You’d Be Home Now
by Kathleen Glasgow
Pub Date: September 28, 2021
First, content warnings are important here. There are major themes in this book and while they are heavy and uncomfortable, they are real. Content warnings – drug addiction, substance abuse, suicide, death, car accident, depression, trauma. I’m sure that’s not a complete list, but those stuck out to me most.
[From Goodreads]: Inspired by the American classic Our Town, You’d Be Home Now is Kathleen Glasgow’s modern story of a town and the secret lives people live there.
[From Store Bought Epiphany]: Phew. This book was amazing. I have to say that it is such a heavy YA read I’m not sure if it should be YA or more of a New Adult. I do understand that the reality of our world is that – addiction, temptation, and drug abuse start so young now. With all of the accessibility to serious drugs, young kids in high school and possibly younger, do get the exposure and unfortunately, it’s a reality that our youth can become addicted. This book explores truth, sadness, family, secrets, and at the end of the day – love.
Our main character, Emory, has to grow up so much faster than she should. She feels the weight of the world on her shoulders and at the same time is invisible to those who matter. She is the epitome of showing that if one family member is a victim of drug abuse, the rest of the family disappears. In her world, she is responsible for her brothers failures and missteps while trying to figure out high school and who she is outside of being her brother’s keeper.
This is a dynamic story of a family torn apart by outside influences and realizes, possibly almost too late, that to fix their family, they need to come together rather than hide and ignore. I imagine this book will resonate with so many on so many different levels and on several different subjects. For that reason, I recommend this read to adults as well.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for allowing me the digital e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Store Bought Epiphany 