Sunday, January 28, 2007

Runaway by Wendelin Van Draanen

Holly is a twelve-year old orphan. Her father died in a freak tractor accident and her mother overdosed on drugs. Since then, Holly had been in the hands of social services and was moved from foster home to foster home. Finally, after a particularly abusive foster home, Holly runs away and becomes a "gypsy". As she goes through her many hardships of surviving on the streets and avoiding the police, Holly writes down poems and her experiences in her journal. Will Holly ever find a good home that truly welcomes her?

This was an amazing and touching book. Relating Holly’s amazing journey to find a family that truly cared for her, the book was extraordinarily detailed with a lot of emotion poured into it. As you read through the book, you will begin to feel sympathy for Holly yet eager to see what her next adventure as a “gypsy” is. I thought it was a great read and not your normal book. It contained many deep thoughts and insights into life which can leave you with a whole different impression of those less fortunate than you. I would recommend this book to slightly older readers for understanding issues and the ending will leave you very satisfied and glad you read this book.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tucson, Arizona USA