Fabulous! One of the best books I have read all year. Felix and his mother live in a Westfalia and are making the best of a temporary situation...until it starts to stop feeling temporary. I thought Nielsen handled this perfectly, she shows the difficulty of being one the "hidden homeless" but there are moments when the future is just full of hope.
There is a line in the book about Astrid and Daniel being "good people" and also confirming that are just not "good parents". I almost sobbed.
I loved this.
Now I need to go back and read all of Nielsen's older books.

Very Realistic Magical Realism

This is a wonderful book, and a rewarding find for any reader.

The setup is that our hero, twelve year old Felix, and his complicated Mom have fallen into a spiral of bad luck that has left them living in a van and covering up their homelessness. Felix comes up with a scheme to win a kid's quiz show and use the winnings to solve their problems. Reading that summary, it feels like the whole project will be an earnest once-over-lightly on a lot of social issues, before we get to some sort of happy ending. Or, it's going to go the other way and be a dismal kitchen sink drama, with a gritty YA social message.

Wrong on both counts. I thought this book was basically a collection of witty sketches and episodes, hung on a flimsy plot, but punctuated with the occasional startling gut punch. Nielsen is sometimes called the "John Green" of Canada, but that does her a disservice. The very best YA and middle grade writers, to my mind, follow a similar pattern: you get a wise beyond his years and hyperarticulate narrator, you have a wildly implausible and sometimes explicitly magical plot, you approach serious social issues sideways and casually, and then confront them, you have one good friend and one possible crush, the banter is always witty and slightly deadpan, and you usually have a few reliable adults and at least one adult who learns a valuable lesson.

That's what you get with John Green, and Libba Bray, and Andrew Smith, and Susin Nielsen, and many other YA and middle grade favorites.

Our hero, or at least our main character, is supposed to be Felix, but he's really just the narrator. He is so calm and wise and observant and measured in his judgments that he sounds like an adult who's looking back twenty or thirty years to tell his story. He's certainly not a twelve year old. The real main character is Felix's Mom, Astrid. While no one ever comes out and says it, she is a manic depressive - selfish, narcissistic, childish, and filled with anger. Her story is gradually teased out during the course of the book, and we begin to sympathize with a history of abuse that is only alluded to. What the book becomes is the story of a child/man trying, entirely on his own, to protect and cope with and survive a mentally ill parent.

The genius here is that Nielsen doesn't make us slog through a jazzed up psych textbook. This isn't "realism", it's a fictionalized reality that leaves room for humor and heart and unlikely happy endings. While Felix has to deal with the confusion and despair of watching his mother circle the drain, he's allowed to have a best friend, to meet a girl he likes and who likes him, to talk to the occasional adult who is kind and trustworthy. And so, we swing back and forth between human comedy and edgy, sharp-elbowed commentary, so that the reader is never able to predict whether the next page will cause a laugh or a tear.

If all that weren't enough, saying the same thing in a different way, the book is marvelously well written. While there is an overarching plot, there are dozens of distinct set pieces - Felix having lunch with his absent father, Felix getting caught stealing a banana, Felix describing his grandmother, Felix at his first school dance, Felix's shame when he sees his mother shoplifting - that are little distinct gems of observation, gentle comedy, and truth.

So, this book is admirable and entertaining on many levels; it's more than just the sum of its parts, and that's saying a lot because so many of the parts are so very good. (Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

Nielsen's strength is in her characters, well developed and usually atypical. In this case we have a single mother and her quirky son. Topically, it deals with poverty, homelessness, and mental illness and the way these issues affect and compound one another. I like that we see living around the poverty line as normal. Felix admits to his friends that things are tough at home, that his mother sometimes loses her job, that money is tight. This is not seen as shameful but a fact of life. It's only the homelessness that he has to hide, between school rules and the looming threat of the foster system. Each complication to their situation makes the other elements harder to overcome and drives them deeper into poverty. It's a sympathetic, charming read. A few plot elements are a bit fantastic but not to an unforgivable degree.

In No Fixed Address by Susan Nielsen, Felix is being raised by his single mother Astrid. He is independent and bright, a typical middle-schooler who can be awkward around girls and relishes time at his best friend Dylan's house watching the Who, What, Where, When game show while constantly eating.

Felix does have one secret, though. His mother has irregular employment, which eventually leads to them living out of a van. Not one to admit to friends or teachers what is going on, he devises excuses for why he doesn't invite his friends over. Astrid struggles with depressive episodes, and when one of those is upon her, she's catatonic, leaving Felix to fend for himself.

There comes a point when Felix recognizes that Astrid, while an interesting person, is not a good mother. For those who want to know what they're getting into so they can make an educated decision for when to introduce books to their children, there are some mentions of drug use and hints of Astrid's promiscuity (even suggestions of sleeping with a landlord in exchange for remaining in an apartment).

I see value in books that tackle relevant issues, such as homelessness or borderline homelessness. This isn't a literary work, but it can engage readers and lead to discussions about empathy and how to get involved when you suspect a friend is struggling at home.

(I received a digital ARC from NetGalley and Random House Children's in exchange for my honest review.)

CW: Poverty, homelessness, emotional abuse, malnutrition, mental health issues, sexual harassment

Felix lives in a van with his mom, Astrid. Technically they're homeless, but it's only for a month, when Astrid can get a new job and afford an apartment. But then a month stretches into September and Astrid lies about their address to get Felix into a new French immersion program. And September turns into October, and with no job in sight Felix tries to land a spot on Canada's most popular trivia gameshow—to win the big $25,000 prize.

ALKJFOWISKLJFLSJALJIW this book is amazing.

At times it's laugh out loud funny and then the next you're bawling your eyes out or at least getting misty eyed.

But first things first: living in a van when you have no other options and no income is not glamorous. It's not the fabulously perfect life you see on Instagram with the #vanlife people. They had the ability to chose to live in a van. Astrid and Felix did not.

Each character is so well done and well formed. Even the ones that you hate end up being just a little sympathetic—even Astrid (mostly because you see her through Felix's eyes and the kid loves his mother). I loved the juxtaposition of Felix and his two best friends: Dylan, who lives in what most people would consider squalor (he's very poor, but with a loving family) who has a toilet, and Winnie, incredibly smart but not very socially adept, and who's faced with the reality of her own privilege time and again. There are a lot of parallels between these three and another super crazy famous trio from this little book series that rhymes with Mary Blotter...if you get what I'm saying.

Even the secondary and tertiary characters are amazing. Mr. and Mrs. Ahmadi, the Syrians who spent two years in a refuge camp before coming to Canada, Quentin the snooty waiter, Daniel the absentee father, Mister Thibault the suspicious teacher, Vijay and Constable Lee. All of these characters had so much humanity and compassion.

Don't get me wrong: despite the amazing characters, there are some scuzzballs in the lot. And the book takes a very hard look at poverty, homelessness, inequality, the insane Vancouver (British Columbia not Washington) housing market, and the many hoops low income families must jump through to get assistance and adequate housing. And the importance of reading contracts before you sign them.

The diversity of Canada (especially Vancouver) is beautifully shown here, not only in Felix's Swedish-Haitian-French make-up (so much Swedish, I love it!), but in the rest of the book as well. There are LGBT people, people of color, and people from many different backgrounds and economic statuses.

So many hard-hitting, pretty depressing things happen in this story. So what made it so amazing? (and appropriate for younger [10yo and up] readers?)

Felix.

And his faith in the humanity of people.

And the actual humanity in people.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

I received my copy of No Fixed Address from the publisher through NetGalley.

This is the first book I've read by Nielsen, and I really enjoyed it. Some of her other books, like The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen, look great. I definitely want to read that at some point.

The book is about tweenage Felix and his mother, Astrid. After a series of events, they experience homelessness. Most of the book is about their struggle with daily life and how their homelessness affects Felix. Then Felix is chosen as a contestant of a quiz show, the results of which could change his family's life. And it does, but not in the way the reader might expect.

It's a tough topic to address, but Nielsen does it with style. The characters are believable. Felix realizes that his mother could be a better mother and that their situation might be avoided if her attitude were different. But he still needs his mother. I like Felix's friends also.

There's a hint of Slumdog Millionaire here that, at first, I thought detracted from the originality of the book. But, after considering it more, I think the quiz show is just a similar plot device that's been executed in a completely different way than it was in Slumdog Millionaire.

In all, this is an interesting book throughout. It's a quick and comfortable read, and it has a fantastic ending. It'll be released tomorrow, September 11, 2018. I highly recommend that you read it.

No Fixed Address by Susin Nielsen relates a story of a boy who struggles with the issues of homelessness, poverty, pride, friendship, and the list goes on and on. I don’t know that I can totally capture the awesomeness of this wonderful book in my review! The author does an amazing job at developing characters who are real, relatable and who prompt emotions from the reader for a variety of reasons. Throughout the story, Felix navigates his way through his current situation of ‘temporarily’ having no place to live and finds himself living in a van with his mother. He copes with his situation and hides the truth from his best friends but then realizes he is not able to continue the charade. The events in the story evolve and in the end it is the kindness of others that helps save the day, It is a story that makes you realize that we do not always know what is happening in the lives of others – even those closest to us. This book would be a great discussion starter focusing on a multitude of themes. I would not limit this to middle grades as many can relate to the story itself while others will be prompted to think of others in empathetic and compassionate ways. Definitely on my list of must-have books!

I was provided an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Felix and his mom are having a hard time and are currently living in a van. Felix is tired of keeping secrets from everyone, so when he wins a spot on a quiz show and has a shot at winning $25,000, he finally has some hope that things will get better. But is it too good to be true?

The characters and story are believable and well written - exactly what I'd expect from Susin Nielsen. Felix's situation, his worries, and his feelings of responsibility for his mother made me cry more than once. Readers will be rooting for him from the very beginning.

This was a very interesting book. It dove into homeless and how the journey to homelessness happens. His story is told at the police station and his fear is that his mother and he will not be separated. That is his greatest fear because he knows she is trying. I liked the characters and their flaws as well as the plot line. I will definitely recommend this book!

Another Nielsen book, another winner for me. I am so happy, that I discovered Susin Nielsen, because every one of her books end up on the "makes-me-happy" list. She has done it once again with No Fixed Address, which was, as intrepid reporter Winnie Wu stated in the book, a feel-good story.

• Pro: Nielsen does so many things well in her books, but most importantly, she crafts these incredible characters. Felix was one of these incredible characters. The kid won my heart as soon as he described himself as "Fifty percent Swedish, twenty-five percent Haitian, twenty-five percent French. Add it up and it equals one hundred percent Canadian." He was funny, quirky, and he charmed the pants off of me.

• Pro: Felix was homeless or, as he liked to say, "between places". There was a chapter in the book called "A Brief History of Homes", where Felix told us about all the places he had lived. This chapter was a brilliant way to show how quickly one's circumstances can change. How you can be living in a big victorian house one day and in the back of a van the next. I am glad it was included, because it can combat some of the assumptions people make about why some people are homeless.

• Pro: The quiz show storyline was fantastic! I was so glad it was part of the story.

• Pro: It was obvious that Astrid was not winning any parenting prizes. Her inability to keep a job combine with her mental health issues, often left Felix to fend for himself, but one thing was clear - Astrid loved Felix and he loved her.

• Pro: Mental health and abuse are some of the issues addressed in this story. Both were handled honestly and with care.

• Pro: It was really beautiful the way so many people rallied for Felix. I swear! My heart grew three sizes due to some really wonder characters in this book and their acts of kindness towards Felix and his mom.

Overall: A touching, funny, and heartbreaking look at homelessness, featuring a protagonists you will stand and cheer for.

What a beautiful and new story this is!
Felix and his mom Astrid find themselves not *technically* homeless but after four months go by, Felix starts to suspect a fix might not be as easy as his mom thinks.

“No Fixed Address” starts conversations about homelessness, the price of housing, and the systems we have in place to help people (spoiler alert: they don’t always work great).

I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Felix and Astrid are doing okay, not great, but okay. Currently, they are living in a van ... but that’s only temporary (according to Astrid, Felix’s mom). All Astrid needs to do is find a job (and keep it) and they’ll be able to save enough money for the first and last month’s rent for an apartment. And Astrid has a way of acquiring things when they’re needed most. For example, Felix wants to go to school at a French immersion program, but they don’t have an address in that school’s district. AND they haven’t even sent in any registration information (which was due way back in January), but somehow Astrid manages to get Felix into the program. In Felix’s P.O.O (Powers of Observation) it all comes down to how well Astrid lies ... and what type of lie she decides to use in each case

An important novel in today’s climate. There are so many kids like Felix dealing with issues that have nothing to do with school. They need to hear that it’s okay to ask for help. “But now I’m learning to have faith in something new. Something my mom stopped having faith in a long time ago. Other people.” I love the friendship that Felix has with both Dylan and Winnie. It’s honest, not perfect. The voice of the main character is wonderful. I like the perceptive narrative of his life, which includes things like “Astrid’s Guidebook to Lies.“

Felix is your typical middle school kid except for one little thing. He and his mom live in a van. It was supposed to be temporary, but as the months go by it becomes more of the norm. His mom Astrid has slumps and can't keep a job. Despite the fact that Felix has no fixed address or place to call home he is doing pretty well. He is enrolled in a French immersion school and has reconnected with his best friend. He even has a girl friend Winnie. The icing on the cake is the audition for his favorite game show. But living in a van is not the same as having a home and Felix has to deal with hygiene and food issues as well as his mom's increasingly questionable choices.

There are not a lot of books that deal with homelessness in kids and this was a fantastic read. There are probably way more kids out there who find this as their way of life than we want to acknowledge. Felix and Astrid are not bad people, they have just fallen on hard times. Despite some of her choices, Astrid is a good mom and wants what is best for Felix. I thought this was a very realistic portrayal of what homeless families have to go through to keep clean and healthy. It also accurately portrayed the danger they face from others. I think my only quibble was the game show bit. It seemed a bit gimmicky and over the top that Felix would win a place on a national tv show, but it did act as a good way to get his story out to the people who needed to hear it and it lead to help for Astrid and Felix. For such a realistic story that was the one bit that seemed a little far-fetched.

Felix Knuttsen and his single mother Astrid move around a bit in Vancouver because Astrid finds it hard to keep a job after her career teaching art founders. After the death of her mother, Felix's Mormor, it's been hard for the two to maintain homes as well. When her latest boyfriend, Abelard, decides to go to India, Felix is glad to see him go, but it means that the only place he has to live is the Westfalia van after briefly landing with a friend, Soleil. Since it's August, they take a little vacation, and then Astrid tells Felix he can go to any school he wants. Using a fair amount of subterfuge, she gets him into the French Immersion School. This is great, since Felix is half Swedish and one quarter Haitian and French, and since his former best friend Dylan goes to the school and the two still get along. Living in the van requires a lot of planning and sacrifices, from showering at a community center and eating meals out of cans to carefully crafted stories about his movements. Felix makes an unlikely friend in the driven Winnie, who is very good at languages but not so good at social interactions. The three work on articles for the school paper, and the fact that Felix excels at the t.v. game show Who, What, Where emerges. He tries out for a junior edition and makes it. Since the grand prize is $25,000, he hopes he can win so that he and Astrid can get their lives back on track. As the competition approaches, Felix's life starts to unravel very quickly. What will it take for things to turn around for the Knuttsons?
Strengths: This had a tremendous amount of appealing, well fleshed out characters. Mormor, although her appearance was very brief, was a fantastic grandmother. Felix's description of his mother and her problems is interesting because it shows how much understanding and smarts he needs to have just to get himself clothed and fed. It's also a balanced description-- she's not a great mother, but she's not the worst, either. I feel like many of my students have similar backgrounds. The details about living in a van will appeal to students who have nice, comfortable homes, and will perhaps resonate with those who don't as well. Dylan and Winnie are good friends, and the teachers and social workers are all concerned and helpful. Even Soleil, who is ill used by Astrid, is very supportive. I liked the inclusion of Vancouver as almost another character, and the game show appearance is worked in convincingly. It is a book that will make many readers grateful-- I know enough to NEVER take baths for granted!
Weaknesses: The game show scenes got a bit overwrought, and there were a few moments where this came close to having too many social hot button issues, lessening the impact of Felix's predicament. That's very on trend, though.
What I really think: This will be a great circulator. The cover is very appealing, and this has a Boxcar Children vibe with the addition of the suspense of Felix's precarious situation. Nicely done.

This book was both funny and heartbreaking in turns. It reads slightly too old for my Children's shelves, but I dearly hope our YA librarian will purchase. Such a powerful story of how homelessness can happen to anyone. Strong supporting characters (particularly MC's mom, gay sperm donor dad, and Hermione-ish friend/maybe girlfriend).

Normally, in 7th-grade kids are worried about friendships, relationships, and grades- Felix has all of that to worry about and more because he is homeless and lives in a van. When Astrid, Felix’s mom, (she insists he calls her that) presents the idea of living in their (kinda) van it was only supposed to be for a month. Then one month becomes two, then three, then four. The reason is Astrid struggles to find (and keep) a job. Luckily, Felix has friends he can lean on, although Felix has promised Astrid he won’t tell anyone about their living situation. As their living situation and “home” life get direr, Felix has the opportunity to be on a trivia game show. Could this be the answer to all their problems?

Being a teacher, I have had students in the past who are homeless. While they are not living in a van some are living in hotels or other social service locations. And while I knew about some of the struggles they go through and face on a daily basis this book further opened my eyes. I found the author's approach to tackling such a hard topic to be charming, authentic, and light-hearted. I cannot wait to buy a copy of this book to place in my classroom library. I hope that through reading this book my students will learn tolerance and become more accepting of other and the lives they live. Thank you for writing such a beautiful book about a troublesome topic. I look forward to reading other books by this author!

***I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley, Susin Nielsen, and Random House Children's for this opportunity.***