No Place Like Here by Christina June is branded as a Hansel and Gretel retelling. While I didn’t see a lot of similarities between this contemporary story and the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, it was a sweet story about family.
Ashlyn is looking forward to the summer. After making a mistake by choosing the wrong boyfriend and getting into a tight spot, her father had sent her off to boarding school. As the school year ends, she’s excited about spending her vacation with her best friend.
Unfortunately, her plans are derailed when she finds out that her dad is going to prison, her mother is going to a residential facility to deal with her depression, and Dad’s plans for her summer involve working at a summer camp. She’s supposed to work there with a cousin she barely knows. Could anything be worse?
Over the course of the summer, Ashlyn learns to speak up for herself and gain confidence. Through a series of trials, she deals with boys, work, and her family. When we close the book, we have hope that things are looking up for this family.
No Place Like Here was an enjoyable book. The story was interesting, and Ashlyn seemed to be a well-rounded character with a compelling backstory. Her family situation is probably like many others out there – families that do love each other, but have drifted apart and have trouble communicating what they really want.
That being said, there are things that could have been better with this book. Most of the supporting characters could have used more depth to them. The worldbuilding could have been stronger. Since the book is only 288 pages long, there isn’t exactly a lot of room to develop these aspects more.
The story is light in the romance department, but is very believable, since we are talking about summer camp here. You’re not likely to find your true love while working at a summer camp at age 17.
Overall, if you’re looking for a quick contemporary book where a teenager learns how to stand up for herself and help her family heal, No Place Like Here may be up your alley. It’s not the Hansel and Gretel retelling that I thought it would be, but that’s okay. It was still a good story. This book will be released on May 21st, but you can pre-order it now.
That’s a shame that it didn’t have more elements from Hansel and Gretel in it, but I’m glad it’s still a good read anyway, especially since I have it coming up for review soon, lol. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it!
Suzanne @ The Bookish Libra recently posted…Review: THE MOTHER-IN-LAW by Sally Hepworth
I hope you like it!
Hi Brooke, I love how you approached this review. On the one hand, I was happy to see you tackle the idea of this book having a connection to Hansel and Gretel. But, I also like that you don’t dismiss the novel for not being a retelling.
I don’t know any Hansel and Gretel retellings off the top of my head. Do you like retellings? If so, what are the criteria you look for in a retelling? I am still very early in my retelling books exploration. My Lady Jane and My Plain Jane had some fun takes on historical figures and iconic fictional characters.
Have a wonderful week!
You have a great week too!
I just like a good story. It doesn’t have to be a retelling.
I would have liked to have seen more of a Hansel and Gretel aspects in this too!
I’m glad it wasn’t just me that didn’t see many similarities!