Out of This Place

Out of This Place

by Emma Cameron

When you're almost an adult, but you still have to follow the rules of the real adults, life can be difficult.  They make the decisions.  They tell you what to do.  They are in control.

For three teens who are getting ready to head out into the world, there are big decisions to be made.

Luke has no idea what to do with his future; he just knows that he doesn't want to stay where he is.

Casey has a father who is over-controlling and who has always behaved like Casey was the reason he never got further in life.

David, a.k.a. "Bongo", has an addict for a mother, an abuser for a stepfather, and a brother who's being adopted by a family who don't want him around.

None of them feel like they belong where they are.  And all of them just want out of this place.

Final thoughts: Super quick read since it's a novel-in-verse. The stories are interesting and the way they overlap is creative.  Unfortunately, some of it just felt forced and I was often confused by the schooling issue.  The novel is set in Australia, which functions on a different type of education program than here in the states, so I was really struggling to figure out how people could leave school and move on without graduation, while others keep studying and choose their classes to prepare them for university or careers.  I was also frustrated by the end with how the people merged and the decisions that were made.  However, for those who are straining to get through life while they wait to become adults, this is a sympathetic story.

Rating: 3/5