So I read the start of this as a trailer before reading the book and it was not what I was expecting. It is written from the point of view of Jesika who is four and a half. Her mother and brother live in bad conditions and this is well developed, You feel a lot of sympathy for Jesika and her mother who is a single parent struggling with her life. Jesika makes a new friend called Paige it is here that the story takes a dark turn that I was not expecting. I will not say more as it will spoil the story but it is brilliantly written from Jesika and you feel great empathy for all the characters.
I can not recommend this highly enough.

An enjoyable and thought-provoking read.
Very cleverly written and covering some highly topical and relevant to today's society issues.

I have to admit however that I struggled after a while with the constant child speak narration and I would have liked it to have been mixed up with some chapters from another viewpoint.
Maybe, however, that was because I consumed it in just one day while on holiday, had I read it a few chapters at a time the repeated mispronunciation of the same words by Jesika (reminding us that the narrator is just 4) might not have been as noticeable.

A recommended read though. Thank you to Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book I could not put down. It’s hard to believe this is Amanda’s first book. Excellently written from the point of view of a 4 year old. This is an emotional and thought provoking story. I would highly recommend it

Home is narrated by a child - this time, Jesika, who is just four and a half - but is definitely not a book for youngsters. Jesika is a bright child and she is aware of a lot of things going on in her life. She and her Mum, Tina, and baby brother live in a damp and dangerous flat, drug deals go down in the stairwells and the pushchair has to be carried up and down the stairs every time they go out. Money is very short and Tina has no support network to rely on since her partner went back to Poland and his mother died. But the voice we hear telling the story in this book is Jesika's so we draw pictures on the damp wallpaper behind the tv, get upset because we are wearing a red top when it is blue day at pre-school and forget that we are not supposed to mention if we think someone is smelly or boring. Jesika is sad that her Mum and brother have a nasty cough but has never heard of pneumonia and, aside from a shouty man in the block of flats and a grumpy worker at her pre-school, only really knows adults who she likes and trusts. For a four year old this is a pretty good life but we, as adults, can see all the bad things looming around her.

This is a book which grabs you by the throat because we are grown-ups and are conditioned to look out for the safety of the very young. I don't have any kids of my own but I find myself keeping an eye on youngsters in the shop (because no parent has eyes in the back of their head and children that age move very fast...). It isn't even a maternal thing I think, we have evolved to look after our young. But, of course, there are always those who don't see children as something to be protected and it is Jesika's potential to fall prey to them which made this book an uncomfortable read at times. I feel that I want to recommend Home to all parents but I suspect some would find it too distressing...

Scarily realistic, this book looks at the world through the eyes of 4-year-old Jesika who lives with her little brother Toby and their mum Tina. Tina is trying her best, as a single mother of two with increasingly deteriorating health, to keep their world together. It's a daily struggle as it is, but it's made a lot worse by circumstances that Jesika is pulled into but doesn't quite understand in her innocence. As an adult reading this, the realism in it made me hurt and cry and childishly wish that the world was a better place. Even though it's a difficult book to recommend, given its controversial topics, I can't give it anything less than five stars.

Home is a slow burning psychological thriller seen through the eyes of a pre-schooler.

Jesika is four and lives in a slum apartment with her mother Tina and baby brother Toby. She narrates the story through four-year old eyes and using four-year old vocabulary that includes some mis-hearings (e.g. apposed for supposed; hopsipal instead of hospital). This is a mixed blessing. It is cutesy to start, and it offers adult readers the opportunity to re-interpret Jesika's observations with rather less innocence. But on the debit side, the language becomes somewhat staccato and monosyllabic. It makes for a difficult read, especially for the first third of the book where not much seems to be happening. And it also makes it hard for the reader to form a genuine emotional affection for Jesika and her mother. I confess that at a third of the way in, I was all for giving up...

... but I'm glad I didn't.

Tina and Jesika lead lonely lives. Jesika goes to pre-school, and Tina goes to the shops and the launderette. But they are poor as church mice and have no spare money for socialising. The rent is overdue and Darren, the landlord, is a stranger to the tenancies legislation. So when Tina runs into a couple of old school friends who seem to be doing OK, she sees the prospect of a brighter future. But at what price?

Gradually the tension ratchets up. The difficulty of reading a four year old voice is overtaken by the difficulty of reading some pretty challenging subject matter. By half time, the books has got its hooks in to the reader, and by the end, the pace and tension are electric. I'm still not completely sure I bought all the characters and even, to an extent, I'm not sure the situation exactly rang true. But the plot drove the novel through this.

Having doubted the characters, they do provide enough to cause thought on a number of issues - housing poverty, social isolation, vulnerability, trust and altruism. However, Home is not just an issues novel. And although I suspect most readers will be female, it would be wrong to pigeonhole this as women's fiction. It's actually a cracking good read.

Told solely through the eyes of Jesika (4.5 years old) we learn all about what home is to her. It is a single mother, a father who lives in Poland, and a toddler brother. It is a home where she has never been to a cafe, hardly ever eats chips, where the windows can't be opened, the front door is broken, the hot water is often not on and the mean "Money Man" is threatening to evict them. It is also a home with a mother who loves her unconditionally and where she feels safe.
Then mum gets some new friends and one of them Jesika really doesn't like.

I find it hard to read books told through a small child's voice as it can get a bit repetitive (and frustrating!). But I think the author did well at maintaining her unique voice and telling a story which was, at times, quite adult.

The novel is also a reminder to parents to be vigilant and listen to your children. It can be SO difficult sometimes to break through the noise and the (quite often) untruths that they tell at that age so a safe home and taking some time to have a focused conversation is really important. It certainly was a bit of a wake up call for me, as I could see myself in Tina so often with the frustrations of just getting kids out the door and dressed etc.!

I recommend this to those who like character driven novels and are prepared to feel a little uncomfortable.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was in two minds about this book but what a book. A tale of modern day poverty thru the eyes of a child. Packs such a punch, a difficult read yet I couldn’t put it down.

Great story, I really liked the way it was told. It was a very interesting read. I would recommend

I was a bit apprehensive about reading this book simply because I wasn’t sure how I felt about a book ‘narrated’ by a four year old. However, this book was very well written and in a way that you could almost believe it was written by a four year old!!! The way she perceived things and her words for things (e.g. moles for mould and Green Men for paramedics) is simply fantastic.

Jesika is four years old and lives in a rundown flat with her Mum, Tina, and her baby brother, Toby. They don’t have much and the dampness in the flat is causing Tina and Toby to be continually unwell.

When Tina and Toby’s health deteriorates they are kept in hospital. With no-one to take care of Jesika she is put into foster care for a short time. Then her friend, Lorna, offers to look after Jesika which pleases Jesika because Lorna is also the Mum of Paige, Jesika’s ‘bestest’ friend. But Paige has a secret which she shares with Jesika and it will affect everyone.

This book touches on a difficult subject and it is handled brilliantly. It also reminds us, sadly,that there are children like Paige and Jesika in every town and city.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book.

Jesika is four years old and lives in London. She attends a pre-school and lives with her Mummy and little brother Toby. Jesika's home is up lots of stairs, it's not very nice - the bath leaks, the hot water doesn't always work and there are moles on the wall - the bad man wants them to move out. Jesika's Dad has left them to live in Poland and her Mummy doesn't have a lot of pennies. Although they know a lot of people they don't really have a lot of friends and when Jesika makes friends with Paige at pre-school she is really pleased. Jesika's mummy knows Paige's Mummy but Paige has a secret and it will change everyone's life.

I absolutely loved this book - written in first person by Jesika, the story is written from the viewpoint of a very young child with mispronunciations and misinterpretations galore. The narrative covers a lot of issues of modern city life, the single parent, the isolation, the poor housing, the manipulation/blackmail of an unscrupulous landlord, social care and, of course, child sex abuse. The latter isn't necessarily needed as there is lots of plot anyway but it does offer a perspective on the way young children can be forced to hold 'secrets'. The only discordant note was the death of Leon, it felt like one plot twist too far. Having said that, this is a clever and confident piece of writing. It takes a lot to write convincingly with the voice of a four year old and Jesika feels real. Although fiction, one truly believes that there are children like Jesika in every city.

I’ve just finished “Home” by Amanda Berriman and I think, it’s possibly the cutest book I think I’ve ever read!

“Home” is a contemporary read that tells the story of Jesika, a 4 year old child and her family’s struggles with everyday life. They’re at the bottom end of the poverty spectrum so they don’t have very much. “Home” is really a story about relying on others when you’re feeling low and in need of support.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read Home! I think, I’ve possibly found my favourite standalone novel 🙂.

I really enjoyed reading from Jesika’s perspective. I loved all of the words that she couldn’t quite get right, like “hospipal” (meaning hospital), "cept" (meaning except), "apposed" (meaning supposed) for example, and reading about or her “big hurty” whenever she was scared what would happen to herself or someone she cared about. Jesika is definitely an unreliable narrator because she’s only 4 years old, and is often unsure of events in the novel. Jesika explains everything in a long winded, roundabout way, which is reminiscent of a child, I think. That’s why I’m using it for the last Popsugar Challenge, “Your favourite prompt from the 2015, 2016, 2017 POPSUGAR reading challenges” which is, “A book with an unreliable narrator”, as Jesika is very much this, as I’ve explained above.

Home is also set in England so it was nice to see the place where I live reflected in a book.

Although lots of this book is light, in that it’s told from a 4 year old’s perspective, there is a dark undertone of child abuse, too. We don’t see any of the abuse but it’s still there. Therefore, if you’re sensitive to the topic of abuse, child abuse in particular, then maybe stay away from reading this.

SPOILERS BELOW...

“She pulls out a red zippy top and I hope it’s the one with the strawberry on it cos I like that one the best but I can’t see cos she tucks in under her arm and then she says, “Arms up” and she pulls the green jumper over my head and puts it on the back of Toby’s buggy and then crouches down and holds out the red zippy top so I can push my arms in and I’m looking down to see if it’s the strawberry top and she zips me up fast and fast.
OW! HOT-STINGY-OW! OW! OW!”

This is a significant part of the novel because it demonstrates Jesika’s character at the beginning of the story. Jesika has come to preschool without the right tshirt on. It’s a Rainbow day and Jesika has come without any “red” on. Jesika’s favourite colour is green so she came with a green outfit on, instead. All Jesika is concerned about though, is whether or not her Mummy has bought the red strawberry t-shirt. When she tries to look, Tina, her Mummy pulls the zip up too fast, and accidentally knocks her chin. Jesika, at 4 years old blames her Mummy for hurting her. This was well written. As someone who has worked with little children, I can say that the author captured the character of them well. This happens before the twist in the story.

When Paige, another young girl of Jesika’s age is introduced, Jesika gets a friend.

“I run to the house corner and she’s still there squeezed right under the table cept now she’s lying down on the cushion that’s apposed to be on the play bed and she’s got the blanket that I tucked baby in and it’s covering her all up, cept her face, and she’s sucking her thumb, and she’s got her eyes closed and I think she might actually be asleep which is very strange cos preschool’s not a sleeping place, it’s a playing place.”

This is the first time Jesika sees the new girl, Paige. She doesn’t understand why Paige is sleeping at preschool. She thinks she should be playing like everyone else. What Jesika doesn’t understand is that Paige is new so she doesn’t have any friends yet and she doesn’t know the routine at the preschool. Again, as someone who has worked with little children, I know that they are all different. What one needs, isn’t necessarily what another needs.

Jesika’s Mummy and little brother have to go into hospital part way in “Home”. This means that Jesika has to go and be looked after by strangers. She is obviously scared by this as she’s only ever known her mummy to look after her.

Jesika mentions her father (Daddy) and Bab Bab (grandmother) a little bit, throughout the book but her daddy lives in Poland, and her Bab Bab died before the novel takes place, so we never actually see them. “I know Poland. My Daddy went to live there” shows just how aware Jesika is, when her mum and brother are in the hospital, and she’s being looked after by a nurse called Paulina, who’s from Poland, as well.

When the topic of abuse comes in to the story, it turns a little darker. We see Jesika worry about Paige, not quite understanding what is wrong but just knowing that something is. Ryan is Paige’s uncle. One night, at a sleepover where Ryan is looking after both her and Paige, during bath time, Jesika hears scary noises. She isn’t sure what these are to begin with, just that they don’t sound good. Ryan tells Jesika not to tell anyone what she heard, otherwise bad things will happen to her. This obviously scares Jesika to the point where she doesn’t tell anyone. Does Jesika tell the truth in the end, though? You’ll have to read to find out.
Also, what happens about Jesika’s living situation, with her family? Does she get fostered/adopted or do her mummy and brother get better? Does she move house to somewhere safer? You’ll again have to read to find out!

What did I like about “Home”?

I loved reading from Jesika’s perspective. She’s such a funny, little character. Even though, a lot of the events of “Home” are really serious, reading about them from Jesika’s perspective made them seem fun and light hearted.

I loved the friendship aspect “Home” had. Jesika tried to help Paige lots, throughout the book. This makes her an incredibly brave protagonist. For example, when she chooses what to do about Ryan’s lies, especially considering how young she is.

I loved how dramatic Jesika was! She was always adding her own commentary in her head to what adults were discussing. These were often really funny! I love first person stories anyway, but reading Jesika’s perspective was hilarious!

I loved Jesika’s use of language in “Home”. It was really entertaining and cute to read words in her way. Hospipal instead of hospital, for example. The author clearly did some research about how little ones speak.

I liked how there were actually parents in “Home”. In sooo many books we see children without their parents. That’s not the case, here, as Jesika’s mother is there, throughout.

What didn’t I like about “Home”?

I didn’t really see much setting description, apart from Jesika’s run down home. This is a contemporary novel, told from a child’s perspective so that might have been why the setting descriptions were a little lack lustre but it would have been nice to be able to picture everywhere in the book, clearly. This really does not detract from the story in any way, though!

Overall then, I LOVED “Home”! That’s why I’m giving it...5 Stars!!! I can definitely see it being on my favourites list at the end of the year!

This is narrated by Jesyka, a very knowing 4 year old, who has a baby brother and a single Mum. She attends pre-school and makes friends with another little girl, whose mother turns out to have gone to school with Jesyka's mother.
However, this little girl is being sexually abused by a friend of the mother, and Jesyka knows it is wrong, and tries to put it right. This causes all sorts of arguments, and Jesyka's mother and baby brother end up in hos[
pital with pneumonia. jesyka doesn't like the foster parents she is left with for two days and nights.
In the end the mother, Jesyka and the baby brother move in with Paula, and the man abusing the other girl tries it on with Jesyka.
I found parts of this book very disturbing, and was g;ad to see it was written in close contact with the NSPCC. Many thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for allowing me to read this novel.

Home is a must read. It is one of those books that when you start reading it you just cannot put it down. Told in the voice of 4 year old Jesika Petrowski we are absorbed into a world of poverty and want. Jesika, her mum Tina and little brother Toby are living in a flat that is not fit for purpose but they are trapped with few resources to rely upon. Constantly threatened with eviction and a landlord who is making life impossible for mum Tina, Jesika fails to understand just how difficult life really is.

Jesika's innocence is completely heartwarming and as the book develops her relationship with her new best friend Paige will have you wanting to scream at the book and warn Jesika that she is in danger. This part of the book is difficult to read and I really did not want to read on as I was terrified that poor Jesika's innocence would be so cruelly ripped away from her yet at the same time I had too see what would happen next with Jesika and her family.

This is the type of book that makes you think. Sometimes we take for granted the needs of 'outsiders' but 'Home' really reels it home to you that everyone is just the same and our needs are all similar. As the book progresses we see the Petrowskis find t hat they do have the friends that they feel that they are missing and that sometimes all we need to do is reach out and tell others our greatest fears and needs.

An absolutely mindblowing read I would 100% recommend.

I decided to read this as it was recommended to me, and what a read it turned out to be. I found it almost impossible to put down.

The whole of Home is narrated by a four and a half year old character called Jesika. At first I found it so cute to read. The way Jesika spoke and her view of what’s going on around her was endearing. However, that amusement quickly wore off for me, as I started to imagine the life of poverty she was facing, living in poor conditions and struggling to eat enough food. I found myself gradually settling into the book, and although feeling sad about the life Jesika was living, she knew no different, so it was fascinating seeing her mostly positive experience of life through her thoughts and feelings.

(Possible spoiler due to trigger warning in the rest of my review. Proceed with caution):

This story does delve into darker matters, and I have to be honest, I did find it rather hard reading some parts of it. I felt sick to my stomach at times. This is a wonderfully written book and Jesika has become one of my all-time favourite characters, but as this story does cover the subject of child abuse, some readers may find parts of this book quite distressing and emotional. I have mixed emotions warning others about this, because if I knew that topic was included in part of the story, I almost definitely wouldn’t have picked it up, which means part of me wouldn’t have had to experience those yucky feelings inside me, but at the same time I would never have met the wonderful Jesika, and that would be a shame.

I definitely highly recommend this book, if you’re not put off by the sensitive subject matter, and can enjoy it for what it is, a wonderful touching story about life’s joys, challenges and right and wrong through the eyes of a child, and the power of love and friendship no matter what life throws at you. This book teaches you to let those close to you help you through your struggles, be aware that children witness and take in a lot more than you might realise, and always, always listen to what your children are trying to tell you.

This was such a unique book. The author does incredibly well to portray the 4 1/2 year old narrator Jesika. The style of speech is perfect along with how she reacts to and interprets things like mummy dragging her away from the ‘moles’ on the wall.
The story itself is gripping: a family in poverty being judged at every turn, finally accepting help from an old friend who has a daughter at pre-school with Jesika. The secrets that are uncovered by this friendship are huge and shocking, and it’s fascinating to see it all through a child’s-eye view.
I really enjoyed this book and despite the dark storyline did find it ultimately uplifting.

This book came like a punch to the gut. As soon as I started it I realised that I was in for an original and unique reading experience as this is written from the perspective of a little four-year-old girl. Upon reading the first few sentences you begin to follow the syntax and flow of Jesika's speech and her view of the world is so innocent and heartbreaking I wanted to reach in and pluck her and her family out of the story and give them a new home.

By using a desperate situation made more haunting by its narrator, this is a stellar debut novel.

This book is compelling. It tells the story of 4 year old Jesika, her mother Tina and her toddler brother Toby. The family is victim to inadequate housing, lack of extended family and an absent father. Tina does her best but unfortunately both she and Toby become unwell and have to be admitted to hospital for a short time. In the course of the short hospital stay, Jesika finds herself firstly staying with foster carers and then with an old friend of Tina’s who is also a single mother with a daughter called Paige. However, it soon becomes apparent that Paige’s uncle has an unhealthy interest in Paige and indeed also Jesika. The story describes the bravery and strength of character of Jesika and her mother in preventing further damage. When the abuse issue is first hinted at, I considered stopping reading as I find the issue very distressing. But I persevered and was glad I did.

The story is told from the viewpoint of Jesika and in her words. This takes a bit of time to get familiar with and, after a while, I didn’t notice.

This is an excellent first novel written by someone who obviously has a first class understanding of how children think and solve problems. I highly recommend it.

Fabulously, beautifully written with a believable and enchanting narrator. This triggers so many emotions that I had to stop reading it for a couple of days when I was half way through. Heartbreaking at times, this story highlights problems within our society.

Reading this book which is written as a four year old child would speak was an amazing journey of emotions. I don't think I've read a book this quick in a long time. Do not miss this