A bit too fluffy for my liking. But I guess this was that sort of book. It's good if you're into cheesy feelings.

No Place Like Here has a likeable lead female character who is sent off to camp when her Mom goes into rehab and her Dad is sent to prison for tax evasion. Ashlyn isn't happy about joining her cousin Hannah at a wilderness retreat, mainly because she wanted to stay home and hang out with her friends. Add in the fact that she has to work with an unorganized and careless camp manager, and you have a very unhappy camper. The novel was well written and will appeal to high school students.

Basically, all of the teen drama you want in a summer read without the cringey scenes that sometimes comes with it. Very enjoyable read.

This was a fun easy summer read! I thought the characters were well drawn and I felt very connected to them. I don't always love YA but thought this book was not too juvenile.

No Place Like Here is a thought-provoking coming of age story of finding your path in life when your parents want you to be something that you’re not.  I adored Ashlyn as she faced the challenges of having an over-bearing parent and trying to deal with the tremendous changes that was occurring in her life.  She was strong, smart and someone that you definitely wanted to have in your corner as a friend.  No Place Like Here was a story that made me laugh and cry at times and I hope everyone gets a chance to read this beautifully written story.

Again, Christina June has turned a classic fairy tale into a turning point of realism with high school students. With a strong feel for teenagers today, this book has given students an avenue to be able to relate to. She includes strong character, some pretty funny antics (love the zip line episode), and of course, one liners we can all highlight. Our high school library will be proud to have the entire set of Christina June's books on our shelves.

What a fresh breath of air! This kept me turning till the end! This was my first book by this author and I can't wait to read more!

Cute read! I love books set at summer camp - they provide the perfect cosy background while still having some adventures.

Ashlyn's character development was really nicely done, and I especially appreciated two things. 1) The book emphasised how important therapy can be to improve your mental health. 2) There was some light romance, but mostly the story focussed on building friendships and improving family relationships.

I caught a few Hansel & Gretel references, but don't immediately see how it's a retelling. I did like the idea of Ashlyn leaving quotes everywhere like breadcrumbs (though not gonna lie it totally bothered me that she was technically defacing someone else's property). I loved that she was a quote hoarder like me.

I didn't realise that Tatum was a character in another book by Christina June until after I finished reading, but that was a cute touch. Fans of June will appreciate the cameos.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blink for providing me with a copy

I have to admit, I didn’t love this book. While the moral of the story — the importance of finding your voice and standing up for yourself — is important, the plot was somewhat unremarkable.

What better way to find out your father has been arrested for tax evasion than a Facebook post from your schoolmate's mother? Ashlyn's summer is already off to an awesome start with that news, but there's more: her mom's going to rehab for depression. And clearly she can't be trusted on her own, so Ash is being shipped off to relatives she barely knows. Forced to work with her cousin at a wilderness retreat, Ashlyn can't seem to escape her father's controlling hand even with him behind bars. But as summer throws its own set of challenges her way, Ashlyn is finding more and more of herself and the courage under the surface. 

I loved this book from the start. First of all, I am a sucker for a good girl/rich girl fall from grace kind of story. This wasn't *technically* that, because it was her dad's fault, and it's not like the story focused on the fallout at school or something. In a way, it felt the same, though. She's shipped off to relatives who barely know her, and her cousin is basically waiting for her to be a spoiled brat. And on top of that, she has to work at a summer camp. Er... sorry, it's a wilderness retreat for businesses and the like. Team building and stuff. But you can see why it has that "punishment" factor to it. 

Next, I love books that take place in the woods. Camps, wilderness retreats, the middle of a forest, you name it. So, I especially enjoyed the setting. I almost wish that the book had focused more on that! 

I liked the relationships that developed between Ashlyn and Hannah and Baxter, and even her parents. 

No spoilers. Just read it.

My favorite thing about Christina June’s writing is the way she voices her characters. I found Ashlynn, the main character in NO PLACE LIKE HERE, cute and funny and awkward, all super endearing qualities. She shows a lot of growth through the story, too, which I enjoyed.

I thought having her domineering, perfectionist dad in jail for tax fraud was an interesting element to the story, too. While I’ve read a couple other young adult books featuring characters with a parent or loved one in prison, it’s always for murder. I thought it was cool that NO PLACE LIKE HERE follows a family dealing with white collar crime and all the shame and weirdness that a kid might feel when she has a parent involved in something like that.

If you’re a big fan of summer camp stories, you’ll probably like this one. While it’s not a camp for kids, the retreat center where Ashlynn and her cousin work for the summer creates a lot of the same vibes as summer camp counselor stories. Ashlynn and her friends watch over kids in the pool and supervise activities like a zip line course and scavenger hunt. They develop a team spirit and share inside jokes.

NO PLACE LIKE HERE is the third novel in the story world created by Christina June. Each book features a different character from the first book, IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE, but you don’t have to read one before another, so if you’re unfamiliar with the collection, you can start with any book you want.

This was such a cute book! I rather enjoyed it. 


*thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me this free ebook in exchange for an honest review*

I would like to preface this review by saying that I love that this is a pseudo Hansel and Gretel re-telling. That being said, let's dive right in. While this a modern twist on the story you may know, it transcends what you might expect. While I never really understood Hansel and Gretel's parents in the original, June brings new life to these figures - allowing us a fascinating look both at Ashlyn's mother and also the relationship with her father. There are times we stand by and say nothing, afraid of rocking the gentle balance we've come to know, and when expectations pile up. 

While Ashlyn's story in No Place Like Here is very much one of self-discovery, finding one's strengths, and becoming in touch with speaking our feelings, I couldn't help becoming charmed with June's exploration of family. Ashlyn's mother checks into a clinic for her depression, while her dad is also in jail for tax evasion and this distance forces Ashlyn to look at all the spaces in between them. The heaps of expectations, stunned silences, and ways in which the family danced around each other.

I thought this would be more of a YA survival/Hansel Gretel retelling but it is more like coming of age. It was okay but wasn't too interesting for me

Although this book was my introduction to Christina June, I recommend starting with her debut novel "It Started With Goodbye" since there are some reoccurring characters. I love a good summer camp story and this book was unique in that the camp where protagonist Ashlyn is employed a retreat center serving people of all ages. The novel was inspired by "Hansel and Gretel", but the fairytale aspects were so subtle I probably would have missed it if I hadn't known that this novel was a retelling. (Although there were quite a few references to gingerbread houses, considering the novel took place in the summer.) 

The end of the novel dragged for me. The lessons Ashlyn and her family learned could have been more subtle. I was surprised that so much closure was provided for the family dynamics plot while the camp manager plot never felt fully resolved. This novel was definitely geared for younger young adult readers. I also think I'm too old for that fluffy, hereto romance plot line common in some contemporary young adult novels. Overall, I am giving this book 2.5 stars.

I was fortunate enough to receive this e-arc and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the story. Slow at first and I had a hard time getting into it, but it ended up being an enjoyable read.

This was a great YA summer camp story from the perspective of a wealthy teenager forced to take a summer job at camp. Ashlyn is juggling a lot while going straight from boarding school to a summer job she didn't ask for. She struggles with speaking up to her parents about how she feels, coming to terms with her parents' own shortcomings and fighting off the boys at camp. 
This is a quick and fun camp story dealing with family issues such as depression and incarceration. 
Thank you to NetGalley and Blink for this ARC, my opinions are my own.

Another well-written YA novel by June.  One parent with depression and the other in prison provide the background to Ash's summer working at an adventure camp.  There's so much to like here:  a hint of romance waiting to be fulfilled, a broken family that chooses not to disintegrate but to do the hard work of recovery, and teen snarkiness without crudeness.  Occasionally didactic as characters deal with their issues, this is still a great summer beach read.  I do hope there's a sequel. I want more time with Ash and her friends and family.  Recommended for ages 12 up.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher of this book for the free copy.
This book was a sweet contemporary read.  It was clean and it had a good message.

{Thank you to Blink and Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.}

Ashlyn hasn’t always had a squeaky clean track record. The daughter of a wealthy businessman, she has a bit of the typical “rich girl rebel” streak happening. She landed herself in boarding school a year ago after an arrest and is currently on her way home for a grateful reunion with her best friend.

Her summer plans are hijacked, though, within minutes of walking through the door of her house. Her father is taking his own turn in lock up, his for some pretty serious white collar crime, and her mom is headed to rehab for “exhaustion” (which everyone knows is actually depression).

Well, not quite the perfect start Ashlyn was looking for, this summer but it all crumbles further when her parents inform her that she will be headed to work with her cousin at a wilderness retreat while they are off taking care of their adult lives. 

Ashlyn packs up, wading through the wreckage and misery of what her perfect summer plans have boiled down to.

But of course, there is an unending soul-searching element to living in the woods among strangers for several months. And along the way, she finds not just a few new friends and adventures but herself as well. 

This story wraps teenage angst and adult chaos in the gentle fabric of heartbreak and new beginnings. It works through regret and forgiveness, taking the reader on a rollercoaster of emotions. The writing is clean and crisp, letting Ashlyn’s inner voice ring true, even when she is at her worst.