This book earned mixed emotions on my end. It's good but the story is a bit slow for me. I had to pause and continue when I can. It took me a while though.

A nice ya read handling a difficult topic in a very realistic way.
I personally wish the author would have given the characters a bit more work so that they felt real and as if it the story could have actually happened, but overall a good read on a difficult topic.

Fans of Rachel Cohn, David Levithan, or Jay Asher will love this book. The story is strong and original, the characters are developed and easy to identify with, and the formatting of the novel is original. I highly recommend this book. The love and loss it explores are deeply felt.

well written and sometimes tough to read, this YA novel explores love, loss, and responsibility through the eyes of Jayce who has too much on her 16 year old shoulders. I enjoyed it but I'm not the market for this. It's the perfect YA crossover, especially if you are interested in Canadian literature and settings. THanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Scarrow's book isn't one I would have normally picked for myself but I'm glad I did.

I requested this book from Dundurn Press for my independent and honest review and I absolutely loved it. Jayce has her younger sister to look after as her mum is struggling with i'll health. As they do not have much income so Jayce goes without herself at the amusement to her high school friends. As her mother deteriorates further, this story develops into the most heartwarming tale of family devotion humility and shows how determination can have positive outcomes. The writing was beautifully crafted as were the characters. Jayce finds a friend in a local boy with a so called bad reputation. Their friendship and mutual understanding of being a teenage carer helps each of them to keep going. This is well worth the read for YA readers of any age.Makes you think about what's important in life and to cherish those we love whilst they are here. Well deserving of my5*.

The synopsis of this book is extremely detailed and basically gives us the whole idea of what goes on in If This Is Home. Jayce looks after her sister Ellie everyday and most of the time it's as if their mom isn't around because she may not be physically absent but she definitely isn't there. At first this bothered me because why was her mom so tired all the time? Why wasn't she doing anything to get better because it's not Jayce's job as a sixteen year old to be taking care of the family if a parent is around.

As the story wound on I started feeling sorry for their family because clearly they'd been through some tough times. It wasn't like they had anyone close to them that they could call to help out so naturally when Jayce's mom was diagnosed with cancer, she'd go search for her dad thinking that family was family, whether you wanted them or not.

I went through this book so fast that I actually had to sit down for a moment and think to remember what I'd read. There's nothing forgettable about this book but the pages were flying by and it was like a song playing that you really enjoy but you realise you never heard any of the lyrics so you have to listen to it again.

I loved most of the characters in this book. Jayce thought and acted a lot older than a sixteen year old but I think since she was practically pushed into parenthood, raising her sister and taking care of her mom, she had think more responsibly. There were one or two characters who I felt were just fillers but they didn't play too big a part so I didn't mind it.

This was quite a heartbreaking story but I think the message here was about how the ones who you think would accept you without thought could easily be the ones who'd cast you out. And the ones who you want no business with are the ones who'd fight for you to make things right.

I'm glad I decided to request this book. I'd definitely recommend this story and look forward to reading more by this author.

Jayce has too much responsibility, working hard to help her ailing mother take care of her four year old sister. When Jayce’s mom gets worse, it is revealed she has terminal cancer. Jayce is determined to find her father, who abandoned the family years ago and does not even know of his youngest daughters existence.

With the help of a new friend, Jayce finds family, just maybe not the one she was expecting, and she learns to forgive and move on.

Pub Date Jan 27 2017

**This review will be live on the blog on January 24th, 2017**

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<font face="Georgia"> <h3>Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!</h3> <p>Our Neighbors to the North have such a strong young adult and children's lit game that I'm always happy to read offerings from Canadian publishers. Most of the books I find are easily accessible to American readers.</p>

<p><i><b>Synopsis</b></i>: Jayce Loewen at sixteen is more annoyed than concerned that her four-year-old sister's care is being foisted on her - again. Her mother - who has hustled forever, working two jobs, is home from work with a nagging cough which has plagued her for weeks. Mostly, Jayce is concerned with is how often caring for Joelle makes her late for school, makes her look different from the other students in her friend group, and racks up the detention hours. But - Ellie's happy little world is rocked by angry words and impatience, so Jayce reins in her annoyance - after all, it's not Ellie's fault. It's easier for Jayce to be resentful of her mother - and her rock band father, who has popped in and out of their lives for years - and to ball up all the rest of the feelings and shove them inside.</p>
<p> When she discovers her mother has lung cancer, Jayce shoves down panic on top of resentment. She has to cope, obviously. Ellie needs <i>something</i> to be normal. But, with school pushing from one side, and the lack of funds for necessities like food shoving from the other, Jayce knows she needs real help... or a miracle. The rock star should have some answers, right? Finding her father - with a little help from a new friend - turns out to be a shock, and a disaster. Jayce realizes she and Ellie can't make it alone - and it turns out, they don't have to, if Jayce can accept a helping hand. </p>

<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v5nDCFOHyEM/WIEy4PWM85I/AAAAAAAAGrY/QJjqwfyAeGktD91bE5-Pbrvu4jA1Qh5HgCLcB/s1600/29855819.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img align="right" hspace="10"border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v5nDCFOHyEM/WIEy4PWM85I/AAAAAAAAGrY/QJjqwfyAeGktD91bE5-Pbrvu4jA1Qh5HgCLcB/s400/29855819.jpg" width="250" height="400" /></a><p><i><b>Observations</b></i>: Though Jayce is depicted as a sixteen year old, her behavior and interests are very young for sixteen. This book may work for readers who struggle but want "older" books than many of the typical offerings for reluctant readers. This is a simple story - no romance, very little strong language - which introduces the idea of sisters experiencing tragedy, and how it brings the family closer.</p>

<p>As an interesting aside, this story highlights the job of caretakers to both the elderly and the ill. Very rarely do YA books depict teens as caretakers, and I found myself wishing for more of a glimpse of Kurt's daily life with his grandmother. Jayce was able to ignore the physicality of her mother's illness until it was smacked upside her head, but I found myself wanting more of her reality.</p>

<p>I picked this novel up because I am fond of books which are about a "family of choice." When her other bestie is too caught up in her personal drama, Jayce chooses Kurt to be her new best friend, and in essence finds Ellie a brother. Kurt, with whom Jayce is affectionate, and who kisses her on the cheek, is never anyone but a boy who once sat with her in detention, who then became a friend. It seems more than a bit disingenuous that Jayce never even thinks of Kurt at all romantically - there are a number of ways to discuss male and female friendships or even a lack of chemistry in a realistic fashion - but instead of allowing Jayce to make a thoughtful choice of how she would keep this friendship, it felt like her hormones were just erased. Romance seemed a complication the author didn't want to deal with, so it was eliminated with no discussion, which feels like an opportunity lost to me. Nevertheless, this novel will work well for older middle grade and younger YA readers as a simple tearjerker. The novel is a good jumping off point for discussions of privilege and class difference, as well as healthcare options, as the relative poverty in which the Loewen family lives affects a lot of the choices and opportunities that they make. </p>

<p><i><b>Conclusion</b></i>: A hopeful journey from resentment and loss - Jayce begins to appreciate the choice of opening her heart to family, no matter what they've done.</p>
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<hr width=55%><p>I received my copy of this book courtesy of the publishers. After 1/28/17, you can find <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/aff/readersrant7?product=9781459736511" target=_blank><i>IF THIS IS HOME</i></a> by Kristine Scarrow at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!</p>
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Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for giving me this in exchange for an honest review.

I was super interested when I read the synopsis for this book.
Jayce is a character with a lot of bite! She takes care of her family no matter who she has to take on.

This book wasn't bad however I did feel like it lacked a little grit and heaviness. Kurt was a lovely edition to this story he was the friend who understood everything she was going through. I loved that he was just a friend and how his story came to an end.

I did enjoy the real life take it took on not everyone gets a happy ending and some mistakes make you lose time that you can never get back. All in all it was a good fast read but its not something I would reread. Three stars.