Closer to Nowhere

By Ellen Hopkins

A cousin's arrival disrupts family harmony, revealing hidden truths.

4.2/5 Goodreads · 3,941 ratings

416 pages· 37,021 words· Est. 4 hour read

$17.99Save 6%

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Bookroo's summary

Hannah's perfect life unravels when her cousin Cal moves in, bringing chaos and tension. As Cal's pranks and stories strain family bonds, both cousins must confront their pasts. Can they find common ground before it's too late? Told in verse, this tale explores family, belonging, and the power of understanding.

From the publisher

#1 New York Times bestselling author Ellen Hopkins’s poignant middle grade novel in verse about coming to terms with indelible truths of family and belonging. For the most part, Hannah’s life is just how she wants it. She has two supportive parents, she’s popular at school, and she’s been killing it at gymnastics. But when her cousin Cal moves in with her family, everything changes. Cal tells half-truths and tall tales, pranks Hannah constantly, and seems to be the reason her parents are fighting more and more. Nothing is how it used to be. She knows that Cal went through a lot after his mom died and she is trying to be patient, but most days Hannah just wishes Cal never moved in. For his part, Cal is trying his hardest to fit in, but not everyone is as appreciative of his unique sense of humor and storytelling gifts as he is. Humor and stories might be his defense mechanism, but if Cal doesn’t let his walls down soon, he might push away the very people who are trying their best to love him. Told in verse from the alternating perspectives of Hannah and Cal, this is a story of two cousins who are more alike than they realize and the family they both want to save.

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