Book review: Where You'll Find Me by Erin Fletcher

When Hanley Helton discovers a boy living in her garage, she knows she should kick him out. But Nate is too charming to be dangerous. He just needs a place to get away, which Hanley understands. Her own escape methods (vodka, black hair dye, and pretending the past didn't happen) are more traditional, but who is she to judge?

Nate doesn't tell her why he's in her garage, and she doesn't tell him what she's running from. Soon, Hanley's trading her late-night escapades for all-night conversations and stolen kisses. But when Nate's recognized as the missing teen from the news, Hanley isn't sure which is worse: that she's harboring a fugitive, or that she's in love with one. 

Note: I received the eARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I did not expect this story to plunge in such deep waters. I didn't think it would go beyond the average teen romance. And yet, the romance wasn't the main theme in this novel, even though it was the driving force that put all things into motion.

Both main characters were put in situations where they had to deal with the grief and pain that only the loss of a loved one could summon. And while Hanley was only suffering on the inside, Nate's case wasn't as easy.

Writing style:
The story was told in a first person POV- Hanley's. It was engaging and entertaining. I liked how there was a balance between dialogue and narrative. Nothing was overdone, which made the pace steady and easy to fall into.

Story line:
Original, following the (mis)adventures of Hanley and how a random, homeless boy entered her life literally through her back door. It was a creative story with a strong emphasis on plot, characters and emotional hardships.

Themes:
-Homelessness and hospitality
-Building trust
-Loss and how different people deal with it
-Love can be found in the weirdest of places

Characters:

Hanley has friends but feels as lonely as ever. She also has secrets she hides from her family, her friends and her own self. She tries to quench the feeling of loss and guilt in immeasurable quantities of alcohol, but we all know how well that ends up. Until Nate came in the picture, Hanley was the perfect picture of pretense. Seeing Nate's grief, and the very danger of losing him to a faulty system, Hanley finally comes to terms with her own loss and begins to realize that a warm, cuddly feeling has taken a hold of her heart.

Garage boy, a.k.a. Nate is sweet and has manners beyond Hanley's expectations of the homeless. What he doesn't have is a place to stay. The secrets he keeps are no small deal, so he dreads sharing them with anyone, let alone the drunk girl in whose garage he's taken residence. For how would he know her reaction, seeing that the police is after him?

Heather, Hanley's older sister appeared to be a goody-two-shoes. She never went out, never got in trouble, was accepted to a good college, had dreams and goals and a plan to accomplish them never in a million years would I have thought that she had a rebellious streak in her. That she'd be the one to guard Hanley's back, but I admired her for it. Sibling love rocks!!!!

In conclusion:
Where You'll Find Me is a really great book about finding strength to face your past and the problems connected with it.

My rating is: