A raw, moving and powerful book that left me emotional.

Told in verse, this coming-of-age story is told from the perspective of a 12-year-old girl in middle school. The story begins with her getting her first period. But what should have been an important milestone to go through with her mother by her side is eclipsed by the 9/11 attack in New York, which she loses her aunt to.

As her father is in the army, the protagonist moves frequently and is known as an "army brat" (used as a derogatory term by the bullies in her school). It's not long before her father is deployed to Afghanistan and her family is split even further.

The book dives into the effect that 9/11 has on a city outside of New York, grief and loss, bullying and racism, friendship and courage, and standing up for your loved ones and what is right, as well as the often confusing phase that is growing up.

What a beautiful book both inside and out!

The Places We Sleep was Caroline Brooks DuBois’ debut novel and she nailed it out of the park. Reminiscent of Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X, The Places We Sleep was a middle grade book written in verse. The reader follows Abbey, a quiet, artsy 7th grader trying to find home within herself when the attacks on 9/11 leave her aunt missing from the devastating wreckage, her mother distraught over her missing sister, her military father on the verge of deployment to Afghanistan, and Abbey herself experiencing her first period alone. Abbey struggles to be seen when her parent’s become distracted with the events of the terrorist attack, and struggles to find the balance between fitting in as the new girl in class and avoiding unwanted attention from classmates.

The story always circles back to the attacks on 9/11 but it is a coming of age story that captures the insecurities that come with growing up, and the importance of speaking up against bullying and racism.

I devoured this book from cover to cover in one day and loved every single page. I found my younger self in Abbey's story and the feelings of nostalgia were enveloping that I only wish I could take this book back to 2001 and gift it to my grade six self.

The Places We Sleep by Caroline Brooks DuBois

Rating 5/5

I love a novel in verse especially if it is done right and this one was done right! Set around a military family and the tragic event of Sept.11, the young girl, Abbey, in this book is perfectly written and I thought it was wonderful. It was heart felt and had a ring of truth about it that gave us a glimse of real America.

The Places We Sleep is a breathtaking story from the perspective of a young girl trying to navigate the changes of not only middle school, but of the 9/11 disaster. Caroline Brooks DuBois does a phenomenal job showcasing the uncertain emotions and the struggles to understand everything that followed the devastating event.

As an adult, I can recall back to when the twin towers fell. Abbey’s story pulled me right back to those feelings, not knowing how to process the grief of those around me, or my own, of how to move past it all, but eventually gaining the strength and healing needed.

This was a DNF. I was confused from the start. The author went straight into the plot like it was a sequel. I was a bit lost as they were mentioning all these characters that I didn't know. Would have been great but unfortunately not for me.

Abbey is the new kid in school, again. Abbey's a military brat, and Tennessee is just another stop. Abbey meets a real friend, Camille. Camille is loyal and brave.

Then, September 11 happens. "The Places We Sleep" focuses on Abbey's maturity through the attack and aftermath of September 11th.

This book is written in narrative verse., with the poems numbered. It really resonated with me, as I was 13 when the Towers fell and just started high school. I was going through similar feelings as Abbey. Abbey's aunt dies in the towers, and her father deploys for Afghanistan soon after the attacks. The book also focuses on the Islamophobia classmate Jiman experiences. Middle grade fiction lacks many novels about 9/11, so this is definitely a gem.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review.

Imagine being twelve years old, a battle-weary Army brat trying to adjust to yet another new school in Tennessee, just about to get your first period... and it's September 11, 2001. Abbey isn't imagining all this, she's living it.

Written entirely as a free-flowing narrative, the larger story is no surprise. The events of 9/11 are burned into our collective memory. What's new is witnessing Abbey internalizing and trying to understand the constant flood of big and small changes in her life, everything from family loss to school bullying, and a lot more in between.

Twelve is a confusing age for any girl, even when things are going well. And when they aren't? Peer into Abbey's mind, and see if it looks a bit familiar to you. The narrative verse writing style gives us the feeling that we are plucking strands of thought from Abbey's mind—sometimes one strand, often two or three tangled together as they come to light. The effect feels real. This is how brains work. This is how our thoughts sort themselves out. Perhaps after working your way through the jumble of Abbey's mind, you'll look inwardly at your own with a fresh perspective.

The cover shows a very sweet and loving story. I must admit, it's a great story but I missed some depth. It's emotional and heartbreaking to read.

I was six years old when 9/11 happened and would've lost my Dad if the plan to hit Chicago went through. I couldn't understand the heaviness around me at the time and it was only a few years later when I was able to comprehend the tragedy that stunned the world.

This is a great story and resource for kids who want to understand the emotional toll behind this tragedy. It encompasses a wide range of topics - xenophobia, paranoia, hatred, loneliness, alienation, etc. - as well as varying points of view and growing pains/puberty.

Unique approach to a hard topic to explain to kids. Excellent coming of age story with an attract cover art.

The prose might be difficult for some readers to follow along with, but other than that it's beautifully written.

A very thought provoking story of a young girl coming of age at a very difficult time. It looks at coping with physical and emotional change and also the impact that being a military child can have on friendship and family. As the mother of sons who were moved around in this way, it really resonated with me.

Very beautiful cover and i liked that we got insight in how Abby and her familiy felt in the 11.september 01 and after it. It was also some lyrical and that was nice.

The place we Sleep is a poem about the aftermath of 9/11 in the emotions of a pre-teen girl meant for middle schoolers. The cover attracted me to the story and I got to listen to some very interesting stories told in verses in open mic sessions and wondered how that art went.

The emotions are there, all intertwined between growing up, the unrooted feelings of the hero always following her parents to their new destinations, fitting in, being lonely, or worst having a friend she knows she’ll have to leave, her difficulty grappling with her growing and developing body, the grief of losing loved ones and the uncomprehending fear that followed up 9/11. I was 16 when it happened, I am not American, but I remember the whole world just stopped and held its breath wondering what it all meant.

This book can plunge the new generation into what it felt like. The verses add emotion and beauty to the text, but might make young readers more distant to the story too. Or they might be able to take quotes from it and sing it out, as it really flows on the tongue. Maybe that could be an interesting text to read allowed (admittedly embarrassing to most teens who probably don’t want to talk about periods).

I really liked that the book addressed the issue of the paranoia and xenophobia that followed the events and the parallel between her, the new kid from the army family verses the new kid from a Muslim family is heart wrenching. The tolerance message is crucial in the world we currently live in.

This is an interesting book for its format, and the topic is very well treated despite the obvious limitations of verse text. I recommend this book to poetry inclined young readers.

I really enjoyed this one!

I was provided an advanced digital copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley for review purposes, all opinions are my own.

This is a beautiful story for kids to use to try to grasp the emotional toll that 9/11 took on Americans. This book covers so many different perspectives of that day and the time that followed. We get a military perspective, a child's perspective, and then a mother who is missing her daughter's perspective. The book also touched on how prejudice was rampantly spread in the following days, and how this affected the children of that time.

My only hang up is that this book is written in verse, and I have a hard time getting my 5th graders to enjoy books written this way.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

An interesting story about a young girl navigating being the new girl in middle school in the aftermath of 9-11. She also has to face the loss of her aunt and her father going off to war.

this was really cute! loved the cover and the premise. Loved the writing style. i look forward to more from this author.

I didn’t think I was going to like the verse format of this book but I actually liked it. Everything flowed smoothly and it made the story more interesting. I was really young on September 11, 2001, and I lived in the NYC area at the time, so it was interesting to read a faraway perspective.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I really like the way this novel goes over the event of 9/11 and how it changed America through a child’s perspective. Children these days don’t quite understand how impactful it was, since they weren’t alive yet. The coming of age story combined is a great read for middle grade readers. The verse style is also a great way to help kids dip into that writing style.

This was an authentic look at the aftermath of 9/11. The love, the hate, the sadness, and the looming war. I was truly impacted by this novel written in verse. Abby, the main character, came to life before my eyes and I was able to put myself in her shoes. Although I wasn't an artist in middle school, I was that theatre nerd.

This story was just so impactful from the loss that Abby and her family feel after 9/11 to Abby growing up and getting her period. Abby goes through the emotions of growing up in a world that makes her feel invisible but also makes her feel like she is under a microscope. She is awkward but eventually finds a voice. Abby is definitely someone I hope young readers look up to because she is absolutely incredible.

I didn’t realize exactly what this book was until I started reading it. The verse was certainly a unique approach. I have mixed feelings about the subject since I lived in Manhattan during 9/11, but I did appreciate the coming of age aspect of the story.