can be the ones we choose to love.
Music is a main topic yet it doesn’t overshadow the plot. Music main themes can be a hit or miss for me, and in this it worked phenomenally. It was an important and impactful piece of April’s identity that I connected strongly with.
This book sat on my shelf for way too long. A lovely bookish friend gave it to me years ago and I am so glad I was drawn to read it over the holidays as it seemed to be the perfect time. This won’t be for everyone, but the ones who connect with the writing and characters will surely put this on their Favourites Shelf when they finish, just like I am. I look forward to reading whatever this author comes out with next!
A girl, far from a child and not yet an adult, abandoned by both parents and searching for her sense of self.
April, the 16-year-old main character, stole my heart on the first page and kept tugging at my heartstrings until the very last page.
This is a coming-of-age story. A girl whose mother abandoned her as a toddler and whose father doesn’t know how to take care of himself let alone a child. April is left to fend for herself for most of her childhood and ends up living alone in the motorless motorhome her dad won in a gambling bet. April’s love of music is the only happiness and company she has on many days. This novel follows her personal journey after she chooses to leave the only life she has ever known to find her way in the world.
The writing was gorgeous. I found myself pausing several times while reading to appreciate the beautiful words that seemed to jump off the page and into my heart. So many sentences and paragraphs were highlight worthy - extremely touching and impactful. I was fully connected and engaged. This was a slow burn, character driven story and although the pace was on the slower side, I was hanging on every word, rooting for April, never wanting the book to end.
This isn’t a happy story. April faces a plethora of life’s struggles alone and without adequate financial means. There were several points where I wished I could jump into the story to help her get through her struggles whether it be financially or from a maternal aspect. She was vulnerable yet tough. She meets several people throughout these pages that each leave an impact on her personal journey.
The theme of family is strong in this novel. Yet family doesn’t always have to be people related by blood. Family can be the ones we choose to love.
Music is a main topic yet it doesn’t overshadow the plot. Music main themes can be a hit or miss for me, and in this it worked phenomenally. It was an important and impactful piece of April’s identity that I connected strongly with.
This book sat on my shelf for way too long. A lovely bookish friend gave it to me years ago and I am so glad I was drawn to read it over the holidays as it seemed to be the perfect time. This won’t be for everyone, but the ones who connect with the writing and characters will surely put this on their Favourites Shelf when they finish, just like I am. I look forward to reading whatever this author comes out with next!
July 5, 2021
So I really liked this until the last 75 pages or so....April gets pregnant and all the sudden her life is about her baby and the redemptive power of mother hood. Are you frickin' kidding me? Have a baby and then claim "everyone failed me, but I wont fail you baby!" What a trite and ridiculous ending!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2021
It’s amazing how much you can miss people you only got to be with for one tiny little perfect bit of time; how a place where you barely got to live can be the closest thing you’ve ever had to home.
I was completely prepared to come here and say I didn’t love this as much as all my friends did. And while that may be sorta true since I’m giving it 4 Stars and they gave it 5, it still made me well up like a big fat baby at the end. I’m going to go ahead and blame it on this, though . . . .
This is the story of sixteen year old April whose mother left when she was just a wee one and whose daddy left her pretty much to fend for herself in a broke down motorhome while he went chasing after some strange. When April and dear old dad have a knock down drag out, she packs her things, steals future stepmommy’s car and hits the road. Over the course of the next few years April lives a bit of a vagabond lifestyle, always attempting to keep at arms’ length and never getting too close to others – all the while discovering the people she will keep.
This one wasn’t perfect for me but boy oh boy did I love the 1994 jumping off point. The first “fancy” coffee shops, flannel, grunge music – oh the memories! The timehop threw me for a loop and I’m not a big fan of jumps strategically placed to gloss over fairly important details like was the case here (sorry, it comes off a bit lazy), but by the time things wrapped up I was getting Where the Heart Is nostalgia and that is never a bad thing.
I was completely prepared to come here and say I didn’t love this as much as all my friends did. And while that may be sorta true since I’m giving it 4 Stars and they gave it 5, it still made me well up like a big fat baby at the end. I’m going to go ahead and blame it on this, though . . . .
This is the story of sixteen year old April whose mother left when she was just a wee one and whose daddy left her pretty much to fend for herself in a broke down motorhome while he went chasing after some strange. When April and dear old dad have a knock down drag out, she packs her things, steals future stepmommy’s car and hits the road. Over the course of the next few years April lives a bit of a vagabond lifestyle, always attempting to keep at arms’ length and never getting too close to others – all the while discovering the people she will keep.
This one wasn’t perfect for me but boy oh boy did I love the 1994 jumping off point. The first “fancy” coffee shops, flannel, grunge music – oh the memories! The timehop threw me for a loop and I’m not a big fan of jumps strategically placed to gloss over fairly important details like was the case here (sorry, it comes off a bit lazy), but by the time things wrapped up I was getting Where the Heart Is nostalgia and that is never a bad thing.
December 18, 2025
Intoxicating, Immersive, Spectacular.
My shelf of favorites just grew by one more, there aren't enough stars to give an adequate rating. ✨✨✨ I've wanted to read this for a while but just got to it and on one hand I'm kicking myself for waiting, but on the other it felt like the right read at the right time. Julia Whelan brought her stellar talent to the audiobook and elevated the emotional weight to a place of art.
Allison Larkin writes with grit and heart the style being conversational and still contemplative. So many variables at play told with honesty that is painful in its beauty.
Little River, New York is home to April who is facing a mountain of odds stacked against her. Her mother walked out, her father has moved on with a new family, and April is living in his old motor home sans motor. Alone. She is sixteen. The best thing her father gave her was his old guitar for her birthday as an afterthought. She loves to write songs, play, and sing. It is a ray of light shining in unfortunate circumstances. After a violent fight with her father, she decides to take off and try to survive out there in the big world. It's the 1990's, coffee shops, open mic nights, and hard knocks await. Along the way she meets those who become the found family of her heart before she must move on again.
I understood April on a visceral level. My eyes welled with tears for her journey.
The way April had an inclusive heart that was so open to the differences of others after being treated poorly was lovely. Her roots were ragged but I kept hoping she would bloom. It's not where we begin that matters, but where we end up.
My shelf of favorites just grew by one more, there aren't enough stars to give an adequate rating. ✨✨✨ I've wanted to read this for a while but just got to it and on one hand I'm kicking myself for waiting, but on the other it felt like the right read at the right time. Julia Whelan brought her stellar talent to the audiobook and elevated the emotional weight to a place of art.
Allison Larkin writes with grit and heart the style being conversational and still contemplative. So many variables at play told with honesty that is painful in its beauty.
Little River, New York is home to April who is facing a mountain of odds stacked against her. Her mother walked out, her father has moved on with a new family, and April is living in his old motor home sans motor. Alone. She is sixteen. The best thing her father gave her was his old guitar for her birthday as an afterthought. She loves to write songs, play, and sing. It is a ray of light shining in unfortunate circumstances. After a violent fight with her father, she decides to take off and try to survive out there in the big world. It's the 1990's, coffee shops, open mic nights, and hard knocks await. Along the way she meets those who become the found family of her heart before she must move on again.
I understood April on a visceral level. My eyes welled with tears for her journey.
You are the gift that came from two broken people. They are weak, and hurt, and cowardly, and somehow managed to make this miracle girl who is so full of piss and vinegar that she survived it all.
The way April had an inclusive heart that was so open to the differences of others after being treated poorly was lovely. Her roots were ragged but I kept hoping she would bloom. It's not where we begin that matters, but where we end up.
I say that it is amazing how much you can miss people you only got to be with for one tiny, perfect bit of time, how a place where you barely got to live can be the closest thing you've ever had to home.
December 20, 2021
I'm not surprised this book is so highly rated, but when you look even just a little deeper than the surface, all you see are red flags and flaws. This book was not good. One of the worst I've read this year.
April is living in a motorless motorhome alone, her father having found a new family with a woman in town. April never felt like home in Little River, and she's never felt like anyone cared if she was around. After a huge fight with her dad, April decides to leave town and try to create a new life.
Now, that sounds like a great start, right? It was! Until she left. And that's all she does - leave. Instead of telling the truth about literally anything, April lies, and lies, and lies some more. She has people offering to help her and instead of being decent, she just leaves. She can't even face the people, she just writes a note and leaves in the middle of the night.
And let's not ignore the fact that at age 16, she tells an almost 30-year-old man that she is 19, and proceeds to have a sexual relationship with him. She lies some more, realizes people are getting too close to her, and instead of being a normal human and just telling the truth, she leaves.
She finds her next "home" with my favorite character, Ethan. My problem here is that Ethan is the most stereotypical gay character ever. A gay man working in drama? Really?
Then of course, instead of COMMUNICATING and solving her current problem, she just leaves. And goes back home? To the place she ran from and swore to never return to? And leaves again without saying goodbye to the one person who has been consistent for her? To go back to the worst guy she was with?
All of her problems could have been solved or avoided with just telling the truth for once in her entire life. It was so annoying to read.
This girl is the most idiotic, frustrating, manipulative, just plain DUMB character I've ever read. This is my 187th book of 2021, so if that tells you anything... This book was bad. The writing was so juvenile - has this author ever heard of a compound sentence? Goodness. Also, the author used terms that weren't a thing back in the 90s when this book was to take place.
April is living in a motorless motorhome alone, her father having found a new family with a woman in town. April never felt like home in Little River, and she's never felt like anyone cared if she was around. After a huge fight with her dad, April decides to leave town and try to create a new life.
Now, that sounds like a great start, right? It was! Until she left. And that's all she does - leave. Instead of telling the truth about literally anything, April lies, and lies, and lies some more. She has people offering to help her and instead of being decent, she just leaves. She can't even face the people, she just writes a note and leaves in the middle of the night.
And let's not ignore the fact that at age 16, she tells an almost 30-year-old man that she is 19, and proceeds to have a sexual relationship with him. She lies some more, realizes people are getting too close to her, and instead of being a normal human and just telling the truth, she leaves.
She finds her next "home" with my favorite character, Ethan. My problem here is that Ethan is the most stereotypical gay character ever. A gay man working in drama? Really?
Then of course, instead of COMMUNICATING and solving her current problem, she just leaves. And goes back home? To the place she ran from and swore to never return to? And leaves again without saying goodbye to the one person who has been consistent for her? To go back to the worst guy she was with?
All of her problems could have been solved or avoided with just telling the truth for once in her entire life. It was so annoying to read.
This girl is the most idiotic, frustrating, manipulative, just plain DUMB character I've ever read. This is my 187th book of 2021, so if that tells you anything... This book was bad. The writing was so juvenile - has this author ever heard of a compound sentence? Goodness. Also, the author used terms that weren't a thing back in the 90s when this book was to take place.
February 16, 2023
The People We Keep is a story about April, a young girl in a small town, from a broken family, seeking love she never had. April is failing school, practically parentless, and works at Margo’s diner to make a little money, of which she needs every cent. She is also an aspiring musician and after an open mic night, sets off in search of more for her life.
This story is set in the 90s and includes coming of age and found family themes. April had it rough, and I felt for her and wanted her to find what she was looking for despite some questionable choices. I know so many readers loved this book, I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Julia Whelan, and liked it — 3.5 stars
This story is set in the 90s and includes coming of age and found family themes. April had it rough, and I felt for her and wanted her to find what she was looking for despite some questionable choices. I know so many readers loved this book, I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Julia Whelan, and liked it — 3.5 stars
May 9, 2021
Absolutely beautiful “coming-of-age” story that I won’t forget about for a long long time! Wow, the ending had me in tears, and that doesn’t happen very often for me! You might love this book too if you love reading tender stories that have a surprising amount of depth. I felt uplifted at the end and I couldn’t stop rooting for April.
August 8, 2021
3.5 stars for me. A good read, but for some reason this one just didn’t do it for me. April, a gritty lost soul, searches for her place in the world after running away from home at the age of 16 in 1994. With an ever-changing backdrop, the story follows her escapades up and down the eastern seaboard … in some ways the bits and pieces of her life were teed up to be heartwarming, but to me it came off as a disjointed collection of really sad circumstances.
April is forced to navigate some really sh*tty situations for a teenager, and shows some growth and maturity with the bonds she builds around, well, the people she keeps. But going into part 2 and beyond, I felt like her growth and the story itself stagnated. April continues to put her faith in the wrong people and turn her back on the right ones, pushing forward with a cynical and self deprecating world view. I found myself pushing through the last 50 pages to finish because the plot turn had me rolling my eyes.
*********spoiler alert*********
WHY did she have to have a BABY at age 19, with the literal worst love interest she had, in order to bring back the pieces of her life that she let fall away?? The ending felt SO deus ex machina, with the hand of god putting her in a situation that forced reconciliation.
Aside from the ending, there were some strong plot moments and really nice writing- I did find myself dog-earring multiple pages to revisit a particularly lovely phrase. The way that Larkin writes about April’s relationship with music, and the lyrics she ascribes fo moments or events was a bright spot in this book for me. Almost good enough to tip it to 4 stars, but not quite enough to trump the urge to just put the book down on part 2.5/3.
April is forced to navigate some really sh*tty situations for a teenager, and shows some growth and maturity with the bonds she builds around, well, the people she keeps. But going into part 2 and beyond, I felt like her growth and the story itself stagnated. April continues to put her faith in the wrong people and turn her back on the right ones, pushing forward with a cynical and self deprecating world view. I found myself pushing through the last 50 pages to finish because the plot turn had me rolling my eyes.
*********spoiler alert*********
WHY did she have to have a BABY at age 19, with the literal worst love interest she had, in order to bring back the pieces of her life that she let fall away?? The ending felt SO deus ex machina, with the hand of god putting her in a situation that forced reconciliation.
Aside from the ending, there were some strong plot moments and really nice writing- I did find myself dog-earring multiple pages to revisit a particularly lovely phrase. The way that Larkin writes about April’s relationship with music, and the lyrics she ascribes fo moments or events was a bright spot in this book for me. Almost good enough to tip it to 4 stars, but not quite enough to trump the urge to just put the book down on part 2.5/3.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
did-not-finish
August 2, 2022DNF again @ 42%: Okay, gave this one another go after a bunch of people I trust told me they liked it but this is just not a book for me! I'm over 40% through and it just feels like the book has no direction and it is struggling to hold my interest. Meh!
DNF @ 14%: Didn't realize that the main character of this one was a teenager and I just haven't really been vibing with younger narrators lately. I think the mc does age up throughout the novel so I may return to this someday, but for now: dnf!
CW: child abandonment, child abuse, sexual assault
DNF @ 14%: Didn't realize that the main character of this one was a teenager and I just haven't really been vibing with younger narrators lately. I think the mc does age up throughout the novel so I may return to this someday, but for now: dnf!
CW: child abandonment, child abuse, sexual assault
July 15, 2021
This felt like a jumble of scenes forced together with no development to connect them. Two dimensional characters. Felt like the author thinks that giving someone a tragic situation or backstory makes them a full character, so, too often, the only known things about the characters was whatever one thing that was sad in their life.
Also—very problematic age gaps in relationships, especially with the first being between a teen and a 27 year old. We should be beyond glorifying, or even justifying, relationships like these.
Also—very problematic age gaps in relationships, especially with the first being between a teen and a 27 year old. We should be beyond glorifying, or even justifying, relationships like these.
November 5, 2022
April is only sixteen, living and surviving all alone in a motor home. Her mother left when she was about ten and now her father has abandoned her for another woman. Not only is April's father with another woman, but he also has another child and entire other life.
When April "borrows" her neighbor's car to play a gig at a local pub, she realizes she can't stick around in her sleepy unforgiving town. She gathers her few possessions, most importantly, her broken guitar, and heads out with a stolen car for somewhere, nowhere.
The People We Keep is a lyrically told story, carefully reflecting the sacrifices we make, the people we meet along the way, and how we learn to survive when all odds are against us. Author Alison Larkin cautiously narrates the story of a broken girl, trying to forget her past to find love and safety, anywhere.
April meets some wonderful and dreadful people along the way. Singing and playing her guitar for small audiences wherever she can get a gig is the only thing that keeps her going. Every time I found myself cheering for April's successes, unforeseen circumstances would find her back on the road. Living in campgrounds, with random strangers, and even squatting, April struggles to stay in one place when truths are revealed.
This was a story of finding your path, but also learning the beauty and complexity of relationships. How willing are we to forgive those we expect to love us forever? Can strangers turn into friends that turn into a family? April teaches us many things, and through her struggles, we learn the finite intricacies of love and life.
I loved this book and give it 4.5/5 stars.
When April "borrows" her neighbor's car to play a gig at a local pub, she realizes she can't stick around in her sleepy unforgiving town. She gathers her few possessions, most importantly, her broken guitar, and heads out with a stolen car for somewhere, nowhere.
The People We Keep is a lyrically told story, carefully reflecting the sacrifices we make, the people we meet along the way, and how we learn to survive when all odds are against us. Author Alison Larkin cautiously narrates the story of a broken girl, trying to forget her past to find love and safety, anywhere.
April meets some wonderful and dreadful people along the way. Singing and playing her guitar for small audiences wherever she can get a gig is the only thing that keeps her going. Every time I found myself cheering for April's successes, unforeseen circumstances would find her back on the road. Living in campgrounds, with random strangers, and even squatting, April struggles to stay in one place when truths are revealed.
This was a story of finding your path, but also learning the beauty and complexity of relationships. How willing are we to forgive those we expect to love us forever? Can strangers turn into friends that turn into a family? April teaches us many things, and through her struggles, we learn the finite intricacies of love and life.
I loved this book and give it 4.5/5 stars.
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