Where I Live

November 1, 2017

Gr 9 Up-Secretly living in Hinderwood High, Linden is working two jobs to afford living essentials. After her mother was killed, she ended up in Oregon at her grandmother's nursing home, before she died too. Linden, white and homeless, and her best friends, Korean American Seung, and gay, fun-loving Ham, make up "the Triangle." Linden's goal is to graduate and go to college with the Triangle, her only family and support. While reporting for the school blog and trying to keep her homelessness a secret, Linden uncovers perfect, mean-girl Bea's secret-an abusive boyfriend. Not wanting to draw attention to herself, Linden worries for Bea but does not expose her secret. When Seung becomes more than a best friend, Linden inadvertently lets her guard down, starting a new chapter in her life. When the truth is revealed, reactions of her friends and community prove that family is where your heart is, regardless of blood relation. Rufener's cast of diverse characters and genuine dialogue helps balance the unlikely premise that a teenager could be living in a high school undetected. Readers will empathize with Linden's matter-of-fact attitude and bravery. VERDICT Fans of Jennifer Niven and Nicola Yoon will enjoy this realistic debut novel, which brings to light heavy topics of homelessness and abuse.-Laura Jones, Argos Community Schools, IN

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2017
If she can follow the rules, no one will ever discover that she is the "homeless girl hiding in front of them."Linden Rose eats peanut-butter crackers from the vending machine, washes her laundry in the sink of the boys' locker room, and sleeps in the baseball dugout. Hinderwood High School is her home, and she will do anything to keep her secret. Even her closest friends, Ham and Seung, have no idea that Linden has been hiding in plain sight ever since her mother and then her grandmother passed away. But when her friends are threatened by a violent classmate, Linden must decide if she should risk discovery to protect others. Chaotic storytelling and poorly crafted dialogue are only two of this uninspired story's problems. And while the cast is somewhat diverse (Ham is gay, and biracial Seung is Korean/white), the white default prevails and stereotypes abound. Plot devices such as an overly vigilant school security and a reporter hot on the trail of Linden's story are forced. And while Linden's external life is suitably messy in light of her circumstances, her interior life is likewise disorganized and confusing. Only the glimpse of romance between Linden and Seung feels real; Seung's depiction as an attractive Asian man is refreshing.Disjointed, didactic, and mostly disappointing. (Fiction. 14-18)

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November 1, 2017
Grades 9-12 Linden's high-school experience includes crushing on her best friend Seung, working for the school paper, and trying to conceal the fact that she's homeless and sleeps at her school. She's desperate to keep her homelessness a secret, so she follows a strict list of rules and tries to keep everyone at a safe emotional distance. Rufener highlights challenges some homeless teens face in her debut, drawing attention to the intricate ways Linden manages to survive every day, as well as the emotional and physical toll wrought by the unending search for basic resources, like food, soap, and tampons. Of course, Linden is more than her homelessness, and Rufener admirably focuses much of the plot on Linden's interactions with her friends and her crush, her conflict with a horde of bullies, and her gradual realization that emotional vulnerability can lead to safety. While the writing can be florid, and the characterizations lack subtlety, it's nevertheless refreshing to see a fairly well-rounded picture of a teen who's more than her crisis.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2018
High-school senior Linden Rose is trying to keep up with schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and scholarship-hunting while hiding a huge secret: she's become homeless and lives at her school. Linden's valiant efforts to avoid the stigma of homelessness and make a future for herself are heart-wrenching and affecting, but her story suffers from predictable plot turns and a too-perfect conclusion.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)