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Astrid’s life is perfectly prescribed until her dad’s record shop closes and her mom has to find work. Her previously sheltered homeschool experience has left her woefully unprepared for public high school, so she’s shocked to make a new friend, Cathy, almost immediately. But as Astrid starts to notice how other people’s family lives are vastly different from hers—how family members can be open and honest with one another, how mistakes aren’t a reason for freezing you out, how her father’s rules might be deeply controlling—she struggles with how much she can’t tell Cathy, even as her new friend shares her life with her. Astrid begins to dig, curious about why her brother left the family and never returned, and opens herself up to the possibility that her experiences are abnormal, growing her worldview. With growth comes the opportunity for forgiveness—for her mother and for herself as they break free of old confines. This powerful work focuses on reclaiming a life that has never felt owned, finding inner strength, and leaning on those who care. Throughout, Astrid never manages to tell anyone directly about her situation, but they guess and show up for her in different ways. Teens familiar with confining home structures will see Astrid’s hopeful tale as a reminder that it’s possible to get out.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In this award-winning Australian import, a 17-year-old from a repressive family enters high school and starts to see that her father might be more than just “strict.” Astrid desperately longs for “a normal life.” But her father, claiming that capitalism undermines the family unit, bans processed foods and doesn’t allow Astrid and her mother to have mobile phones. Astrid was home-schooled by her mom in their pristine, supposedly idyllic home, but when her father’s unemployment leads to her mom’s going out to work, Astrid enters high school and gets a thrilling taste of teenage life. Her new friend Cathy encourages her to share her musical talents, and her crush, Leila, helps Astrid recognize her own queerness. But Astrid’s escalating integration into the outside world can’t remain secret from her dad, whom she comes to see is abusive. Now Astrid must decide how to escape. In her debut, Crawford handles sensitive issues deftly, capturing Astrid’s delicate balance between self-awareness and naïveté, although her nonbinary brother, Nick, provides some clunky explanations of LGBTQ+ issues. Astrid’s constant anxiety and self-scrutiny often make for a palpably distressing read, leavened by the moments of teen giddiness that shine through. Up-to-the-minute social media and cultural references paired with witty, believable teen dialogue make the setting feel current and lived in. Astrid’s family presents white, and the supporting cast is ethnically diverse. A harrowing and ultimately uplifting tale of self-discovery, surviving emotional abuse, and coming of age in a complex world. (resources)(Fiction. 14-18) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Publishers Weekly
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An undercurrent of hope powers a fraught plot that probes subjects surrounding domestic coercive control in Crawford’s gritty debut. Having been homeschooled by her mother for the majority of her life, Australian 17-year-old Astrid experiences her first day of public school six months before graduation after her controlling father loses his job, forcing her mother to return to work. Though Astrid is excited, she’s also embarrassed by her lack of experience socializing with people her age. While adjusting to high school life, she soon befriends a classmate who shares her passion for music and develops a crush on a free-spirited peer. But Astrid’s instinct to lie about her excessively strict home life keeps them at a distance. Her idle musings about living a “normal, boring” life seem poised to become reality when she discovers her mother’s covert plot to free them both from Astrid’s father’s acerbic personality and unchecked anger. Immediate-feeling first-person narration from Astrid perceptively details her profound feelings of alienation from her peers and tightly wound wariness at home, especially as the climax ramps up with thriller-like intensity. Astrid is white; supporting characters are racially diverse. Resources conclude. Ages 13–up. (Apr.)