Cal and Hannah are cousins who are the same age. Hannah is a popular girl in school, has Olympic dreams (gymnastics), and is close to her parents. However, things started to change when her mom’s identical twin sister passed away. Things became harder for Hannah after Cal moved in. Cal plays pranks that frustrated and upset her. He also has meltdowns, tells lies, and more.

The story is told in verse through alternating perspectives; thus the reader gets to know Cal and Hannah fairly well. The cousins are more alike than they realize, and neither sees all of their strengths. Both are genuinely caring children.

This book belongs on classroom and library shelves. It will help those who have experienced situations like Cal’s and those who have not. This book inspires compassion, and it’s one that I hope teachers read aloud and use in book clubs. I will be recommending it to my students (pre-service teachers), as well as purchasing a copy for them to borrow.

A novel in verse written from two different perspectives: 1. Hannah 2. Cal, her cousin.

This book tells their thoughts and all the emotions they go through, touching upon the serious subjects like the death and loss of a parent, alcoholism, abuse from a parent, homelessness, divorce, PTSD, and emotional behaviors- all written about with grace and wisdom.

I was surprised and honored to read the authors note at the end of the book about her own experiences and how close to home this story was to her own life.

This will be one I will recommend for our school and classrooms.

I received an E-ARC from Penguin via Net Galley after attending an ALA webinar. I am not a big fan of e-readers, but I’m happy I decided to download and read this book on my kindle because it is so so good! They story of a boy, Cal, who has had much trauma in his short life on earth. When his mother dies, he ends up living with her twin sister and her family. Cal’s cousin Hannah and his uncle are not very excited to have him around. Cal’s PTSD makes his behavior volatile and unpredictable which unsettles their already fragile family unit. Told in alternating perspectives and written in verse, this is a wonderful middle grade debut that touches on so many important topics. A great conversation starter for book clubs.

This is a novel in verse which are very popular with students right now. The chapters take turns being told from the two main characters point of view. While I liked this, I have to admit, there were many times when I had to go back and figure out which character was speaking. I would like to see that made clearer for students. When I first read the blurb on the back of the book (I ended up with a print ARC of this in addition to the eBook), I thought Cal was going to be a bully/problem child and Hannah was the victim. Then when I started the book and read about Cal's meltdowns, I thought Calvin was autistic. It turns out all of my assumptions were wrong. I won't spoil the book by writing what actually happens. This book brought tears to my eyes. It will help give students another perspective about what might be going on in their fellow classmates lives. It deals with family dynamics on a developmentally appropriate level for tweens. It keeps things real without being too babyish or too mature. The most poignant part of the book for me was the ending and then reading the author's note. I was not familiar with this author but I did a little research on her. She is a strong writer of many other books and writes about a topic that she knows first hand.

Two years after the death of her mom’s twin sister, Hannah’s same-aged cousin Cal comes to live with them. Cal is grieving his mom’s death and dealing with PTSD caused by living with his addicted, abusive dad who is now in jail, so he is carrying plenty of baggage that makes him an awkward fit with Hannah’s family. After Cal moves in, Hannah’s dad seems to be spending more time on the road and things between the parents are sometimes tense. Hannah just wants to focus on her blossoming gymnastics career and her friends, but Cal’s arrival has changed everything.

Hopkins’s books had a huge following in my middle school library and middle grade readers will be delighted with this fast-paced, multiple perspectives novel in verse.

Cal is living with his aunt’s family because his mother died of cancer and his father is in and out of prison. This means being in the same classroom with his cousin, Hannah, and feeling as if he is intruding into their family. He also suffers from PTSD due to the time he lived with his father which means he sometimes has explosive outbursts.

Ellen Hopkins has written many young adult novels in verse as Close to Nowhere is. She is so talented at capturing her character’s voices and struggles. I am quite pleased that she has finally moved into the middle grade realm with this thoughtful story.

I finished Closer to Nowhere by the great Ellen Hopkins last night! I loved, loved, loved, her young adult series starting with Crank, and her new middle grade debut novel did not disappoint. The way she weaves words together throughout the verses in her novels is magical. This is a story about two cousins, Hannah and Cal. Although they are family, they have lived completely different lives. After Cal's mom passes away and his dad goes to prison, he moves in with Hannah's family. However, Hannah is embarrassed by her cousin because he's "weird." Their story, told in both perspectives, sheds light on childhood trauma and the effects of PTSD on not only an individual, but a family as well. This book is so important. Especially today. Every single person who works with children should read it! I applaud Hopkins for taking a leap and putting another deeply personal story out into the world (Make sure to read her notes at the end!), and I hope that more people can understand that behind every "angry" student, there is often an immense about of pain. #ClosertoNowhere #NetGalley

Hannah is annoyed by her cousin Cal who is living with her family after his mother - her mother's twin - died and his father went to prison. Cal is struggling from the trauma he endured, from an unstable life from his mother's drug addiction and the abuse from his father. Told in alternating voices, the verse novel format effectively allows the characters to show their feelings. There is no facile solution, but a friend reaching out to Cal allows others to see his gifts. Ellen Hopkins's writes from her experience in raising a grandson. Closer to Nowhere is her first middle grade novel, and she demonstrates understanding of the audience. A powerful and necessary book, highly recommended for all public and school libraries.

Cal lost his mother to cancer and his father to drugs. He now lives with his cousin Hannah and her family. Both Cal and Hannah take some time to get adjusted to living with each other. This is a beautiful story written in verse. I gave it five stars, because I truly enjoyed it and I think educators should definitely read this one. However, I feel this book may focus on some mature issues that may be too complex for my K-6th grade school library. I think it would be perfect for middle and high school students.

Many of the characters in the book, Closer to Nowhere experience similar events and problems that a large number of middle scholars face today. Hannah, who is the first main character, experiences having to deal with her cousin moving in, a grandmother who is an alcoholic, her parents marriage problems and trying in move up a level in gymnastics. Cal, the other main character (Hannah's cousin) faces mourning his mother's death, fearing being reunited with his drug addict, abusive father and has behavior issues due to trauma he experienced when he was younger. The story is very suspenseful and includes a school lock down. I would recommend putting this book into the hands of students who are experiencing any of these scenarios.

This is the story of Hannah and Cal, cousins with identical twin mothers. Cal's mom dies and Hannah's mom takes troubled Cal under her wing. Cal's issues are identified as PTSD and he has a lot to overcome. Hannah is resentful of the disruption in her life, and Cal ruins more than one occasion for her. When her own parents marriage starts to crumble, Hannah and Cal are both sure he is at the heart of the problem.

Family dynamics play a key role in this beautiful story told in alternating chapters of prose; from Hannah's point of view, to Cal's. As Hannah learns more about the truth of Cal's life before he came to live with them, she starts to become aware of her own privileged, fortunate life.

In the afterward, author Ellen Hopkins speaks of writing her YA novel Crank, and the reality of her own daughters struggle with addiction. As a result, her oldest grandson has similar traits to Cal in this novel. So many children suffer trauma from parents addiction, as do Cal and Hopkin's own grandson. It is a hard reality and so many cannot understand or comprehend the depths in which children are affected from early years. This will be a wonderful addition for middle grade readers. The prose makes the story more accessible and less intimidating. It also contains some great vocabulary - with easy to understand definitions. I really loved reading this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of Closer to Nowhere.
Novel in verse told in alternating viewpoints between Hannah, and her cousin Cal. When Cal's mother died he lived with his father for a few tumultuous years before moving in with his Aunt's family. The family must work together to adjust to the changes his arrival, and difficult background, brings.
Educators everywhere will recognize, and empathize, with Cal. We've all met kids like him. Kudos to the author for portraying him in a sensitive light and building empathy in readers. This book will make a great addition to school libraries.

Middle Grade needs Ellen's voice. What an incredible story written in verse. I want to reach through the pages and wrap Cal in a big hug. And Hannah, too. Having both of their perspectives adds so much to the book.

I’m a huge novel in verse fan. I also love alternating points of view that really help you get to know multiple sides of a story/situation. Closer to Nowhere has both of these things going for it, on top of the fact that its author really knows how to make a reader fall for the characters she writes. Both Cal and Hannah were fleshed out into characters who you were rooting for individually and as a pair. Closer to Nowhere represents many facets of family life and friendship, and it does so in both a heartbreaking and heartwarming way. Like life, even though the story has some heavy stuff and some scary stuff too, it also has a sense of humor and hope.

Closer to Nowhere by Ellen Hopkins, 416 pages. Putnam’s (Penguin), OCT 2020. $18

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG (abuse mentioned); Violence: PG (school lockdown)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Since her cousin Cal moved in with her family, Hannah, 12yo, has struggled to empathize with him or, sometimes, really tolerate him. She knows that Cal has dealt with a lot of crap – his mother died of cancer three years ago, and his entire life his father has been oppressive and abusive – even more so since Cal’s mom died. Since Cal’s dad made his money by “acquiring” it from unwilling donors, when the police caught up with him, Cal needed a place to stay. Cal knows he struggles – to control his temper, to communicate on any sort of real way, to overcome the abuse. When Hannah’s family starts to fall apart, Cal blame himself, and so does Hannah, even though she knows in her heart that isn’t fair.

Okay – I’m doing an appalling job of explaining Hopkins newest story. She started her career years ago looking at the effects of heroin on a girl’s life. This time she uses her free verse to explore the effects of anger and addiction of the life of a child of addicts. While I don’t love free verse as a writing choice, I totally love Hopkin’s exploration of Cal’s and Hannah’s lives.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS

This was a phenomenal novel in verse. I’m so pumped to bring it into the classroom next year. Top themes: family, grief, substance abuse, trauma, school drama, and so much more. So many kids are going to relate to Cal and Hannah, even. I can’t wait to book talk this in the fall!

Sometimes it is hard to put ourselves in a position to understand other's grief and troubles - even when they move into our house. Hannah's life is everything she wants - supportive parents, good friends and a talent in gymnastics. When her cousin Cal's mother dies and his father goes to prison - he moves into Hannah's home.

This story is told in verse with alternating perspectives of the two main characters. Both voices are honest and funny - this story could not be told from one perspective as they both need to learn to love each other for who they are.

This was a very touching and yet heartbreaking story. Told in alternating perspectives, Cal and Hannah are cousins who live together. Cal has been living there since his mother died of cancer and has father has been in prison. The two navigate middle school together, as Cal struggles with PTSD and Hannah struggles with family tensions and trying to understand her cousin.

I have never read anything by Ellen Hopkins before and I was blown away. This story was thoughtful told, with both characters having very distinct voices. I really rooted for both of them. This was a small story, but really got into what it means to move past trauma and the importance of family. I highly recommend this book, and will be recommending to middle schoolers looking for a great story about family.

I love Ellen Hopkin’s YA work and was thrilled at her debut middle school offering. She did not disappoint. While this book lacked some of the complexity and grit Hopkins is known for, the straight forward style will be appreciated by tween readers and the story hits hard. Hopkins shoots from the hip and doesn’t lie to kids and they can tell. This story has echoes of the author’s own life so it resonates with the reader. I’m sure my students who enjoy K.A. Holt will take to this.

With alternating perspectives the main characters, cousins Hannah and Cal, tell the story of family. Their family is not typical and the reader is able to witness Hannah's developing understanding of this. There is real trauma in the family's past. This book show how that trauma has long reaching and effects, not only on the victim, but on all the members of the family. Hopkins is careful to show how each person handles those effects.
What I liked about the book was how the at times heavy, emotional, and all-too-real issues are made accessible to the reader. We are shown what happened, but Hopkins does not dwell on the details. It is effective to introduce the difficult scenarios that, though unfortunately realistic, would be frightening to young readers. Yet it gives those readers who have experienced trauma in their lives, a character to connect with (Cal).
Some of the events felt rushed and a resolved a little too quickly. I also think the that some of the characters (Uncle Bruce and Grandma) need to be fleshed out and developed more to have more of the desired impact on the story.