Genre: new adult, women's fiction, coming of age
Pub date: August 3, July early release through BOTM

In 1994 New York, April Sawicki is stuck in an old motorhome with little emotional or financial support. All that changes when she "borrows" a car to perform at an open mic night. Fueled by her success, she hits the road to find a life beyond her small town.

Read if you loved: Mary Jane, Almost Famous, Everything After, The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes

When I picked up this book, I didn't know what to expect plot-wise, but I'd seen so many positive reviews that I knew this would be a good one! I loved the writing from the beginning - Larkin did a great job capturing April's voice - you can feel her determination to find her path. I loved the musical aspects of her story, including her original songs and some notable covers.

It's important to know that this is a character-driven story rather than a plot-driven story. Plenty of things happen to April, but her coming of age and found family stories are what make this a great read. The title of the book - the people we keep - refers to the meaningful connections in our lives. April encounters plenty of unique and special characters throughout her journey, and I enjoyed getting to know them too. If you like coming of age stories, definitely don't miss this profound tale.

Thank you to Gallery Books for my NetGalley ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Review posted to Instagram and Goodreads on 7/9/21.

Such a good book! April - she's sixteen. But sixteen is NOT sweet for April. He mother abandoned her at a young age, her father is worthless. He lives with another woman and her son and April is basically on her own. She drops out of school, steals a car - kind of - and hits the road. It's often a bumpy road. She ends up in Ithaca where she feels like she belongs, eventually. But that, too, comes to an end. And the adventure continues.

April wanders. People come in and out of her life. Some are good. Some not so much. And as a mom, I just want to give her a place to live where she's loved.

I adored Margo and Ethan! But this book is a good reminder of how all people - the good and the bad - impact your lives. The important ones though, are the people we keep!

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange my honest review.

Every so often I am in the mood for a good coming-of-age story. There is something about watching a character go through messy moments in life, finding themselves along the way.

The People We Keep is about April, a teenager who has been abandoned by her mother and neglected by her father. April’s love of songwriting and performing keeps her moving along, meeting a bunch of interesting characters along the way.

This is a story of found family. The people we keep in our lives- the ones who ground us and the ones who keep us running. The stars of the show are the friends, rather than the romantic partners. I rarely “liked” the choices she makes, but that’s not really the point of a novel like this.

I would recommend this one if you liked the coming of age focus in Writers & Lovers by Lily King or if you’ve enjoyed Kristin Hannah’s writing.

Thank you to @gallerybooks for the e-ARC via @netgalley!

This story pulls you in and stays with you. The characters are memorable and well-developed and the prose has a great musical quality without being over-flowery that complements the story themes. This is definitely a book to sink into this summer and wonderful for anyone teenage and older.

I was interested in the synopsis of this book as soon as I read it. I have not read one of Allison Larkin's books before and after this one I want to read them all.

The People We Keep follows April as she leaves home to find a place where she feels she belongs. Growing up her mother left her and her dad, then her dad basically leaves her to fend for herself in a motorless motorhome. and April does not feel welcome in the town. Margo, the local diner owner and ex-girlfriend of April's dad, is the only person April feels she matters to. April takes off to other places along the east coast. She meets some wonderful people and some not so wonderful people.

I wanted this story to just keep going on for another few hundred pages. I loved April and how she learned to be in the world. She learns to accept herself and to accept people loving her. There were some wonderful lines in this book that I can't quote as I read an ARC. But April's musings on belonging and making your own family were well written. This will be on my list of favorite books of 2021 and I'm only half way through the year.

If you loved Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow I would recommend picking up a copy of The People We Keep when it hits shelves on August 3. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC!

3.75

After living alone in a motorhome and a devastating fight with her father, April, at the age of 16, sets out on her own. Traveling across the country, sleeping in her car and making ends meet with music gigs, we share the journey as April meets different people along the way...

This is a coming of age story about family, friendship and love. I was invested in April from the beginning and rooted for her the entire time. Although at times I was heartbroken and frustrated by some of her choices, I understood why she made them and appreciated how she became the person she was meant to be.

Thank you to @gallerybooks and @netgalley for this advanced reader copy, I really enjoyed reading this book. The People We Keep comes out 8/3/21.

What isn't to love about this wonderful read by Allison Larkin! Inspiring and heartbreaking all at the same time. Wonderful , rich characters and a story that made me not want to put it down!

I read this book in one day, I was so completely transfixed by April’s story. The People We Keep is raw emotion, from the first page to the last, as we accompany April on her journey to find herself, to find family, and most importantly, to find the people she keeps. April is so incredibly young, a bit naive, and scarred by the people in her life that were supposed to love and support her. She is also gutsy, living each day on her wits and talent, relying solely on herself. My heart ached for her, it cheered for her, and it never gave up—just like April herself.

Loved it! Such a beautiful story about the meaning of family, what it means to belong, and how the people we choose are the People We Keep.

April jumps off the page. You can feel her desperation, her need to get out of her hometown. After having been left by her mother and essentially abandoned by her father, she does the leaving. And continues to leave people to keep herself safe. But despite herself, she makes some friends, has some romance, and finds acceptance. The supporting characters are equally as fully-realized as April. Your heart will break for April, you will root for April, and sometimes you will shake your head at April. But in the end, you will be so happy for April, and the life she manages to create for herself.

"Little River, New York, 1994: April Sawicki is living in a motorless motorhome that her father won in a poker game. Failing out of school, picking up shifts at Margo’s diner, she’s left fending for herself in a town where she’s never quite felt at home. When she “borrows” her neighbor’s car to perform at an open mic night, she realizes her life could be much bigger than where she came from. After a fight with her dad, April packs her stuff and leaves for good, setting off on a journey to find a life that’s all hers.

As April moves through the world, meeting people who feel like home, she chronicles her life in the songs she writes and discovers that where she came from doesn’t dictate who she has to be."

Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a character driven, coming of age story about April Sawicki. It takes place in Little River NY in 1994. A 16 yr old who lives in a motorless motorhome. She has a bad relationship with her father who is now living with Irene and going to have another baby, even though he is not in the right place for it. She's failed out of school and works at Margo's Diner. After having a fight with her father, she leaves home. Along the way to Ithaca NY, she sleeps in her car on a campground. She's really got it tough. In Ithaca she wants to live a life of her own, have a job and meet friends along the way. April does make some decisions that are bad throughout, but you gotta remember she is only 16. She is a songwriter and writes songs about life, and her experiences, I thought that was really cool.

I thought the first half was pretty slow, but once I got into the story I wanted to keep reading to find out where April's life would take her. I loved the characters in this book, and the people that April meets through her life. This was definitely well written and I know alot of people will love it.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My favorite book of 2021 so far. April is such a wonderful character and I was immediately invested in her story. I loved spending time with her and the people she chose to keep along the way. This is a beautiful coming of age story that will stick you long after it’s over.

I flew through The People We Keep. Each section of April's life was absolutely riveting. If you love found family stories, The People We Keep is 100% for you. I questioned a lot of April's choices and decisions, but then had to remember that she is a teenager, and teenagers make questionable decisions all the time. I love the journey Larkin took me on with April and think a wide range of readers will agree.

Typical teen coming-of-age story. Storyline a bit predictable, but engaging. Good book, though not great. I believe, though, it will appeal greatly to teens but not so much to adult readers. I liked the book, but I didn't love it.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH PERIOD!

Oh, April, she is living her sweet sixteen in the worst way possible, trapped in motorless motorhome which was won on poker game, abandoned by her mother at young age and now her father leaves him alone to become part of another family with a woman who is a few year older than her. She is dropped from high school because she has more important things to solve mathematical equations: she has to chase the open mic nights by stealing neighbor’s car, working her ass of for extra shifts at Margo’s diner and applying for special singing gigs at the bars!

Her boyfriend Matty’s family thinks she’s not good enough for their boy. And Matty plans to stay in this small town, marrying with her. But after singing in front of the crowd, April feels the power of spotlight. She’s too young to be rotten in this town. After her father’s decision to marry with Irene who is carrying his baby and his abusive, neglecting manners around her: she says enough is enough: stealing the car his father bought for Irene, packing everything she has, leaving her only valuable possession behind: her guitar because his father broke it to teach her a lesson. She hits the road without thinking any intention to return back!

She finds herself in Ithaca to start over: where new life and her bumpy journey starts here.

She starves, sleeping in her car, taking shower at the campsite till her body freezes, changing plates of her car not to be caught by officers, sharpening her skills to make fake ID, homeless, trying to find a job, a place to settle, forming friendships. She wants to become someone people care, someone not expendable, someone not neglected! But firstly she wants to learn how to trust people!

But unfortunately her long journey is just starting. She gotta learn a lot… she has to rediscover her true self, learning to be brave, reading more about people. She meets with amazing people. But she also meets with cunning, selfish, untrustworthy ones, too!

She falls in love, she writes amazing songs about small lives of people, regular lives with big words, she cries at the shower, she gives up, she f*ck up so bad, she leaves, she is left behind, she gives up, she starts again, she hurts, she suffers, she stumbles, she falls but eventually she gets up on her feet and she keeps driving till she finds out home is not the place she chose to live, it’s the place where family she chose lives. And now she slowly creates her own family by touching other people’s lives who contributed her adventurous somewhat tragic somewhat tough and testing journey!

I think I could read this book for days. Each chapter was written so genuinely. I felt like I’m so close to April and I easily connected with her friends she’s made throughout this long road trips. It was so engrossing, realistic. I felt like I read true life passages of our daily lives.

I loved this journey a lot. I loved April, Margot, Carly, Ethan, Adam so much. I think instead of immature, self oriented douchebag Justin and April’s neglectful father, I loved each of the characters( even Matt, Irene)

I think I don’t have enough vocabulary to express how much I loved this book. Don’t miss this out! Don’t just add to your tbr! It’s too good to skip or to be forgotten on reading list! Just read it! Read it and reread it! One of the best fiction books of the year!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

Rounded down from 3.5 stars.

I've seen this book described as "raw, surprising, and ultimately uplifting" and I agree with most of that.

Here's the spoiler-free premise: In November of 1994, sixteen-year-old April steals her neighbor's car and sneaks out to play at an open mic. She soon gets an opportunity for a standing gig, but after an argument with her father -- who has left her alone in a motorhome while he lives a new life with another woman -- April takes off. She lands in Ithaca where she manages to get a job at a coffeehouse and a new boyfriend. However, her relationships come to an abrupt end when she takes off for fear of all her secrets coming to light. A few years later, April seems to be living the life she wanted: travelling often and playing her music in bars, sometimes to large crowds and for good money. Other times just for meals or coffee. No stranger to dangerous and unpleasant situations, April reluctantly takes a last-minute slot that literally changes her life. But, if something is too good to be true, it probably is. As April tries to manage her life of perpetual heartbreak, she finally learns what -- and who -- matters the most.

Let me start by saying that this is a good story, and well-written, but I just didn't love it. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for such a sad and frustrating book and need to reread it someday, but also, I think I was expecting a story about April's ascent to stardom. And mostly, I honestly just didn't like April. I had to constantly remind myself that she was 16 and this was 1994 but I found her to be extremely naïve for someone who had been on her own for so long. While I didn't agree with every choice she made, some of them were just downright poor decisions. And even when she'd learned from them, she ignored the safeguards she'd put in place as a result. I did like most of the other characters though. (Mini spoiler: I thought that Adam was weird from the start, Carly was a mess but a great friend for April, and I loved Ethan and Robert!)

In terms of pacing, I thought it was a pretty slow build, but I just kept reading to see what would happen next, if things would ever turn around. I admit that I was often on the edge of my proverbial seat, mostly with worry that something awful was about to happen to April.

I thought April was really lucky to have found as many decent people as she had given her way of life, and I did feel bad for her always experiencing so much hardship. I was very frustrated with her when things didn't work out like they were supposed to -- which was often. I appreciated her journey -- it was indeed "raw" and "surprising" -- but I didn't see it as "ultimately uplifting" even with the end, which didn't provide much closure. I personally would have wanted to see how things worked out after the story's end rather than getting every detail leading up to that point. It ends with April at 19; I wanted to see April as a more mature adult who had learned to love and be loved. It just seemed like this should have been part of a larger story about April's life.

I do want to read more of Larkin's work, and I recommend this book for people who like literary fiction and/or don't mind a sad story.

Hands down, one of my favorites of 2021. I don't know that I've ever rooted so hard for a protagonist. I loved April and how scrappy, determined, and independent she was. This book was equally heartbreaking and heartwarming; proving that family can be chosen. I've always liked Larkin's books and wasn't sure how I'd feel about what seemed like a bit of a pivot for her, but she KILLED it. Beautifully descriptive writing and such a wonderful story.

AMAZING! All the stars for this book! The best coming to age story- perfect for a neighborhood or college student book club

This book pulls at your heartstrings. I was hooked by the story and found myself rooting for April from the beginning. The characters were so endearing and the heartbreak was enough to leave me thinking about the book even when I wasn’t reading it. There were more swear words than I appreciated but overall a very good read. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book! I think it will be one that is cherished for decades.

I’d like to thank the publisher for providing me a copy via NetGalley.

This book has left me utterly speechless. I read the last page approximately 4 minutes ago and I'm writing this review because I don't know what else to do with myself. This was one of the best books I've read all year--maybe in my entire life. I read this book in around 36 hours, and during the time I wasn't reading it, all I wanted to do was pick it back up and escape back into April's world. 
This book told through April, a resourceful young girl who is full of wanderlust. She was all but abandoned by her parents and sets off to find her place in this world. 

The People We Keep is a heart wrenching and beautiful coming-of-age story. This is a story of a resilient girl who was put aside and forgotten; a young girl's odyssey of adventure, heartbreak, mistakes, and friendship. Allison Larkin wrote the MC's voice so strong that I lost who I was while reading this. 

This is a book that I will recommend time and again. I was given an arc by the publisher in exchange for an honest review, but I already know that I will be purchasing a copy of this when it is released. 

Allison, if you're reading this, thank you. Thank you for this story and the power it holds.

This New Adult coming of age novel features a found family trope, and specifically one where we see the family all come together. It takes a bit to dive into the world and has a lot of exposition, but picks up about halfway through before the major time jump. From there, it's engaging, well-written, vulnerable, and authentic as you follow along April's life journey from teen runaway to a settled-down adult, and everything in between.