C.H. Armstrong’s YA novel Roam deals with the plight of the Lunde family who, through a series of spiralling events, find themselves homeless. The story is narrated by eighteen year old Abby, who tells us that ‘My home is with my family, which means my home is currently the back of Mom’s van.’ Tasks such as getting ready for bed require almost military organisation and planning to avoid raising suspicions as to the family’s situation. ‘THERE ARE COUNTLESS things I never imagined about being homeless—so many things I’d taken for granted. Like having a bathroom available in the middle of the night, running water to brush my teeth, and even a mirror to judge whether my clothes look okay. All of these things are a luxury when your home is your vehicle. Maybe worst of all is the lack of privacy, especially for dressing.’. Abby’s anger and frustration at the lack of control she has over the situation her family is in is palpable, her desire to make friends and ‘fit in’ at school and her love and protection of her little sister combine to make her a sympathetic and believable narrator.

Readers, in particular young adult readers whom the book is aimed at, get a real sense of the desperation, isolation and feeling of helplessness the family are experiencing. Indeed the central theme of the novel is simple, ‘You have no idea what someone else is going through until you’ve lived it—until you put yourself in their shoes...’

In Roam we have Abby Lunde, a 17 year old girl who becomes homeless with her little sister, mother and step-father. They had a normal life in their previous town but Abby’s mother made a mistake which leaves their lives crashing around them. Abby is ostracised and her mother loses her job. Her step-father is let go and they lose their home.
After relocating to a new school Abby does her best to fit in and not let anyone know that she and her family are living in the car.
The divide between rich and poor is especially obvious at her school and Abby tries desperately to keep with her pretence and the few new friends she manages to make.
It was interesting to see the various schemes that are in place for those who find themselves in that situation such as the 2 week housing, the various lunch programs and soup kitchens.
This was a family who were trying to get back on their feet and took advantage of the opportunities on offer without misusing them. It was very easy to be sympathetic to the Lundes.
I especially enjoyed watching Abby’s confidence in herself grow as she looked after her sister, made her way cautiously in her school and make amends with her mother.
Her new relationships were lovingly crafted and felt real rather than forced which was nice too. There is an openly gay character who, while not being the central figure, is enough of a star without succumbing to stereotypes which was also nice to see.

The topic of teen homelessness is important, and this book had moments that were heart-wrenching and moving. The Lunde Family's experience demonstrates how easy it can be to slip from getting by to living out of a car.

From a story-telling perspective, though, I had a hard time getting past the shallow, physical descriptions of the characters. It felt like there could have been a little more showing and less telling. That being said, though, I probably wouldn't have noticed this if I were actually reading this book as a YA. And I'm sure that my YA self would have loved it.

Although a little cliche at times, Roam does a good job of addressing the plight of a homeless teen and how her family’s life became upended because if a single act. The language is a bit course did middle school although, as a MS librarian, I’d still recommend the book. As a YA book, I wish it had more depth of writing. It reads like a journal.

Most of us have never experienced being homeless. And if we're very lucky, we never will. Not so for seventeen-year-old Abby.
Being in high school is hard. It's even harder when you're keeping a secret that could ruin your social standing. In Abby's case, that secret is that she and her family are homeless. It wasn't always this way. Once upon a time, not so long ago, they had everything. A nice house, good jobs, friends, all that a teenage girl could want.
But one mistake led to another, and one stroke of bad luck piled on top of another. And just like that, Abby finds herself living in the family's van. Eating at soup kitchens, cleaning up in public bathrooms, trying to stay warm while sleeping in parking lots...it's a lot for anyone to handle. Abby's determined, however, to overcome this gigantic obstacle. With the help of some new friends, will she be able to do it?
I loved this story from beginning to end. It's a reminder of how quickly things can change, of how everything can be gone in the blink of an eye. And it's also a reminder that we never truly know what someone is going through.

I appreciate this novel about homelessness so much because too many of our students are living this life and no one knows. If we can provide books such as Roam, students will feel a little less alone. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader.

Story of homeless teen trying to adjust to new school and friends while concealing details of family life. Predictable scenarios. Written in the first person with descriptive details of living situation ( living in a van with mother, stepfather, and sister; soup kitchens; obtaining services via church; mother and stepfathers' search for employment) yet writing seems simple.

Informative yet not engrossing read.

This is the book every high school student should read. The author did a great job of creating a real world story about characters you would actually meet in high school. Abby Lunde isn't your typical high school student and has been dealt a rough hand in life. It doesn't get more real than this. The story is well written and completely enjoyable following Abby through her senior year of high school.

Tfalcone's review Jul 27, 2018 · edit
really liked it

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC.

Teenager's telling of what happens when you suddenly lose your home and have to leave your hometown and live in your car. Much about the social stigma and anger at parents who were responsible. Well done and realistic.
Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC.

Teeanger's telling of what happens when you suddenly lose your home and have to leave your hometown and live in your car. Much about the social stigma and anger at parents who were responsible. Well done and realistic.

What a Beautiful, heart wrenching, life affirming story! The characters are realistic, have depth and develop perfectly during this book.i love that this story focuses on the epidemic of homeless families, scrounging to get back on their feet who,d going through the motions of everyday life. Additionally, this is a story of survival, forgiveness and the willingness of some good people to help others. This is an important book that I think teens and YA fans need to read to help us build the supports needed to understand and help our increasing numbers of homeless families hidden in plain sight. Thank you to the author for this story.