Closer to Nowhere by Ellen Hopkins

Closer to Nowhere by Ellen Hopkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hannah has a cousin, Cal who comes to live with them and upsets her life with her parents, gymnastics, and school, because his sense of humor is not always appreciated. Once again Hopkins brings the reader a raw real book about the meaning of family and what it takes to become family. I especially liked Hannah's mom, Taryn, as she accepts Cal into the family after her sister's death and her evil husband's incarceration. Cal has many problems Hannah is unaware of because of his abusive, drug addicted and alcoholic father. But with Cal coming to live with Hannah's family fissures in her mom and dad's relationship becomes even more fractured. Their grandmother dislikes Cal and compares him to his father and this also aggravates Cal's behavior and responses. I could not stop turning the pages as Hannah's POV and Cal's POV, both real and haunting, reveal their staunch desire to keep their family together. I can't wait to read Hopkins next middle grade novel in verse, What About Will, when it comes out in September 2021.

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