No Fixed Address

I received a free copy of this book through librarything’s early reviewers program in exchange for an honest review — thank you!

What I love about Susin Nielsen is that she deflty addresses huge, difficult topics in her characters’ lives (in this case, homelessness) deftly, and

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compassionately, and with no small amount of humour and hopefulness.

No Fixed Address is no exception to this. The book handles big issues through some realistic and truly loveable characters. I immediately became so invested in Felix’s life — and with his fantastic, strong voice that the story is told in.

Susin Nielsen is one of those authors I will always recommend.

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Every time I read one of Susin Nielsen's novels, I am blown away by her superb writing and her insights into the gritty side of life. Whether she actually connects with a teen-aged audience or the younger end of the YA genre, I don't know, but that's almost irrelevant: Nielsen exposes the atrocious

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underside of our society. 'No Fixed Address' was a gripping story and I was drawn in to caring for Felix from the first page. His mom, Astrid, is a necessary counterpoint to demonstrate that effective parenting is not inherently accomplished, that circumstances can lead to a downward spiral and end tragically. I was glad there was a 'everything is going to be okay' conclusion, because readers need to be aware that there can be fixes if communities would care enough to look for solutions. [I received this book from Penguin Canada through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for an unbiased review].

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Felix Knutsson is not your average 12-year-old. He is a worrywart with a quick mind, a gerbil named Horatio, knows the answer to almost every question asked on his favorite TV trivia show, Who, What, Where, When, and lives in a Westfalia van on the streets of Vancouver. His mother, Astrid is a good

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mom, but she just can't seem to catch a break. Jobs are hard to find and even harder to keep when you're fighting the "slumps" and can't keep your opinions to yourself. When the money runs out and they're forced to move yet again, Astrid swears Felix to secrecy, worried that the Ministry of Children and Family Development will put him in a foster home if they find out that they live in a van and shower at the local community center.

As Astrid's lies and deceptions increase, and their situation goes from bad to worse, it's actually Felix who finally catches a break. New friends and a new school have given him a lifeline, and things can only get better from here when he gets the chance to be a contestant on Who, What, Where, When. Winning means everything to him but he quickly learns that sometimes it's the kindness and compassion of friends and strangers that can make the biggest difference in our lives.

Ms. Nielsen has addressed a very relevant social issue with compassion, humor, and heart. A wonderfully bittersweet, heartwarming story and highly recommended!

My thanks to Random House Canada/Tundra Books for providing me with this review copy.

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12 yr-old Felix Knutsson and his mom, Astrid have hit a rough spot and are currently living "between places." For the longest time, they get by with lies so no one finds out. As the fall sets in in Vancouver though, the temperature drops and the van they are living in just doesn't meet their needs.

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Felix gets chosen to compete on a game show, which he feels will solve all of their problems if he wins, but there are a lot of problems and things come to a head. This is a very enlightening book that puts a face to homelessness and brings understanding to just what a homeless family might go through. I'd recommend it for gr. 6-8, not younger due to sexual reference.

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This is another winner from Susin Nielsen. The book is about Felix Knutsson, a twelve year old who finds himself living in a van with his mom, Astrid. The van isn't really theirs and living in it was only meant to be temporary until his mom got herself back on her feet. Unfortunately, their time in

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the van keeps on being prolonged, as Astrid's finds it difficult to hold down a job. Felix gets into a French immersion school, where he is reunited with his old best friend, and makes friends with a girl, who sometimes comes across as a know-it-all, but has many redeeming qualities. Felix does his best to keep his homeless situation to himself.

The characters are quite endearing and well-written, and the story moves along at a decent pace, with enough plot turns on the way to the finale. It's not a predictable read, and Nielsen touches on a lot of issues, including homelessness. The book is ultimately about friendship and community, and is a very heart-warming tale. I'd recommend this for anyone looking for a story about hope, even in what my seem dire circumstances.

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Twelve-year-old Felix and his mother Astrid are living out of her ex-boyfriend's van after Astrid's friend Ingrid kicks them out. Through deceit and evasion, Felix manages to hide his homelessness from his friends and school staff. But the weather turns colder and Astrid's "slumps" keep her from

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actively finding a job. When Felix learns his favorite game show is holding auditions for a junior spinoff, he is determined to get on the show and win the prize money so they can find a place to live. Felix's frustration with his mother and their situation is palpable. It's hard not to empathize with a kid who just wants a warm place with a shower and a toilet. He's an astute and sharp kid, in contrast to his flaky parents. His observation that "Astrid and Daniel were great people...but they were not great parents" perfectly and poignantly sums up Felix's current conundrum. This is a compassionate look at homelessness and its impact on children.

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Loved it and I know my students will love it too. It would pair VERY nicely with “How to steal a dog” by O’Conner.
12 year old Felix and his mom fall on some tough times and end up living in her ex- boyfriend’s van. Although this is initially just a temporary arrangement, the months drag on

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and before he knows it, winter has arrived, the van is cold and Felix is sick. What would you do if someone you loved was dying?

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Being poor sucks, but being a poor kid living in a wealthy neighborhood is especially hard. Even more so when you feel the need to hide it because people judge, and stigma exists. In addition to hiding his homelessness, Felix hides his mothers mental health struggles, her difficulty holding a job,

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and her fear of losing him to government agencies, all while navigating a new school and getting ready to compete in a trivia contest.

Susin Nielsen never shies away from dealing head on with life’s challenges because she knows her YA readers can handle it, and because they are a part of many kids lives already – just not spoken of. In addition to homelessness and poverty, No Fixed Address deals with; mental health struggles, domestic abuse, sexual orientation, non-traditional families, extramarital affairs, unemployment, shoplifting to survive, the struggles of immigrants, and the difficulty some have with asking for help. It might seem incongruous given these heavy topics, but this book is funny too – See Astrid’s Guidebook to Lies. There are so many great discussion starters in No Fixed Address. It would make a great middle-grade read aloud, especially for Vancouver students who will recognize many of the locations and appreciate the cultural diversity of the characters.

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The YA book, "No Fixed Address" was very relevant to the homeless problem in Vancouver. Twelve year old Felix lived with his single mom. Her combative nature made it hard to hold down jobs but she was good at spinning a yarn. They ended up living in a van. She got Felix into a French Immersion

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school in Kitsilano, one of the better parts of town. He just had to keep his nose clean and not let on where he was living but it was hard keeping that secret from friends and Felix kept digging himself in deeper.

It was a really well imagined story and the author reached out to the right people to find out the reality of the safety nets in place for the homeless, especially the young homeless.

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Fantastic book! A great way to start conversations around homelessness. The main character is a great representation of so many kids who, for one reason or another, have to grow up way too fast. There are some edgy moments that make this more of an older middle school read. But the subject is

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timeless and kids will be pulled into the struggle that Felix is faced with. Highly recommended.

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diverse older middlegrade/teen fiction (tri-racial 13 y.o. and his single mom deal with homelessness in Vancouver - allusions to sexual situations).

Funny, heartfelt, empathy-building story about a sweet boy and his friends/family.

A good little read about homelessness.