Customer Reviews

You Are Here

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Reasons I loved this book:
1. Factoids. Like do you know where we get "OK" from?
2. I loved Emma, the female protagonist. She's spunky, fun, adventurous, and unapologetically moody.
3. Peter really won me over! At first I, much like Emma, kind of dismissed Peter, the map-loving male protagonist, but he wormed his way into my heart!
4. The Maps. I've always loved to travel, but for some reason I never considered the maps, and what they represent, and how interesting they really can be.
5. There's no big twist, no crazy surprise, but the ending really snuck up on me and made a huge impression. I keep thinking about it, and inevitably rereading it, not because it's shocking or unexpected, but because its so heartfelt and true.

This book really struck a chord with me; all throughout, I kept thinking that not all who wander are lost and that despite the fact that I can't always find my way, the journey is the most important part.

YOU ARE HERE
JENNIFER E. SMITH
Contemporary YA
Simon Pulse

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Emma Healy has resigned herself to the fact that she's the only normal person among her family of extraordinary scholars. She's had years of experience being the odd one out, of feeling like she doesn't totally belong. And she doesn't know why, but she's always felt like a part of her is somehow missing.

Her shy but intelligent neighbor Peter Finnigan feels more at home with Emma's family of academics than he ever has is his own house. As much as he'd like to, Peter can't spend every minute of the day in the Healy's house, but with little other friends, he spends most of his time alone with his books and maps, dreaming of escape.

Opportunity presents itself when Emma finds the birth certificate of her unknown twin brother--and a death certificate dated two days later. Now that she knows which part of her has been missing, Emma feels the need to visit her dead brother's grave to greet the twin she never knew. Chance and impulse invites Peter, desperate to see the world, along for the ride. And so these two loners make their way from upstate New York to Emma's birthplace in North Carolina in an old and technically stolen vehicle, picking up a stray three-legged dog and trying to figure out what exactly they're looking for. Along the way, they'll learn about themselves and each other, and maybe even figure out how to make themselves whole again.

YOU ARE HERE is a story that covers multitudes of topics from family to friendship to forgiveness. This is all possible due to Smith's very descriptive, almost lyrical writing style, which covers nearly every aspect of the two teens' lives and allows great insight into their most intimate thoughts and desires. Although the lengthy descriptions are almost overbearing at times, they do help create vivid and believable characters in Emma and Peter. The character growth during this cross-country trip is predictable and none too original, but it doesn't make it any less sweet or moving. I felt a real connection to both characters as many readers will; their thoughts and fears and dreams make them easy to relate to. This connection, in turn, made me all the more open to this story's multiple messages, among which is that family will always be there, even if they don't always know how to express it. This story is not high action or particularly romantic; it is for readers who want to think and learn from Emma's and Peter's journey and anyone in search of their own niche.

YOU ARE HERE is Jennifer E. Smith's second novel. Her first is THE COMEBACK SEASON. [...]

Rachael Stein
Enchanting Reviews
July 2009

Emma Healy has never really felt like she fit in with the rest of her quirky but brilliant family of academics and professors. All her life, she's never felt quite whole, as if something was out of place in her life. Perhaps, she sometimes thought, it was because she was out of place. It's hard to think otherwise when your parents throw birthday parties for you at poetry readings in New York City, or the invited guests are world-renowned professors of archeology, sociology, and anthropology (all of whom are your parents' close friends).

One day, Emma comes across a birth certificate and a death certificate, both of which change the way she sees herself, her family, and their shared familial history. Spurred by her discovery, she decides to go on a road trip to North Carolina--the place where she might find the grave of her recently discovered twin brother. Together with her neighbor Peter Finnegan--an unlikely car thief and civil war aficionado--and a three legged dog, Emma learns that there is a lot more to a journey than a destination, that there is a lot more to a family than meets the eye, and also, that the people who love you will always there for you.

As much Peter's story as it is Emma's, You Are Here is a well-written tale of two teenagers searching for answers to illuminate the unknown in their lives. Despite being well-developed characters, I occasionally felt that Emma and Peter's lines were strangely adult, making them seem somewhat like talking mannequins. I also found the slow romance between the two teens unfortunately inauthentic, but Jennifer E. Smith manages to make it work towards the end of the novel, pushing towards a moving finish.

You Are Here is an accomplished book about family, grief, and love, and there is lots to like in the book. Yet despite its eloquence, I'm not sure it is quite authentic enough to find a place in my heart. I cannot bring myself to heartily recommend the book. Readers who enjoy slower-paced novels might be better able to connect with the story, but I could not find myself completely engaged.

Emma has never felt a part of her family. Her parents, professors at a local college, and her much older siblings are always discussing poetry, philosophy, or topics important to the world. She is more interested in the here and now, not in deep intellectual thoughts.

Her feelings of not fitting in are dramatically increased the day she stumbles across the birth certificate of a twin brother she never knew she had. When she also discovers his death certificate tucked away in the same box in the attic, she can't believe that no one ever told her.

Turning 17 in less than a week, Emma decides to get her older brother to take her to his apartment in New York City. Once she gets there, her real plan is to "borrow" his car and travel to North Carolina to visit her twin's grave. When the car gives out at a rest stop along the New Jersey turnpike, she calls her neighbor, Peter Finnegan, another soon-to-be 17-year-old.

Peter is dealing with his own personal conflicts. He has grown up with just his father since his mother died shortly after his birth. Lately, his frustration with his silent and often absent father, and the desire to leave town and see the world, are almost more than he can tolerate. When he gets Emma's call for help, he sees it as the perfect opportunity to hit the road, see some of the sights he's dreamed of, and also spend time with a girl he realizes he's had a crush on for quite some time.

Together, the two loners begin a journey that will change them both. Not only do the teens come to know one another better, but their families also begin to recognize the ways they could be more present and supportive.

YOU ARE HERE is a carefully crafted story about families and relationships and the secrets that complicate them. Author Jennifer E. Smith has created an intricately layered cast of characters that give readers a peek into the various ways that humans handle tragedy and conflict. Smith's depth and sensitivity make YOU ARE HERE a must-read.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

Average Emma Healy doesn't really fit in with her family of overachievers, with her professor parents and smart, talented siblings nearly two decades older than her. Instead, she coasts by with her "polite but detached" smile and feigned interest. But when rummaging in the attic one day, Emma finds birth and death certificates for the twin brother she never knew existed, dated two days apart. She suddenly feels like she's discovered the missing link, someone so much like herself. Before she knows it, she's enlisted the help of Peter Finnegan, the shy, studious guy next door, to go with her on a road trip from New England to North Caroline to visit her brother's grave.

Jennifer E. Smith's second novel is full of heartache, loss, and new discoveries. The emotions in You Are Here are conveyed perfectly and beautifully, making it a sensitive and thoughtful read. Peter's passion for maps and places provides a wonderful vehicle for the many ways in which Smith relates Emma and Peter's dizzying journey of self discovery to the readers, and are a unique element. Emma's wish that a sign that read "You are here" is all it takes for a person to find themselves is one many can relate to, and many will be able to find a little piece of themselves in the characters' search for identity. Despite the sad undertones of loss and grief and family secrets, You Are Here does have some subtle humor that creeps up on you every now and again, making it a quick and enjoyable read.

Both Peter and Emma are searching for something they have lost, and both learn valuable things about their families and each other by the end of the novel. You are Here has a satisfying, optimistic ending that will make you smile, and is a heartfelt and insightful novel that once again proves that Jennifer E. Smith is an author to watch.

You Are Here is one of those books that grabs onto you and never lets go. It's full of hope and loss, goodbye and hellos, and, most importantly, love.

My one...issue? with the book was the fact that it took a while for things to get going and for the roadtrip to start, which meant the first few chapters were filled with backstory. Fortunately, most of it added to the characterization and plot. Then, once the action started, you were sucked in completely.

Despite the fact that the two main characters were easy to relate to, it is the plot I remember most about the story. Books with roadtrips are usually good but this had an extra more serious level of depth to it which completely changed everything. In a good way, of course.

The ending was perfect - I loved it.

If you enjoyed Smith's previous novel or are just looking for a good summer book, I recommend picking this one up.

Emma Healy has just had the surprise of her life. While in the attic searching for a book for her father, she discovered the birth and death certificate of her twin brother Thomas. Why has nobody ever mentioned this to her? Is this why she always feels like she doesn't fit with her family?

With the help of her nerdy neighbor Peter Finnegan, Emma sets off to visit the gravesite of her brother on the one day that she shares with her, their birthday. Along the way they run into some snags in their plan including a three-legged stray dog who seems to have taken a liking to them.

Is this the family Emma has always been looking for or is she just running? Will she ever find the place she truly belongs?

Jennifer E Smith has created a wonderful coming of age story in You Are Here.

Emma Healy and her family were wonderful characters. Yes I include Peter in her family. He just seems like he fits there. Her family was full of wonderfully eccentric people who loved her but never really knew how to show it. Throughout the book you get to see more into them and why they never mentioned the fact that Emma had a twin brother.

Peter was probably my favorite character. He was so funny and quirky. He was in love with Emma from the start and he couldn't even admit it to himself. He was just so awkward and nerdy. I loved him.

And then of course the stray dog who made them his. He was found at a New Jersey rest stop and just decided to go with them. He was so cute and it was so funny how he seemed to think that Emma and Peter were the strays that needed him.

Also, the whole story was just cute. That is the one word I can think of to describe it. Peter and Emma are two unlikely runaways who end up finding their true homes while they are traveling across the country.

Overall, You Are Here is the perfect summer roadtrip book. I definitely recommend it for a long car ride or even a lazy day lounging by the pool.

I sat down with this book and practically finished the whole thing before I got up again.

An excellent road-trip adventure -- with two engaging, fascinating characters. Beautifully written, thought-provoking. I've thought about it many times since I finished it.