One word... Heartwrenching.
This book is well-written, emotional, and very powerful! It's one of the best YA books I've read in a long time.

Safe Harbour was a really great surprise. I thought the premise was great - a young girl alone in Toronto - homeless, waiting for her Dad to come get her on a boat. Aside from some heavy topics surrounding homelessness, shelter-system, etc., I expected a lot of mental health issues in this book but this honestly delivered So. Much. More.

While Safe Harbour is targeted at Young Adults I absolutely think this is one of those contemporary books that most adults would enjoy too. This book tackles a range of problems in an engaging way. Harbour is easy to relate with, even if you have never been in a similar situation as the writing really takes you on her mental journey. Add to this a dash of adventure and a pinch of suspense and you have a great novel. It was really hard to put this book down as I went from wanting to know what will happen as well as wanting to know if there are elements that will turn out to be a mental issue and not reality. At no time did I get annoyed with the two main characters decisions - even though frustrating and saddening at times - it was always written in a way I was able to understand what drives them. And so much on so little pages.
This book really impressed me and was such a positive surprise!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of the book in exchange for this honest review.

DNF. Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy! I decided to not keep reading this one, it was not for me. Thanks!

Safe Harbour is a well-written YA novel that can, I think, be enjoyed by adults as well. It concerns a 14 yr. old homeless girl, Harbour, who is living on the streets until, she believes, her father will come to find her. At times, the story could be very difficult to read because of all of the terrible things that could and did happen to Harbour and her friends because they are were on the streets. The relationships that developed between Harbour and some of the secondary characters could, at times, be very heartwarming. The characters are very complex and the plot has enough twists and turns to keep you interested.

Fourteen-year-old Harbour is living in a tent in a Toronto ravine with her dog, a two-month supply of canned tuna, and an eccentric reading list. She’s not homeless, she tells herself. She’s merely waiting for her home — a thirty-six-foot sailboat — to arrive with her father at the helm. Why should she worry when the clouds give her signs that assure her that she’s safe and protected?

This was a powerful book. Harbour is living alone in a tent waiting for her father to come to her. The happily ever after was perfect for middlegrade. Showing how hardships can affect anyone, and how we CAN overcome if we keep up hope.

Well written, interesting storyline and characters and full of emotions.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the access to this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Awww! This book was all kinds of amazing! It was heartbreaking and uplifting, despairing and hopeful, all at the same time.

IT WAS ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS!

If you like books like "I see you in the cosmos" and "Wonder" that are sad but at the same time uplifting, you may like this book. And I hope you love it as much as I did.

This is one of those books that has a "magical quality" that is always hard to describe. It's contemporary and realistic but it's the combination of beautiful writing, whimsical descriptions of emotions and setting that gives it that quality.

I don’t even know how to review it

I had never read the topic of homelessness, and I have never been homeless so I can really speak of the representation, but it felt beautifully done to me: realistic but at the same time compassionate and with so much human dimension. I was SO HAPPY to read about this topic in such way because I think it is one of those situations that are usually very much stigmatized.

There is also a mental health component that was also a plot twist that I didn't see coming (and I see them coming 99% of the time!) that was just PERFECT!

When this is disclosed it was very well represented in my opinion (I do have much experience with loved ones afflicted)

Because of the topics of abandonment and homelessness the entire book has a mood of despair but then you can't help but feel gratitude for the things we often take for granted like a warm home in winter and homemade meals. You can't also help but to connect with Harbour and root for her.

The story develops more like a slow mystery but there is not getting bored with all the hardships Harbour has to face and the adventures in which she embarks. You'll keep turning the pages wondering how on earth Harbour is going to survive another day homeless and alone without her dad.

I'm adding this book to my collection of "dear books that touch my heart" :)

I cannot recommended enough!

it’s also a heartwarming tale of friendship solidarity

I loved this book. It was emotional, adventurous, and unique. The writing was engaging and the storyline was creative and different. It was executed very well and kept me interested the entire time. I am mostly mad I didn’t read it sooner. Christina Kilbourne did such a good job developing the characters, keeping the plot line fresh, and diving into the uniqueness of this story. It is definitely a book I will be recommending to friends!

Due to my infrequent association with middle-grade fiction, I have very minimal expectations once I realise I am reading one. I do not read the blurb of a book once I have queued it into my reading for thrills. This is one book which tackles quite desperate situations, prejudices, all the while not talking down to the audience.
Harbour is waiting; she has instructions from her father to hunker down in Canada and wait for his arrival. She has been trained by him and is 'odd' by comparison with other kids of her age. The guiding light that she is unaware she needs comes in the form of a homeless girl who left home years ago. The content is sad for the most part, but there are twists hinted at which are never quite the expected ones when the revelations come around.
There is a lot of story within fewer pages, and the author's narrative skill kept me invested. It is probably too harsh for a much younger audience, but teens could read, learn from and enjoy it. Some events seem a little far-fetched but suit the story and therefore its presence(s) can be accepted.

3.5/5 stars

Fourteen year old Harbour is not homeless, she tells herself. She’s merely waiting for her home — a thirty-six-foot sailboat — to arrive with her father at the helm… Until then, she spends her summer living in a tent with her dog, a credit card, an eccentric reading list and her dad’s promise that he’ll be within a few weeks. But when months go by without a word from dad, her credit card gets declined and summer turns to frosty fall, things are starting to look fairly bleak.
With the help of a homeless girl named Lise, Harbour struggles to navigate her life on the streets, and tries to find out the truth about what happened to her father.


Before we start: a small disclaimer:
Christina Kilbourne choses to tackle some heavy topics, some of which like homelessness and the American shelter system, do not get featured much in YA fiction. I very much appreciated that, and curious to see how she would approach this. This subject matter however, does make it hard for me to give you an informed opinion. I’m not from the U.S. and social security, child welfare and the shelter system are very different where I’m from. In short: it was hard for me to suspend my disbelief at times, as I kept thinking that none of this would fly, and there’s no way a child could slip through the cracks this much.
At the same time, I’m aware that it might be far from the reality I know, but maybe not far from the reality in America. I truly hope it isn’t, but if it is: please America, get your social system together… This shouldn’t be our reality…

About the book:
Despite all the heavy topics, Christine Kilbourne does a brilliant job of balancing out the heavy moments with the lighter ones. Most of that comes from the character of Harbour herself, who is a wonderful character to read from. It’s often difficult for an adult-author to write from the perspective of a child or teen, but Kilbourne nails it with the portrayal of this 14-year old teen: she has the right amount of maturity to take basic care of herself for now, but has enough naivety and childlike wonder in her to show she’s far from a grown-up.
It’s this childlike lookout that makes the book a bit lighter: like a true child, Harbour is able to see the fun and adventure in some aspects of her situation. In her friendship with Lise and childlike naivety, she tries to create her own fun be pretending this is all a big camping trip, instead of a life-altering crisis. As an adult it’ frustrating to see her behave like this, but it’s authentic for her age, and Kilbourne makes sure never to cross the line to romanticising Harbours circumstances.
The writing style and pacing are accessible and match the target audience well, making for an engaging story that fourteen-year-old-me would have loved and learned a lot from.

Apart from all the good, I have two points of critique that got in the way of my enjoyment. I mentioned suspension of disbelief earlier. Throughout the book we learn that Harbours father has some eccentric beliefs, and that the circumstances surrounding his boat trip may have been a bit suspicious. Although I can see how Harbour wouldn’t have recognized this, being a child and unable to distance herself from the situation, I’m not buying that nobody else noticed. I just couldn’t understand why nobody would step. Even Lise who’s a bit older ánd has distance to the situations should have been able to see something was off… I don’t think it’s the best message to send to young teens to tell them it’s okay not to call in authorities in this case…
My second dislike was the ending. About 70% in I began to prepare for a tear-jerker ending. Harbours situation seemed so bleak that there was no way this was going to lead to a happy ending. Yet somehow, the author tried to put that spin on it in the end. It felt very rushed and unbelievably convenient, and took a lot away from the messages the book had to give.


Many thanks to Dundurn Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dundurn Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Safe Harbour. I voluntarily chose to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Safe Harbour is the story of a fourteen year old girl, waiting in a tent in the woods for her father. Harbour has a dog, a supply of tuna, and books to pass the time. Will a chance encounter with a teen, not unlike herself, help Harbour to come to certain realizations about her situation?

Toronto in the summer is pleasant for camping out, but as winter approaches, Harbour sees her options dwindling. The author does a good job of giving her main character a set of challenges to overcome and some street smarts with which to help navigate her situation. Safe Harbour highlights the issues of homelessness, especially as it relates to teenagers. The only part of the book that was lacking was the ending, as it seemed that the author wanted to wrap everything up in a neat package. Readers in the target audience will like Harbour's resilience and her determination, so I would recommend it to others.

I enjoyed this one and thought it was an overall good novel with strong characters and plot. Definitely would recommend.

Safe Harbour is a YA contemporary novel with important themes of homelessness, mental illness, trust and friendship.

"I don't think he misses the boat at all. But I do. I miss the slap of the waves on the hull and rocking in a half doze on the glinting sea. I miss Dad, too. But never mind."

Harbour has had an unconventional childhood to say the least. She's living in a tent in Toronto with her faithful dog, waiting for her dad to join her from Florida on their yacht. They're planning to winter in Toronto, which the locals tell her is crazy. When her dad is late arriving, and her credit card gets declined, Harbour starts to worry about what she'll do as winter approaches. She has to learn to accept help from a homeless girl called Lise.

This book was a pleasure to read. Each page kept me wanting more and more. The characters were delightfully real and I felt so much for them.

As I was reading, sat in my cosy warm house with wind, rain and even snow raging outside, I began to feel very grateful for what I have. Reading about Harbour, Lise and Tuff just trying to stay warm and fed made me feel incredibly lucky and also somewhat guilty. It's always impressive when a book makes you think and look inwards. It's nice to be reminded at times to appreciate the things we mostly take for granted.

Another thing I loved about this book - we get closure. I wasn't left with a cliffhanger, I didn't have to make up the ending in my head. I felt satisfied with where Harbour's story finished. That's not to say there weren't threads still to tug at, but we can't have all the answers can we.

I would recommend this to any fans of contemporary YA. It's very well written and will easily suck you in. Can't wait to check out other books by Christina Kilbourne.

ARC provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

i really enjoyed this book, it covered topics that are rarely talked about or even skimmed at all in the book community; such as homelessness in youth and schizophrenia.

harbour has lived most of her short life on a boat, called starlight with her dad and her dog, tuff stuff. when one day, her dad has to do things on his own for awhile and lets harbour off at a dock and tells her he will meet her in toronto in five weeks.

knowing nobody and being so young has left her living on the streets with tuff. with winter fast approaching and no word from her dad on when he will be arriving, she has to figure something out fast and how to get food before the cold snap hits and they freeze to death.

i recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a book that touches on the topics mentioned previously. this was a hard read because you start feeling a connection to tuff and harbour and just want them to be loved and warm and well fed.

the ending hit me harder than i was expecting and i shed a few tears. worth the read and i will be purchasing my own copy in the future to have on my shelves.

also, this cover is so simple, yet so meaningful to the story and breathtakingly beautiful.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.


Harbour is a fourteen year old seemingly abandoned by her father. When we meet her, she is living in a tent with her dog Tuff waiting on her dad to come back.. SLowly things begin to unravel. Harbour finds herself having to make some tough choices and figure out who she can and cannot trust.

This book is definitely in the YA genre, so it may not be for everyone.

I feel like it was fastpaced and easy to read/follow.

Solid read.

Safe Harbour is a book that just came out on December 10! It follows 14-year-old Harbour and her dog, Tuff, as they live in a ravine in Toronto. She is awaiting the arrival of her father who is sailing his way up from Florida to meet with her. Quickly, things start to unravel and she has to decide who to trust and who to hide from.
I felt like this book was good, but it was not one of my favorites. There were moments while I was reading it where I was slightly taken aback by the dramatic changes in what was happening and how the main character was acting. As the book came to a close, things started to clear up and those actions made more sense. But! I still could not get over how jarring it had been.
If you enjoy YA, this one is great! If you don't, it probably won't be your favorite story about teenagers.

Though I felt Safe Harbour was lacking in some areas, the book had a great take on homelessness, especially through one of the characters, Lise, and her experience on the streets and shelters.
The plot was fine, though I wish there was more to it. There was never a moment of the book of peril, where I was holding my breath to find out what would happen next.
In all, though, this was a fast YA read that I enjoyed a little bit. I’d recommend the book to those who are looking for a quick, mild YA read.

I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. On the one hand, it's a careful and in depth exploration of the life of a homeless teen. We see how she became homeless and the lack of alternatives. On the other hand, I found her constant denial of her homeless status and willingness to believe the clearly ludicrous story ste was telling frustrating. The starting point of her journey from Florida to Canada was already a stretch. And there were a lot of hints of something more nefarious to early childhood in Florida that never went any where.

Harbour is a young teen fending for herself on the streets of Toronto, but she claims to not be homeless, just waiting for her father. Her father is going to sail to Toronto and everything will be fine. But when summer slides into fall and into winter, Harbour and her loyal furry companion Tuff, need to figure out how to survive the cold Canadian winter. She befriends another young girl who shows Harbour and Tuff the ropes, but teaches her about friendship.

Safe Harbour deals with homelessness and mental illness in a gentle and empathic manner. I recommend Safe Harbour for grades 6+ and wonder if we'll see it as a MYRCA title in a couple years.