A YA novel. I wish I felt more for the main characters. It was not a Bad book, just needed less hopelessness. I wanted to feel more hope and I was just unable to connect. As a YA novel, it could go either way on their take.

** SPOILERS AHEAD **

I really wanted to like this one, and I did end up finishing it because it was so light and quick, but there were a lot of problematic moments in this one, not to mention it was filled with much-overused troupes that I think we know at this point do more harm to young readers than good.

First off, while I did enjoy that Roam attempted to address a little-talked-about issue in the YA genre, it took a pretty privileged and shallow look at it. I got the feeling that the author had not only never experienced homelessness herself, but had also not done her research.

The family side of the story is the most compelling, and yet the majority of the action is set in a typical high-school drama scenario, which we really don’t need more of. The main character is difficult to like — she is so “perfect” that you really don’t find anything redeeming about her. New girl meets boy, immediately he falls in love with her, and his poor ex girlfriend is a literal villain, because all girls have to be pitted against one another. New girl can’t do anything wrong, the only flaw she has is that she has attracted the attention of the most popular boy in school, and now her life is incredibly difficult. But don’t worry, she has made amazing new friends who exist to worship her. In the end, of course, everything wraps up perfectly.

Also, in terms of diversity, I believe all the characters were white, unless I missed someone. Great. There was one gay character, but he was a flat stereotype who was treated poorly by misinformed characters, such as when the main character gapes at him in disbelief after learning his sexuality. While yes, this could have been used as a learning moment (and I believe the author thought she was doing this), it was way too brief to dive into and came off badly.

There was also a lot of pro-christianity undertones here, which aren’t necessarily bad, but here they were overdone, forced, and perhaps a little alienating to some readers.

I feel like Roam could have used a better edit, as well. Many times there was superfluous information, and repetitive conversations that I hope will be cut down or omitted in the final version.

I really wish I could have liked this one, but I struggle with okaying a story with such deep flaws to younger readers.

Roam, a YA novel about a homeless teen, is a compelling and realistic portrayal of teen life. I absolutely adored this story and as a young girl, this is a book I would have been able to relate to and would have gone back to read again and again. While not homeless, I did grow up in low income housing in an affluent city. I too felt “less than” and would often be ashamed of my secondhand clothes and off brand shoes. The portrayal of this teens thinking was spot on and her circumstances are something many of my students face. In Roam we meet Abby Lunde. Her mother lost her job, her stepfather lost his job, and unable to pay their rent they were evicted from their apartment. This is completely relatable as too often in life we are presented with challenges outside of our control. The family moves to another state and Abby starts out at her new school as a homeless senior. Trying to make friends and pave her way in this new school while hiding this secret is difficult and my heart broke for her struggles. Roam delves into many topics concerning today’s teenagers and does it with heart. This book will find its way into the hearts of its intended audience and many teens will be able to relate and learn from this story. This story will leave you thinking long after it’s over and will leave you looking at ways to help the homeless in your area. For me, Roam was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars (rounded up from 4.5 due to some dialogue issues I had). Thank you to the publisher for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book. It was such an inspiring tale about a girl who is homeless and turns her life around with the help of her school counselor and music teacher. Abby is a such a strong girl. I honestly couldn't imagine what it would be like to be homeless and not knowing when your next meal was going to be or if you could survive the upcoming winter living in a van. I know this book isn't super realistic but I personally think it's a good way to introduce the topic to younger readers. When your young you never think these kinds of things could ever happen to you, but this book shows you that it can happen to everyone and you should be more accepting to others because you never know what they are going through.

I loved all the characters except the mother. For once we have a book where the main character and the step parent are close to each other. I believe that Nick is a way better parent and is much more understanding than her mother. I believe the author wrote him to be a lot like Atticus from To Kill a Mockingbird. That book is mentioned a lot through out this book. All the other characters are amazing. They all accepted Abby fairly quickly and I understand why she chose to keep the fact that she was homeless from everyone else.

One thing that I didn't like was how quickly Abby gets into a relationship with the guy popular guy at school. I didn't like how it was sorta cliche with the whole new girl becomes popular and starts dating the popular girls ex boyfriend. That's one troupe I can live without. I also wish we got to know more about Nick being homeless before. For the most part I liked everything in this book but some of the cliches that didn't really wow me which is why I'm giving this book 4 stars instead of 5.

I had to put this one down and pick it back up.

I love young adult books because they tend to look at true issues and concerns that people in general have. I am a little older but I always go back to YA for many reasons. One of those reasons is because they keep things true and livable, anyone can see and live them unlike the world of adults where agenda is running throughout each page.

That being said, this book didn’t read as a YA story, but as a story trying to be told to a younger generation from someone who has only been told stories of others. It didn’t feel real, livable.

For that reason, I had to give this 2 stars (I refuse to give one star because this story may touch someone and every story deserves to be read and written).

Author C. H. Armstrong vividly portrays what it’s like to be a homeless teen. Abby, her mom, sister, and stepdad are homeless. They move to a new town and state to restart their lives but its uphill. They sleep in their van in the Walmart parking lot and are only able to wash in the public restrooms. Abby’s parents are looking for work and Abby starts high school in the middle of the year. She meets a cute guy named Zach and makes some awesome new friends... but she’s scared what they’ll do when they realize the truth.

What I loved: 🖤🖤🖤
1. The back story is told through flashbacks which keeps it suspenseful. How did this normal family become homeless?
2. Community programs for homeless and financially needy families were highlighted.
3. Forgiveness is a beautiful theme in this story. Both forgiving others and yourself.
4. Abby’s friends, particularly Josh, are warm and welcoming to her.
5. Trish is Zach’s ex-girlfriend and bullies Abby throughout the book...the resolution between them shows character development.
6. The romance is sweet and enduring.

ROAM a wonderful young adult book that teaches empathy and the destructive effect of bullying.

I like this book because the subject matter is so relevant. The problems faced by this family are way more common than anyone cares to admit. It's a survival story. It's a testament to finding happiness regardless of where you are. A very good read.

I liked this book very much. It is a different story, because we are not used to read about homeless teens. Yes, it does have some tropes, but it is a book for teenagers and they like this kind of romantic tropes.
Nevertheless, it has a beautiful message: '' Forgiveness''.
I wans't expecting the end, because I thought it would show how teenagers would react in the real life, but instead it may inspire other people to act like them and be kind.

After Abby's mom makes a mistake, their whole world is upended when things spiral out of control and her family finds themselves homeless. Abby and her family move to Minnesota hoping that they can start over. When Abby starts at her new school she tries hard to hide that she is homeless afraid of how her new classmates will react.

Abby tries hard to stay strong for her family especially her younger sister Amber as she tries to help when she can and live as normal of a life as possible in her situation. While at her new school Abby makes several friends rather quickly as well as an enemy. Throughout the book we are reminded how Abby blames their entire circumstance on her mother. While her mom made a mistake that was not the sole incident that led to their circumstance. It got annoying seeing Abby treat her mother as bad as she did. Abby makes some nice friends who became a good support system for her. The romance between Abby and Zach was cute, but it was a bit too instalove for me.

A read that was hard at times that shows how quickly you can lose everything and the struggle to find your footing.

Abby and her family have just moved from Omaha to Rochester and are living in their family van after a spiral of events leaves them homeless. Abby and sister Amber both start new schools while their mom and step-dad desperately try to find jobs and somewhere for them to live. We follow Abby as she navigates being 17, being homeless, moving cities and struggling to come to terms with the reasons they've ended up in this situation.

This was a typical YA boy meets girl, girl has a secret, boy asks girls to homecoming, girl is desperate to keep secret and go to homecoming with boy; but I think its really important that YA fiction covers important topics such as homelessness, highlighting how quickly someone situation can change and how our default is often to assume people's situations without actually asking them.

I gave this four stars, there were a couple of things which very mildly annoyed me, mainly around the way Zach initially pursues Abby, mainly by telling her she's spending lunch with him even after she's told him no. I get that by knowing Abby's situation the reader knows she's saying no because she doesn't want Zach to find out she's homeless and not because she doesn't want to spend time with him and I felt it was romanticising boys ignoring when girls say no; not a massive thing, I don't think its a problem it just made me feel like Zach was being a bit pushy; then someone else tells Abby that because Zach is popular and shown an interest no other boys would, but it is the way teenagers would act.

In Roam, Armstrong introduces us to Abby, a high school senior, who moves to a new school, in a new town...all while struggling with being homeless. Homelessness is a reality that we often shy away from discussing. While this novel vividly and heartbreakingly describes what being homeless looks like, it also touches on the themes of forgiveness, acceptance, and the meaning of true friendship. As an educator, the primary goal is education. We often forget that before a student can learn, they must have basic needs met; to be fed, rested, and feel safe. This tale will bring you to a new awareness of the harsh reality many face. Armstrong makes the reader feel like we are right there with Abby; cheering her on, crying with her, and making her battle our own. Roam is a definite winner and eye-opener, indeed.

This was a great book. For a young adult novel it has depth, sincerity and empathy. It's relevant in that we are a consumer driven society and take so many things for granted. This story puts everything in perspective while rooting for the heroine and hoping that the other characters step up. Excellent read.

DNF at 50%

I'm feeling MOROSE about how this turned out. I couldn't get into it?????? It felt superficial and it broke my heart, because the premise is profound & interesting & all the good adjectives. But this was every badly written teen drama in history, culminated in this work. Like a teen drama written by an adult!!!!! Which, is a norm, I know. BUT. It shouldn't *feel* that way, because that means we feel a direct link between the writer's personal voice and the character's voice, which shouldn't happen. In sum, it was a problem with immersion.

The characters were dull, the dialogue was (frankly) annoying, the plot was kind of nice but not "I want to keep reading" level.

Full review to come on my blog, closer to release date. But....overall disappointing.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of ROAM in exchange for my honest review.***


DNF 34% I hate not finishing ARCs.

I don’t like books with hidden agendas and ROAM is filled with them.

Abby and her family are homeless following her mother’s affair with another teacher and her forced resignation (Problem 1-public teacher unions protect against this very thing). Now they’re living in their van in a new town. Homeless Abby becomes insta-popular on day 1 and the quarterback wants to date her (Problem 2), keeping her living situation a secret. On her third day of school he asks her to homecoming. Good thing her new insta-friends have a dress and shoes she can wear (Problem 3).

CH Armstrong must have never spoken to a gay person before. When one of Abby’s classmates tells her he’s gay she responds, “Are you sure?” (Problem 4). Her mother’s reaction to Abby having a gay friend is, “I don’t have a problem with his sexual orientation, but this could expose your homelessness when the school,finds out he’s gay.” (Problem 5). If this book had been written 20 years ago, I can see the horrible reactions, but not in 2019 unless Armstrong was writing this book for christian conservative homophobes (I know not all fit this category).

Speaking of anti-gay, Armstrong portrays the Salvation Army as a swell place, without mention of their horrible history of homophobia against employees and LGBT families. (Problem 6).

Abby’s younger sister is as precocious as can be, almost like she was written to be a Precocious Child. Her dialogue is like no six-year-old has ever spoken. (Problem 7)

I have a few more Problems I could list, but you get the idea.

I predict classmates will discover Abby is homeless, be hurt she felt she couldn’t confide in them, then her peers will rally around her, help her parents find jobs and they’ll all live happily ever after. ROAM is that kind of book.

I’m just coming off my season of Hallmark movies and in a way this book read like one- so of course, I loved it. Like most YA books the girl has a secret and doesn’t tell her boyfriend which causes a problem. Abby’s family is recently homeless and on top of that moves from Oklahoma to Minnesota in the Fall in search of jobs. They have trouble finding full-time employment so while Abby begins her senior year of high school they are mostly living in their van. It’s cold, and the four of them (Mom, Step Dad, Abby, and little sister) struggle with the close quarters, lack of food and showers. It’s rough, and this book doesn’t sugar coat it.

I felt like the situations that this family was exposed to were realistic without being dramatized at all. So often we may think someone isn’t “trying” hard enough to get out of a bad situation when in fact we make it incredibly difficult for people to get the help they need.

Abby and her family slowly succeed thanks to some caring people in their new community who go out of their way to help them. I’d hand this to anyone aged twelve and up. Bonus points for the inclusion of a gay friend in a healthy, regular kind of way.

I feel that homelessness is such an important topic- and I’m happy that it’s been brought to light in YA fiction.

The characters were so realistic and I connected with Abby almost as soon as I started reading. The other characters were realistic, well thought out and had fantastic development as the story went on.

This was a heartbreaking, eye opening story and one I hope people everywhere read.

All in all a nice book. Swift and telling, educational and in spite of the tough story neither brutal nor sad. I liked it, and although I‘d not consider it great literature I‘d recommend it for a shared reading experience in the classroom.

This book touches on so many topics teens deal with that I feel like the journey and message got a bit lost with this one. There was so much going on between the bullying, homelessness, school, friends, first loves and just overall typical teenage angst that sometimes I found myself skimming parts because I felt like they were just out of place. I think I understand why the author took this road but it just made the book a bit tedious and boring.

Although I did enjoy the characters, there was really no depth to any of them and very little growth in my eyes. Yes, Abby was able to overcome some major issues but I think I would have rather seen her try and work on these issues more rather than hiding so much. The majority of this book was about Abby dealing with so much, then in the very last part of the book her issues are outed by the typical mean girl and then everything is just wrapped up in a pretty little bow. The story just wasn't built enough for me to believe in that ending.

The one major message in this book I did get behind was forgiveness. The author really concentrated on the message that forgiveness isn't about the other person as much as it is for you as an individual. I think it could have been tackled even more than it was as this was something brought up in the beginning and when it was I was excited thinking we would see some real growth in Abby working through her anger over things that have happened and left her family in their situation.

I think this book had great potential to be something great but it just fell flat for me. These are my favorite types of YA to read and when done right they can be powerful tools for those hard teenage years but I think this one just didn't hit the mark, at least for me.

This book was so beautiful and I'm so delighted and honoured that I got to read it.

The book is based around a young girl called Abby, who's world has changed when her and her family become homeless and they leave everything they have loved to drive to a new place who can hopefully help them, but it's not so easy.

Through this book, Abby faces difficult challenges with school and with her home life and this story perfectly shows how homelessness can affect a family, especially when children are involved and also to what lengths some people must go to survive.

Thank you net galley and the publishers of this book for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful book. I cannot wait to buy a physical copy myself and reread this wonderful, extraordinary book that has made me cry, but for good or bad, you'll just have to read to find out.

This book provides the most hopeful reading experience. As my daughter has recently entered her teenage years I've been reading more teenage/YA fiction to pass along to her. Through this endeavor I found Roam and delighted in every single page. C.H. Armstrong penned a beautifully written novel of survival, hope, and forgiveness through the keen and overlooked eyes of a bitter, confused yet strong-willed teenager.

C.H. Armstrong opens Abby's story in Rochester, Michigan where her family, after unfortunate circumstances, have relocated and are now living ... in their van. Homeless, confused, angry, scared, and cynical Abby finds herself at a new school where she quickly becomes the object of the most popular boys affection. Just as quickly Abby is surrounded by new friends for whom she's skeptical but excited at the prospect of understanding meaningful friendship. Her deeply engaging and beautifully journey continues from that point forward with a few memories triggered with new experiences. While keeping her monumental secret because she's a teenager and she's ashamed, Abby learns to trust and to forgive and to feel very big emotions in healthy ways. Another girl can't stand her, her relationship with her Mother is rocky at best, and she finds herself enamored with a boy so different from her all while eating free meals at the Salvation Army and sneaking into Wal Mart for bathroom privileges.

Roam provides a wonderfully positive view from a not so wonderful part of life that so many teenagers and families face. This book turns bullying on it's ugly head without remorse and gave a parent like me with a wallflower kind of child hope that the kindness of people will always overcome the cruelness of others. Abby learns important life lessons she wouldn't of otherwise learned without hardship and she finds a voice she never knew she wanted or needed.

I loved this book very much and found Armstrong's storytelling a great way to kick off a new year of reading. Hopeful, positive, enlightening and charming - Roam is a must read for fans of YA fiction.