Reviews

A good emotional rollercoaster of a read, felt a bit repetitive and slow at times but overall I enjoyed this and would recommend the book.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

abirm's review against another edition

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3.0

This was a cute read, with great character building. It falls a tad boring at points but that doesn't distract from the good story and characters that come along with it. Hoping there's a sequel so we get a more tied up ending, but for what it's worth, this was a good one.

Recommend this for some nice holiday reading.

fiendfull's review against another edition

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4.0

Home Girl is a young adult novel about being in the care system and chasing stability. Naomi is a fourteen year old girl about to move in with new emergency foster parents. She likes horror films, drinking Coke, and dancing, and she used to care for her alcoholic father before going into care. The novel follows her try new foster carers, hang out with her friends in her Pupil Referral Unit, and look for something stable, even somewhere she might be able to call home.

This is a powerful novel, with a funny yet sad main character who speaks her mind and is clearly vulnerable. Naomi is vibrant and memorable, and the narrative moves with pace to show how quickly her life seems to move from thing to thing. Less sensationalist than other books in many ways, it focuses a lot on the small details of what makes Naomi and what makes her life, both past and present.

natashad's review

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

piperbunny's review against another edition

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5.0

Naomi is stuck in the care system, not many people want to adopt a teenager. Everyone has a story in the care system and Naomi's is tragic, she had to grow up too fast to look after her alcoholic father. Carrying her meercat toy from foster home to foster home she struggles to find happiness. She attends the Pupil Referral Unit, a school for people who continually get expelled, with two girls she knows. Life gets a little bit better for Naomi when she ends up being fostered by a black family. Even though interracial fostering isn't favoured in councils and her social worker works hard to place her elsewhere, this is the time Naomi finds herself fitting well in a family.

This book shines a light on what it means for children in the care system, is it an endless spiral or is there hope at the end? Naomi has a distinct voice, a person who you can't help but care for, and I really did, so much so I cried for her at the end. However,

Spoiler

that ending felt rushed.
I wanted to know why the meercat and what happened to her father. I wanted her to get her happy ending with Tony and Colleen. Instead her social worker ends up resigning and Naomi goes to a children's home.

I didn't like the ending, but I kind of understand that's the whole point of the book.

giraffeh's review against another edition

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5.0

Naomi is 14, but she’s had more trauma, more disappointment, more stress than most adults will ever experience. She is angry and frightened, on edge all of the time. Kim may be her best friend, but she has her own agenda and drips poor advice into Naomi’s ear like it’s fact, adding to Naomi’s confussion and paranoia. Along come the Goldings, a couple who have already adopted 2 children and who are available as emergency foster carers when Naomi needs somewhere fast. Louise, Naomi’s social worker, has reservations about leaving a white child with a black family but she has nowhere else. Tony Golding is also unsure but before long they settle into a rhythm. Home Girl pulls no punches. The maelstrom of emotion surrounding Naomi is raw and convincing - I cried reading this, and dare anyone to get through it all without shedding a tear. Alex Wheatle writes with a power and immediacy that is hard to put down. I’ll be hunting down everything he’s written (I suspect I might find out more about some of the other character’s backgrounds). I’ll also be holding my breath for his next book - I hope it is more about Naomi, or Nats. I can’t stand not knowing what happens next!

schrke24's review against another edition

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challenging emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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