You'd Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow is a stunning novel of a family and how it deals with addiction, death and all that goes along with it. Emory and Joey and brother and sister and very close. Their older sister is out of the house and their parents are never around, so they each have turned to other things to get what they need from life. For Emory it's a secret relationship with the boy next door, who is the dream of all of her classmates, while for Joey it's drugs. As the novel opens, they are in a car with friends, on a rainy night and the worst happens...they're in an accident which leaves one girl dead, a boy seriously injured, Emory badly hurt, and Joey...he was passed out in the backseat, overdosed. Every parent's nightmare. As a parent who has thankfully survived my children's teen years, I was immediately drawn back to all of my fears and concerns that manifested everytime my kids would leave the house. Would they return safely? What were they doing and with whom? Were they doing drugs or drinking? Fortunately, my kids made it through and are now adults, but so many are like Joey...and this novel makes me realize how fortunate I am.

This is an excellent novel! Thank you to the author, Random House Children's, Delacorte Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

The Quick Cut: A teen girl tries to adjust to life in the new normal after a car accident killed a classmate and uncovered how deep her brother's drug addiction goes.

A Real Review:
Thank you to Delacorte Press for providing the ARC for an honest review.

Addiction is no small thing. Many people try to belittle it by saying that addiction is a choice or that they are just lazy people trying to chase a feeling, but the truth is so much more complex than that. Addiction can change a person on a deep level and some people are more likely to become addicted based on their physiology. So what do you do when someone you care about finds themselves stuck in an addiction that they can't escape? Do you write them off as a waste and move on without them? Or go through all the trials of having someone in your life who is an addict? This is the struggle for Emory and her family with her brother, Joey.

Emory has spent most of her life being told who she is, especially by her parents. They let her know what she likes, what she does, what clubs to join at school, and where to be. It all works out well enough until a car accident that kills a classmate, breaks Emory's kneecap, and unveils just how debilitating Joey's drug addiction really is. It's the incident that ends up changing their entire lives, including how her classmates see her. As Emory's life changes and she focuses more on keeping her brother away from his addiction, will she find that the extra pressure makes her life shine? Or just speeds up the timetable on it falling apart?

Pressure is a funny thing. We all deal with it on some level, but it seems like the higher class you come from in life, the sooner that extra level of pressure hits you. Pressure from parents to achieve and plan your life, pressure to fit in with classmates and belong socially, and pressure to be successful and give the right image. It's strange how much stress we put ourselves through to look a certain way and in some cases, that pressure is what causes people to look for escape hatches like addictions. This book very much captures that aspect of addiction and how much it can impact an entire family.

Can I just say the parents here are awful? My parents may have been strict, but they always listened to me and let me choose my own path in life. The parents of Emory and Joey spend so much time trying to make their kids into another sibling of theirs that it isn't a surprise how things go down. You can only stress your children out so much before they feel like a failure from the get go and it's pretty clear the parents here helped lead to their kids taking the paths they did. Being accepted for who you are is a big factor in a person's success.

Emory is a likeable character because she's just trying to process what's happening along with the extra steps her parents expect her to take around her brother. Her life is turned upside down to watch her brother like a hawk and have no moments where Joey isn't watched. At the age she is at, I cannot even imagine being put under that level of stress. You start to feel like you are a parent to your own sibling and the thought just makes me ill. Then again, I've never had a loved one with this level of addiction.

My only gripe about this book is that there are a number of points in the book where the pages felt like filler. The timing goes from slow as it can get to the end where the action quickly picks up. If the timing would have been more consistent, it would have made for a more enjoyable reading experience.

A powerful story about addiction.

My rating: 4 out of 5

So very good. Touching and heartbreaking and all the emotions. Love the brother/sister relationship. Addiction is at the core of this story, but so is parental relationships, unhealthy teenage romances, coming of age angst, and friendship. This was my first by this author and I'm eager to read more.

You’d Be Home Now tackles the tough subject of addiction and the spiraling impact on families and communities. The story is well told and is a solid depiction of the real struggle, even if the’well to do’ family aspects are a bit cliche.

Kathleen Glasgow is by far one of the very best authors out there writing fictional stories about heavy topics that many try and rarely succeed at. I have read her other books and You’d be home now is a masterpiece.

LOVED.

Such a beautiful book about understanding addiction and the recovery process. The main character, Emory, really goes through it in this one--we start off with her older brother, Joey, overdosing in the middle of a car crash that shatters Emmy's knee and kills another passenger. When Joey returns from rehab, Emmy sees his struggles and the overwhelming expectations that are being placed on him by his family, including her. Emmy has her own stuff going on too, though--she's dealing with the fallout from being involved in the deadly car crash, she's largely overlooked by her parents, and she has a secret "romance" with a popular boy that has her wanting more. I loved how even though the major focus of the book was Emmy's relationship with Joey and her desire to help his recovery, the author didn't ignore that Emmy was a teenager with her own life, and those two things didn't always line up perfectly.

The writing of this was beautiful, and from the author's note, it seems likely that much of it comes from the author's own experiences. This completely makes sense, because this book reads so authentic and genuine. It is brutally honest without being an over-the-top tragedy porn. It is loving and hopeful without being overly sappy or optimistic. It nails the balance perfectly, resulting in an incredibly readable book.

This is apparently a retelling of the play "Our Town". I've never seen or read that play, but by reading the Wikipedia plot summary I don't see much of a direct correlation. However, every so often we would get these larger glimpses of how addiction was affecting the town as a whole and one of the main characters would say something like "This is our town we're talking about!" and I guess that was supposed to be it. It didn't affect my enjoyment of the book or anything, but if you're really looking for something similar to that story, I don't think this is it.

*4.5 stars, rounded up to 5

*eARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a heart-wrenching book. This would be a great addition to a high school library. The subject matter is mature; drug abuse, fatal car accidents, theft - the feelings of a 16 year-old girl about life, being overshadowed by a free-spirited older sister who has her act together (and doesn't care what others think), and by the actions of her adored older brother, who's drug abuse takes over the whole family.

Emory - Emmy; has spent her life in the shadow of her siblings. She just wants to be noticed and yet she is comfortable in the shadows. Her brother is the sun her family revolves around and Emmy loves him and desperately wants to help him, to be there for him, and pick him up when he falls. A series of terrible tragedies drive a wedge deeper into family ties, and Emmy feels even more invisible. She makes some sad choices, and yet she never stops loving her family and wanting to stand out.

The scenes of drug abuse and the heartbreak of all of those involved are detailed and real. This is the story of family history, of family secrets; the question becomes, can a family stand together and rise from the ashes of their lives? Really well written, the characters are relatable and realistic.

5 stars.

Books like this are exactly why I continue to read YA as grown ass adult.

From the first chapter, I was already fully committed to this family. Emory and Joey had my entire heart.

And then my heart was taken and fully smashed.

F... this book was S A D. I cried, you'll cry, everyone in the story cried! It was a big ole sob fest and I loved every minute of it.

This is one of those books that hit me so hard I'm having a hard time putting into words what I want to say about it.

I loved the brother-sister dynamic and I loved how intensely realistic, raw and unsettling the story was. As someone who reads a lot of books on addiction, this is the best YA one I've come across. It's told in such a gritty, yet gentle way.

Basically, I loved this book so much.

Now, if please excuse me while I go back and read everything Kathleen Glasgow has ever written.

The biggest thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for the ARC and wanting my honest opinion. And an even bigger thank you to the author for writing this unforgettable story.

You’d Be Home Now

Full feature for this title will be posted at: @queensuprememortician on Instagram!

One of my favorite books of all time is “Girl in Pieces” by this same author. She is so personal, intimate, and present with her storytelling. This story was inspired by the author’s own journey with addiction & a sticky note she found left behind after a writing exercise she did in a school. You can feel those influences throughout. This story is important for girls, for anyone who knows someone struggling with addiction, for parents, for anyone who feels like their parents don’t always see them for who they are….it’s for all readers. It’s beautiful.

“The thing about being invisible is, you’d think it would feel light and airy and easy, no pressure, but it doesn’t. It’s the heaviest thing I’ve ever known.”

"The thing about being invisible is, you’d think it would feel light and airy and easy, no pressure, but it doesn’t. It’s the heaviest thing I’ve ever known."

Kathleen Glasgow writes books that hit a little too close to home for me. This one hits the nail right on the head and brought back a lot of memories from when I was a kid. So I felt every feeling of hope and despair. As we read about the Ward family dusting themselves off and falling over and over again, you fall right along with them. Prepare yourself for the emotional roller coaster that is this book.

Wow! This book is powerful. Kathleen doesn't hold back and she certainly doesn't sugarcoat anything as we travel through the life and mind of a sister of an addict. The author does a perfect job of not glorifying mental illness or addiction like a lot of authors like to do. This is real, raw, and deeply moving. Just remember that it's okay to shed a few tears because I know that I did.

This book shows us that life isn’t always picture-perfect. That we screw up along the way and that’s okay. We pick ourselves back up and try again. Also to never judge someone for what they are going through. Some people are stronger than others and that doesn't change the fact that we are all human. Just a friendly hello and a smile can change anyone's day.

You'd Be Home Now is a phenomenal book and one that I'm going to instantly buy for myself and my library. The closeness of the family and the determination of one young female who looks past herself to try to help her struggling brother was captivating. I love this book and I love this Author.

I really enjoyed this book. It started out very differently than what I was expecting, almost like it started in the middle of a story instead of at the beginning. The story has everything that a good YA novel needs, love, loss
and struggle. The book starts with out main character, Emory, recovering from a car accident she was in with her brother Joey, and the school's poster child, Candy. Not only was Emory badly injured in the accident and Candy killed, her brother was under the influence when it all happened. This leaves Emory struggling to recover physically all while her emotions are running wild. I loved all of the characters, they all her their own struggles to deal with but it was nice to see brother and sister coming together as a family. I'm so glad that I got the chance to read this book the storyline will stay with me for a long time and it's something that I believe everyone should check out. There is so much happening in this book that it was so easy to get sucked into their world, you really lose track of time which for me is a sign of a great novel. There was not a single thing that I would chance about this book. Great read and I'm so glad that I got the chance to check it out.

I read this in 24 hours. This story is raw and real and beautifully told. I’m in awe. I feel so inspired and touched by the words on these pages. It was an absolute honor to read this early.

This book was courtesy of NetGalley and holy crap I couldn’t put it down. I’m left moody and speechless in the best way.

5 stars are hard for me to come by but this book is so good it should be taught in high schools. If you’ve ever not understood what addiction means, this book goes through all the motions. And, what it feels like to be rejected and invisible. This public health crisis needs more attention—and it isn’t just adults who struggle. If you need a lesson in learning empathy, this is that book.

I received an ARC of this book from #Netgalley.

The author does a nice job navigating the life of a teen, whose brother struggles with addiction, without being too “after school special.” The complexity of life for a lot of adolescents is glossed over in literature frequently. I find that YA tends to focus mainly on young/first love. While this is a component, I appreciate that the main focus here is the love a sister has for her brother.

The most impactful quote for me came in the last few pages. Like Emmy, I too tend to say “I’m fine” more than I should:

“I’m fine with that. Wait, I don’t want to use the word “fine.” I’ve been thinking about that word so much for the past year and a half. How we say we are “fine” when we really aren’t. How we use it to accept a situation we don’t know how to deal with. “It’s fine.” When really, in our heads, if you could see, would be these words, scrawled in giant permanent marker: “Help me.”

A decent, albeit somewhat cliche, story 9f addiction and family dynamics. A bit slow moving and gets pretty preachy toward the end. But the predictable story arc will greatly appeal to teens.
I receive an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the way Joey’s path was not a predictable one and kept me guessing throughout. Not every story has a happy ending and in this book, the entire Ward family was fair game. I like that it was told from Emory’s point of view, and I appreciated the depth of the supporting characters of Liza, Daniel, Jeremy, Gage, Maddie and even the drama teacher. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.

You’d be home now is a book that will make you feel uncomfortable. But in a good way. You’d be home now is a book that will make you cry. You’d be home now is a book that will make you think about the power that addiction holds and the affect that it has on families. You’d be home now is a book about addiction but also so much more than that. It’s about family ties, relationships, high school norms, falling in love, and insecurity. As someone who has experience loving a family member with addiction, this book was sometimes hard to read because I could see myself in Emory’s shoes. The main reason that this is a 5 star book for me is that Kathleen does not glorify addiction in any way: the trauma, relapse, the choices that a person makes while addicted both good and bad are all covered. I would definitely read the trigger warnings prior to reading the book. Overall Kathleen continues to impress me and I hope to see her write many more books in the future. Also I know her books are considered YA but as an adult I enjoy reading them.

5/5 Stars

You’d Be Home Now offers an honest breakdown of addiction and mental illnesses, but it also offered a dynamic story of two a family who is torn apart that has to rebuild their relationship. Just like Kathleen Glasgow’s other books, this book will definitely stay with me for a long time. The characters all feel so real and kept me engaged throughout the course of the book.