Runaway

Runaway, by Wendelin Van Draanen, is the story of how Holly, a 12-year old homeless girl, manages to survive on the streets. If you ask Holly, shes not homeless. No, shes a gypsy.

Ever since her mom overdosed on heroin, Holly has been living with various foster parents. None of them care about her, and why should she put up with them? At her latest foster home, she lives in the laundry room and they Sani-Flush her head. The only answer is running away. Where to? Well, California seems nice. Far away, way out west, where its sunny and theres beaches where she can swim with the dolphins. So Holly stows away on a train to California to live as a sea gypsy.

But living on her own isnt easy at all. Everyday she has to worry about where shes getting her next meal and where she is going to sleep. Her story is told through her journal, that her teacher gave her before she ran away. Holly never liked her teacher, and she doesnt really know why shes writing in her journal. But when shes bored it gives her something to do. And in some ways, writing poems helps her sort through her thoughts. As she records the story of her journey, her diary quickly becomes her most valuable possession.

Its dangerous living on her own. Hollys just a little girl, and there are plenty of dangers that she must be careful to avoid. Social services, cops, creepy hobos, and strange men who follow her are just a few of her problems. Stealing food is the norm if she cant find a soup kitchen. Where does she sleep? Anywhere that she wont get caught, and if its raining, well, she has her hefty bags to keep her warm and dry.

No matter how tough life gets, Holly has plans. Shes not going to become a junkie and she doesnt want to spend her life homeless. Shell homeschool herself and even borrows books to teach herself what she would have been learning in school. Someday Holly will have a home of her own, and she will have a pet dog. Maybe a seadog, if she still lives by the sea.

While Wendelin Van Draanen is best known for her Sammy Keyes series, Runaway is a fascinating book for the same audience. Van Draanen actually got the idea for Runaway when a friend asked her what happened to the homeless girl that Sammy rescues in Sammy Keyes and the Sisters of Mercy. In her research for Runaway, Van Draanen has checked herself into a homeless shelter and stowed away on a bus. That, to me, shows real dedication. Her extensive research pays off, as she reveals Hollys life in a non-judgmental way, capturing Hollys voice perfectly. Im able to sympathize with Holly, and I feel like I almost do understand what shes going through. Holly is not a bad girl at all, she has just been through so many bad situations. The ending of the book is a little idealistic, when the truth is that many runaways experience much rougher and worse endings to their stories. However, I like that Van Draanen uses Runaway as a means to give hope to everyone that even though life is unfair, you can still find happiness.