A gorgeously drawn graphic novel with an interesting narrative, plot, and concepts. Definitely recommended for fans of this genre.

Now I know I may not be doing this justice since it appears that many other readers enjoyed it but the prose reminded me too much of the likes of Amanda Lovelace that I could just not get into it.

DNF

I thought this was a beautifully written book and the verse was a bit choppy in places but that may have been my ebook version and not the actual book. The Places We Sleep is a coming of age story about Abbey who is struggling to find her identity in the complex world post 9/11.
Abbey deals with middle school and puberty but those are just a few problems this book tackled. We also see more difficult subject matter such as racism, war, bullying and grief. I would recommend this novel as it sends a lovely message of kindness and acceptance. I think many middle graders will relate to this character in their own way.

Thank you for this ARC!

I sincerely didn't like it, I didn't enjoy it, It made me feel a little bored. I don't think this book is for me, but this book has a very good writing and it's very understandable

Twelve year old Abbey is starting the school year at a new school once again.  This time she is in Tennessee and her school is farther from her father's Army base than usual.  Abbey has also managed to make a friend in happy and athletic Camille.  She might even make friends with the artistic and cool Jiman.  Then, September 11, 2001 comes.  Abbey wakes up with her first menstrual cycle along with the news that will change her life forever.  Once the news hits, Abbey's mother rushes to New York, her sister Rebecca is missing.  Abbey is left with her father, her new body and a new world to navigate.  As time passes, Abbey's father is deployed, and kids change their opinion about her at school, all the while her body keeps on schedule, slowly marking the months. 

Uniquely written in narrative verse, The Places We Sleep beautifully captures the thoughts of a preteen experiencing the trauma of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The writing immediately took me back to that day that connected so many of us across the country in fear.  Just like Abbey, the day has been cemented in my mind.  The verse perfectly captures the raw emotion at the time paralleled with coming of age. Through Abbey's eyes there is a deep look at the grief, depression and confusion that defined the months following the attacks. Between Abbey's Aunt, parents, and classmates there is a wide cross section of representation of how people reacted and were effected by many aspects of 9/11.  Abbey shows that while an event may seem defining, the support of friendship and love can help you through. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

This story follows Abbey, the daughter of an army officer, and details her life around 9/11, interlinked with getting her first period. It is written in verse and it’s worded beautifully.

I received an eARC from Net Galley and found the story difficult to follow - I assume it was an issue with the formatting in the eBook, rather than just a very unclear narrative structure. Parts of the story seemed disjointed and would connect again a few pages later.

I wouldn’t share this with my class as the themes are a little too challenging - I would recommend it more for older children and teenagers, perhaps age 12+.

The Places We Sleep is a coming of age story surrounding a complex world post 9/11 which is unbelievably magnificent in every way. This novel was honest and truthful, tackling difficult subject matters while also raising awareness towards young readers regarding the messages of bravery.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I wasn't particularly moved by this story but kids in the 8-13 group may.

The Places We Sleep is a coming of age story about army “brat” Abbey struggling to find out her identity in the complex world post 9/11. Middle school and puberty are just a few of Abbey’s problems however, the book tackled more difficult subject matter such as racism, war, bullying and grief. I would recommend this novel as it sends a message of kindness and acceptance.

The Places We Sleep was a beautiful verse novel that depicts the struggles of a military family. Through the eyes of a young girl named Abbey, we learn about what it is like to have to travel from town-to-town as an every-moving military family.

Life gets even harder for Abbey and her family right after they moved to their latest new town. America was attacked by a terrorist group on September 11, 2001. Now, Abbey's dad must deploy out to Afghanistan. Abbey and her mom are left behind to fear the worst while he head's off to defend their country.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book. It's a good one but I dropped it halfway. I feel that it's too heartbreaking for me. I felt pain in my chest that almost made me tear up. I want to continue reading it but I can't handle the weight of emotions this book contains. I like it and I still believe that it's a must read.

I really didn’t enjoy the writing style and what I read of the book just felt a bit all over the place. I had to DNF it after starting it 3 or 4 times.

https://effysbooks.wordpress.com/2020/07/19/the-places-we-sleep-caroline-brooks-dubois-dnf/

This book tackled some heavy issues like war and 9/11 in the perspective of Abbey, a middle schooler. She also talks about her friends and how her school life is. She is very shy, so she rarely speaks up, which makes it harder for her at school. It's very sentimental and I really liked reading about what's going on in her life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review
It is the story of 9/11 and the impact that it had on 12 year old Abbey and her family. While her family are reacting to what is happening around them poor Abbey is not only struggling with being the new kid at school but she also got her period for the first time and her mum was not around because her sister was missing after the planes crashed into the towers. .
The story is written in verse which I struggled with due to the format of the ARC but was an overall good story that brought back memories of where I was and what my reaction was to 9/11

A tremendously affecting coming of age story, THE PLACES WE SLEEP (8/25/2020) by Caroline Brooks DuBois deftly explores how a family grapples with the events of the September 11th terrorist attacks and the vast impact on their lives thereafter. Born into a military family, Abbey, 12, has started, once again, at a new school and is trying to navigate major changes and anxious feelings. DuBois’ exquisite free verse is told through Abbey who is struggling with her first period and not being able to consult her mother for guidance as her mom has gone to NY for her aunt. Abbey’s thoughts are raw and relatable as she deals with bullies at school and her father’s imminent deployment. With so much on her mind, I felt for Abbey and admired her kindness, courage, and her art. This poignant novel deals with grief and loss with dignity and grace. It was not uncommon for me to let the sensitive prose “marinate” for a bit before moving onto the next verse with words so profound and touching. Emotional and accessible, THE PLACES WE SLEEP is a necessary addition to my classroom library.

I took up this book because I was really attracted to the amazing artwork on the cover as well as the book title. But this book turned out to be something completely different from what I had expected. I DNFed this book at 30% because this book just wasn't for me. I will like to appreciate the book layout though.

I was underwhelmed by this book. I found the pairing of 9/11 and it's aftermath with the protagonist's menstrual cycle to be a strange choice. I understood the intent, but I felt like it never achieved the symbolism that the author was clearly aiming for. I also found the various classmates to be both flat (as many other reviewers noted) and unrealistic (we know the city hosts an army base, how on earth can Abbey's status as "Army brat" be that novel or ire-producing to the students?!). Finally I found myself continually more interested in the stories of Jiman, Camille, and Abbey's cousins, ultimately leaving my annoyed that Abbey was the focus instead of virtually anyone else in the novel.

Abbey is going through the growing pains of middle school when 9/11 strikes, and her Aunt Rose, who works in the Twin Towers, is declared missing. While her mother leaves to go comfort her sister’s family, her dad prepares to be ready for war in Afghanistan.

Perhaps I am missing the point of this narrative, but I was a bit dismayed that too much emphasis seemed to revolve around Abbey’s first dealings with menstruation and a clique of girls at her school. Being a second grader during the time of 9/11 in Western New York, I recall a lot more emotion than that which was shared in this narrative, which especially felt disconnected with her dealing of Aunt Rose. I think this would be a good read for my middle school students and I always appreciate verse, but wish there were more substance behind Jiman’s character and Abbey’s emotions. Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

I was so little when any of the events of 9/11 happened that I have no recollection whatsoever plus I'm not from America so all I know from this event I heard from the news. So I went into this book expecting to read form the perspective of a little girl who really doesn't know what is going on, I went into this expecting a lot of confusion and fear. Maybe cause the novel is written in verse, for me, the narration felt really impersonal and I felt that at times Abbey's voice sounded too mature for someone of that age. Overall I liked it but it wasn't my favorite.

It's September 2001 and Abbey is the new kid in her middle school class. She's used to being new - due to her dad being in the military, the family's moved around a lot - but this year will be different: Abbey is entering puberty just as the nation is shaken by the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

I hadn't really encountered a children's/middle-grade novel handling 9/11 before reading this, so that was already pretty interesting in its own right. Overall, "The Places We Sleep" looked at the issue from a variety of angles, perhaps even surprisingly so, given the main character's dad's occupation. No single right or wrong answer was presented, leaving the readers to draw their own conclusions instead.

The novel is written in verse, so it reads quickly, but I did feel that it could have gone more in-depth on a lot of the themes it touched without suffering from being longer. It wants to cover a lot of ground, including 9/11-related storylines and normal middle-school goings-on, and I felt that, especially in the second part of the book, a lot of the plotlines were merely glossed over. I'd have loved the book to focus more on Abbey's friendships with Camille, Jacob and especially Jiman.

Conversely, "The Trio" and the jocks bullying everyone around them got old very quickly. Legit question: do people like this actually exist outside of books and TV shows? I've never gone to an American school, I legit don't know.

One more consequence of the novel being written in verse, as well as in the first person singular, was that Abbey read somewhat too mature for her age a lot of the time. I got into the rhythm of the writing style eventually, but it did take me a while.

(Also, apparently this counts as historical fiction and I feel ancient for knowing that.)