Road Home

This was another well written memoir from Rex Ogle about his troubled early life. Road Home follows Rex through coming out, moving states in hopes of a better life, and the tragedy that is homelessness. With people in his life that protect and betray him, young Rex learns how to world kicks those who are already at their lowest.

This was well written - heartbreaking and bleak yet keeps the reader wanting to read on, to know how the author is able to survive the hardships. I read Ogle's 'Punching Bag' a couple of years ago and enjoyed it, and now I'll be seeking to check out Free Lunch to complete the memoir trilogy.

When a book has the power of recalibrating your empathetic response to human suffering, you know it is one not only worth picking up, but spreading for others to share in the impact. Rex Ogle has accomplished just that in Road Home.

Growing up in Alabama & having a younger brother who is a New Orleans transplant, I related to the places & faces that Ogle generously depicts. Yet there are so many parts that are Ogle’s story to tell. As a reader, you could feel the measure of care, control, ownership, & restraint that he took in gifting others with a peak inside trauma that no young adult should have to endure when coming into their own person. It is exactly this strength that not only helped carry him through that time, but also carries him through a look back that undoubtedly required courage.

No Mushu luck needed to see that this man’s humble talent deserves his flowers. I can think of young — and old — people who will benefit tremendously from this gift & perhaps begin to see that no matter the past (or present) there is life yet left to live.

This was an exceptional book written with heart and honesty. As painful as it is read, it is a story that needs to be shared as many readers will be, unfortunately, able to relate to Rex's experiences.

Road Home, the final chapter in Rex Ogle’s memoir series, provides the utmost closure that any reader who has followed Ogle’s story through Free Lunch and Punching Bag could ask for.

I refuse to say that Road Home ends with everything wrapped up perfectly, sealed with a big shiny bow, because the memories shared in this final installment are anything but shiny. However, Ogle reminds us that there is always a glimmer of light, a glimmer of hope, and that is what we must hold on to.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley

In the age of book bans and "Don't Say Gay" and all kinds of conservative backlash, these are exactly the kinds of books we need to read. All kids should have access to books like these, because this is real life and real talk and LGBTQIA and questioning teens deserve access to our stories. I appreciate the author's visceral and honest take on his experience as a homeless queer teenager. A recommended read! Thanks for the ARC.

I received an advanced copy through NetGally. Wow. I usually am an audiobook listener but because of the New Orleans setting, I requested a copy of the ebook. I blew through this in just a few hours. Rex's memoir covers a time when he was homeless in New Orleans after being kicked out of his house at age 17 by his father. Although Rex had not had a sexual experience with another boy at the time, he was aware of his attraction to boys and because he couldn't promise his father that he could be completely straight he was kicked out. He made his way to New Orleans and this memoir covers his time in the Big Easy. It was anything BUT easy. Rex's descriptions of New Orleans were authentic. His writing transported me, I could feel what he felt, his state of being during his time there. It was heartbreaking and moving. There is a rape scene and other elements that could be triggering to some. Rex has these warnings at the beginning of the book. He did a masterful job of communicating the pain of those experiences without being terribly graphic. I would put the age for this at 15+