The narrative felt pretty predictable; however I found the characters to be diverse and interesting and enjoyed reading the overall story.

I was given a free review copy in exchange for an honest review. Nelo and Kate’s friendship was so real. It reminded me of what friendships go through growing up and how they change and grow. In fact all the friendships portrayed do. Some people you are not meant to be friends with forever and some are meant to be more. I loved that. I also loved the community aspect of the story. Also that change is not always a bad thing. This was such a good read. I will definitely read more from this author.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our library wishlist and recommended it to students.

"Like Home" has a wonderful rhythm to it, the subject matter is timely and important, and the community of Ginger East has a personality all its own. The problem however as I see it, that, as an unlisted character, Ginger East is far and away the most compelling part of the story. The ebb and flow of its streets, the communal aspect of its people, and it is a mirror to our ever-changing society. All good things.

Try as I might however, I just could not connect with or get emotionally attached to any of the characters, not one. Janet, Paco, and Mr. Brown came close, but they are set aside to further Nelo's arc which, aside from patching things up with Kate, essentially went nowhere. If I'm being honest, I didn't care for Nelo at all actually and that's a problem in a first-person novel.

There's just not enough exploration of any one theme or character, and that's an issue, too many good ideas for one book. I know Louisa has a great story to tell, but for me just couldn't translate it to page well enough.

Man, I really wanted to love this story so instead I'll very much look forward to what Louisa has up her sleeve!

Thank you NetGalley for offering me an ARC of this book in return for a fair and honest review!

Summer. Vibes. The cover has them, the story has them – the easy breezy pacing and ice cream moments make me so nostalgic for leaving sixth form on our lunches and nipping to the local shop for ice creams – and having to run back across the hospital car park to get back in time to eat them on the grass before lessons.

This story was great, with a small net of important characters that really make you feel like you can almost see the bond between them. Each new character that is introduced is wound into their lives from before, though we have the bond between Nelo and Kate as the focus throughout. I enjoyed how the references made it feel real, and made the two feel like actual teens, but didn’t date the book – too often an actual band or game is referenced in a ‘teen’ book which then instantly dates it to a singular place in real-time. This felt though as though it could have been set today, or 5 years ago, or in 5 years time.

I loved the found family elements, a trope I always enjoy a great deal. Sisters by choice, if not by birth. The friendship and its ups and downs felt real and genuine, and I loved the stubbornness of Nelo and her real struggle with the changes around her – from the shop to her nickname to her bra; everything came together to increase her stress and struggle and she has a wonderful amount of personal growth.

I have to admit I’d figured the twist of the book out pretty early on which is a bit of a negative but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story at all, as I was eager to see if I was right. I can think of a few other directions it could have gone in that would have still worked with the reveal but I was very narratively happy with the way the author played it out. I also liked that it lead back into the idea of change and how Nelo is going to have to work through that herself.

Overall this was a simple book, but was effective. I loved how much the characters individual voices shone through, and how quick paced the book felt.

Rating – 4/5

Here lies another book with a female stubborn/angry Black protagonist that I have no choice but to love. I really liked this book, like more than when I began and I’m glad the pretty cover made me request this title.

Chinelo or “Nelo” as we come to know her, is fiercely protective and proud of her neighborhood Ginger East. Things get rocky when her best friend Kate’s family store is vandalized and it looks a lot like Nelo might lose yet another friend. Kate is pushing her away, and while Nelo wants to get to the bottom of things, it’s just another thing in her world that’s changing and she isn’t a fan of.

About 10 chapters into the book I realized that I must be officially not with the times because while I understood the slang just fine, I don’t personally use it/speak that way/ever spoke that way with my friends, and it’s just a matter of time before the younger generation alludes me....but not if I keep reading YA to stay young zfjfdsfsfd.

Like Home touches on getting older, on shifting relationships and the growing pains of friendship, on gentrification and community and YouTube glamour/fame (lol), on first love and the awkwardness of having feelings; all these things aren’t just thrown in just to be thrown in too, which sounds silly but it really makes a huge difference when telling this story. And yes Nelo is the type of girl to throws hands first and maybe ask questions later, but her fire is undeniable and her heart is truly what pushes her forward, even with her rash decisions and her slick mouth and her pettiness.

I’ve never been a fan of change, whether it’s good or bad, so Nelo’s character resonated with teen-me and now-me. Like right down to not wanting to wear the new bra her mom bought because the old one was ill-fitting, and clinging on memories and viewing them with rose-tinted shades when the reality is much different.

Romance wasn’t a huge focal point for this story, which was completely fine with me, and yet as a huge romance fanatic, I appreciate that what happened between Nelo and Rafa didn’t result in a romantic relationship. Yes it’s hinted that it will possibly go in that direction in the future, but when the book ends, I feel a sense of peace with Nelo and her friends all together again and just being kids.

Which brings me to one other point!!!! A YA book where the kids read as kids?? Let me explain: YA has gone through a lot in the past decade, probably longer since I’ve been reading it, and while MG is holding it’s own, it’s like authors and publishing have been trying to age up and mature YA characters while still dancing in the box that categorizes YA literature. And while I enjoy college YA protags, and even the ones in vein with the Six of Crows cast where they’re youngsters but go through so much trauma you wonder why the hell they’re all under 18, like huh???, I think that it was just a welcomed shock to realize that this book is about 16/17 year olds and they sound and act like their age.

An #ownstories book, the author is Nigerian and so is Nelo, and it’s fun to see hints of that woven throughout the story, so I can imagine it’s even more meaningful for readers who are Nigerian themselves.

I’m still grappling with a rating at the time of writing this, so I’m in between a 4.5 and 5 stars.