Rating: Needs Parent Supervision

Reading Level: Middle School

Wow. Wow. Wow. I’m so impressed!

Closer to Nowhere is written from the perspective of two alternating characters:

  • Hannah, a popular, athletic girl who has lived a good life (staying out of trouble), and
  • Hannah’s cousin Cal, who has lost his mother to cancer and moved in with Hannah’s family. Cal suffers from PTSD after living with his abusive, alcoholic, drug-addicted, sometimes incarcerated father. The kid has gone through a lot.

Both characters grow. Hannah, whose life has been generally very sheltered, asks hard questions, grows some compassion, and fights to find a new normal after Cal disrupts her life. Cal runs away from home (several times), lashes out at school, and slowly learns to trust.

The tough parts are tastefully done. This book really is a treasure for whenever your kids are ready to learn about some rough things some kids go through. I can see this book being meaningful for two audiences:

  • If your kid has led a sheltered life in a safe home free of substance abuse, Hannah’s story could be a great way to help them grow empathy and understanding for other kids who don’t have that.
  • If your kid has been through a season of substance abuse in their home, homelessness, physical abuse, neglect, hunger, loss of a parent, or parent incarceration, Cal’s story might help them feel less alone.