Where People Like Us Live by Patricia Cumbie

Libby and her family are always moving.  This time it's to Racine, "Rubberville" Wisconsin, a small factory town on Lake Michigan.  Libby and her older siblings generally don't even bother to make friends anymore, but in her first week in Rubberville, Libby meets Angie.  Libby thinks Angie has it all: lots of clothes, a room she doesn't have to share, a caring stepdad and a devil-may-care attitude.  She can't believe they're both going to be freshman together in the Fall, but soon Libby realizes that Angie's life isn't all it's cracked up to be.  The stepdad isn't as great as she thought, and all of Angie's great clothes are just a way to buy silence.  Should Libby tell someone what she thinks is going on?  Should she tell someone what she saw?  If she does, she may lose the only friend she's really ever had.   Of course, they're probably going to move again anyway so what will it matter?  And that pretty much sums up my problem with this novel.  While Patricia Cumbie certainly knows how to turn a phrase, I found the plot to be as sleepy as the town of Rubberville. It's hard to believe that Libby is really worried that people will think negatively of her and Angie when likely she's going to be gone again in six months. Where People Like Us Live is slow, and Angie's big secret is just too obvious. I also found Libby to be just a bit too naive for a 14-year-old with an older sister and brother.  She even shares a room with her older sister.  While parents may want to view their youngest through rose colored glasses, I've found that generally the baby in the family is the most rebellious and better at hiding it.  Libby just didn't ring true for me.