Harbour is a young teen fending for herself on the streets of Toronto, but she claims to not be homeless, just waiting for her father. Her father is going to sail to Toronto and everything will be fine. But when summer slides into fall and into winter, Harbour and her loyal furry companion Tuff, need to figure out how to survive the cold Canadian winter. She befriends another young girl who shows Harbour and Tuff the ropes, but teaches her about friendship.

Safe Harbour deals with homelessness and mental illness in a gentle and empathic manner. I recommend Safe Harbour for grades 6+ and wonder if we'll see it as a MYRCA title in a couple years.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn for sending me a free advanced reader copy of this book for an honest review. Safe Harbour debuts December 10th.

Safe Harbour is one of a few books I’ve read this year that I’d put in the category of “issue books,” i.e., books that focus on particular real world situations that might not affect all readers, but help give insight and understanding. Myself I wouldn’t normally peg as an issue book kind of reader since I can really bristle at anything that feels too preachy, but Safe Harbour really spoke to me; I was rooting for the MC from page one, especially because she’s in such a perilous situation: a fourteen-year-old on her own in Toronto waiting for her transient father to arrive on his boat. All she has to her name is a tent, a meager stash of cash, a maxed-out credit card, a phone, tuna cans, and soda crackers–oh, and she has a dog that she also has to provide for. And winter is coming, and the MC, who is used to warmer Florida weather, has no idea of the scope of a northern winter.

It’s an unlikely story, but Kilbourne does a great job helping readers see how events could have led to this point. Be prepared for a harrowing story: Safe Harbour illustrates real nice and clear how easily someone can become a victim of sex trafficking, lose a finger to frost bite, or let love (for example, for a pet or a family member struggling with mental illness) keep you from taking steps toward safety. Things worked out okay in the end, but I was praying for the MC along the way.

The characters are the shining feature of this story. For once, I was fully on board the unreliable narrator wagon–I’m not always into unreliable narrators, but I thought it worked splendidly for Safe Harbour. I did think the end wrapped up a bit too neatly and wasn’t that believable, but it didn’t spoil the book in any way. If you’re looking for an issue book that will take you on a roller coaster of emotions and doesn’t get too preachy, Safe Harbour is a good choice.

A good read for the YA audience. Harbour, a 14 year old girl, and her dog Tuff find themselves without resources in Toronto- and winter is coming. Luckily, they meet Lise, who helps them understand how to understand on the street. This one should make the reader think twice and more sympathetically toward the homeless. While parts of it are grim, that's reality. Kilbourne circles around but never hits very hard on the subject of mental health (but this is meant for as YA, not adult readers). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Rating: 4 street-smart stars

Oh Harbour, how have you found yourself in this situation? We first meet fourteen-year-old Harbour as she is camping out in a park ravine in Toronto, Ontario. It’s the middle of summer and she’s got plenty of tuna fish and crackers to keep her fed, and her dog, Tuff Stuff (‘Tuff’ for short) to keep her company. Harbour’s Dad selected the spot. Then he sent her up by bus from Florida to get the tent camp set up in Toronto. He insisted that he would sail their live-aboard boat up from southern Florida in just a few weeks.

The weeks turn into months. Dad’s credit card stops working. Dad stops answering his phone. Harbour runs out of money. The only bright spot in Harbour’s life is Lise. Lise is a homeless teenager who knows how to survive on the streets. She befriends Harbour and shows her ins-and-outs of living on the street. Harbour can’t move into a shelter because they don’t allow dogs. Harbour cannot abandon Tuff. Every day turns into a struggle to gather food and stay warm as winter sets in. While this book is categorized as a Young Adult novel, it tackles some very adult issues. It shines a bright light on the plight of the homeless and mental illness.

This book is full of compassion and wit. I cared what happened to Harbour and Lise. After reading this book, I had a better idea of what homeless face as daily struggles; finding food and safe shelter; staying clean; and trying to move forward away from homelessness. There was also an element of mental illness in the story. The author skillfully described the symptoms and inner voices of the mentally ill. The characters struggling with it were humanized and three-dimensional. As this story shows, mental illness touches many people in the orbit of the actual person suffering from the illness.

The only thing that I take issue with in the book is that Harbour and Lise’s storylines were just too neatly wrapped up. The rest of the story was so realistic, but the ending was just a bit fantastical. Hence, my 4-star rating. I would recommend this to readers (young adult, or adult) who like a mystery accompanied by some relevant social commentary. I have whole-heartedly recommend this entertaining read to my friends.

‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, Dundurn Press; and the author, Christina Kilbourne for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Safe Harbour
Author: Christina Kilbourne
Genre: YA
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Harbour is fourteen years old and living in a tent in a ravine outside Toronto with her dog and what feels like a million cans of tuna. She’s not homeless—she’s just waiting for her dad and their thirty-six-foot sailboat to arrive. She can’t tell a soul about her past, not if she wants to remain safe. So she ignores the overtures of friendship from homeless Lise as she waits for her dad.

Then summer turns to fall and her dad still hasn’t arrived. The eccentric reading list he left her didn’t cover how to survive in a tent in the winter, and soon Harbour’s confidence in her father fades, and she’s forced to accept Lise’s help if she wants to survive.

This was an excellent read. Harbour doesn’t seem like she’s only fourteen—she has a much more mature voice—and with everything she’s been through, I can see why not. Her struggles were so vividly portrayed that I almost felt cold when she did. There are a lot of scenes that show an intimate look at being homeless—and surviving—and this book was both sad and full of hope.

Christina Kilbourne is from Ontario. Safe Harbour is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Dundurn Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

This book is heartbreaking, but very well written. It's a nice change of pace to read about an underhoused teenager who doesn't hate the world, but instead loves her freedom.

Unfortunately Safe Harbour just wasn't what I was expecting and I couldn't really get into it because I was unexpectedly comparing it to another book I read.

I'm quite passionate about homelessness and like to try and read more about different people's experiences but sadly I didn't finish Safe Harbour. It felt a bit slower than my usual reads and whilst I felt for Harbour I was expecting the book to be a bit more intense or emotional and it didn't really grip me by the heartstrings.

From what I did read the characters were realistic and relateable. Harbour is down to earth and easy to like despite her situation. So far Erica the librarian and Lise another homeless girl are compelling and likeable too.

The writing is eloquent and has a nice balance of dialogue and description which I found impressive given our main character is usually solo and could fall into the trap of overly descriptive or self rambling writing.

I think my issue with this book is I was comparing it to one of my favorite books also about a homeless teen trying to hide her homelessness from her school peers. Because I kept thinking of that I think I made unnecessary comparisons and that's what made it harder to read for me despite it being a well written book.

Overall I still believe this book has HEAPS of potential and believe it will be well loved by those that read it. 3.5 stars but rounding up to 4 as can't do halves.

As this was a DNF I have not posted this review on social media. I am more than happy to do so, please just email me at booksandyass@gmail.com and I will post it to Instagram, Facebook and/or Amazon.com.au

A solid, intriguing and emotional read for YAs - and beyond! I enjoyed this quick read and found myself really feeling for Harbour, the main character. I wasn't sure where it was headed for a good part of the plot, but eventually it all worked itself out. I wish the mental health aspect was a little deeper, but it was relevant and powerful nonetheless.
I enjoyed this novel, and would definitely recommend it for ages 14 and up. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This book covered some hard hitting issues in a moving but sympathetic and gentle way. Although I would have appreciated diving a little deeper into those issues. I enjoyed this book and think it fits well for young teens. This was a quick and compelling read.

Strange, but satisfying little tale of a girl navigating the world of homeless teens in Toronto, Canada. Learning how to stay alive and who she can depend on. Wraps up far too neatly with a nice little bow on it, but otherwise a good read. Enjoyed the character of Lise far more than that of main character Harbour. Wouldn't mind seeing a follow up on this based more on Lise's end. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

I loved Safe Harbour by Christina Kilbourne! It's one of those books I had trouble putting down.

Harbour Mandrayke is going on an adventure. Her father sent her to Toronto, where she'll wait for him until he arrives in his sailboat. Until he arrives, she's hanging out on public land in a tent. She has everything she needs: a warm sleeping bag, enough tuna and crackers to last for months, and her dog, Tuff Stuff. Only problem is, her dad was supposed to arrive a couple of weeks ago.

She befriends a homeless girl named Lise, who suspects that there's something wrong, especially as the weeks continue to pass and Harbour's dad still hasn't arrived. Things take another turn for the worse when Harbour's credit card is declined. Where is Dad? Did something happen to him? Did he suddenly decide to forego the responsibility of parenting and send his daughter away? The mystery of the missing dad makes me want to keep reading. I wanted to find out what happened to Dad, and then... what's going to happen to Harbour?

I loved this story. I won't tell you what happened to Dad, or what happened to Harbour, but it did have a satisfactory ending, and there were enough twists in the middle to sustain my interest and make me want to read more.

Aside from it being a good story, Safe Harbour brings up the topic of homelessness in a relateable way. How do people end up homeless? Why don't people go to shelters? Can homeless people use libraries? I googled that last one. I do hope a lot of people have the chance to read this book.

In addition to the relateable characters and the good story, I loved the setting, which was Toronto from the months of July to January. You could just see the leaves change color and snow accumulating on the ground as the months passed, or see the harbor and the city as Harbour and her friend navigate the area.

This is a must-read. It will be one of those books I'll probably be recommending to people on my blog many times to come in the future.

Fresh and wonderful. I enjoyed the relationships and the growth of all the characters. Kilbourne transports you into the world of these people and shows the world from a new perspective. Harbour's dedication to her father and her journey to find out more of her past is so magically revealing. It was like being a trace a truly magical read.

This is a great YA for readers at the younger end of that demographic, but with appeal to older readers through different eyes too. It’s a stark and sympathetic look at homelessness, with relatable characters and strong friendships driving the narrative.

The two main characters – Harbour and Lise – come from very different backgrounds, something that doesn’t matter a great deal when in the same dire situation, especially in a city with particularly harsh winters. Harbour isn’t homeless, she keeps telling herself. She’s just waiting in Toronto for her dad to come and meet her on his boat from Miami. However, as winter quickly approaches and without any word from her father, she must face the reality of her situation with the help of Lise, a homeless teen who’s been living on the streets and in a shelter for two years.

The mystery of Harbour’s past, although really a subplot, is well executed, and at the end I was left considering that everyone in the story is a victim of some kind. The shift from a rose-tinted vision of her past – and her father – to the reality was well paced and shocking, even when (possibly particularly as an adult reader) you can see it coming.

I found this a quick and engaging read, highly recommended for younger readers.

Interesting premise and look at teenage homelessness, which might have been improved by increased emotional sensibility in the characters (for example, I always found that Harbour's reactions were somewhat muted and remote until she suddenly exploded/broke down, and I never really understood why Lise chose to befriend and continue to help Harbour despite all of the attached baggage), fewer dead end plotlines (Brandon, Jack and Frankie), and more even pacing (the first half of the book was a lot of walking around and running errands and waiting, and the second half had the large portion of twists and revelations). I would also sort of question its representation of homelessness: not the details so much as the convenient ending, which few of the actual teenagers facing homelessness would realistically be able to see themselves in.

I was instantly intrigued after reading the description of Safe Harbour by Christina Kilbourne. I love finding books with story lines I’ve never even remotely seen before and this story was unique.

The story follows Harbour Mandrayke as she works her way through the streets of Toronto trying to survive until her father arrives on their sailboat. Problem is he doesn’t show up on time and it’s getting cold.

I love Harbour. I love her fiesty-ness and her ability to take care of herself at such a young age. The side characters in this story really helped build up the story and make it more interesting. Lise was one of my favorites. While she was still young herself, she had a maturity about her that you could see she earned from years on the street. The friendship she builds with Harbour right from the beginning shows that big sister instinct to protect those younger than yourself. Frank and Josh were fun side characters that gave the view from the rough edges of homeless life in a big, freezing cold city.

For most, being homeless is something we cannot fathom or even comprehend what these people do on the daily to survive. I think this book showed the realities of life on the street in such a raw and pure way that it put a lot into perspective for me. I love that Kilbourne was able to showcase this side of society that most don’t understand so openly. Kilbourne gave us characters that were easy to love and you found yourself hoping they make it. I wanted all of Harbour’s ideas about life to end up coming true. I also like that while this story may have a “happy ending” in some aspects, it didn’t really in others and that holds true to real life.

Kilbourne’s story telling abilities are supreme and I felt emotionally attached to these characters by the end. I also was not able to see the ending coming, even though I thought about quarter of the way through I knew what was going to happen. I was wrong, just in case you were wondering. I am a fan and I will be looking into reading more from Christina Kilbourne very soon. A new favorite of mine amongst the Teen and YA Fiction genre.

Fourteen-year-old Harbour's mother passed away when she was young. Since then, she and her father have been living on their sailboat, sailing from port to port. He drops her off with a phone, a credit card, some cash and her dog, Tuff, in a port city in the States and tells her to catch a bus and make her way to Toronto, where her mother was from. He is going to sail there and join her in about five weeks. While Harbour waits for her dad, she and Tuff camp out in a tent in a ravine, keeping a low profile.

Harbour meets Lise, a homeless girl who spends her days panhandling and knows where to get handouts of food, and spends her nights in a shelter. When her credit card is declined, she is running out of money and her father is not answering his phone, Harbour must accept the help of Lise while she stubbornly waits for her father and never gives up hope that he will come for her even as summer becomes fall and then becomes winter.

This is the second book I've read by this author and I liked it, though I'm older that its target audience. I liked the writing style ... it is written in first person perspective in Harbour's voice. It's not a happy story and I'll admit that at chapter 13 I did jump ahead to the end (chapter 18) as I wanted to see if there would be a happy ending ... and then I jumped back to chapter 13 and carried on. I live in Toronto so it was fun that it was set here because I tried to figure out where the action was happening.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dundurn Publishing for the opportunity to read this book. I was hooked from the beginning and can not put the book down. This book is so well written. I feel as though I am in Canada right with these characters.

A harrowing journey by one girl who has to grow up too quickly in an unstable world. Incredible story and very "relatable" for young readers.

Harbour is doing just fine living all on her own. She knows how to hide her campsite so no one finds her is living in a ravine outside downtown Toronto. She knows she can “shower” and charge her phone every morning at the public library while keeping up on her reading. And she knows she has enough tuna and soda crackers to last her until her father makes it up to Toronto in their boat, or thought she did until he is few weeks late. As winter approaches, Harbour realizes that her plan may not be as perfect as she thought and that she may need some help.

I really hope the author’s note that was included in the advanced reader copy is also included in the final version as I think it perfectly sums about the book. Kilbourne says that she hopes the book is an antidote to chaos and a tool to teach tolerance and it does both of those things perfectly. I think this is because Harbour’s character is so well developed through the thoughts in her head and her gradual willingness to open up to other characters. The plot also helped to highlight her struggle with made small struggles but I did feel like some of these struggles had gaps or were left un-concluded which messed up the pacing of the novel towards the end.

Overall, this is such a unique book that sheds light on a topic I have never read before in young adult literature.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I absolutely loved this book and read it in one sitting. It is based on a young girl named Harbour who, at 14, is camping waiting on the return of her father. This little girl survives living between a camp and a homeless shelter. The story tackles homelessness for young adults and mental health also. They are both dealt with beautifully and respectfully, not sensationalising them just for a story. Ultimately it is a book about courage, hope and the ties that can bind people together regardless of their circumstances. I have this book 5 stars as I loved it!!