Can't Get There from Here

by Todd Strasser

Paperback, 2005

Status

Available

Publication

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (2005), 208 pages

Description

Tired of being hungry, cold, and dirty from living on the streets of New York City with a tribe of other homeless teenagers who are dying, one by one, a girl named Maybe ponders her future and longs for someone to care about her.

User reviews

LibraryThing member KarriesKorner
Todd Strasser doesn't miss a detail in this compelling story about a group of runaway and homeless teens. These kids are living a tough life and have no where to turn, but they all have some level of hope. Their friendships are realistic in a dark and dangerous world. Hope does resonant throughout
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the book, and the reader will find herself on the edge of her seat, waiting to see how all these kids' lives turn out.
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LibraryThing member mrsdwilliams
A group of homeless teens band together to help each other survive on the streets of New York. The narrator, Maybe, left her abusive mother and feels that the street--dirty , cold, and brutal as it is--is the only place for a girl like her, a girl no one loves.

Maggot says that living on the
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streets is the only way to maintain your freedom. Country Club is the first of the group to leave. He dies of liver failure at 22. OG has a constant, hacking cough, but refuses to seek medical attention. He adopts an abandoned dog (Pest)after Country Club's death. 2Moro is beautiful and HIV-positive. Prostitution helps her survive, but for how long? Jewel is a male prostitute who dresses up as a woman and goes clubbing with 2Moro. Rainbow, Maybe's closest friend, does drugs to keep herself numb. Tears is only 12 and is the newest member of the group.

As bad as life on the streets can be, they all agree that it is better than the lives they left behind. As Maybe watches her friends disappear one by one, she wonders if there might be another life for her.
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LibraryThing member Brittany30
The novel, Can't Get There From Here by Todd Strasser emcompasses the theme of hope and inner strength. In the begining, Maybe, tells of the struggles and hardship of being a teen living on the streets. She introduces her "family", the other teens who live with her in the tunnel in New York City.
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Some struggles would be not enough food or clean clothes. Through the middle she perserveres with the slow loss of the her friends who lived on the street due to numerous reasons. In the end, she finally finds a safe home to live in which was offered to her by her friend, a libraian who helped her throughout the book and he takes on the role of her new guardian before the streets would have been her unmarked grave.
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LibraryThing member amtul.malik1
Can’t Get There from Here by Todd Strasser has composed a riveting realistic fiction book aimed at teenagers regarding teen homelessness and the obstacles they endure within that lifestyle.
The story is narrated through a 15 year old girl named Maybe who has run away from her abusive mother.
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Maybe finds herself in New York City and joins a tribe of homeless teenagers known as the “Asphalt Tribe”. The names of the members all go by street aliases: Maggot, Jewel (a male prostitute), Rainbow, 2Moro ( a beautiful girl who has HIV), Tears (the youngest and newest member) and Maybe. Most of these youth have run away from abusive homes, while others suffer from mental or other health related problems. Together the band struggles to survive the gritty enviroment and the harsh winter of New York. The author’s description of their day-to-day struggles of scavenging for food, staying warm, declining health, filthy and poor sleeping conditions really disturbs the reader. Yet it doesn’t stop there, the pressures of prostitution and drug abuse is prevalent throughout the story as are the numerous occurrences of deaths. Along the journey Maybe meets Anthony, a librarian who offers his assistance by providing her with clothing and warmth and persuades her to attend a youth home. With Maybe feeling lonely and abandoned as her “Asphalt tribe” decreases in numbers due to deaths, she too sees her future to be short and decides that she must make a life-changing decision. It’s important to note that the author reminds the readers of the recurring mentality amongst the homeless youth that they feel they’re not noticed, nameless and that nobody cares of their existence.
Upon reading this novel, it really changed my views on homeless people and the tragedies that lead such individuals to their downfall. Todd Strasser has a great way of captivating young readers by making them feel connected to the characters by understanding the reality of street life. I would recommend this novel to junior high and high school readers.
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Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2004-04-01

Physical description

208 p.; 7 inches

ISBN

0689841701 / 9780689841705
Page: 0.8943 seconds