Book Review: House Arrest by K.A. Holt

Title: House Arrest

Author: K.A. Holt

Genre(s): Juvenile Fiction/ Books in Verse

Number of Pages: 304

Rating: B+

Recommended?: Yes

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At first I thought I have trouble getting into this book because it’s too young for me. Luckily, I couldn’t have been more wrong. House Arrest immediately grabbed my interest with an authentic main character who I quickly grew to care about and a storyline that pulled on my heartstrings and kept me invested in the outcome.

 

This book is written in a very simple way, but it’s consistent with the young age of the narrator. Timothy lives with his stressed-out single mother and his sick baby brother Levi, who has to wear a trach in order to breath. Timothy ends up being put on house arrest when he tries to steal a man’s wallet to buy medicine for Levi, and he’s encouraged to write in a journal and try to process recent events with a court-appointed counselor.

 

I got a strong sense that the author knows a lot of boys Timothy’s age because I think she did a great job with his voice and making him seem to have pretty regular inner voice without being dumbed down. Timothy is bright without seeming particularly ‘precocious,’ flawed, and deeply devoted to his family. He obviously doesn’t always make great decisions but I never had any doubt his heart was in the right place.

 

I noticed a few flaws here and there, for example I understood the nurse character Timothy hated was supposed to be uncaring, but she was so clearly unfit to take care of anything bigger than a Chia Pet that she came off as a little over-the-top.  Also I obviously don’t want to spoil the ending, but I felt the final outcome strained credulity. Nevertheless, as soon as I finished this book all I wanted to do was go get my hands on the sequel and find out what happens to these characters. House Arrest is not the happiest story but it’s a definite option for reluctant readers, however you don’t have to be a reluctant reader (or a kid) is enjoy this book.