Anna finds herself living with her dad, in his new home, with his new family after she finds her mom at the brink of death. Everything is turning out wrong all of a sudden. Her best friend decided they weren't going to be friends anymore, she has to live with her stepmom - perfect Marnie, and she constantly worries that her mom is going to try to kill herself again.


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Well, I'm all cried out. This hit me pretty hard. If you can get me emotional with a book like Where You'll Find Me, you've hit me right on the target. Admittedly, I'm an emotional person but I couldn't find one flaw so this was a perfect read for me.

I really felt for Anna. I wish I had this book when I was a kid. There's this confusion you have when a parent is dealing with a mental illness. It just makes you so worried, especially as you grow up until you begin to understand how to process what's happening. You are worried you'll become them. It's a whole jumble of emotions that Friend was able to show through Anna.


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Part of dealing with what's happening with her mom, Anna's anger with her dad and stepmom is another big part of Anna's story. New potential friends also come into the mix. I really loved Anna's stepmom. You knew she was trying with Anna and the situation. Her relationship over time with her was what made me really happy about this book. She didn't need anyone against her. Her new misfit crew were also a delight. Overall, I loved everything about this book and there should be more books like this accessible to kids who need them. ( )

bullying/friendship issues, mental health, suicide

I flat out LOVED this book. The character's voice grabbed me right away. Great realistic fiction for fans of Sarah Dessen or Wendy Mass.
Here's the summary:
The first month of school, thirteen-year-old Anna Collette finds herself…

Dumped by her best friend, Dani, who suddenly wants to spend eighth grade “hanging out with different people.”

Deserted by her mom, who’s in the hospital recovering from a suicide attempt.

Trapped in a house with her dad, a new baby sister, and a stepmother young enough to wear her Delta Delta Delta sweatshirt with pride.

Stuck at a lunch table with Shawna the Eyebrow Plucker and Sarabeth the Irish Stepper because she has no one else to sit with.

But what if all isn’t lost? What if Anna’s mom didn’t exactly mean to leave her? What if Anna’s stepmother is cooler than she thought? What if the misfit lunch table isn’t such a bad fit after all?

With help from some unlikely sources, including a crazy girl-band talent show act, Anna just may find herself on the road to okay.

great book about moving into adolescence. has the biting inner monologue so familiar with the teen years even though our protagonist in the beginning largely says nothing out loud. Judy Blume-sque in the best way. I like that it's focus is friendship, not romance and that the parents are present in the story. deals with the mother's suicide attempt in a good way -- book is about heavy things without being too heavy. highly recommended. ( )

What starts as Anna's worst year; her best friend just dumped her for cooler friends, her mom after being more like her child than her mother to kill herself and she is thrust into living at her dad who she feels deserted her, ends up being a pleasantly surprising journey into a different life she hadn't expected.
This story touched on so many issues; from bullying and high school life to family dynamics and suicide. In the midst of that, humour was tossed in. Anna was a great kid, dealing with so much at one time but once she let her guard down, opened herself up to new opportunities and let herself be the kid, her life changed. I enjoyed reading her story; this was a fairly quick read, lot of serious subjects but not too heavy. ( )

Anna is now living with her dad after her mom attempts suicide. Anna's stepmom and the new baby are trying hard to make Anna feel comfortable but nothing quite works right. Because of family dynamics and what Anna sees and hears, this is definitely for mature middle grade readers and above. ( )