I liked this book very much. It is a different story, because we are not used to read about homeless teens. Yes, it does have some tropes, but it is a book for teenagers and they like this kind of romantic tropes.
Nevertheless, it has a beautiful message: '' Forgiveness''.
I wans't expecting the end, because I thought it would show how teenagers would react in the real life, but instead it may inspire other people to act like them and be kind.

After Abby's mom makes a mistake, their whole world is upended when things spiral out of control and her family finds themselves homeless. Abby and her family move to Minnesota hoping that they can start over. When Abby starts at her new school she tries hard to hide that she is homeless afraid of how her new classmates will react.

Abby tries hard to stay strong for her family especially her younger sister Amber as she tries to help when she can and live as normal of a life as possible in her situation. While at her new school Abby makes several friends rather quickly as well as an enemy. Throughout the book we are reminded how Abby blames their entire circumstance on her mother. While her mom made a mistake that was not the sole incident that led to their circumstance. It got annoying seeing Abby treat her mother as bad as she did. Abby makes some nice friends who became a good support system for her. The romance between Abby and Zach was cute, but it was a bit too instalove for me.

A read that was hard at times that shows how quickly you can lose everything and the struggle to find your footing.

Abby and her family have just moved from Omaha to Rochester and are living in their family van after a spiral of events leaves them homeless. Abby and sister Amber both start new schools while their mom and step-dad desperately try to find jobs and somewhere for them to live. We follow Abby as she navigates being 17, being homeless, moving cities and struggling to come to terms with the reasons they've ended up in this situation.

This was a typical YA boy meets girl, girl has a secret, boy asks girls to homecoming, girl is desperate to keep secret and go to homecoming with boy; but I think its really important that YA fiction covers important topics such as homelessness, highlighting how quickly someone situation can change and how our default is often to assume people's situations without actually asking them.

I gave this four stars, there were a couple of things which very mildly annoyed me, mainly around the way Zach initially pursues Abby, mainly by telling her she's spending lunch with him even after she's told him no. I get that by knowing Abby's situation the reader knows she's saying no because she doesn't want Zach to find out she's homeless and not because she doesn't want to spend time with him and I felt it was romanticising boys ignoring when girls say no; not a massive thing, I don't think its a problem it just made me feel like Zach was being a bit pushy; then someone else tells Abby that because Zach is popular and shown an interest no other boys would, but it is the way teenagers would act.

In Roam, Armstrong introduces us to Abby, a high school senior, who moves to a new school, in a new town...all while struggling with being homeless. Homelessness is a reality that we often shy away from discussing. While this novel vividly and heartbreakingly describes what being homeless looks like, it also touches on the themes of forgiveness, acceptance, and the meaning of true friendship. As an educator, the primary goal is education. We often forget that before a student can learn, they must have basic needs met; to be fed, rested, and feel safe. This tale will bring you to a new awareness of the harsh reality many face. Armstrong makes the reader feel like we are right there with Abby; cheering her on, crying with her, and making her battle our own. Roam is a definite winner and eye-opener, indeed.

Roam by C.H. Armstrong is a wonderful young adult book that I read in one night. The theme and lessons about forgiveness, compassion, the sense of belonging, and knowing one's own worth are very relevant to the audience reading this book. The author captured the "essence" of what high school is like for students and the dynamics between friends was heartwarming. This is a book about finding your own voice, your sense of identity, knowing who are you and having the confidence to take risks to reach goals that may seem impossible. There is a powerful message in that one person has the capacity to truly make a positive difference in someone else's life. I would recommend this book to all of my students who are now in high school as well as adults who enjoy Young Adult Literature. The themes are universal. Hope and happiness are attainable even in the most dire of circumstances. I love the message about paying forward to others the same care you received when you most needed it. There are many layers to the book, relationships between a teenage daughter and her mom, the sibling relationship, the community outreach and care, the friends in high school who truly turned Abby's life around, the care and encouragement of teachers, and the excitement of first love. 5 STARS!!

This was a great book. For a young adult novel it has depth, sincerity and empathy. It's relevant in that we are a consumer driven society and take so many things for granted. This story puts everything in perspective while rooting for the heroine and hoping that the other characters step up. Excellent read.

DNF at 50%

I'm feeling MOROSE about how this turned out. I couldn't get into it?????? It felt superficial and it broke my heart, because the premise is profound & interesting & all the good adjectives. But this was every badly written teen drama in history, culminated in this work. Like a teen drama written by an adult!!!!! Which, is a norm, I know. BUT. It shouldn't *feel* that way, because that means we feel a direct link between the writer's personal voice and the character's voice, which shouldn't happen. In sum, it was a problem with immersion.

The characters were dull, the dialogue was (frankly) annoying, the plot was kind of nice but not "I want to keep reading" level.

Full review to come on my blog, closer to release date. But....overall disappointing.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of ROAM in exchange for my honest review.***


DNF 34% I hate not finishing ARCs.

I don’t like books with hidden agendas and ROAM is filled with them.

Abby and her family are homeless following her mother’s affair with another teacher and her forced resignation (Problem 1-public teacher unions protect against this very thing). Now they’re living in their van in a new town. Homeless Abby becomes insta-popular on day 1 and the quarterback wants to date her (Problem 2), keeping her living situation a secret. On her third day of school he asks her to homecoming. Good thing her new insta-friends have a dress and shoes she can wear (Problem 3).

CH Armstrong must have never spoken to a gay person before. When one of Abby’s classmates tells her he’s gay she responds, “Are you sure?” (Problem 4). Her mother’s reaction to Abby having a gay friend is, “I don’t have a problem with his sexual orientation, but this could expose your homelessness when the school,finds out he’s gay.” (Problem 5). If this book had been written 20 years ago, I can see the horrible reactions, but not in 2019 unless Armstrong was writing this book for christian conservative homophobes (I know not all fit this category).

Speaking of anti-gay, Armstrong portrays the Salvation Army as a swell place, without mention of their horrible history of homophobia against employees and LGBT families. (Problem 6).

Abby’s younger sister is as precocious as can be, almost like she was written to be a Precocious Child. Her dialogue is like no six-year-old has ever spoken. (Problem 7)

I have a few more Problems I could list, but you get the idea.

I predict classmates will discover Abby is homeless, be hurt she felt she couldn’t confide in them, then her peers will rally around her, help her parents find jobs and they’ll all live happily ever after. ROAM is that kind of book.

I’m just coming off my season of Hallmark movies and in a way this book read like one- so of course, I loved it. Like most YA books the girl has a secret and doesn’t tell her boyfriend which causes a problem. Abby’s family is recently homeless and on top of that moves from Oklahoma to Minnesota in the Fall in search of jobs. They have trouble finding full-time employment so while Abby begins her senior year of high school they are mostly living in their van. It’s cold, and the four of them (Mom, Step Dad, Abby, and little sister) struggle with the close quarters, lack of food and showers. It’s rough, and this book doesn’t sugar coat it.

I felt like the situations that this family was exposed to were realistic without being dramatized at all. So often we may think someone isn’t “trying” hard enough to get out of a bad situation when in fact we make it incredibly difficult for people to get the help they need.

Abby and her family slowly succeed thanks to some caring people in their new community who go out of their way to help them. I’d hand this to anyone aged twelve and up. Bonus points for the inclusion of a gay friend in a healthy, regular kind of way.

I feel that homelessness is such an important topic- and I’m happy that it’s been brought to light in YA fiction.

The characters were so realistic and I connected with Abby almost as soon as I started reading. The other characters were realistic, well thought out and had fantastic development as the story went on.

This was a heartbreaking, eye opening story and one I hope people everywhere read.

All in all a nice book. Swift and telling, educational and in spite of the tough story neither brutal nor sad. I liked it, and although I‘d not consider it great literature I‘d recommend it for a shared reading experience in the classroom.

This book touches on so many topics teens deal with that I feel like the journey and message got a bit lost with this one. There was so much going on between the bullying, homelessness, school, friends, first loves and just overall typical teenage angst that sometimes I found myself skimming parts because I felt like they were just out of place. I think I understand why the author took this road but it just made the book a bit tedious and boring.

Although I did enjoy the characters, there was really no depth to any of them and very little growth in my eyes. Yes, Abby was able to overcome some major issues but I think I would have rather seen her try and work on these issues more rather than hiding so much. The majority of this book was about Abby dealing with so much, then in the very last part of the book her issues are outed by the typical mean girl and then everything is just wrapped up in a pretty little bow. The story just wasn't built enough for me to believe in that ending.

The one major message in this book I did get behind was forgiveness. The author really concentrated on the message that forgiveness isn't about the other person as much as it is for you as an individual. I think it could have been tackled even more than it was as this was something brought up in the beginning and when it was I was excited thinking we would see some real growth in Abby working through her anger over things that have happened and left her family in their situation.

I think this book had great potential to be something great but it just fell flat for me. These are my favorite types of YA to read and when done right they can be powerful tools for those hard teenage years but I think this one just didn't hit the mark, at least for me.

This book was so beautiful and I'm so delighted and honoured that I got to read it.

The book is based around a young girl called Abby, who's world has changed when her and her family become homeless and they leave everything they have loved to drive to a new place who can hopefully help them, but it's not so easy.

Through this book, Abby faces difficult challenges with school and with her home life and this story perfectly shows how homelessness can affect a family, especially when children are involved and also to what lengths some people must go to survive.

Thank you net galley and the publishers of this book for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful book. I cannot wait to buy a physical copy myself and reread this wonderful, extraordinary book that has made me cry, but for good or bad, you'll just have to read to find out.

This book provides the most hopeful reading experience. As my daughter has recently entered her teenage years I've been reading more teenage/YA fiction to pass along to her. Through this endeavor I found Roam and delighted in every single page. C.H. Armstrong penned a beautifully written novel of survival, hope, and forgiveness through the keen and overlooked eyes of a bitter, confused yet strong-willed teenager.

C.H. Armstrong opens Abby's story in Rochester, Michigan where her family, after unfortunate circumstances, have relocated and are now living ... in their van. Homeless, confused, angry, scared, and cynical Abby finds herself at a new school where she quickly becomes the object of the most popular boys affection. Just as quickly Abby is surrounded by new friends for whom she's skeptical but excited at the prospect of understanding meaningful friendship. Her deeply engaging and beautifully journey continues from that point forward with a few memories triggered with new experiences. While keeping her monumental secret because she's a teenager and she's ashamed, Abby learns to trust and to forgive and to feel very big emotions in healthy ways. Another girl can't stand her, her relationship with her Mother is rocky at best, and she finds herself enamored with a boy so different from her all while eating free meals at the Salvation Army and sneaking into Wal Mart for bathroom privileges.

Roam provides a wonderfully positive view from a not so wonderful part of life that so many teenagers and families face. This book turns bullying on it's ugly head without remorse and gave a parent like me with a wallflower kind of child hope that the kindness of people will always overcome the cruelness of others. Abby learns important life lessons she wouldn't of otherwise learned without hardship and she finds a voice she never knew she wanted or needed.

I loved this book very much and found Armstrong's storytelling a great way to kick off a new year of reading. Hopeful, positive, enlightening and charming - Roam is a must read for fans of YA fiction.

Roam is a YA novel that revolves around homelessness, family and friendship. I really liked how the author portrayed how easy it was for the MC and her family to become homeless and the ways in which they struggled. I became more aware of what homeless people go through and what services are available for them.

Roam is also a book about family and although there is conflict within the MC's family, in the end, they band together and try to take equal responsibility. As well, I like how positive friendships and relationship were highlighted in the story.

I also think the flashbacks were utilised very well. Things in the MC's current life trigger memories from similar but traumatic situations and from this we gradually learn about her past and what she has been through to make it hard to trust her friends with the truth of her homelessness.

The novel ends off on a very hopeful note, with the message that one shouldn't be ashamed or embarassed of things that are out of their control.

As far as the writing and characters go, I thought it was quite good. Nothing special but they really carried the message and ideas well, which I think are the star qualities of this book.

Overall, Roam is quick read that shines a light on the underrepresented issue of homelessness.

3.75 stars

Life can go wrong quickly. For Abby's family, it starts with step father Nick's hours being cut, her mother having an affair with a coworker and losing her teaching job, Nick losing his job, her mother having a seizure, and hospital bills making the family behind on their rent. Before Abby knows it, her parents and younger sister Amber have left Omaha and are living in their van in Rochester, Minnesota. They park in the Wal-Mart parking lot while they wait to get into a shelter, trying to stay warm and eating at a soup kitchen. Abby goes back to high school to resume her senior year, and immediately falls afoul of Trish, the most popular girl in school, especially when Zach, Trish's ex-boyfriend, starts dating Abby. Still, there are good things. Classes go well, Abby enjoys choir, and she makes a strong core of supportive friends who even loan her clothing to go to the homecoming dance. The family gets into the shelter, but has to leave after two weeks. Abby has a job delivering newspapers, and her parents are trying to find employment. Nick gets part time work as a custodian at a church. Things are bearable until Amber and then Abby get very ill and winter becomes colder. Desperate, the family starts sleeping at the church, cleaning up their things at 4:30 a.m. They are eventually found out, but the pastor is helpful and finds some solutions for them. Things are looking up until Trish is part of a performance group that has a show at a soup kitchen... and Abby is in the audience. It gets splashed all over social media that Abby is homeless. How will her friends react?
Strengths: Like Nielsen's No Fixed Address, this gives a very good picture of what circumstances can drive families into homelessness, how it affects teens, and the ups and downs of it all. Abby's family is very fortunate in the people whom they meet and the help that they get. Abby and her family tries to stay positive. Abby's school experience is front and center, and her efforts at hiding her condition are well portrayed.
Weaknesses: Several f-bombs, the mother's affair, and the general level of introspection and thinking about college make this firmly YA. Also, I found it hard to believe that the mother would have been fired. We have had teachers in similar circumstances in my district, and they are still employed.
What I really think: Since this is in paperback, and has the more high school issues, I won't be purchasing, but it was really well done. I would buy it for a public or high school library.

I really enjoyed this book. Cinderella of the 21st century is a homeless teen, new in town, and living with her family in the parking lot of Walmart. The novel beautifully contrasted the differences between teens growing up in poverty and those growing up in suburban abundance. The wealthy kids in the novel blithely take their new cars, multiple prom dresses, and their phones for granted, while the main character watches in something between envy and amazement.

This would be a great choice for upper middle grade and high school English classes.

Roam presents a new perspective that I had not read previously and it was very enlightening. C.H. Armstrong presents an excellent contrast between rich and poor. There's no way a teen, especially a homeless teen, would move to a new town/school and immediately become friends with and begin dating some of the school's richest and most popular kids. Although improbable, Abby's easy entrance into this circle of friends serves to sharpen the comparison between the haves and the have nots.
However, my heart did not ache for Abby and her family as strongly as I expected given their circumstances. I think this is due to the excessive amount of tears Abby cried for herself. When a character is more stoic, it allows a reader to relate to their vulnerability in a different and more personal way.

This is a book that every high school student should read - a truly heartbreaking, gut-wrenching tale of hardship that no one, especially a teenager, should have to endure. This was so perfectly and beautifully written that I did not want to put it down. I adored Abby and felt every ounce of distraught and discomfort, shed every tear she did and experienced all the joy that came from the love and friendships around her. I understood her frustrations and wanted to vent them out on her mother just as she did. I truly did walk in her shoes as the words flowed seamlessly page by page. I was in awe of sweet and sincere Zach, who by the way, I know is too good to really exist but I hope that somewhere out there in our current social-media, cyberbullying, full of judgment world, there is a teenage boy as admirable as him.

Is the ending full of acceptance and non-judgment realistic considering our current social climate, especially within the young adult community? Probably not, but it’s what we all should hope and aspire for it to become. As a 27-year-old reading this, I’m 10 years too late to fully relate to the high school/social media/friendship side of this story, but it made me grateful for all that I currently have in my life and made me rethink and reevaluate some things as well - like when I go hop in my hot shower tonight in my heated home with a belly full of the hot dinner I just ate, I’ll count my blessings because not everyone can.

While reading this, it felt completely realistic and that is odd for me because that doesn’t happen often. This is a story about forgiveness, and survival. I think this a book that everyone should read. After I read this book, I sat back a thought, that its crazy that there are tons of homeless family’s in the world there needs to be something done about that because no one should live like that.

I loved that this book wasn’t the typical YA book about love or finding it. It was about life and how to deal with the hand that your dealt. Abby and her family don’t have the greatest situation, but they do make the best of it. I feel like Abby is a lot stronger then she was letting on. I mean with all the things that she had gone through, she was bullied, lost her friends, home, she had to move to a new state and on top of that her family are living in a van. That’s to much for anyone to handle.

Some parts of this story were truly heartbreaking and I think that’s what made me love this story more, because I was able to feel the pain that Abby was going through.

I do recommend this book for everyone to check it out, its one that you wont forget.