Review: Really enjoyed this debut novel from Erin Fletcher. It is an emotional story that still manages to keep a lightness about it.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 7, 2014
I really enjoyed this debut novel from Erin Fletcher. I first read the synopsis and immediately found myself intrigued. Discovering a boy living in your garage? And then falling in love with said boy? The idea here is really different and fresh and while it might not have been 100% believable, that didn't matter to me. I saw people commenting about how ridiculous the main character acted when she first discovered the boy in her garage and I just want to say: People. This is a work of fiction. I get that some readers prefer realistic situations, but I felt Fletcher did a great job with her story. I liked both Hanley and Nate's characters, loved their interactions together, and really liked the underlying emotion that this novel is based upon. Hanley and Nate are essentially BOTH runaways in this novel and are instead of facing their demons, they hide from them.I liked Hanley and I felt for her. She isn't in the best place and she makes a lot of poor decisions (sneaking out, getting drunk, etc). She thinks drinking will help her forget the pain of her past, but alcohol is only a temporary fix. She likes hanging out with her friends Rosalinda and Misty because they don't prod and ask questions- they just enjoy spending time with one another. It seems like a superficial friendship, but that is what Hanley needed from them to get through. I do wish we would have gotten to know Rosalinda a bit more (her past, why she parties like she does, etc.) as she ends up dealing with some pretty heavy stuff by the end of the book.Hanley discovers Nate living in her garage and while she is surprised and a bit scared, she doesn't freak out. He doesn't appear to be homeless- his clothing and clean cut demeanor prove that, but he is vague when it comes to answering questions and she tells him he can't stay. However, after helping her drunken self inside, she feels guilty as its cold outside and she doesn't want to turn him out with no where to go. I have to admit, Nate showing up first in her garage and then in her house is really creepy. Good-looking or not, Hanley should have exercised a bit more caution in the beginning with him. Hanley carries a lot of guilt over what happened in the past and I think subconsciously she doesn't really want Nate to go- she knows he needs a place to stay and she can help him. If she turns him out and he has no where else to go, he would be spending the freezing nights on the streets. She can't risk something happening to him when she knows she could have helped.I really liked Nate's character all initial creepiness aside. He's a sweet guy who also carries a lot of guilt like Hanley does. His character is elusive and mysterious and we don't find out much about him until later. He ends up being exactly what Hanley needed. He accepts her without judgment and when he finds out about the pain that eats her alive on a daily basis, he is there to comfort her. After she reveals her guilt to him, she is hurt that he won't talk about why he is hiding out in her garage. She opened up to him and trusted him and is upset he doesn't reciprocate. After finding out his secret, she is naturally shocked and it is her older sister, Heather who helps put things into perspective for her. Heather and Hanley haven't really gotten along, but we really see their dynamic change in this book and I felt that was a really big shift in the right direction for the sisters.Hanley's relationship with her parents isn't the best one. She feels they weren't there for her afterwards, but the truth of it is they probably didn't know how to handle what happened and how it impacted her. Hanley believes they want the perfect family and acknowledging that she was far from okay would shatter that illusion of perfection. Hanley is young and while her parents may have been at a loss as to how to help their daughter, that doesn't mean they're not good parents. On the contrary, I felt Hanley had good parents who were doing the best they could and they proved themselves to be on Hanley's side multiple times in this book, especially after Nate's secret came out.Overall, Where You'll Find Me is an emotional story, but still manages to keep a lightness about it too. You are left feeling hopeful for Hanley and Nate- that they will be able to let go of their grief and guilt and move forward with their lives.