No Place Like Here by Christina June

No Place Like Here

by Christina June

After a year spent at a boarding school for her past mistakes, Ashlyn is ready to reconnect with her friends, restart her life, and enter senior year. But when family trouble hits home and she is forced to help out at her estranged cousin’s wilderness retreat center, Ashlyn struggles between returning to the girl she was or growing into someone new.

Ashlyn Zanotti has big plans for the summer. She's just spent a year at boarding school and can't wait to get home. But when Ashlyn's father is arrested for tax evasion and her mother enters a rehab facility for "exhaustion," a.k.a. depression, her life is turned upside down again.

Things go from bad to worse when Ashlyn's father sends her to work with a cousin she doesn't even know at a rustic team-building retreat center in the middle of nowhere. A self-proclaimed "indoor girl," not even Ash's habit of leaving breadcrumb quotes--inspirational sayings she scribbles everywhere--can help her cope.

With a dangerously careless camp manager doling out grunt work, an overbearing father trying to control her even from prison, and more than a little boy drama to struggle with, the summer is full of challenges. And Ashlyn must make the toughest decision of her life: keep quiet and follow her dad's marching orders or find the courage to finally stand up to her father to have any hope of finding her way back home.

A modern twist on Hansel and Gretel, No Place like Here features:

  • A strong female lead who doesn’t shy away from difficult parent-teen relationships
  • A clean and wholesome love triangle, romcom vibes, and feel-good fuzzy emotions
  • Returning cast of characters from Christina June’s It Started With Goodbye
  • Perfect for fans of Elise Bryant, Morgan Matson, and Sarah Dessen

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

4 of 5 stars

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Ashlyn thought she had served her time, and would be able to return home after spending a year away at boarding school. But, then she learned of her father's arrest online, and in the blink of an eye, all her summer plans, and maybe her future plans, were altered. She was quickly whisked away to the woods of Pennsylvania to work at a wilderness retreat with her cousin, Hannah. This indoor girl was dreading her new outdoor job, but it would prove to be her summer of self-realization and change.

Characters

I had "met" Ashlyn in June's first book, It Started with Goodbye, and was excited to get to know her better. My heart went out to her, when she found out that her family was going in three different directions that summer. Her feelings of abandonment were strong, as well they should be, but I was grateful that she was able to find some comfort in her aunt, uncle, cousin, and some of the retreat staff. Her cousin, Hannah, and Baxter were two standout characters. They were very supportive, but didn't push Ashlyn too hard, and that was exactly what she needed to help her work through her family issues.

Family Focus

Ashlyn's family was in trouble. Her mother was seeking treatment for her depression, and her father was to begin serving his sentence in prison. Either one of these would be a stressful situation, and Ashlyn had to bear the weight of both. But, you know what? She used the time and space at camp to reflect on her relationship with her family. She realistically struggled with her feelings for her father. She loved him, but was also frustrated with him for the demands he constantly made of her. Through her separation and a lot of refection, she came to terms with her issues regarding her father, and resolved to try and fix things with her family, because in the end, she loved them. I also liked that Ashlyn was building a bridge back to her aunt, uncle, and cousin. They were such a big part of her growth and healing, and I was glad she was keeping them in her life.

Lots of Fun Stuff

I was all over this setting. The wilderness retreat was such a fun and unique place to spend the summer. There were bon fires and bike rides, swimming and scavenger hunts, sunrise hikes and zip lining. It just posed a wealth of possibilities and I had a great time being there with Ashlyn.

There was also hints of an adorable romance in this story. It was not a full-on romance, and the character justified her stand on why it wasn't, but I so, so wanted it to be. In fact, I was hoping there was an epilogue waiting for me, so I could see how Ashlyn's family made out AND see if my ship happened. Alas, there was none, but I am holding out hope, that June writes another book set in this world. Maybe Hannah could get her own book. It could happen, right?

Overall

A fabulous, low-drama coming of age story. It was a heartwarming tale of family and finding your voice, and I was happy to accompany Ashlyn on her journey.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 20 May, 2019: Finished reading
  • 20 May, 2019: Reviewed