Where People Like Us Live by Patricia Cumbie

Libby is used to moving every time her headstrong father gets laid off from his job. This time her father moves the family to Rubberville. Here she meets Angie, a girl who is the complete opposite of Libby, and almost gets her killed the first day they meet. Angie and Libby soon develop a strong friendship and Angie becomes Libby's first real best friend. A friend is certainly what Libby needs her first summer in Rubberville, because not even a week after her father starts his job, his fellow employees encourage him to join the strike and he is out of a paycheck. This creates much hardship for Libby as well as for her family. Libby is quick to realize that Angie is hiding a secret, one involving her step father Kevin. She is faced with the choice of letting her friend get hurt or to hurt her friendship. The choice she makes empowers her to be the girl that she wants to be and helps her face her own greatest fear.


This was a very moving book and I absolutely loved it. Patricia Cumbie has a way with words and Where People Like Us Live is a stunning first novel. It really grasps the idea of a true friendship and makes us realize how lucky we are to have friends. I really liked how Libby was the character telling the story, it really gave the book a voice. This book is a must read for any girl, regardless of if you have one friend or fifty. I was unable to put the book down, anxious to hear what was going to happen to Libby, Angie, and their families next!