

The ending, however, is one that I just didn’t enjoy and although it was a satisfying end to Felix’s story, with things resolving neatly and Felix’s life being fine, I did feel that the ending was too simple, too easy and convenient, almost fairy-tale like, considering the complex issues of poverty and hoomelessness that the book brings up. The story felt like it was going somewhere and even though Astrid had her own problems, which impacted on the story, I felt like this would all resolve at the end of the tale in a happy way. I liked how certain aspects of homelessness were shown, like not having their own toilet or how Felix was trying to keep the truth of his home life a secret while at school.


I enjoyed finding out about how Felix and his mum ended up in the van and how difficult life was increasingly getting. Set in Vancouver and told from Felix’s point of view the story is quite a compelling read. When asked what happened, he starts to recount his tale. It begins with Felix speaking to a police constable after he and his mum have been arrested. The book is easy to get into right away and I initially enjoyed the story. Living in a van is fun at first, but as the weeks go by and Felix has to go back to school after the holidays, life with no permanent home gets more and more difficult. Felix lives with his mum Astrid, but after the two are evicted from their latest apartment, Astrid acquires a van and decides to move the two of them into it, just until things get better and she can secure another home. Review: I’m not sure what to think after reading this book, on the one hand it’s well written and easy to get into with a story that on the surface I really enjoyed, but on the other hand there are some flaws and a bit of a strange ending that leave me with mixed feelings after reading this. *Free copy provided by publisher for review… All he needs is a little luck and a lot of brain power… So when Felix starts at a new school, he does his best to hide it from his friends, even though his home has some serious downsides, like no privacy, heating, space and – worst of all – no bathroom.īut Felix has a plan to turn his and Astrid’s lives around. Astrid promises it’s only till she finds a new job, and begs Felix not to breathe a word. Genre: Older children’s/middle grade fiction, Contemporaryĭescription: Felix Knutsson and his mom Astrid have a secret: they are living in a van.
