A contemporary YA novel that doesn't pull any punches. Abby is a typical high school girl who wants to be liked, have friends, go to dances and look nice. The only difference is, she and her family are homeless and living in her mom's van, and Abby doesn't want anyone to know. Tension builds as the weather gets colder in Minnesota and Abby fears being found out. The author touches on many current issues through a delightful cast of characters, showing just how resourceful teenagers can be and how difficult situations can make you stronger. An excellent read.

C.H. Armstrong knows how to write an incredible plot that is not only educational and eye-opening, it is heart-warming too. Abby was your typical teenager. She had good friends, a nice school and a roof over her head, then through no fault of her own, but one that her mum caused by a lack of judgement all that was taken away from her. Her best friends turned on her and made her life hell and with losing their home the family had no option but to pack up and leave and live in their van.

The book is set in the USA and I’m in the UK and it’s hard to think that this family would be left to live in their van as this just wouldn’t happen in the UK, we have emergency housing, shelters, hostels, charities for those families that are homeless. unfortunately, not so much help if you are single and homeless though.

The book is told from Abby’s perspective as she tries to fit in and actually makes some lovely new friends but she is always wondering what will happen when they find out she has nothing, will they dump her like her old school friends. She is quite rightly cagey and worried. Even little things like using her lunch card which she uses to buy her dinner using the states free school dinner scheme for those on low income, or having to brush her teeth and have a quick washing in the school bathroom before school starts.

Her friends including Josh, Wendy, Tera, and Zach are all likeable and fit the story perfectly. Zach is her love interest and I’ve heard people say that it’s not realistic that they would have begun dating so quickly. I’m sorry but this is not true. It does happen, especially with teenagers. I’ve been there and so have most of my friends I grew up with.

I love that Josh calls all the girls by Disney names – Abby becomes Ariel because of her red hair. I actually used to know someone who did something similar though his were movie character names. There had to be one person who took an instant dislike to Abby, the villain of the book, Trisha. I’ve met my share of girls like her. The type who think that it’s fun to bully others or try to shame them someway, trouble is what they don’t realise is that it makes more of a statement about themselves than it does about others.

I had one little niggle and that was with her sister Amber calling her ‘sister’ all the time rather than Abby. This is explained in the book as to why she does it but it is still really annoying, though Amber is a little cutie and will make you laugh.

Overall the book was a wonderful, poignant read and I enjoyed it the whole way through. I learned a lot about Rochester and homelessness too.

I think the topic of homelessness was handled well, but the book as a whole just didn't do anything for me. I couldn't really get into any of the characters - they all just felt flat and stereotypical: the new girl who everyone immediately likes, the hot quarterback boyfriend, the jealous ex-girlfriend, the funny gay friend...

Then I found myself skimming much of the plot because it was moving pretty slowly with a lot of chatty dialogue, and I just wanted to skip ahead to where something happened. Some of the dialogue is kind of weird and outdated... Abby makes a joke about her car being manufactured by Fred Flintstone, but then she has to add "It's my feet!" because I assume most teens wouldn't get the joke? Looney Tunes pops up too - not sure how many teens would get the Sylvester and Tweety references. And then some of it kind of feels like a needless explanation... we get a big lesson on how if someone with asthma gets the flu it can lead to complications, and we also get informed of how Facebook and Instagram work together... I don't know. Just felt a little heavy handed in some places for me.

I also felt like Abby found A LOT of helpful adults in her life willing to bend over backwards to help her find scholarships, sign up for standardized tests, and apply to college... and maybe I'm just a cynical, terrible person, but I just feel like most teens would unfortunately not be that lucky. Abby kind of got everything handed neatly to her, and I just felt like this was a little too inaccurate for my tastes. Everything just wraps up really, really neatly for Abby in terms of her social life in high school and her plans for her future.

TL;DR: While I have been lucky enough to not experience homelessness so far, I felt like I got a realistic peek into the life of a teen going through homelessness and how her daily life would change because of that. However, the stereotypical characters, the slow-moving plot, and the sometimes awkward dialogue kept me from enjoying this one.

This is a frank depiction of the life of a homeless youth. The uncertainty and constant lying. The shame and confusion. How hope falls apart. And some of the scenes are visceral and realistic. At the same time, much of it felt too positive. Everything works out for the protagonist's benefit. She lies to her friends. They forgive and accept her. Her family is found squatting. They are accepted and assisted. Even the bully (who is by no means a complex character) is apologetic and changed when the truth is revealed. So while I appreciated the portrayal of the religious people as generous and compassionate without judgement, I didn't like the book on the whole.

Abby had a good life in Omaha, but due to her mother's awful mistake, they lost their home and had to start anew in Rochester.
Abby hated her mother for it, and for good reason. They were homeless and had to sleep in their car. Who would want that kind of life? Especially as winter had arrived and the temperatures outside were teeth-shatteringly cold.

We follow Abby and her family and you see how typical a teenager she is even though her circumstances could not be more different from all those rich kids in her new school. One of whom catches her eye and heart immediately. As well as the new friends she makes. That's probably one of the things that somewhat annoys me - how quickly she seems to make new friends after all the awful experiences she had in her last school. If I were her, I would've been a bit more cautious.

The reason I rated this 3 stars (or more like 3.5), is because it was a bit too predictable for me. All the things that I thought were going to happen, happened. I did enjoy the story and subject of the book and growth of the characters immensely, I just wish there had been more "what the hell just happened" moments for me.

After a string of bad luck, Abby and her family find themselves homeless and living in their van. They move from Omaha to Rochester in search of better opportunities where Abby and her younger sister enroll in school. As Abby begins to make friends and start a new life, she tries to hide that her family has a near empty bank account and no place to stay.

I enjoyed this YA novel. I felt like the issue of homelessness for families and teens hasn't been addressed much and I do think it's important. This book shows how anyone can be homeless. Most people are a few turns of bad luck and a couple paychecks away from hard times and it can truly happen to anyone. I recommend this book to YA fans looking for a fresh perspective on high school life.

Title: Roam
Author: C.H. Armstrong
Genre: YA
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Abby is 17, new to town, and she and her family are living on the streets as a result of her mother’s bad decision. They had to leave Omaha behind because of the backlash—and the friends who abandoned them.

Now they’re ready to make a fresh start. Abby dreams of having a boyfriend, going to college, and a career in music, but the winter is bad, and they never know where their next meal is coming from. Her stepfather is having trouble finding a job. Her mother is similarly out of luck. Abby’s family needs help, but she’s afraid to tell her new friends the truth, after the devastation of losing all her friends at her old school.

Roam was a difficult book to read. The subject matter is heavy—and sad. I cannot imagine being homeless, much less homeless with two kids. Abby is a strong person, but guarded, after everything she’s been through. Sometimes, asking for help is the hardest thing to do.

C.H. Armstrong holds a B.A. in Journalism, and lives in Minnesota. Roam is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Central Avenue Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review, "Roam" by C.H. Armstrong. Homelessness is a real issue that many people face in life and this book paints a really good portrait of what that looks like.

Abby hated this town already. Everywhere she looks screams of wealth and privilege. Abby’s mother had pretty much ruined their lives when she had an affair with Coach Hawkins and was caught and put on SnapChat. They had Omaha where Abby had grown up and now lived in this town and were homeless and no one had jobs. Abby’s mom had been able to leave her teaching job without being fired but now they lived in a different state and she needed to renew her teaching license if she wanted to try to get a teaching job here. Amber was Abby six year old sister, Amber whines that she misses BooBoo bear and just doesn’t understand and is confused by what has been going on the last two days. Abby is ready to tell her mom how she real feels about her and the messed up situation she has put them all in. Nick - her stepfather and the other father she has ever known- catches abby’s eye and his expression says let it go Abby, please. If Nck left them it would be even worse. Nick is the one who keeps them going, keeps Abby from strangling her mother and the only one who can help them out of this mess. Nick says tomorrow they will get the two girls in school and he and their mother will go to the Salvation Army and see what they had to offer. They had left Omaha one step ahead of eviction and took what they could fit but left a lot behind. Than Ambers mother asks Abby to sing to Amber to help her go to sleep but amber says no until Nick asks her to. Singing used to be a relaxing outlet for Abby and something Abby did effortlessly and often to see her mother smile. Nick doesn’t ask much of Abby and she didn’t want to be the reason Nick gave up and left them. Abby closes her eyes and sings and almost forgets the last six months. Now Abby is signed up for school and a senior. A hot rich popular young man named Zack is the office aid and gives her a quick tour and takes to her second class as the first one is almost over and tells her to look for him for lunch as they have the same lunch time. Zack would be put off if he knew Abby’s secret. She met another guy named John who nicknamed her ariel because of her red hair and he quickly became a friend. Josh walked her to lunch and she sat with him and met his two friends who readily accepted Abby. Than Zach came up to her and said he thought she was sitting with him, abby explained Josh walked her here from class and she had sat with him for lunch. Zach said to sit with him the next day and went back to his table. Than Abby learns the girl she had made an enemy of by standing up for herself was Zack ex girlfriend trish and she was pretty evil. Back in Omaha Abby had lost all her friends even her two best friends Emma and sarah after her mother’s scandal came out. Nick and Abby talk and he says he thought about leaving but he couldn’t leave her and Amber and he still loved her mother. Abby and Zach hung after school and picked up amber and went to the library together. Zach had asked Abby to go to the football game Friday evening as he was quarterback and would be playing and he would really like her there.he also asked abby to homecoming. Nick gave her the money to go that one time but he also told her to make up with and forgive her mother before it was too late. Nick and her mom warn Abby to be careful as they don’t want to see her get hurt. The kids in her new school were wealthy while they were homeless, with little money and living in her mother’s van. They used walmart for the bathroom and to wash their hair and take a sponge bath. The van was parked in Walmart parking lot every night. They have an evening meal at the Salvation army six nights a week and can eat at the church one night a week. The girls can have breakfast and lunch for free at school. But Abby can’t help but want some happiness and says so. For some reason Zach likes her and she likes him back. Than one Saturday afternoon when Abby and her family are at the church for their free lunch some new volunteers come in and Trish is one of them. She takes a picture and in ends up on facebook right away. Abby knew she would probably lose Zach and her new friends and was crushed.
I felt this book was very realistic and could probably be non fiction for the most part. I have worked with the homeless people and they are basically the same as anyone else except down on their luck for different reasons. As Abby said they are still people who for one reason or another have lost their home which do what they can to survive. As abby and her family was doing. The point made was Abby and her family’s hard journey while homeless. This book showed people who were suppose to be Abby’s friend but turned their backs on her but than she made real friends in her new school and she had a real boyfriend who stood by her doing her rough times. I smiled at times while reading this and choked up at others. I ,loved the plot and the pace of this book. I felt this book has a lot to say and did a great job saying it. Hats off to this author and the way she brought out the problem of homelessness and what people went through. Homelessness is a real problem many people face day in, and day out. A great book on a harrowing problem especially in very cold weather and I highly recommend this book.

To put it plainly, Roam is an emotional rollercoaster of a novel that I never knew I needed. Full of heavy references such as homelessness, bullying, substance abuse and relationship breakdown. When it hits, it hits hard, leaving the reader emotionally broken and feeling drained.

The MC Abby is determined and strong, resolute on helping her family to escape the poverty into which they have recently fallen. Her mother and stepfather rely upon her help look after her younger sister while they look for jobs in their new neighbourhood of Rochester. She puts on a brave face when she goes to school, never letting on to her peers from affluent homes that she currently relies on charity and Walmart bathrooms to get by.

I found myself drawn to this contemporary masterpiece, unable to put it down until the final page. At the beginning there was hope and an internal belief that nothing could thaw my cold icy heart. By the end, my face was red and streaked with tears, i had far too much caffeine on board and it was suddenly 2am local time.

To anyone who is thinking of reading this novel, I strongly suggest you get on it as soon as possible. For those who are not planning on reading Roam, I strongly suggest you change your mind because if need be, I will come and bludgeon you with it until you do.

A powerful and compelling contemporary YA book, Roam by C.H. Armstrong will break your heart but leave you feeling that there is still some goodness to be found in an often difficult world.
Abby Lunde is having a difficult time. She is seventeen years old and homeless, living with her mother, stepfather and little sister in the back of the van they used to move to Rochester in search of a new start. A chain of small incidents snowballed until they had no other options, between job losses and an affair that almost destroyed the family, life as Abby knew it has come to an end.
It's always difficult being the new kid at school, especially as a teenager , but it's a lot worse when you have such a big secret to hide, and though Abby does make friends, and even attracts the attention of one of the hottest guys at school, she is constantly on edge. It doesn't help that she was the victim of a bullying campaign at her old school, and between that and the shame she feels about her living situation, she really is in a dark place. When her worst nightmares come to life, and her secret is revealed in the most public way imaginable, how will she cope, and will she lose the few friendships that she has tentatively begun to build?
I really found myself moved by the plight of Abby and her family, the book does an excellent job of showing how easy it is to go from relative security to living on the edge of society, in a believable way. As a character Abby is so real, her fears and doubts, her determination and her rare moments of happiness are so vivid that I found myself feeling along with her. I also loved the relationship she had with her little sister, and step father,and thought the rebuilding of her relationship with her mother was beautifully and realistically handled. The day to day difficulties of being homeless, little things like washing, laundry, and even not having an address or phone to apply for work are so well described, and I found myself really imagining how difficult it would be.
I loved this beautiful and ultimately uplifting book, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I read an ARC from Central Avenue Publishing , supplied via NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

If you're into books about real life problems, like say homelessness and families staying together despite extreme hardships, than this is the book you need to pick up next. Following a teenage girl named Abby, she moves to a new town in her last year of high school with her sister, mother, and step dad. However, this isn't like other books of the same topic. They're homeless, and are desperate to get back to a normal life.

After a scandal involving her mother, Abby doesn't want to trust her, never mind having to completely rely on her. She's starting a new school in an extremely low place, and even though she wasn't close with her friends and school anymore, she still didn't want to move. She often wonders what secrets other families hide, or if it's just their family that has them.

Abby is a brilliant young girl, and I have to say she's a lot more empathetic than any of the girls I went to high school with. When people are rude to her she would rather keep to herself than fight back, and that's something that you don't see very often in young adult books like this. I really enjoyed the topic of this book especially, it was a nice break from all the supernatural books I've been reading lately, and I think it had an important lesson to learn; don't judge people until you've walked in their shoes.

The story is told in first person, and we get to see how deeply affected Abby is because of her life previous to the book. She has nightmares about her mother having a seizure, and she doesn't trust other kids her age very easily because of her past experiences with other teens. I really enjoyed how gritty and real this book was, from the Wal-Mart bathroom sponge baths, to the soup kitchens. I couldn't put it down.

Overall, if you're looking for something real and completely different from anything you've read lately, than I think you should try out this book. At least give it a chance. Though I'm not a teenager anymore, I found no problem relating with the characters and really getting into the story. I think that fans of Ellen Hopkins will really like this book, because they both have extremely real topics in them that a lot of other authors don't want to write about.

Thanks for reading!
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This book was just so lovely and sweet and the characters were beautiful and I just have so much love!!

But also, a story about a homeless teen girl trying to navigate life does come up with some quite heavy stuff, and the reality presented of this lifestyle really is terrible in a lot of ways.

There is a good balance of real & serious issues, and the cute fluff and sweet friendships. Neither of them seems to outweigh and discredit the other, which is just AMAZING!!

I don't think I could summarise all the things in this beautiful novel to do it justice, but it's so good and I would definitely recommend.

This is the kind of thing that I look for in a contemporary, and I am SO glad that my Netgalley wish was granted so that I had the opportunity to read this!

Roam is undoubtedly one of the best fictional tales to represent the very real issue of homelessness. Most of us look at homelessness from afar having had no experience of it as we sit in our warm, comfortable homes, but C. H. Armstrong shows just how easy it is for an average family to end up living rough and the impact it has on mental health long after you leave said streets. The majority of us take for granted the roof over our heads, the food we eat, the warmth and creature comforts we rely on day after day; this book teaches readers to come closer to the issue because it really could happen to anyone.

It is a well-written story with a beautifully crafted plot, which tugs at your heartstrings while supplying sound information on one of the biggest topical issues of our time, but it never comes across as preachy. It's a book I recommend to everyone, most of all teens and young adults, as it is written in such a way that youngsters will be able to understand and enjoy. Although we see Abby encounter real adversity, struggle and feel shame and embarrassment due to her social situation, in the end, she flourishes with the help of friends and acquaintances. It's a novel that begins in a heartbreaking manner but later becomes heartwarming in that it showcases the very best humanity has to offer.

Many thanks to Central Avenue Publishing for an ARC.

This was an absolutely incredible, beautifully-written, and heart-rending read.

Abby Lunde is a senior in high school, and her life is basically going to pot. After her mother (who is a teacher at Abby's school) is caught in a compromising position with one of the school's coaches, she loses her job and things only go downhill from there. Her stepdad, Nick, also loses his job when around the same time the company he works for goes bankrupt. When they can't pay their bills, Abby's parents are forced to pack up the bare necessities, Abby, and her little sister Amber, in their beat-up old van and move to Rochester, Minnesota, Nick's old hometown where he knows there are at least some decent support programs for homeless people. At this point, amid intense bullying from ex-friends as well as the rest of the school, there's nothing left for Abby there anyway.

When she arrives at her new high school in Rochester to start her senior year, Abby quickly meets new friends - and a possible enemy - but is terrified to let anyone know about her family's secret struggles, lest she face the same horrible situation that she dealt with before finally leaving her old life behind.

Personally I've never before read any book where the main character faced and dealt with homelessness, much less a teen dealing with such a struggle. Most of the time when homelessness comes up in any kind of discussion, a main phrase you hear at least once is "I can't even imagine...". But C.H. Armstrong DOES imagine a whole situation like this out for us, in incredible detail, and from someone who's never personally been in this kind of situation, the emotions put through ring very true to the best that I can imagine one feeling. The helplessness, embarrassment, hunger, and cold among other discomforts - it was heartbreaking to read even a fictional story of a teen and her sister who is just a child undergoing this kind of a struggle, and yet so many teens and kids face problems like this everyday; although Abby Lunde's story is fictional the problem the story presents is very real..... I could go on and on, but I'll wrap up by saying that I cannot recommend this book highly enough; it's a highly relevant novel in today's society and honestly I just think everyone needs to read it.

Seventeen year old Abby Lunde and her family are homeless. An indiscretion by her mother causes the entire family to lose their home and main source of income at a time when Abby's step-father's employer is cutting back on his work hours.. Abby's stepfather is very supportive of the family, and very forgiving of Abby's mother, who has made poor choices in the past. Abby, her sister and her parents are living in the family van. They move to Rochester, in part to leave her mother's scandalous behavior behind them. They seek help from the Salvation Army, which links them to several church groups that offer temporary shelter for families in this type of circumstance. This story was a huge eye opener for me. I did not realize that homelessness affected entire families as well. Abby is fortunate in that even though she endures bullying from a fellow student, people do rally around her to support her. Her teachers and guidance counselor also help Abby by helping her apply for scholarships to college. Abby, at least, because of her musical talent, will have a way out of her predicament. Despite the difficult issues facing Abby and her family, there is always a tone of hopefulness. Yes, Abby and her family suffer from a sense of rootlessness, as if their lives have no sense of direction because they are at the mercy of whichever charitable organization will take them in. They have known hunger and fear, but they stayed together as a family. This is a very heartwarming story. Obviously, more needs to be done for the homeless and impoverished. I thank and applaud the author, C.H. Armstrong for this effort in bringing this issue to the attention of young adults. My thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Must read book for junior/high school aged children. I love that it touches on one of the best literary books...To Kill A Mockingbird, but I wish Abby's Mockingbird final would have been included in the book to some extent, as I feel it would have enhanced the significance and connections. The past needed to be italicized or made distinct from the present somehow, it was confusing at times. I also wish there were more physical character details so I could have painted the authors picture instead of my own. The relationships between Abby and Nick, Amber, and her mother were portrayed well. Abby's PTSD was a great addition to show how simple actions by a close relative can leave youth scarred. It also shows how the power of family and friendship can help to diminish the amount that one can be controlled by their PTSD.

All in all, I found this book to be rushed, but fantastic. Simply put, I wanted more.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in return for my honest review. The views expressed above are solely those of my own.

In Roam Armstrong takes a situation which is likely unimaginable to many readers and presents it in such a matter-of-fact way that you inhabit Abby’s skin and see and feel her struggle, anger, shame and fortitude. The book demystifies homelessness—showing not only how it could happen to an average family just like yours but also the daily machinations of how this particular family copes with their extraordinary circumstances. In doing so, this story goes a long way toward smashing the sigma of an experience far too many people are forced to endure.

Fear not though—this book isn’t all empty stomachs and freezing nights in the family van. Abby enjoys an unforgettable senior year, complete with great new friends, a dreamy new love and life-altering achievements. That she navigates all of this while also struggling to survive and trying desperately to keep her family’s secret makes Roam read like a thriller most of the time. It’s a truly engaging read.

Just heartbreaking. I work with a lot of homeless people, too many of them children. It' really tough on the kids drifting from once temporary home to another, living out of cars, in shelters, never knowing where you'll be from day to day. This book offered a pov I seldom encounter- a teens perspective. All teens should read this story. It's actually very timely.

Before you judge a man walk a mile in his shoes kind of sums up the sentiments behind Roam, the novel by C.H. Armstrong, that the only way to understand a person is to see the world as he sees and experiences it.

From the outset we learn Abby, her younger sister Amber, her mum and step dad are homeless. They are about to spend their first night sleeping in the family van in the Walmart carpark. We don't know how or why they are homeless but as the story progresses these details are gradually provided. It made me see just how fine a line it can be between being a "normal" family and a homeless one. In this case it was a ripple effect with a combination of bad decisions and circumstances out of their control forcing them onto the slippery slope of poverty and once on it, the path out of homelessness was not an easy one.

Through Abby and her family we came to understand the myriad of things many of us take for granted. Being able to clean our teeth, visit a toilet, shower, wash our clothes, buy food, sleep in warmth and safety. The dignity one stands to lose, the opportunities missed through embarrassment or lack of means. Thanks to the help of charitable organisations, churches, caring teachers and a wonderful (maybe too good to be true) bunch of friends Abby's story resolves more favourably than I daresay many real world situations would but it certainly made me reflect and wonder why I don't do more for the needy.

At times Abby was the epitome of the surly teenage girl. Holding her mother wholly responsible for the family's homelessness she could be snarky, snide and could hold a grudge with the best of them. At other times she surprised me with her compassion, her understanding and acceptance of others' behaviours. In this respect I guess she was a typical teen girl.

This story which started out with resentment, anger, fears and examples of high school bullying was as much about forgiveness and empathy as it was about homelessnes with its examples of young people doing the right thing, behaving in a supportive manner and standing beside their new friend. It was a relevant contemporary storyline and I enjoyed the messages, even the happily ever after kind of ending, though I suspect some of these elements may have been a bit heavy handed for some readers.

My thanks to the author, Central Avenue Publishing & NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.