She's Not Home

by Lena George

In SHE'S NOT HOME, a mother and daughter find that a goodbye may be what reunites them in a poignant story of family ties, shared grief, and the love between mother and child.

Sheryl already lost one daughter by being the fun parent. She's determined to do it right with her other daughter, no matter how much Mariana whines about one chance for a normal night. No misbehavior, no stoner friends, and absolutely no parties. As if missing homecoming amounts to tragedy. Sheryl knows real tragedy-and she's not about to make the same mistake twice.

But all Mariana wants is to escape the shadow of her sister Sheena. She's tired of being seen as the daughter that survived and missing out on experiences she shouldn't have to fight for-like senior homecoming.

So when Mariana discovers the truth about how Sheena died, she runs away. For the first time, Mariana is faced with the reality of making her own choices, while Sheryl is left to contend with losing another daughter.

Genres: Fiction

390 pages, Paperback

Published April 25, 2023

Reviews

[Carol Stefanik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I related strongly to this story, which I should not be able to say because my family was not that dysfunctional. But we all often allow our heads to get away from us and many of us can relate to the insecurities that would lead us down the same pathways all of these characters chose. The writing and the intentions seem very clear to me. The plot line flowed the directions I expected it to but we still get that little surprise at the end that makes this a book to read. I recommend this one.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Cynthia A Juvenal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would definitely recommend this book. It had me in tears at times but I didn't want it to end. Great read!

[Sadie Newell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here’s the cliffs notes: Mariana has a mother that lived through the tragedy of losing her firstborn daughter in a car accident when she was a senior in high school. The mother then does everything in her power to protect Mariana, not letting her go to any sort of events, parties and limits her social outings. Her mother, Sheryl, is also obsessive and deals with intrusive (but also holier-than-thou) thoughts on damn near every page.

Here’s the thing: NO ONE IN THIS BOOK IS LIKABLE. NO ONE. Usually I can hang if there’s a shred of charm, but again..everyone in this book sucks. It seems like Mark is kind of a clueless dad, Jeffery is abusive, Cat’s mom is out to lunch but also just wants to be her daughter’s friend, Tristan has a mom that isn’t Cat’s and thats confusing, Sheryl is OBSESSIVE and has a lot of intrusive thoughts and Mariana is a spineless (LOLOL no pun intended) main. It is too bad because I do feel like this book could speak to so many young people in that coming of age kind of time.

The things I wish I knew:

We never hear about Mariana’s plans to graduate from high school (because at this point she’s attended NOT EVEN HALF of her senior year) or what happens to her NYU dreams(I was hoping she secretly filled out the app). Tristan does not get enough development, and come on. Gwendolyn just HAPPENS to be at the coffee shop that day? Okay, okay, I know good things can come from the strangest of places, but I don’t believe Mariana could hack it in Baltimore during the winter with $900.

This is YA. It has to be. It is YA, right? If it isn’t, is it too late to be marketed as such?

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Melissa (Nissa_the.bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
💔 ever suffered from a broken heart
🏫 are currently in high school or just graduated
👩🏻 have experience being both a teenager and a mom
🏠 once ran away from home

• 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄

After Mariana finally finds out what happened to her sister Sheena 10 years ago, she runs away.

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Sheryl already lost one daughter by being the fun parent. She's determined to do it right with her other daughter, no matter how much Mariana whines about one chance for a normal night. No misbehavior, no stoner friends, and absolutely no parties. As if missing homecoming amounts to tragedy. Sheryl knows real tragedy-and she's not about to make the same mistake twice.

But all Mariana wants is to escape the shadow of her sister Sheena. She's tired of being seen as the daughter that survived and missing out on experiences she shouldn't have to fight for-like senior homecoming.

So when Mariana discovers the truth about how Sheena died, she runs away. For the first time, Mariana is faced with the reality of making her own choices, while Sheryl is left to contend with losing another daughter.

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This was such an emotional read for me. I really felt for Mariana’s character. Life was so hard for her in so many ways - a gaslighting, emotionally manipulative mother, a nonexistent father, and only a few friends. After losing her sister, life was made even harder for her, basically being forced to live up to her mother’s expectations of who she should be even though she was clearly a different person from Sheena. It was really hard to like any of the characters except for Mariana, but I was glad that they found familiar footing again in the end.

[Chelsie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mother trying to keep her worse nightmare from happening again years later, and a teenage daughter trying to prove her independence and not wanting to live in her sisters shadow any longer. Homecoming is just weeks away and Sheryl having used the fear of losing one daughter has kept the reigns pretty tight on Mariana and now Mariana is asking to go out that same night. Just like Sheena had, to go to a party after the dance. How can she let her go when she remembers all too well the outcome of that night from years ago? She cannot lose another daughter and yet Sheryl doesn't realize her overbearing is losing Mariana in a different way. Being given the chance to prove a repeat will not happen, Mariana is granted the night out with strict rules and when she gets home the next morning, safe and sound it is not the welcoming that Mariana was hoping for and when accusations are thrown, Mariana makes up her mind then and there that she is done living in the past, with the past and with the mother that won't see Mariana for an individual. Making a hasty decision she sets out on her own, not realizing it is not only here life she is affecting and soon Sheryl is forced to face her role as a mother and that she was not the only one affected that night years ago. This gave the feel as a YA novel and it is easy to connect with both sides of this story and why each did what they did and felt how they felt. Thank you to Suzy Approved Book Tours for the invite and to the author and publisher for the free novel. This review is of my own opinion and accord.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this family drama/coming of age story, Sheryl went from being the fun mom to an overbearing mom after losing her older daughter in a terrible tragedy. Now her youngest, Marianna, is a teenager and Sheryl is so afraid Marianna will make the same mistakes as her sister, she dictates every second of Marianna's life, even down to her friends. Meanwhile, Marianna is counting down the days until she can leave for college, and hopefully find some freedom out from under her mother's thumb and away from the shadow of her late sister.

I really enjoyed this story and related to both Marianna and Sheryl. As the mother of a teen daughter, I understood many of the fears Sheryl had. And having been a teen with a turbulent relationship with my mother, I could empathize with Marianna's struggles in trying to assert herself. I know all too well how it feels to live in a sibling's shadow.

However, I would have preferred a slightly longer resolution. The ending came rather abruptly and left a lot of things unanswered. But maybe that was how the author intended it, to leave the reader with questions so the story stays with them long after they finish reading it.

I received an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Debbie Rozier · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is told in three parts and two points of view. The POVs are mother, Sheryl, and daughter, Mariana. I like the fact that the book doesn’t alternate POVs but flows with one or the other sometimes for many chapters depending on what is happening.

Two things I feel are important in this book.

The first is that I feel like this book is written so that it can reach an audience of both young adults as well as adults. The book dives into the life of a family that lost a daughter as a teenager and what is happening to that family 10 years later. Mariana is now a high school senior and was only 7 when her sister died in a car wreck. She lives her life being berated and micromanaged by her mother, Sylvia. Sylvia feels like order and controlling everything in her life will keep things from jumping off the tracks again.

The second part I feel like is important is that this book is a good to start real life discussions about loss. Mariana finds out from her father that her sister didn’t die the way she has been told all these years. That begins a chain of events that will redefine this family’s life.

I don’t normally place markers in books but this book hit me in such a way that there were quotes and places in it that I felt needed revisiting and reflecting.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️. I love that She’s Not Home was a dual pov novel! I also very much appreciated how the story showed Sheryl and Mark dealt with their grief in different ways. I understand the grief, pain, and tragedy within the storyline, but I struggled with finding a character that I really truly didn’t want to shake my head at. I felt terrible for Mariana, because the treatment she’d been receiving for a long time from her mother is terrible (I really was rooting for Mariana), but there still wasn’t much about her that I liked. This is where characters like Tristan and Gwendolyn were so important to me, because honestly I think that they had it together the most. Overall, I think the plot was well laid out, and I like where the last page ends. There are still questions in the air, but I think. That it’s important for this book to end the way it did! Everything wrapped up in a pretty little bow about Mariana’s college prospects and her friendships/family relationships would have felt too forced.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting look at a mother-daughter relationship, one put under the stress of grief, depression, and survivor’s guilt.

When Mariana was only seven, her older sister died in a car accident. For over a decade, Mariana’s parents have grieved very differently - her mother, Sheryl, especially finds fault and obsesses over everything - suffocating Mariana.

Mariana is tired of feeling guilty for being the child that lived, and eventually, when she learns the truth of her sister’s death, she decides she needs room to breathe.

I appreciated that we heard both Mariana's and Sheryl’s POVs. I could feel Mariana’s pain from all those years of her mother’s emotional whippings. But I struggled a little with Sheryl; I wanted more of an internal understanding of her grief and abuse toward Mariana.

I will be pondering some things about this one for a while, which is always a good thing in my book!

Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @lenageorgeauthor for a tour spot and a gifted book.

[Miss W Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

She's Not Home by Lena George is a compelling, dramatic coming of age story that I really enjoyed.

This book made me think about how one event in someone's life can totally change the type of person they are.

And in that change can impact other people's lives.

Sheryl was an easy-going laid-back mother who lost her older daughter. This loss turned her into a controlling mom for her other daughter, Marianna.

I felt really bad for Marianna. It is not easy growing up in the shadow of someone else's mistakes.

I really enjoyed the story.

The author left the ending a bit open ended with not a concrete resolution which I think she did with intent. I did enjoy this conclusion as it left me with a lot to think about.

[Marnie Buck · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful first novel from a very promising writer! This book covers so many topics that are both heavy and important for families to navigate. A mother, daughter and father navigate grief in healthy and unhealthy ways. Each coping strategy is explored and observed (from the inside for the mom and daughter). Everyone processes the grief differently. Can they learn to rely on each other? Can they learn to communicate effectively? Can they move on, as a family? I love how friends of the daughter and mother are incorporated into the healing process as well. So often our friends become our families when we need them to step up. I love the flow of this story and the surprising direction it takes as well.

[Dawnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mother daughter coming of age story surrounded by grief and tragedy. Sheryl has already lost one daughter and she isn't about to lose another. Sheryl puts the breaks on Mariana. She controls her life. Her friends, where she goes and Mariana is sick of being under her thumb living in the shadows of her sister Sheena. When Mariana learns the events of her sister's death she runs away. I could relate to Sheryl and her fears and I could also relate to Mariana. This was a thought provoking, gripping story about mothers and daughters and grief. Deeply felt.

Dawnny Ruby
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY

[Bookish Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every parent's worst nightmare has already happened to Sheryl and she lives in fear of the same thing happening to her other daughter, Mariana. As a parent, I completely understand her holding the reins tight on her remaining child… but I also understand Mariana balking at her short leash. Sheryl doesn't realize that she's losing Mariana in a different way. After loosening the leash so Mariana can attend homecoming, Sheryl ends up pushing her to the point that she runs away. Then the real journey begins for both.

[Christy Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an emotional read. I could hardly put it down and wished for all my responsibilities to go away so I could be still and focus on this story. It worked well for the story to be told from the dual perspectives of mother and daughter. I was frustrated with Sheryl (the mother) countless times but it’s impossible to put myself in her shoes since I haven’t lost a child. It was heartbreaking but enlightening to see how the loss of a child impacted the remaining family members. The story was also a reminder of how hard high school can be.

[Lisa Albright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a coming of age, emotional journey for Mariana and a time of conflict and healing for her and her mother, Sheryl. Her sister Sheena's tragic death left a giant hole in this family and their grief divided them. It's interesting to read how these dynamics play out and shape the future of all the characters. I think a lot of readers will find parts that they can relate to in the novel and much to take away from it.

I received a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Faye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll start by saying I know the author - i've known her for years. Regardless, she is a phenomenal writer. this story about a child and her mom and their not-so-fuctional relationship kept me engaged from the beginning till the very end. The language, the descriptions, all the twists and turns - this is a story about secrets and what happens when they really shouldn't be a secret.

run to read it!

[Booksandcoffeemx · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵-𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦!

What an emotional journey, this story touches a bit of everything, loss, mental health, friendship and family relationships. It was an intense ride, but I loved that it was told from three different perspectives. This is one of those books that will leave you thinking of it.

Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours for this tour invite.

𝗦𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 by Jaclyn Paul released April 25, 2023.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcof...

[Sarah W · Rating 4 out of 5]

She’s Not Home was well written and kept me turning the pages. It was a dual POV told by Mariana and her mother Sheryl. Sheryl, to me, was an unlikable character, but she really pushed the plot forward. I could understand why she was so protective of Mariana, but I didn’t like how she treated her and believed everything was a lie, so I am glad we got her POV because it did explain her worries and where she was coming from. I liked the added mystery of not really knowing exactly what happened with Sheena and how both Mariana and Cat’s family were affected. There were things that really tested their friendship and it brought out good character developement. There was suspense and some emotional moments. Even thought the ending was left open, it matched the mother/daughter relationship well.

Thank you @lenageorgeauthor and @suzyapprovedbooktours for the gifted copy.