Unfortunately for Zig, life is a lot more complicated than fixing electronics. In this re-release of Kate Messner’s The Exact Location of Home, she’s takes a serious subject such as homelessness and makes it relatable and understandable for a younger age group. As Zig deals with his dad’s abandonment, impending eviction from his home, and dealing with the school bully, Zig discovers the fascination of geocaching which gives him hope and something to look forward to each day. And hope is exactly what Zig needs.

The Exact Location of Home is the kind of novel that tugs at your heart as you realize that life isn’t always easy for kids and life can be very complex for some. Messner brings up some serious issues like homelessness, living in a homeless shelter, and dealing with Alzheimer’s. However, she manages to write in an underlying theme of hope and love and that home is really and truly where the heart is rather than an actual address.

Review of an Advance Uncorrected Proof

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Bloomsbury USA

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  1 religious exclamation. 

Violence/Gore:  Boy shoves another boy into a locker on 2 occasions; it’s alluded to the fact that someone is being abused by her husband with a mention of bruised wrists and bruises on her cheek; man yells at child and pushes him into a wall; character almost falls 40 feet after a rotted ladder rung breaks. 

Sex/Nudity: None

Mature Subject Matter:

Death, bullying, Alzheimer’s, abuse, homelessness, abandonment by a parent.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Someone says a homeless shelter is full of drunks.