Publishers Weekly
02/05/2024
A white 12-year-old slowly reacclimates after fleeing a futurist cult in this heartening tale by O’Shaugnessy (Lasagna Means I Love You). After living for six years on the Ranch—a self-sustaining, off-the-grid farm in New York helmed by the ill-tempered Dr. Ben—Fern Silvana’s “world cracks open” when she and her mother escape against Fern’s wishes to a coastal town near San Francisco. Initially, Fern is furious and desperate to find a way back to the Ranch. But as she gets to know the people of Driftaway Beach—especially Scottish and South Asian American classmate Eddie and kind tea shop owner Babs—and becomes reacquainted with pleasures and technologies banned on the Ranch (dancing, fantasy fiction, K-Pop, medicine, sugar, TV), Fern’s resolve wavers. Wistful first-person narration probes Fern’s conflicting emotions as she fumbles for a sense of belonging and struggles to think for herself. Driven by a growing self-awareness that she can choose who and what she believes, this is a moving portrait of a girl undergoing drastic change and fitting the broken pieces of her world together to find her place in it. Supporting characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 10–up. Agent: Pete Knapp, Park & Fine Literary. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
★ "Gripping. A strong, emotionally intelligent story."
— Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "The suspenseful story is immediately intriguing, skillfully conveying the high-stakes situation and effortlessly drawing the audience in. A tremendous testament to the power in plotting your own course."
—Booklist, starred review
★ "Lovingly crafted with depth and compassion. Nuance suffuses this story of discovery, as Fern’s blind faith grows tenuous."
— Bulletin, starred review
"Driven by a growing self-awareness that she can choose who and what she believes, this is a moving portrait of a girl undergoing drastic change." —Publishers Weekly
"This coming-of-age story centers a girl trying to decide what is right as she struggles to change from one culture to another. The first-person narrative is believable and thought-provoking as Fern reconsiders everything she’s thought to be true." —School Library Journal
"O’Shaughnessy presents a high stakes situation and zeroes in on a child narrator’s believable emotions. That tight focus on the narrator even when she is misguided or doesn’t have all the facts allows readers to draw their own conclusions." — The Horn Book Magazine
“Kate O’Shaughnessy is an extraordinarily talented author whose gift is an innate understanding of the inner life of twelve-year-olds.”
—Gennifer Choldenko, Newbery Honor Winner for Al Capone Does My Shirts
“To leave behind a world that seems totally secure and safe and comfortable, for a world in which you make your own decisions and claim your own life—that is one of our great journeys. In The Wrong Way Home, Fern has to battle her own fear, elaborate illusions, misunderstandings, and the past mistakes of others to get on with that journey—and, dear reader, you will not be able to turn the pages fast enough to see if she makes it. Plan on reading this in one sitting; matters of the human soul don't bear interruption.”
—Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honor Winner for The Wednesday Wars
“Young readers will cheer for Fern as she finds the courage to confront the troubling doctrines she has been raised with and reinvent her ideas of home.”
—Jacquetta Nammar Feldman, author of Wishing Upon the Same Stars and The Puttermans Are in the House
School Library Journal
04/01/2024
Gr 3–7—Twelve-year-old Fern's life takes a sharp turn when she and her mother sneak out of the Ranch, an off-the-grid farm in New York that has been her home for the last six years. Even though the ranch might be considered a cult and her mom says its leader Dr. Ben is dangerous, it's the home that Fern remembers most. The two escape to Driftaway Beach, CA, living in a motel where her mother works. When Fern becomes desperate to return to the only life she knows, she makes a long-term plan to return to the Ranch. But as time goes on Fern finds friendship in Eddie and Babs. She discovers that she loves science and learning about new things. Now that she has a taste for this world, she is conflicted when she thinks about returning home. This coming-of-age story centers a girl trying to decide what is right as she struggles to change from one culture to another. The first-person narrative is believable and thought-provoking as Fern reconsiders everything she's thought to be true. VERDICT A unique story and welcome addition to the library for fans of contemporary middle grade fiction.—Nancy Hawkins
MAY 2024 - AudioFile
Caitlin Kinnunen's youthful voice increases sympathy for vulnerable 12-year-old Fern, who wants to return to The Ranch, a cult community that is the only home she can remember. Fern's mother woke her in the middle of the night and took her to a new home a coast away. Kinnunen's narration reflects Fern's confusion, anger, and determination to return to The Ranch. She also stresses Fern's innocence and fear of germs and technology, all of which reflect her sheltered background. Kinnunen increases the tension as Fern's need for connection challenges what she thinks she knows. Gradually, Kinnunen reveals how Fern's absolutist views change as she comes to understand life's complexities and her place in the world. S.W. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2024-01-05
Life outside a cult seems full of danger to a girl who yearns for the safety of her oppressive but familiar home.
Twelve-year-old Fern’s mother suddenly takes her from the only stable home she’s ever known, the place they settled when she was 6, following years of upheaval. In the dark of night, the two escape the compound ruled by Dr. Ben, the patriarchal leader of the Ranch, their “sustainable futurist community.” Driving away from New York, they end up in tiny Driftaway Beach, California. Fern immediately develops a plan to get back to Dr. Ben, whose messages she’s internalized; after all, he claimed to be preparing them to survive war and climate change. But as she acclimates to life outside the Ranch, Fern begins to value being able to make her own decisions. Does she even want to follow Dr. Ben’s vision of life? The Spirit of the Sea, a local myth about the ghost of a lighthouse keeper that haunts the cliffs above town, provides a parallel for exploring the psychology of grief and the truths we tell ourselves. Many tweens will relate to feeling controlled, sheltered, and lied to as they seek their independence. O’Shaughnessy succeeds in raising awareness by bringing the abuse of cult communities to light through a gripping storyline and beautifully imperfect supporting characters. Fern, who’s cued white, matures in her understanding that what and who you choose to believe in is of consequence.
A strong, emotionally intelligent story. (Fiction. 9-13)
