I'm surprised that this book hasn't been more widely reviewed. The story was an interesting overview of the challenges abused and neglected children face in the juvenile justice and foster system. It read like a memoir and was engaging but sad to read about the obstacles Nadine faced. Although it's written for a younger audience (grades 8-12), I found it interesting.

Such a beautiful book! This novel read like a memoir and it gripped me with Nadine's difficult circumstances right from page one. All of the characters were nuanced and well-drawn, particularly Nadine herself and her little sister. I liked the realistic depiction of the complex social worker / justice system that Nadine had to jump through to reclaim her life from her emotionally and physically abusive mother and stepfather. I loved that there were many people (cops, social workers, teachers etc) whose compassion came at just the right time. This book is a must-read for anyone who would like some insight into what kids mired within the welfare system have to overcome.

Thanks, Netgalley!

Thank you, NetGalley, and the publishers of this book, for a complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Nadine in the Tenderloin would have benefitted with a round of editing: minor changes in grammar, spelling, consistency etc. The protagonist’s characterisation could use some work too, as her behaviour in crises changes from time to time, and some tweaks could result in a very well-rounded novel.
The plot is somewhat meandering but enchanting the entire time. You can’t not read it. I enjoyed the writing (accents in novels are usually not my thing, and it took me a while to get accustomed to it, but it sat well at the end of the day). Somewhere towards the middle of the novel, I felt the writing and the depth of the characters dip a bit, but it recovered soon enough.
While we’re at it, I personally feel the cover and blurb could use some work too. I also really wish Nadine would stop ‘bursting into tears’ all the time.
Nadine really comes to life, as her reactions to the world around her and towards Marina and Ted reflect her experiences with her mother: take, for instance, the fear that she will be kicked out if she does anything wrong or her willingness to accept that a new child would replace her. While her fears make her more polite and flexible to change, the origins of these seemingly “good” behaviours lie in her insecurities and instinct that she will always be a last priority, and that she can never be truly comfortable, or truly herself, around other people.
As the book follows Nadine over a significant period of time, and that too during her adolescence, I felt that an increase in her maturity would have reflected well. I liked that her habit of picking up new words petered out gradually as she incorporated them into her everyday vocabulary, and that this habit would slowly die out as she progressed in school and felt challenged by her academic work.
About the ending, <spoiler> it felt bittersweet to me. Nadine deserved a happier childhood and adolescence. Her teenage years ended too soon, with her having to support herself and move out at such a young age just to be free of her mother. Though it was technically a happy ending, I couldn’t help but feel a little heartbroken for Nadine. </spoiler>
Nadine is an excited, slightly rash, highly intelligent, and mildly annoying child, but this is what is important: that throughout the book, she is just a child. I came away from this book having questioned many things, but one thing I was sure of was my affection for Nadine.