When forced to choose between staying with her guardian and being with her big brother, Ari chose her big brother. There’s just one problem—Gage doesn’t actually have a place to live.
When Ari’s mother died four years ago, she had two final wishes: that Ari and her older brother, Gage, would stay together always, and that Ari would go to Carter, the middle school for gifted students. So when nineteen-year-old Gage decides he can no longer live with their bossy guardian, Janna, Ari knows she has to go with him. But it’s been two months, and Gage still hasn’t found them an apartment. He and Ari have been “couch surfing,” staying with Gage’s friend in a tiny apartment, crashing with Gage’s girlfriend and two roommates, and if necessary, sneaking into a juvenile shelter to escape the cold Maine nights. But all of this jumping around makes it hard for Ari to keep up with her schoolwork, never mind her friendships, and getting into Carter starts to seem impossible. Will Ari be forced to break one of her promises to Mama? Told in an open, authentic voice, this nuanced story of hiding in plain sight may have readers thinking about homelessness in a whole new way.
Growing up is hard enough as it is, but what happens if that growing up process involves being homeless? Ari's mother died, and there were two important promises made. First, that Ari would get into the school that her whole family has been part of. Second, that she and her older brother Gage would stick together. The problem is, sticking together might be the one thing that keeps Ari from keeping the first promise.
Told from the viewpoint of Ari, the book doesn't sugar-coat the truth of being homeless. Yes, Ari is lucky in that they have friends to lean on. But the harsh reality of moving from place to place every night are still there. It's not a story written with flourishes, either. It's told simply and honestly, which I believe makes it so much more meaningful. I cried - several times - while reading this, sometimes with happiness and sometimes in empathy for this brave girl facing what far too many children truly do face on a regular basis.
This book would be excellent for a class to read. It's a good starting place for several different conversations: judging people, being honest, friendship, the meaning of family...and an eye-opening start to what it means to be a homeless youth. I highly recommend this.
