Gentrification, but make it coming of age twisty.

A beloved neighborhood store gets vandalized and chaos ensures. Part mystery (who threw a brick in the window), part social commentary (gentrification of urban communities), part coming of age (teenage angst and drama), this book truly feels like home. Yes, I just did that and no, I'm not sorry. ⁣
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From the dialogue between the characters to the vivid description of the neighborhood store (think corner store or bodega for my New Yorkers), this book reminds me a lot of growing up in New York City. Ginger East (known as G-East to the bougie outsiders LOL) is like many neighborhoods before they are gentrified (represented as a haven for crime and gang activity, where low-income residents are raging war within its confines). However, that land though, super ripe for luxury condos, hipster coffee shops, or artisanal restaurants. Am I right? The shade though (*eye roll*).
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The interesting part about this book is that it explores gentrification from various perspectives, including the community that is fighting to keep the local integrity of the neighborhood, the former residents who moved out to "better" neighborhoods, and the people who, quiet as kept, want to leave, but are unsure how to do so. In the midst of all of this, we see teenagers from the neighborhood come of age (discovering relationships, navigating friendships, and dealing with the myriad of changes happening around them). ⁣
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Sounds like your kinda read? Well, you're in luck because the book is OUT NOW! Who's adding it to their TBR?

In Like Home, a sudden act of local vandalism suddenly changes the whole neighborhood of Ginger East, while also bringing closer four friends Chinelo, Kate, Raffa and Bo.




Chinelo, our MC, is a bold and strong lady at the cusp of adulthood. Her love for her home and neighborhood and best friend Kate was portrayed so well through the words. Having lost two of her best friends after an unexpected incident, her only best friend is Kate. And when Kate starts to pull back after the local vandalism act, Nelo finds herself lost and grappling onto old life, wishing for things to go back to the way it was. And one way she thinks she can achieve this is to find who was behind the vandalism that ripped apart her friend’s life.


My favorite character has to be Raffa. Adorable and sweet, I loved Raffa’s innocence as well as his strength and presence of mind. Bo, on the other hand annoyed me and I really didn’t feel his character. He could’ve been excluded and I wouldn’t have bothered. Same was with Maree too. I wish she got more time to develop her character, perhaps, but she just seemed like a prop to stir the pot. Kate was, I guess, alright. While I was conflicted about her actions, I wish she didn’t pull back and do what she did. Lastly, when it came to Chinelo, I was totally conflicted about my feelings toward her. While I liked her in the beginning of the story, she got too much of a typical teen character for me later on – wants to take on every single burden upon herself, takes too much to heart, is very sensitive and emotional, will try to involve herself everywhere, pretend to be oblivious to the obvious. I just – there were certain points when I just didn’t vibe with her anymore and wish she wasn’t so nosy.


However, I think the relationship between these friends was very well established. We see how that single incident manages to bring the four of them closer and the transition is so smooth, so swift – it just fits into the daily normal. I liked that. To see the lively chats between them also warmed my heart and brought some colors to the gravity of the story otherwise. Those little moments were some of the best.


Coming to the writing, I loved the way the author portrayed the lives of the characters and painted distinctions of each other. The writing felt so fresh and fun to read. I was flipping from one page to the other in a swift way, and I think the author made everything very much relatable. It was seamless and beautiful. The focus was also on very important topics of gentrification, racism, the want and need for change and resistance, social justice.


The character’s growth by the end of the book was, I suppose, commendable. They grow into somewhat mature beings with more trust and courage with each other and oneself. Friendship stories are one of my favorites and this really warmed my heart.


But there were also a few little things that didn’t allow me to give this book a higher rating. As I had mentioned before, Chinelo’s character didn’t outrightly fascinate me. As a main character, I found her voice to be whiny and repetitive towards the end, her fears and dilemma surrounding the same single thought. I wish there were multiple POVs to this, maybe from each of the four main characters. I would have loved to see the events through Kate’s eyes, for one, to see what drove her, what made her do what she did. At the same time, while I did enjoy the writing, I also felt like the emotional aspect of the story was missing a lot. I couldn’t emotionally connect to Nelo’s desperation to save Ginger East, Kate’s shop and resist change. I wanted something more, I suppose, to feel.


The climax also didn’t really sit well with me, I’ll be honest. I did guess it 50% into the book, and yet I wasn’t fond. I also didn’t like how quickly things were resolved at the end.


The book definitely played with clichés, I won’t lie, but I’m ready to overlook them. But I think for a debut, this book was really good. It tried to shed light on gentrification, social activism, economic status and mobility, the power of media and the idea of change as a whole. The book is a lot fast paced but has a fitting end, I believe. The cast of diverse characters and their distinct ideologies, perspectives and personalities made it a fun and important read.

It is so great to be able to share a birthday with the book birthday of Like Home by Louisa Onome. It is a story I really enjoyed and would recommend everyone to pick up and read.

Before jumping into the book, I knew I would automatically enjoy it because I am a huge fan of On My Block and Elizabeth Acevedo’s work. Like Home is a story of gentrification that we all need to read. It’s thought provoking and enticing. It is also relatable to so many who have experienced the effects gentrification can do to their communities; the place they call home. Like Home is more than just a delightful read. It takes you on a ride of so many emotions, a friendship that goes through the motions, and a girl trying to find herself in the midst of it all.

Louisa is an amazing writer and hooked me into the story from the very first page. Between the backdrop of the Ginger East neighborhood to the journey of each character, Louisa fills the novel with rick settings and amazingly complex characters.

The story is told through Chinelo who is the main character in the story. Chinelo is a great character and has such a relatable self-discovery story. Not every teen has an easy journey and Chinelo allows the reader to dive into her world and into how complicated it can be to just be a normal teen at times. This is all with dealing and coping with the trauma of seeing two of her closest friends leave. Her anxiety towards this shows when she feels her relationship with Kate become rocky. Kate; a spunky girl who loves her family is wholesome, realistic and relatable. Kate’s and Chinelo’s relationship is one that feels so real. You feel like you are the third person observing slightly form the outside and hoping all will be well. Their friendship is also dynamic and the two together share such a powerful message in a way that doesn’t feel forced but fells natural.

I was provided an early copy of Like Home in order to conduct an interview with its author, Louisa Onomé. Please see the complete interview below:

1. Puberty can be a confusing and difficult experience for many young adults as their bodies change and no longer feel like their own. We see Nelo struggling with this throughout the novel, as her chest size begins to grow and becomes an object of observation and comment for those around her. She resists her mother’s suggestions that she purchase a new bra and feels uncomfortable with the attention her chest garners from her classmates and friends. Why was it important for you to tackle this particular topic in Like Home?

Awesome question! I chose to put in those smaller tidbits because oftentimes when we think of change, we think of it like this overarching “my friends are leaving and my world is being uprooted” sort of thing. But for the most part, it’s the smaller changes that also have the ability to shake us. For someone like Nelo, who had seen what change does to a friendship and decided she hates it, something as simple as going up a bra size carries a lot of weight because she knows on the other side of that change, there’s nothing good. Hence, her hyperawareness around being perceived by boys around her. Speaking personally, I found that one of the strangest parts of growing up: being perceived different by people around me. It was so jarring, so it was important for me to at least touch on what that felt like.



2. Change, and how we perceive and respond to it, seems to be a central theme in the novel, as Nelo is forced to confront everything from her changing body and the gentrification of her neighbourhood to a growing distance with her best friend, Kate, and a burgeoning romantic relationship with her old friend, Rafa. How do you effectively deal with change in your own life and do you have any advice for young readers as to how they can do the same?

I’m in the process of learning how to float down the river of change as opposed to pushing against the current! It’s hard, though, but I always go back to that saying: allow me to change what I can’t accept and accept what I can’t change. Some things are inevitable and some changes shock us into feelings we don’t want, but I like to sit with the reality of a situation and really see where it’s necessary to expend energy. Sometimes it isn’t! And in those times, I like to pivot and focus on doing things I love and spending time with people I care about. For young readers, I think it’s important to ask yourself where you’re spending energy. Is it towards the things you love? If not, that may be a good starting point towards acceptance!



3. One of the many things I loved about Nelo is how passionate she is about her neighbourhood, Ginger East, and how she dedicates herself to social engagement and community activism to protect and better it as a result. How can young readers inspired by Nelo’s enthusiasm and conscientiousness effectively engage with and become involved in their own communities?

For some people, getting up on a stage and taking charge comes naturally, but for others, behind-the-scenes organization or assisting efforts is where they find comfort. Figure out where you’re most comfortable and grow from there. It could be volunteering for an organization, starting a group at your school, or raising money through creative talents, but I believe no action is too small.



4. Nelo is incredibly strong and resilient, but it’s clear she is also vulnerable and has been marked by trauma throughout her life which she has yet to heal from and which colours how she sees and responds to the world around her in present day. A violent incident at an arcade she and her friends used to visit led to the death of another child and many of her friends subsequently left Ginger East as a result of this incident and other concerns about the neighbourhood. This creates a lingering feeling of abandonment for Nelo, which we can see most clearly in her friendship with her best friend, Kate, who she fears she’s growing apart from. Can you speak a little about this aspect of the story?

Yes for sure! I think Nelo’s abandonment issues are probably the strongest driver of her behaviours. She does a lot of things to keep things the same because she’s someone who has experienced change and saw what it did to her community and her friendships. She’s operating under the belief that all change is bad, because change took away her childhood hangout spots, it took away her friends, and it’s taking away her neighbourhood. As the story progresses, she comes to understand that change doesn’t always need to be seen as a bad thing, or as a black-and-white situation. For her, the shift is subtle, but I think that’s realistic for anyone when we’re trying to accept things. It always take a bit of time and I’d like to think by the end of the story, Nelo is well on her way to that acceptance.



5. Ginger East is drawn with such vibrancy and personality and it’s easy for the reader to care as deeply about the fate of the neighbourhood as Nelo does. What inspired you to write this story and is Ginger East based on a particular neighbourhood or community you’re familiar with?

Ginger East is somewhat designed like the neighbourhood I grew up in. My neighbourhood was mainly residential, where Ginger East has businesses and a bustling community, but in my mind, the layout is really similar. I think I did that primarily for nostalgic reasons, honestly! It’s the same reason I chose to write Like Home. I grew up in a similar environment, where most residents were immigrants and all the kids on the street became close with one another. It had such a strong community vibe and I really wanted to portray that as best I could, in a way to show off what it was like for me growing up.



6. Nelo unintentionally becomes a public figure when a video of her speaking about an act of vandalism in her neighbourhood is recorded and goes viral on the internet. Her mother tells her “When you’re in a public forum, your words don’t belong to you anymore. You can say whatever you want, but people will take only what they need.” This passage struck me as particularly powerful and timely, particularly when social media allows for a previously unprecedented level of access to our private lives and a platform from which to share our thoughts and opinions. What would you say to young adults currently attempting to navigate the potential power and pitfalls of social media? What can they learn from Nelo’s sudden “fame”?

Ooh yes! Social media can be such a powerful tool to connect with people, but the internet never forgets, and that kinda sucks. I grew up during a time where not a whole lot of people were online and your online persona was mostly anonymous, so I can’t really say I know what it’s like to be a young person on social media these days. I will say that a lot of what makes social media addictive is that immediacy, and it makes you want to say things and do things for an immediate reaction. This is why it’s great to have a group chat with trusted friends or a few good people you can vent at in the DMs. You can still have your immediate reaction, but now (hopefully!) there won’t be 700 screenshots of your rant online forever. I’m sure Nelo would say the same thing! She would also say, “Don’t trust anybody out here,” but I’m not sure I would agree with that.



7. Let’s have some fun! Nelo loves Ginger East unreservedly and can’t imagine living anywhere else. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why?

Too many places! I love to travel (or at least…. I did) and for a hot second, I lived in London. I really loved it there, but as with most cities, you love it more when you have money to spend, so I don’t think I would move back unless I had copious amounts of expendable income. I think parts of London have such a cool vibe, and there was an ease to things there that I really liked. Plus, when I lived there, that was the most fashionable I’ve ever been in my life and I miss it!



8. From gentrification and displacement to familiar coming-of-age topics like growing up and growing apart, Like Home is an ambitious novel that explores a number of different subjects that young readers are sure to find relevant and revelatory. What do you hope readers will take from the novel?

I hope readers who haven’t ever been around a neighbourhood like Nelo’s come to understand what community looks like in those spaces. Community is built by people, not buildings or corporations, and when we displace people who are invested in growing a community, we in turn displace the community. This sort of thing happens every day, unfortunately. I didn’t write Like Home to specifically share my thoughts on gentrification, but I hope by writing through one version of events, it will entice readers to learn more about what home really means to them.

A timely story about race, gentrification and formative teenage years. The author did an excellent job developing the characters and bringing their hometown alive in the pages. I would love to hear more in a sequel!

Thanks to Delacorte Press and Hear Our Voices Book Tours for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

"I don’t want to go backward, Nelo. That is not where goodness exists. Sometimes things have to change to get better."

I love stories where I get to watch characters grow into their own and this was just that and a little more.

The relationships between Nelo, Kate, Bo and Rafa were beautifully done and reminded me so much of some of my own. It was great to watch them come back together and grow even stronger as their own little found family. I also really loved the community of Ginger East and how much of a tight support system they were for one another.

This was a great story about growth and change, how inevitable it can be and how sometimes it can work in ways you don’t expect. I enjoyed spending time in Ginger East and would read more adventures with Nelo and her friends if I could. 😊

Chinelo, or Nelo for short, loves her neighborhood Ginger East—it’s full of memories of going to the arcade with her friends or hanging out at Ginger Store, the corner store owned by her best friend Kate’s family. The neighborhood has changed, and most of Nelo and Kate’s friends have moved away, but Nelo still wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. But her world is shaken when someone throws a brick through the window of Ginger Store. As the community responds, attention from the police and the media puts Ginger East, and Nelo, in the spotlight. Suddenly, Nelo finds herself forced to confront questions of community, changing friendships, and the world around her.

Like Home addresses themes of change, gentrification, community, and activism in a thoughtful and compelling way. The vandalism at Ginger Store brings the community together and pushes them to start addressing other issues impacting the neighborhood, like new fancy shops moving in and rent hikes that are pushing families out. Nelo has a strong voice, and through the support of her community, she learns how she can actually use that voice. Louise Onomé creates such a realistic and palpable sense of community—Ginger East absolutely felt like a real neighborhood, and I loved reading about the way the community comes together.

In addition to dealing with big subjects like community, change, and activism, Like Home is also very much a story of friendship. Each character in Like Home truly felt so real and compelling. I loved that this novel also had a diverse cast of characters: Nelo and her family are Nigerian, and her best friend Kate is Vietnamese. There were a number of other supporting and background characters who were Black, Latinx, and Asian.

The characters and their relationships are undoubtably my favorite thing about this YA contemporary. Nelo and her best friend Kate have an incredible sense of sisterhood, and Nelo desperately wants to be there for Kate’s family in the aftermath of the brick incident. As a distance forms between them, Nelo becomes more and more determined to find out who really threw the brick. The bond between Kate and Nelo felt so real, complex, and tender.

I loved that Like Home is also about old friends finding their way back to each other. Throughout the years, many of Nelo and Kate’s other friends have moved out of Ginger East. When the vandalism of Ginger Store puts their neighborhood in the spotlight, Nelo and Kate find themselves reconnecting with two of their former friends, Rafa and Bo. Nelo has to process her feelings of hurt and betrayal about them leaving Ginger East, while also questioning whether she’s ready to make space for these friendships again. But while Rafa and Bo want to help, another former friend, Maree, is looking to gain fame off of the community; together, Nelo and Kate will have to push back against exploitation and the appropriation of their community’s narrative.

Louisa Onomé’s writing is impactful, and a perfect blend of wit, humor, and honesty. I loved that Like Home tackles very serious subjects like gentrification and activism while balancing them with moments of joy and resiliency. The voice and characters in this story feel so real, and the community of Ginger East jumped right off the page. I found the pacing of this book absolutely perfect, and I never wanted to say goodbye to Nelo and her friends. This novel has already become one of my favorite YA books of 2021, and Louisa Onomé is definitely an author I’ll be watching.

This was truly a wonderfully character-driven story that also presents difficult and necessary conversations around change, activism, self, and community. You can bet I’m adding this book to my library’s collection, and will be recommending it to fans of Ibi Zoboi, Brandy Colbert, Renée Watson, and Angie Thomas. Ultimately, Like Home is a beautiful YA contemporary that explores change—in the world, in our communities, in our relationships, and in ourselves.

You know this is one of those times when I want to say a lot but at the same time I can’t say a lot. Sometimes I find it difficult to write spoiler free reviews but here I am, giving it a go. Because, y’all, you should definitely add Like Home to your TBR, its really amazing to read!

A ya contemporary novel, it has its all the teen charm, angst, gossips, jealousy, miscommunication and quite a lot of stuff for the readers! Set in Toronto, it talks about Ginger East and how life is in actuality in neighborhood. The novel greatly focuses on gentrification and people’s experience surrounding it. I didn’t grew up in a neighborhood but my mother grew up in what we called ‘colony’ which was greatly similar in description what I found in this novel. I am not talking about gangs, but the community, people living together in harmony and knowing everything there is to know, people supporting each other and much more. It’s not easy to see such drastic changes taking place and similarly for Nelo, it was difficult and frankly confusing to see the vast amount of changes that her neigborhood was going through. It talks about displacement, urbanisation of sorts and people moving out to fairly ‘better’ neighborhoods.

Another thing that was amazing about this book was its take on diversity. I loved how smoothly it flowed, allowing the readers to enjoy and varied cast and hence varied culture. It also dealt with changes in friendships, the lost ones which you eventually find again, the ones you find yourself uncertain in and the ones which seem everything but nothing together. It was all the cast, especially Kate and Nelo which made me read the novel with so much vigor. Had this book been written in multiple POV, it would have been soo amazing but I like how the author decided to give voice to the character she could most connect to and give a genuine representation. Nelo was stubborn, quick on her decisions and full of opinions to bring about good change. One more thing amazing thing about this book was it’s continuous and glaring representation of social media and internet influenced so much of what was happening around!

Honestly, it was just too great to read this novel and I am soo happy that I got a chance to read this one! It was definitely like that last piece of cake which you savor till the end but still can’t get enough of!

*Thanks to netgalley and the publisher to provide me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Onomé’s debut, LIKE HOME, follows best friends Nelo and Kate after the grocery store owned by Kates family is vandalized. This act of violence forces Nelo to see her community, Ginger East, with new eyes, which makes things between Nelo and Kate very tense.
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Nelo is certainly stubborn and fierce. It was nice to see Nelo fight for her community. I could feel the love, pride and hope she has for Ginger East and the people there. I enjoyed having Nelo and Kate reconnect with each other and their old friends. I was getting frustrated with these two, to be honest. But their friendship felt real. Sometimes, you can’t speak to those closest to you, and you need to connect with different people. I was happy with their reconnection and growth in the end. This story focuses on gentrification and how it affects those in the community. I thought this story had a good portrayal of the desperation and determination that goes with fighting for your home.
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Thank you to Harper Collins Canada and Netgalley for sending me an eARC to review!
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4/5 stars, LIKE HOME by Louisa Onomé is available today, February 23, 2021!

The book had an interesting premise. I was looking forward to seeing gentrification and friendship explored. By in the vein of Elizabeth Acevedo this is not. I felt this may have been better as a MG book versus YA because the character just read younger than her age. I appreciated Nelo's passion for the neighborhood and it was an easy to read story but it didn't grip me. Nelo was so unlikable and self centered.

I ENJOYED…
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- Like Home was such a gem of a contemporary, I fell for so many parts of this book, I’m not sure where to start.
- The main character in this story, Chinelo, is so attached to her neighborhood. Even when her friends, one by one, move away, she’s there with all of her memories and love for the community there. When vandalism happens in her best friend’s parents’ store, the community and the city is shaken and Chinelo is forced to face the changes happening both in her neighborhood and her life.
- The strongest suit in this book is its characters, from the main character to the group of friends, everyone had their own voice, story and personality. It felt like stepping into the neighborhood itself, filled with colors and voices and I don’t know, I just immediately grew fond of everyone.
- Chinelo (or Nelo) was such a great main character. I loved her fierceness and her attachment to the place she’s always called home. She’s so reluctant for things to change, but she grows so much and so wonderfully in this story.
- The cast of characters surrounding her was SO great, as well and I loved their dynamics together. I could really feel their friendship as they grew apart, grew closer together again and so on. Their interactions felt so realistic.
- I especially loved the strong, complex best friendship between Nelo and Kate. They’re two peas in a pod, they’re growing apart… the author perfectly captures how it feels to be so close to someone and to suddenly not be able to understand them anymore.
- No spoilers, but I loved the little romance in this, too. It’s not the main focus at all, which I appreciated, but it’s ADORABLE OKAY.

I HAD A HARD TIME WITH…
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- Sometimes, you just can’t quite pinpoint why this book didn’t sweep you away completely. I’m afraid this is one of these times. I really enjoyed this book, but didn’t feel that extra something for me to give it the 5 stars, that’s all!

OVERALL
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If you’re looking for a lovely contemporary read with great friendships, I’m definitely recommending Like Home to you. This heartwarming, beautiful read also talks realistically about gentrification and I really appreciated it.

In her debut novel, Louisa Onomé tells the story of embracing change and the importance of community. Nelo loves living in East Ginger. Yeah, it has its problems, but it's home. After her best friend's family store, and the local grocer, is vandalized, Nelo is determined to figure out who did it to make sure Kate's family won't move away, like other families. Slowly, Ginger East is becoming gentrified. With the closing of so many different businesses and rent starts to increase, Nelo is trying to hold on to her neighborhood and her childhood as tight as she can before everything changes.

There was a lot I liked about this. The overall message of embracing change, even if it's scary. How social media and the news can take a story and make it something it’s not by exacerbating a situation. The tone of voice was very strong and felt extremely genuine. The authentic relationships were really special and I loved to read about the reconnection between old friends. My one critique is that it definitely felt too long. At over 400 pages, it for sure lagged in parts.

I definitely recommend, if you're looking for a book with a great sense of community reminiscent of television show On My Block, look no further! Just be warned, it is pretty long.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings: Mentions of a shooting and death (chapter 8, chapter 16), mentions of gangs, mentions of drugs, vandalism, racism (chapter 20), blood (chapter 31), protests and mentions of tear gas (chapter 31)

Like Home is a book that I’ve been looking forward to for a very long time! As an avid reader of Elizabeth Acevedo and a lover of the musical In The Heights seeing Like Home recommended for fans of both had me instantly adding it to my TBR. The book met all of my expectations and I loved reading it!

Like Home is a lovely story about friendship, the challenges we face as we grow up, and how the place that we’re from shapes us into the people we become. Nelo has lived in Ginger East her entire life and has a very strong emotional connection to this community and the people who live there. This story is a love letter to Ginger East, and while it may not be a real place, Ginger East represents hundreds of thousands of very real small communities around the world. Onomé’s descriptive writing makes it easy to picture the community of Ginger East and those within it.

This ARC was provided for review, but in no way affects the following review:
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5*
Pros: I'm going to be fully honest here and say that I cannot review this book without bias. Exactly like its title says, this story felt like home to me. As the daughter of African immigrants, as someone that grew up in an area considered by many as the ghetto, but seen by us as home, Nelo's story hit close to heart. I understand deeply feeling terrified of change, not only splitting up from your friends and acquaintances, but also saying goodbye to the places you grew up in and that made you who you are, that got replaced by shinier, newer, stranger versions of themselves. Gentrification is a huge issue that is taking away people's homes and communities, that is increasing poverty and stealing opportunities for those who are just trying to provide for their families and find their happiness. Nelo's story completely resonated with me and like her, I also had to face my fear of change and other similar issues in my life. I'll be rereading this book till the end of time, I just know it.
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Cons: I need a new-adult PoV of Nelo's story, I want to know what happens next in their world.
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P. S.: It was actually extremely funny to me that the MC's name is Chinelo, which means slipper/flip-flop in Portuguese ahaha

This debut novel was one I was thrilled to have gotten to read. With realistic young adult voices that need to be heard, the realistic and complex relationships between the YA characters woven with the gentrification of Nelo’s neighborhood.

The cast of characters were what made this book for me, refreshing & well-written in a way that made you feel as if you were in the moments with them. Stories about friendships always seem to hit the strongest for me, and I love how these friends stood for each other and their home while struggling with how change can be inevitable.

Highly recommend for that tween/ YA reader who wants to feel seen, and to learn about teens who may have a different view or voice than their own. What’s not to love about a book with a lot of heart, and full of diversity?

Is anyone else a total sucker for when a book has a coordinating playlist? Check out the unofficial Spotify playlist from the author to listen to while you read!

Thank you to Turn the Page Tours, Delacorte Press & NetGalley for my advance readers copy in exchange for my personal review on the book tour!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the advance Kindle copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5 for this 2.23.21 release. Nelo and Kate are the last of their childhood friend group still living in Ginger East, a suburb of Toronto. When Kate’s family’s store is vandalized amid growing gentrification in the neighborhood, the community bands together. However, Nelo soon learns that she may be the only one holding fiercely to the neighborhood; however, she is not the only one holding on to fond memories of the past. Hand to readers in grades 8+.

When I heard that this book was for the fans of 'On My Block', I was really intrigued. The blurb also sounded really interesting, so I decided to give this one a go.

What I loved about the book was the really fun and happening plot. I wasn't bored at any point in the book, and it kept me wanting to read. In fact, I read the whole book in a single sitting, and I'm sure that says alot about how good the plot was. The story did have a few twists and turns, but the beauty of this book was it's simplicity. The book had a very simple, yet satisfying plot. Overall it was a quite enjoyable experience.

The setting of the book was also really believable and vivid. The atmosphere the writer wrote really came to life. The social issues this book deals with is something that should be talked about more. It also deals with the fact that society changes every day, and people have to progress with it, even if they like it or not.

The MC of this book is an angsty teenage girl, so you already get a fair idea of what she's like most of the time. But what she's dealing with right now in life is something that alot of teenagers deal with. Change. She's so afraid that things are changing, that she's made it abundantly clear that she'll do anything to stop it. But she deals with this whole thing, and her character arc is really impressive.

Another thing this book talks about is friendship, and co-dependency in it. It's something that isn't dealt with alot in books, so it was nice to finally see that. Our main character, Nelo, can't digest the fact that her bff has a new friend now. She's constantly talking about how shitty that makes her feel. The book really constructs on the very toxic idea of 'monogomous' friendships. I'm glad the book touched this issue, and dealt with it in a really sensible manner.

What I didn't like about the book was the main character. She was annoying, and stubborn, and to be very honest, she didn't even seem like much of a good person. Even though I'm totally on board with characters being flawed and all, but Nelo wasn't even slightly likeable, and because we got to see all the other characters from her point of view, all the other characters become unlikeable as well. This book would've been a solid 4.5 stars if only the main character wasn't such a jerk. If I could change another thing about this book, it would be to remove the unnecessary romance. It didn't contribute to the story at all, and only dragged it out.

Overall, if you're more of a plot driven book kinda person, I have no doubt that you'll adore this. Otherwise, it might not be for you.

What a GREAT contemporary novel. I tend to read more scifi/fantasy but this was an absolute joy to read. Louisa Onomé gives us this amazingly coming of age and dealing with change story while embedding so much more into it. There's learning to deal with the changes going on in one's own body, their friends, and even within their own neighborhoods.

Not to mention Nelo is such a passionate, vulnerable, stubborn, MC and Onomé is not afraid to show Nelo's fear through it all which makes it so easy to root and/or identify with her.

Nelo loves her neighborhood but where other people (even within it) see a dangerous place to live, she sees it as a place full of good people with good hearts; where the good outweighs the bad that everyone else seems to focus on.

When her best friend's father is a victim of vandalization, his store being the/a staple of the neighborhood, it feels like everything is changing and none it seems to be for the better.

Queue Nelo having remarkable character growth and taking us on this wonderfully personal journey all the while handling the topic of Gentrification with the observance it deserves to have from everyone, not just those who have had to deal with. I always feel it's a topic that doesn't get as much attention as it should and I loved watching Nelo handle it and point it out and learn her own feelings on the changes that come with it for her.

Definitely one of my favorite releases of 2021 so far and I really look forward to going back and reading this author's debut novel again, and for reading what comes next!

5/5 Cups of coffee, thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you HarperCollins and Netgalley for the arc

Nelo is a fierce fighter against change in her neighborhood, but her world gets rocked when her best friend's store is vandalized, and she feels pushed away from the life she knew. Her story is about change and the pain that comes with it. Sometimes we get too comfortable in what we have that we don't look outside and see how things are different for others.

Nelo has a ton of empathy for others and she feels their pain like it's her own. That is not to say she's not an angsty teen, but a lot of what she deals with, we have all dealt with at one point or another. Her stubbornness reflected my own. I don't do well with change, even something as simple as a daily routine being interrupted. It's hard when you're preoccupied, and not so open to seeing things another way. Not to mention the way society changes, and we all must adapt to change along with it. Nelo is flawed and relatable.

I loved the family element of this book as well as Nelo's internal monologue. Although I did predict the twist, it did not affect my rating. I think it all came together really well.

I had a great time reading this book. I hope others also enjoy it too.

The writing in this is gorgeous and worthy of the pre-release comparisons. This story is complex with such an amazing friendship at the heart of it. I can not wait to see what Louisa Onomé does next if this was only her debut!