Starred Review ALA Booklist (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Starred Review Having one's life uprooted is always unsettling, but it can be especially difficult for a child. After her dad loses his job, 12-year-old Joy Taylor finds herself out of their single-family home and living in a cramped apartment, as well as going to a new school. To make matters worse, Joy's parents are fighting more and more, and they can no longer afford the piano lessons Joy loves. Luckily, Joy finds a friend in neighbor Nora, who introduces her to a hidden storage area in the apartment building, called "the Hideout." There kids can take a break from their families and hang out. Joy finds some writing on the wall that makes her think that another kid is also struggling. As Joy continues to try to figure out who is behind these messages, she and Nora start a dog-walking business to raise money for their hobbies. But as things start to look up, Joy and Nora have a falling out, and Joy's parents reach the brink of divorce. Readers will find themselves yearning along with Joy and rooting for her to find a way to make connections and a home once again. Blending mystery with realistic fiction, Joy's story of how complicated life is for a kid will resonate with readers in tender and poignant ways.

Kirkus Reviews

When her telecommunications professional father is laid off, Joy's family's relocation across town threatens to cost her more than money can buy.Twelve-year-old Joy Taylor wants to compose music for films, but now that money is tight, her piano lessons, along with so much else, are sacrificed. They have moved from a house to apartment 3C, a small two-bedroom where she and her younger sister must share a bunk bed and the walls are so thin, her parents' fighting keeps them up at night. Then Joy meets Nora from 5B, who lost her mother to cancer. The two girls share a love of movies, complicated home lives, and an obvious need to just get away sometimes. A cornerstone of the friendships between Joy and other kids in the building is the secret, cramped Hideout accessed through a storage closet near the laundry room. According to the literal writing on the wall, it's been a sanctuary for generations of kids needing a space to retreat. Marks makes the necessity of this intimate space for not-quite-little-but-not-yet-big kids simultaneously plausible and disheartening. As the story progresses through various relationship trials, it's not the tween drama that provides the most emotional resonance; rather, seeing children work so hard to make their own place in the world, forge connections, and pursue their own interests is truly inspiring-but their needing to do so in quiet corners while adults remain oblivious is terribly sobering. Joy and her family are Black; Nora is cued as Latinx.A bittersweet story of silent perseverance and kids working for themselves. (Fiction. 8-12)

School Library Journal (Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2021)

Gr 4-6 When 12-year-old Joy Taylor's dad loses his job and the family has to give up their house, Joy's dreams of learning to play the piano and someday becoming a film score composer are put on hold. Their new apartment is too small, her mom and dad are fighting, and there is no money for piano lessons. A secret room in the apartment complex, known as the Hideout, provides a place where Joy and the other kids in the building can temporarily escape. Soon Joy makes new friends, starts a dog-walking business, and even begins writing to someone who is leaving heartrending messages on the wall of the Hideout. One weekend things go terribly wrong, and Joy must face uncomfortable realities about loyalty and responsibility. This relatable story touches on topics such as divorce (Joy's parents briefly separate, then reconcile), the ups and downs of having a job at a young age, and the difficulties that arise from keeping secrets from family and friends. Joy is Black, and there is a diverse cast of characters with different experiences including her new best friend Nora, who is Latinx, and a boy named Miles, who is one of only a few Black students at a private school. VERDICT An engaging coming-of-age story that will appeal to a wide range of readers. Sue Morgan, Hillsborough City School Dist., CA