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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
I was able to read this book thanks to NetGalley.
It's rare to find an lgbtq+ book that is so tenderly and realistically presented. I think this book definitely achieved that. It portrayed a first relationship and all the confusion that entails, and it even detailed the reactions of those at school. Both main characters were very believable, particularly Leo and the rough situation he came from. Like most teen books, it is chock full of angst, which isn't always my cup of tea, but it was believable and necessary angst. I think that made all the difference.
It's rare to find an lgbtq+ book that is so tenderly and realistically presented. I think this book definitely achieved that. It portrayed a first relationship and all the confusion that entails, and it even detailed the reactions of those at school. Both main characters were very believable, particularly Leo and the rough situation he came from. Like most teen books, it is chock full of angst, which isn't always my cup of tea, but it was believable and necessary angst. I think that made all the difference.
Living a life of fear and abuse is difficult to imagine for most, but for Leo and his little sister, Lila, it is a way of life. After his mother is murdered by his drunken, abusive father, Leo and Lila are shuffled from foster home to foster home, predominantly because Leo bears not only the external scars but the internal ones of a life lived in terror. He wears his anger like a shield, allowing no one to touch him, distrusting everyone and hating/fearing grown males, in particular. So, when this injured pair of children comes to live at Charlie’s home, it is no surprise that Leo retreats from everyone. Charlie and Leo are the same age, but their story is both alike and completely different. Charlie was taken in, like his two older siblings, at a younger age by the Poultons, and considers the loving couple his parents. However, that doesn’t mean Charlie is unaffected; after all, he has seen kids come and go from his home, and all have borne scars but none quite so deep as Leo’s.
Over time, Charlie realizes that the feelings he has as he watches over Leo’s nightmare-ridden sleep are becoming more than just compassionate understanding. He likes Leo, really likes him, and Leo feels the same—but the past is like a third person in the room, and it is strong and manipulative and may indeed destroy what fragile feelings Leo and Charlie have for each other before they can even take root.
Garrett Leigh is a gifted author and does wounded characters better than many in this field. In her latest novel, Finding Home, she plumbs the emotional depths to build not just one but two rich, fractured characters who resonate off the page with realism and beauty. Leo and Charlie are both injured souls, but Charlie has had years to slowly heal and come to terms with his abandonment. For Leo, it is all so very fresh and horrifying. After all, a father who tried to kill him and his sibling after murdering his mother as they hid in a cubbyhole beneath the stairs is not something anyone will likely recover from any time soon.
However, it’s the narrative aspect by Charlie and his own emotional roller coaster that enriches this novel and captures the imagination thoroughly. Charlie has such empathy for Leo, and yet he is a typical teen who also views the two new kids in the house as just one more intrusion into his carefully crafted life. Charlie barely gets along with his sister Fliss, and having another prickly, emo influence in the house doesn’t sit well with him. But, once again, this author displays those exceptional storytelling abilities by carefully dropping small hints where we, as well as Charlie, are privy to the incredible pain Leo hides behind his anger. It’s these moments where Charlie’s heart just melts. Slowly, feelings rise to the surface that Charlie just cannot always deal with nor wants to acknowledge. It’s not that he hasn’t ever thought about being gay, it’s just that he struggles enough with fitting in at school and dealing with his own feelings of abandonment.
The story is so well paced. There is no sudden, huge emotional glut leading to some version of insta-love allowed, but rather, a slow and steady reveal of the needs that hide inside both Charlie and Leo. These are teen boys, through and through, and their feelings/thoughts/misgivings and naïve thinking is spot on. The story is a beautiful one of slow and bumpy healing and acceptance. Charlie and Leo are not instantly well adjusted or even nearly happy with the life they have been given, but their struggles, while vastly different, are genuine, and small victories are definitely hard fought.
As a YA novel, Finding Home excels at illuminating the thoughts and feelings of teen boys who struggle with emotions and life circumstances they never should have to experience. You are drawn inexorably into their tangled lives and find yourself emotionally enthralled. Finding Home is a rich, compelling novel of redemption and healing, and one that any YA reader will want to have in their library.
Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach
Over time, Charlie realizes that the feelings he has as he watches over Leo’s nightmare-ridden sleep are becoming more than just compassionate understanding. He likes Leo, really likes him, and Leo feels the same—but the past is like a third person in the room, and it is strong and manipulative and may indeed destroy what fragile feelings Leo and Charlie have for each other before they can even take root.
Garrett Leigh is a gifted author and does wounded characters better than many in this field. In her latest novel, Finding Home, she plumbs the emotional depths to build not just one but two rich, fractured characters who resonate off the page with realism and beauty. Leo and Charlie are both injured souls, but Charlie has had years to slowly heal and come to terms with his abandonment. For Leo, it is all so very fresh and horrifying. After all, a father who tried to kill him and his sibling after murdering his mother as they hid in a cubbyhole beneath the stairs is not something anyone will likely recover from any time soon.
However, it’s the narrative aspect by Charlie and his own emotional roller coaster that enriches this novel and captures the imagination thoroughly. Charlie has such empathy for Leo, and yet he is a typical teen who also views the two new kids in the house as just one more intrusion into his carefully crafted life. Charlie barely gets along with his sister Fliss, and having another prickly, emo influence in the house doesn’t sit well with him. But, once again, this author displays those exceptional storytelling abilities by carefully dropping small hints where we, as well as Charlie, are privy to the incredible pain Leo hides behind his anger. It’s these moments where Charlie’s heart just melts. Slowly, feelings rise to the surface that Charlie just cannot always deal with nor wants to acknowledge. It’s not that he hasn’t ever thought about being gay, it’s just that he struggles enough with fitting in at school and dealing with his own feelings of abandonment.
The story is so well paced. There is no sudden, huge emotional glut leading to some version of insta-love allowed, but rather, a slow and steady reveal of the needs that hide inside both Charlie and Leo. These are teen boys, through and through, and their feelings/thoughts/misgivings and naïve thinking is spot on. The story is a beautiful one of slow and bumpy healing and acceptance. Charlie and Leo are not instantly well adjusted or even nearly happy with the life they have been given, but their struggles, while vastly different, are genuine, and small victories are definitely hard fought.
As a YA novel, Finding Home excels at illuminating the thoughts and feelings of teen boys who struggle with emotions and life circumstances they never should have to experience. You are drawn inexorably into their tangled lives and find yourself emotionally enthralled. Finding Home is a rich, compelling novel of redemption and healing, and one that any YA reader will want to have in their library.
Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach
This book was very intense. Two boys falling in love as foster brothers, one of them with PTSD. A sweet lovestory with a HFN
***ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
OH MY GOSH!!!
THIS. BOOK.
I Am..SPEECHLESS.
This was completely, amazingly beautiful to me. Yes, this has what I have heard of as the typical Garrett Leigh angst - boy howdy is there ever angst in this, be prepared for that - even though I've only read one other book by Garret Leigh before - which I also loved - but this was a beautiful, beautiful book.
Leo goes through something horrific at the start of the book - after already enduring years and years of abuse - with his sister, Lila, and he's only 15, his sister only 6, so they're put into foster care, and he ends up in a home filled with a love that he doesn't trust at first. Except for Charlie, who he trusts practically right away, because there's just something about Charlie he can't resist.
And this is definitely a young adult romance - we get kisses, but these are two 15 year olds, not even quite legal for the UK, i believe - which is 16 for the legal age of consent, I believe - and we see them falling in love - and it is adorable, but no sex in this, which is completely fine, not only because these boys are so young and one has gone through horrific trauma, but because their romance was beautiful on its own.
I would love to see these two later in life - I wanted so badly to see Charlie and Leo grown up, stronger and grown up and happy, together. But the ending was still sooo sweet and happy and adorable.
This is no easy read, mind you. It deals with being a teenager, but the added weight of trauma piled on top of that, as if being a teenager isn't hard enough. Leo goes through a lot through this book, and how he gets to the place where he is ready to see a therapist and get better is a long and hard journey, but he gets there, and Charlie plays a big part in it.
These two were so sweet together, and they are each other's first loves. Will their relationship make it beyond into adulthood? Who knows, but I like to think they do, that they are one of the rare first love type couples who make it, because they're just so in love and sweet on each other, it's adorable.
I zoomed through this book, finished in about 6 hours even though it was 250 pages, it was just addicting from the first page, engaging as it was hard to read, because sometimes life is suchhhh a shittt, so fucking hard. My heart hurt for Leo throughout this book, and for Charlie even, who while he didn't have trauma, had some of his own hurts.
GAhhh, this is one of my favorites. Superb writing, superb story that treated teenagers how I think they are - more grown up than grown ups think, but also still a lot younger then they think they are. The balance between these boys being mature beyond their years - most of it out of their control, like with Leo having to deal with what he has the first 15 years of his life - and still immature at times, not quite having an adult awareness of the world, was written so well. They weren't dumbed down like they were children, but they weren't completely wise either. They still did completely immature things at times. I loved that balance.
I highly, hiGHLY recommend this book. It was beautiful, it was real, it was breathtaking.
OH MY GOSH!!!
THIS. BOOK.
I Am..SPEECHLESS.
This was completely, amazingly beautiful to me. Yes, this has what I have heard of as the typical Garrett Leigh angst - boy howdy is there ever angst in this, be prepared for that - even though I've only read one other book by Garret Leigh before - which I also loved - but this was a beautiful, beautiful book.
Leo goes through something horrific at the start of the book - after already enduring years and years of abuse - with his sister, Lila, and he's only 15, his sister only 6, so they're put into foster care, and he ends up in a home filled with a love that he doesn't trust at first. Except for Charlie, who he trusts practically right away, because there's just something about Charlie he can't resist.
And this is definitely a young adult romance - we get kisses, but these are two 15 year olds, not even quite legal for the UK, i believe - which is 16 for the legal age of consent, I believe - and we see them falling in love - and it is adorable, but no sex in this, which is completely fine, not only because these boys are so young and one has gone through horrific trauma, but because their romance was beautiful on its own.
I would love to see these two later in life - I wanted so badly to see Charlie and Leo grown up, stronger and grown up and happy, together. But the ending was still sooo sweet and happy and adorable.
This is no easy read, mind you. It deals with being a teenager, but the added weight of trauma piled on top of that, as if being a teenager isn't hard enough. Leo goes through a lot through this book, and how he gets to the place where he is ready to see a therapist and get better is a long and hard journey, but he gets there, and Charlie plays a big part in it.
These two were so sweet together, and they are each other's first loves. Will their relationship make it beyond into adulthood? Who knows, but I like to think they do, that they are one of the rare first love type couples who make it, because they're just so in love and sweet on each other, it's adorable.
I zoomed through this book, finished in about 6 hours even though it was 250 pages, it was just addicting from the first page, engaging as it was hard to read, because sometimes life is suchhhh a shittt, so fucking hard. My heart hurt for Leo throughout this book, and for Charlie even, who while he didn't have trauma, had some of his own hurts.
GAhhh, this is one of my favorites. Superb writing, superb story that treated teenagers how I think they are - more grown up than grown ups think, but also still a lot younger then they think they are. The balance between these boys being mature beyond their years - most of it out of their control, like with Leo having to deal with what he has the first 15 years of his life - and still immature at times, not quite having an adult awareness of the world, was written so well. They weren't dumbed down like they were children, but they weren't completely wise either. They still did completely immature things at times. I loved that balance.
I highly, hiGHLY recommend this book. It was beautiful, it was real, it was breathtaking.
I’ve read this author before and she is one of my favourites. This is a YA mm contemporary story set in the UK. Main characters are Leo and Charlie. This book covers some dark content and is an emotional roller coaster. So so good. It will be on my re read shelf.
3.5/5 - Really solid story, if a bit plain. I enjoyed seeing the book unfold through Leo’s perspective, but I couldn’t help but feel that Charlie’s character didn’t have much of a personality. I would still love to check out more from this author in the future.
Also, one of my biggest pet peeves is reading books with ASL in them, but it’s never ever done correctly, most likely because authors assume it has the same format as English. But I was pleasantly surprised that the sign language in this book was actually realistic?? So brownie points for that!
Also, one of my biggest pet peeves is reading books with ASL in them, but it’s never ever done correctly, most likely because authors assume it has the same format as English. But I was pleasantly surprised that the sign language in this book was actually realistic?? So brownie points for that!
I GOBBLED THIS BOOK UP. Leigh...how DARE you hurt me like this?!? Read this in like 3 hours flat I could not stop this was one of the most addicting stories I’ve read in a long time. Leo has survived a fire that had left his arm badly burned...a fire started by his father while he killed his mother and left his children trapped to die. Leo and his deaf sister Lila escaped, and they are bounced between foster home and foster home until they land in the Poulton household. Leo and Lila must learn to adapt, and Leo has harrowing ptsd and trust issues that does not allow him to relax around the new family, in particular the father. Overprotective of his sister, he begins to let his guard down as he grows close to Charlie, the Poulton’s adoptive son who sees beyond Leo’s physical injuries and can see the ones underneath as well. This wouldn’t be a Leigh book without romance, and it’s definitely here. Leo and Charlie become adorably smitten with each other but the real story here is the heinous acts the father committed to Leo, Lila, and their mom and the aftereffects that has on them (beyond the emotion, Leo Is badly burned and needs a lot of surgeries and Lila had bad lungs now due to the fire’s smoke) and learning to trust that not everyone wants to hurt you. This was so heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time, and a true testament to Leigh’s writing that she’s able to capture the pain these siblings are going through so beautifully. A must read!
Romance is not the first word I would use to label this novel. I'd first go to drama, then young adult, and then romance. That is to say the romance is not the focus of this novel and I for one am really happy about it, but other readers might expect it and be disappointed when there is not much of it.
Reading the synopsis I thought the novel sounds interesting, but finding out that the two main characters are only 15 years old put me to a halt for a while. Still, this being a Garrett Leigh novel I just couldn't ignore it so I went ahead and read it. I loved it from the very first pages. I'm always amazed by authors like Garrett Leigh, by their ability to express so clearly what the characters go through.
I felt for Leo, he witnessed something that no one ever should, and sadly these are things that happen all around us. Another reason why I appreciate these kind of novels is because they put things in perspective and helps us better understand situations that are foreign to us and what people in those situations go through.
Focusing on the fact that Finding Home is, thankfully, a work of fiction, I enjoyed it a lot. While Lili didn't have as much trouble feeling comfortable in a new home, Leo kept himself on guard. There was a battle going on inside Leo and it was hard for him to accept the fact that he needed help. Luckily, Charlie, and the whole of Poulton family, were more than ready to patiently offer a hand. I liked seeing how Leo gradually started feeling more comfortable with his surroundings. It took some time and some fucking up, but his feelings didn't let him to entirely turn his back.
It goes without saying I loved Leo and Charlie, but I must say I was really happy for having Fliss around. She had a pretty tough mask on, but inside she was filled with warmth and care. Her and Charlie's relationship is that of two typical siblings and sometimes Charlie needed some pointing out to see that she is not all that bad. Well, she's not at all bad.
The plot is believable, the character's journey is realistic and that only makes this an even more enjoyable read. But again, don't expect loads of romance when going into this, it won't happen (they are 15 years old, I would have felt uncomfortable if anything other than kissing would have happened between the two main characters), this focuses more on the characters and the situation they are going through.
Reading the synopsis I thought the novel sounds interesting, but finding out that the two main characters are only 15 years old put me to a halt for a while. Still, this being a Garrett Leigh novel I just couldn't ignore it so I went ahead and read it. I loved it from the very first pages. I'm always amazed by authors like Garrett Leigh, by their ability to express so clearly what the characters go through.
I felt for Leo, he witnessed something that no one ever should, and sadly these are things that happen all around us. Another reason why I appreciate these kind of novels is because they put things in perspective and helps us better understand situations that are foreign to us and what people in those situations go through.
Focusing on the fact that Finding Home is, thankfully, a work of fiction, I enjoyed it a lot. While Lili didn't have as much trouble feeling comfortable in a new home, Leo kept himself on guard. There was a battle going on inside Leo and it was hard for him to accept the fact that he needed help. Luckily, Charlie, and the whole of Poulton family, were more than ready to patiently offer a hand. I liked seeing how Leo gradually started feeling more comfortable with his surroundings. It took some time and some fucking up, but his feelings didn't let him to entirely turn his back.
It goes without saying I loved Leo and Charlie, but I must say I was really happy for having Fliss around. She had a pretty tough mask on, but inside she was filled with warmth and care. Her and Charlie's relationship is that of two typical siblings and sometimes Charlie needed some pointing out to see that she is not all that bad. Well, she's not at all bad.
The plot is believable, the character's journey is realistic and that only makes this an even more enjoyable read. But again, don't expect loads of romance when going into this, it won't happen (
So Garrett can write YA too, is there no end to her talents? I'm sure everyone else who reads this book will explain more eloquently than me just how great this book is. It's beautiful and sad and hopeful and heart breaking and sweet. Loved it ♡