Hannah and Cal are cousins, but they have little in common until the day Cal moves in with Hannah and her parents. Their mothers were twins. Cal's mom died of cancer and his dad ended up in prison which resulted in Hannah's parents becoming his guardians. Hannah's normally quiet, orderly home became a much louder and messy place with the addition of cousin Cal.
Cal is prone to meltdowns and nightmares that throw everything into a tizzy for Hannah and her parents. There are constant arguments about Cal and the best way to discipline him. He gets in trouble at school and tells exaggerated stories that he thinks are entertaining but are actually big fat lies. When things get to be too much, he takes off leaving everyone to worry and fret until he decides to show up usually by evening or mealtime.
Hannah can't imagine what it would be to like to lose her mother, but she's getting really tired of dealing with Cal. He has to go everywhere with them because he can't be trusted to stay alone. He's ruined more than one family activity and caused Hannah to lose a chance to advance levels during her gymnastic competition. Things get even worse when news arrives that Cal's father has been released from prison at the same time Hannah's parents announce they'll be living separately for awhile.
Well-known author Ellen Hopkins has used her amazing talent to create this middle grade novel in verse. Inspired by her experiences raising her grandson, she gives readers a peek into living with a troubled child who's been dealt a raw deal. Both Cal and Hannah are realistic characters readers will immediately come to know and relate to as they navigate huge changes in their living circumstances. CLOSER TO NOWHERE will be popular with Hopkins's fans and no doubt earn her many new followers.
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