Showing posts with label coming of age. Show all posts

Book Review: The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock


Title: The Smell of Other People's Houses
Author: Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock
Amazon Link: Buy now
Book Depository Link: Buy now
Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Contemporary/ Historical/ Coming of Age
Buy: No. Netgally Advanced Reader's Copy
Review: Goodreads


Synopsis
In Alaska, 1970, being a teenager here isn’t like being a teenager anywhere else. Ruth has a secret that she can’t hide forever. Dora wonders if she can ever truly escape where she comes from, even when good luck strikes. Alyce is trying to reconcile her desire to dance, with the life she’s always known on her family’s fishing boat. Hank and his brothers decide it’s safer to run away than to stay home—until one of them ends up in terrible danger.

Four very different lives are about to become entangled.


Review

The Characters

The story revolve around the four main characters which are Ruth, Dora, Alyce and Hank. 

Ruth: She's coming from a very loving family. But it didn't last long when she lost her father in a plane crash that leave her mother in a devastated state and make her incompetent to take care of Ruth and her little sister. Because of the tragedy, Ruth and her little sister had to live with their strict and unloving grandmother. She had to deal with the loss and had to adapt to her new life that is very different than before. She envied other people's houses because she didn't feel the loving environment in her house.

Dora: Dora has to deal with her abusive parents (physically by her father, and mentally by her mother). One event had make her leave her family and live with her best friend, Dumpling's family. She needed to escape from where she coming from and she really want to be part of Dumpling's perfect family. She loves the smell of Dumpling's house and don't want to go back to her real life.

Alyce: Alyce is trying her best to make the best decision for her own life. Coming from a divorced parents, she was afraid that anything she choose from will hurt her father's feeling. By choosing her dream, she would have to give up the life in a fishing boat that she have known forever and the life that her father loves.

Hank: Hank and his brothers run away from their house. His father passed away and her mother wants to marry a new man. Thinking that the best decision is to run away in preserving the memory of their father, they encounter with a terrible thing that happened to one of the brother.

The Plot

This book is told from multiple points of view. I enjoyed every character's voice and their own perspective. The way that this book written and the plot is really engrossing and make me feel the need to know what happen next. This book is full of emotion rather than just teen romance. 

The smell of other people's houses is a perfect title as the book itself is focusing on how as a person we occasionally judge or think that some people had better than us and we hated where we come from because of it. However, behind of those nice smell, there are so many heartbreaking and hurtful things happened that we didn't know.

This book deal with lots of difficult topics such as poverty, teen pregnancy, abuse and mental illness. There are so many issues that this book focus on without being too serious and heavy. It's amazing how the author can conclude this book with positive ending despite all the heavy issues that have been focused on.

Overall

I love the cover, the title and how emotional this book are. How could you not love the cover and the tittle? It's perfect. And the story is making me emotionally involved. I love every bit of it. To be very honest, I love Dumping the most in this book. Although she is not the main character, her character is vital to give a very good ending. Thank you, Dumpling.


Book Quotes

(may contain spoilers)

We don't have to be blood to be family.
Sometimes you can be inserted into another person's life just by witnessing something you were never really supposed to be a part of.
Because isn't that how forever happens- instantly?

Further Reading Suggestion

Eleanor & Park 

Book Review: Tell The Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt


Title: Tell The Wolves I'm Home
Author: Carol Rifka Brunt
Amazon Link: Buy now
Book Depository Link: Buy now
Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Contemporary/ Coming of Age
Buy: Yes
Review: Goodreads


Synopsis
1987. There's only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that's her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can only be herself in Finn's company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June's world is turned upside down. But Finn's death brings a surprise acquaintance into June's life--someone who will help her to heal, and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and even her own heart.

At Finn's funeral, June notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd. A few days later, she receives a package in the mail. Inside is a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn's apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet. As the two begin to spend time together, June realizes she's not the only one who misses Finn, and if she can bring herself to trust this unexpected friend, he just might be the one she needs the most.


Review

First, I need to warn everyone that this book is too sad for poor heart like mine and anyone. I actually did not expect it to be this super sad and heartbreaking. 

The main character June just lost her one and only uncle, best friend and godfather to AIDS. She has to deal with the lost and heartache. Along with that, she discovered so many secrets, misunderstanding, complex and complicated issue that happened with the lost. Her only sister, Greta finally become more friendly after Finn (the uncle) left and there is one person that she never knew before, suddenly become one of the important person in her life.

Finn death affected June so much that she feel lost and lonely. When she finally learns that there was someone else other than her that was very close and significant to Finn, She realized that maybe, just maybe she didn't really know Finn as much as she think she was. But, that is when she discovered everything, every single thing happened for a reason.

I love June's character so much because she's such a strong character. She was lost, sad and lonely but that doesn't stop her to be so kind, good listener and very open to the cruel fact. She learn so many heartbreaking situation, but she remains strong and kind.

This book is about finding yourself in the loss and finding your way through it. Being strong doesn't mean that we have to deal with everything by ourselves. Sometimes, all we need is someone that will always be beside us and guide us through it. Even though, the person who understand June the most is gone, she realized that she just have to open her eyes and see that there are still someone who love her and understand her. 

I'm not ashamed that I was crying too much because of this book. My heart is shattered to millions pieces so many times while reading this book. I can't put it down because, well I don't want to miss anything. 


Book Quotes

(may contain spoilers)
Maybe I was destined to forever fall in love with people I couldn’t have. Maybe there’s a whole assortment of impossible people waiting for me to find them. Waiting to make me feel the same impossibility over and over again.
That's what being shy feels like. Like my skin is too thin, the light too bright. Like the best place I could possibly be is in a tunnel far under the cool, dark earth. Someone asks me a question and I stare at them, empty-faced, my brain jammed up with how hard I'm trying to find something interesting to say. And in the end, all I can do is nod or shrug, because the light of their eyes looking at me, waiting for me, is just too much to take. And then it's over and there's one more person in the world who thinks I'm a complete and total waste of space. The worst thing is the stupid hopefulness. Every new party, every new bunch of people, and I start thinking that maybe this is my chance. That I'm going to be normal this time. A new leaf. A fresh start. But then I find myself at the party, thinking, Oh, yeah. This again. So I stand on the edge of things, crossing my fingers, praying nobody will try to look me in the eye. And the good thing is, they usually don't.
You could try to believe what you wanted, but it never worked. Your brain and your heart decided what you were going to believe and that was that. Whether you liked it or not
…there’s just something beautiful about walking on snow that nobody else has walked on. It makes you believe you’re special, even though you know you’re not.
The sun kept on with its slipping away, and I thought how many small good things in the world might be resting on the shoulders of something terrible.
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