Where You'll Find Me

by Erin Fletcher

[Angie]

I received an ARC through NetGalley.

Where You'll Find Me is responsible for some inappropriate laughter. This is not a funny story, but a few things happen which are so ridiculous that I literally laughed out loud. The description for this one definitely grabbed my attention, because there's a homeless boy living in Hanley's garage. I wanted to know why he was there and how his presence affects her. I was hoping for some insight into teenage homelessness, which I've only read one book about before. That is not what I got at all. Where You'll Find Me is purely about Hanley and her problems.

The story starts off well enough. Hanley is trying to sneak out to a party when she sneezes as she enters the garage, and someone says "bless you." She freaks out, but when Nate appears, she calms down, since he's just a teenage boy. She agrees not to tell anyone he's there, goes out, gets drunk, sneaks back in, he helps her sober up a bit, and she heads off to bed. Over the next few days they get to talking, but Nate won't reveal why he ran away or why he can't go to the homeless shelter. This is all interesting and I was curious as to what his situation is, but then it changes.

Hanley has a secret of her own, which is quite obvious from the beginning. I mean that it's obvious that she has a secret and it's obvious what that secret is. It's the reason behind her excessive partying, but she won't talk about it. Then while at a party, some girl that she knew in middle school recognizes her and confronts her about the secret. She just lets it all out and makes some pretty rude suggestions. I actually couldn't believe that someone would be that insensitive. Hanley, understandably, gets upset about this. But then while crying into Nate's arms she demands to know his secret. He refuses to tell her, and she gets pissed because she spilled hers. Um, no. She didn't. Someone else did. He doesn't feel comfortable telling her!

Where You'll Find Me really should just be called The Hanley Show since somehow everything is about her and no one else's problems or feelings matter. When the truth about Nate finally does come out, a visit from the cops and all, she somehow makes that about her, too. She goes off about how no one cares about her feelings except for Nate. Um, alright? And then Hanley decides she's going to prove Nate's innocence since she couldn't help her friend a few years ago. These are totally different situations and she's helping him to make herself feel better!

Of course, Where You'll Find Me also has a romance. The romance is a major part of the story, too. Hanley and Nate are in love within less than a month, even after only spending a few hours together here and there. In fact, they're so in love that he tells her that he'll risk getting arrested and going to jail in order to see her. I don't think so. He's been living in a garage in the middle of winter in Michigan (I think), risking his health and life, to avoid the cops and yet a girl he's known for a couple of weeks is worth more? That was one the scenes that made me laugh.

Where You'll Find Me was disappointing. I was hoping for an interesting look at homelessness, but I ended up with a drunk middle-class girl, insta-love, and a daring race against the clock! There was also teenage pregnancy, but that was a side issue that didn't add anything to the story other than eye-rolling. Because, seriously, can this trend of antibiotics induced pregnancy just stop?

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.